What Weight Line To Use For Bass Fishing in the USA
For bass fishing, use 8 to 12 pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon line with finesse presentations using spinning gear. Bump it up to 15 or 20 pound test in heavy cover. When casting big swimbaits, crankbaits, jigs and topwater tackle, a braided main line in the 30-50 pound test range is incredibly versatile.
What kind of line should I use for bass fishing?
For bass/walleye/northern pike fishing, use 8-pound test and up. There are three basic types of fishing line: monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid. Monofilament line is the most popular. If you have only one rod, monofilament line is the way to go.
What weight fishing line should I use?
It should roughly match the weight of the species you are fishing for (e.g. use line in the 30-pound test for tuna in the 30-pound range). A typical line to cast for trout would be 4-pound test. Consider braided line of 30-pound test or more if you go after large game fish.
Is fluorocarbon better than mono?
Sensitivity—Fluoro’s tightly packed molecules transmit more energy than mono, better telegraphing information from the other end of the line, such as light bites or your lure ticking bottom. Also boosting sensitivity, fluoro sinks faster than mono, resulting in less slack or bow between the lure and rodtip.
Can you use fluorocarbon as a main line?
Anglers can use fluorocarbon as leader material when fishing super braids and also monofilament. Fluorocarbon is also the best material for leaders on lead core, copper line and weighted steel line set ups. The best knots for joining these lines is the Double Uni Knot and also Albright Knot.
Do you use a weight when bass fishing?
In bass fishing, weights, often called sinkers, are generally used with soft plastics. Sinkers can range in weight from 1/64 ounce up to 2 ounces for most bass fishing applications. The weight often has to do with the depth you want to fish or the density of the cover you need to penetrate.
Can you catch small fish with heavy line?
Yes, fishing line can be too heavy. Adding a bigger line than is recommended on the reel will reduce the line capacity on the spool. Additionally, line that is too heavy for the rod will make it difficult to cast small lures or baits. Line size should be within the range listed on the rod and reel.
What is 6Lb test line good for?
The 6 Lb test strength is great for targeting multiple species. It’s light enough to pull in a pile of Panfish, and heavy enough to get your Largemouth Bass dockside. However, when you get more specialized a lighter test (2-4 Lb.) for Panfish and a heavier test (8-12 Lb.)Aug 14, 2018.
When should I use fluorocarbon line?
It’s a good go-to line for when you need low visibility and a degree of stretch – this can apply to any fishing situation. In fact, if you’re targeting any fish in clear water, a fluorocarbon leader is a great idea to reduce visibility and increase hook-ups.
Why does fluorocarbon line break so easily?
Fluorocarbon line will fracture if not fray as with monofilament. The hardness of the line makes it vulnerable to “cracking”, however, and it is at these cracks that weak spots develop. These cracks can occur if a bass wraps your line around a rock, a dock pillar or any other object.
Is fluorocarbon hard to cast?
While fluoro has some very obvious benefits which keep it on the playing field–extreme clarity, durability, low stretch and a high density that causes it to sink, taking diving lures deeper–it can be very difficult to cast. Most fluoro has a density of 1.8, almost twice as dense as mono, and that means it sinks.
Should I soak fluorocarbon?
How to spool up with fluorocarbon. 1 Start by soaking the bulk spool of line in a bowl or bucket of warm water to make it supple and reduce the line memory. 3 Finish spooling-up just short of full. This will prevent the line coming off too quickly during the cast and ‘frapping’.
Which fluorocarbon fishing line is best?
5 Best Fluorocarbon Lines (Baitcasting and Spinning) Seaguar Red Label – Best Value. Sunline Super FC Sniper – Smoothest with Least Memory. Seaguar InvizX- Low Memory Fluoro. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. Seaguar AbrazX – Toughest Fluorocarbon.
Can you use fluorocarbon on a baitcaster?
While a baitcaster can be spooled with any fishing line that we have discussed so far, many anglers prefer to use braid or fluorocarbon over monofilament. With the line memory of monofilament, it will not take long until the changes in the lines shape are going to start reducing the casting performance.
Should I use a sinker for bass fishing?
Generally, sinkers for bass fishing are relatively light in weight, and small. As a rule, it’s best to use the lightest weight that will effectively suit the depth you’re fishing, and the presentation being used.
Do I need a sinker for bass fishing?
You’ll need a sinker or a weighted jighead to get a buoyant lure like a plastic worm or tube bait to the bottom and keep it there. Here’s a roundup of the various weights BASS pros use to get their lures into the strike zone.
Do I use sinkers with lures?
Sinkers are some of the most important pieces of tackle in your tackle bag. For you purists, sinkers are usually associated with live bait and weights with artificial lures. Seriously though, weight=sinker=weight. With sinkers it’s to get your lure or bait down where the bass are.
Is 20lb line too heavy?
It is important to use the right line for corresponding power. If you use too light of a line on a heavier rod, you are in much more danger of breaking the line on a fish. A medium-heavy salmon rod 10-20lb and medium-heavy surf 17-40lb.
Does heavy line scare fish?
When a fish tugs on your line it will feel the resistance of your sinker. The heavier your sinker; the more resistance, the more likely a fish will feel that resistance, and ultimately the more likely a fish will recognize something is not right. More often than not, it will spit your bait and swim away from danger.
What happens if you put too heavy line on a reel?
Heavier monofilament and fluorocarbon lines do not perform well on spinning reels because the diameter of the line is large enough that the spooled line will jump off the reel spool when casting. This creates monstrous backlashes that are not easy to fix – plus it wastes time on the water.