Im new to the largemouth bass fishing scene in small lakes like around here but why do you use 17 lb test for a bass. I have reeled in plenty of 20-25 lb salmon with 15 lb flourocarbon with a 7'6" medium heavy rod and rarely have any break offs. And there is alot of rocks in the river the fish like to swim near. Just curious not trying to bash anyones technique
i use it when flipping heavy cover - laydowns, branches, pads, stumps etc. it's not about the weight of the bass relative to the line strength but how abrasion resistant the heavier line is. and about the strength and hook set. you're flipping a heavy wire lure and heavy weight into the nastiest, sharpest stuff where the bass are so you need heavy line for certain techniques.
i'm talking about dropping the line through tree limbs, branches, and other sharp cover.
and when you hook one you need to wrench it out quickly and it's going to try to dive down into this cover. i won't use 17 lb. when pitching or flipping a 1/4 oz. lure.
As for backlashes, if you are fishing a baitcaster into a 15-20 mph wind, it happens. The tape trick works great but I was wondering what tape people use. The stuff that comes on some spools of line seems ideal but you only get one piece per spool. I'm experimenting with bandaid tape. Its sticky enough to hold but not so much that if it gets hot its goes everywhere.
Next, there are a lot of promos on different lines out there. In fact, berkley fluoro has one going right now.
As for line ratings, the abrasion resistance and shock factor are important. If I take my 7'6" flipping stick and a 6/0 punch hook and set it like I mean it, 12 line just wont cut it. In fact, 50lb braid minimum and 20-25 lb fluoro are in order.
As for brands, I bought 3-4 different types of fluoro this year to see if I can detect a difference (seaguar, berkley, pline, and cajun). I bought ones that were all in the same price range to get an brand to brand comparsion. At some point I will move to the high end stuff and do the cheap vs overpriced comparison.
As for backlashes, if you are fishing a baitcaster into a 15-20 mph wind, it happens. The tape trick works great but I was wondering what tape people use. The stuff that comes on some spools of line seems ideal but you only get one piece per spool. I'm experimenting with bandaid tape. Its sticky enough to hold but not so much that if it gets hot its goes everywhere.
When I tried this, I used scotch tape and it worked fine. I imagine electrical tape would work too. You won't want anything that will leave a lot of sticky residue on your line.
Like i've said before. i been using 30lb braid to 12lb fluro and never snaped, but i still get kinda sketched when i know a moose is on the line. I just want to buff my gear up a little more for extra covidence for big bass and big pickerel.
What kind of knot do u use to attach ur leaders? Use a "J" knot to attach ur leaders. It's the best knot for attaching flouro leaders to braid.
I was trying a couple different knots.... The blood knot did not quite hold up unless it was perfect...Albright would snap.....I was using my own version of the double grinner, but the knot was too thick and would wack up my guides too much. Im going to try the knot you recommend and see how the results are.Like i've said before. i been using 30lb braid to 12lb fluro and never snaped, but i still get kinda sketched when i know a moose is on the line. I just want to buff my gear up a little more for extra covidence for big bass and big pickerel.
What kind of knot do u use to attach ur leaders? Use a "J" knot to attach ur leaders. It's the best knot for attaching flouro leaders to braid.
Thanks
I won't argue its all about feel - once you figure it out, you can cast any weight lure with any line, no issue. But, when you get a backlash with braid, it doesn't mess up an entire reels worth of line. It packs tight on the spool, and, in my experience, will only backlash to a certain point, which is far from where I tied the line to the spool. I guess its personal preference, and I like the braid!
As for the presentation issues, that is why I use a flouro leader. I plan on trying some more light weight set ups this year with it, and we'll see how it goes!
Just goes to show we are all different - I have had the exact opposite experience! I haven't met a flouro backlash in years that I couldn't clear in less than 30 seconds, but once I jam up a spool of braid, I usually have to cut it to clear it. The braid just behaves differently, and doesn't let me use my usual technique for clearing it out.
Generally, I use as heavy of a fluoro as my budget will allow, but with an eye towards the fact that I do fish clearer bodies of water at times. I usually use 14 or 17 pound test. Docks, laydowns, rocks etc all present an environment where you want the fish out as quickly as possible. I don't want to have to worry about snapping the line when I lean on a fish to get it out of cover, and in that structure the heavier line is not going to spook the fish. I do use lighter lines on my cranking setups, to get deeper in the water column.