Does Anyone Bass Fish With 4 Pound Fluorocarbon?

[basslover12345]

I'm considering trying it. I've been reading a blog/column by Ned Kehde on the in fisherman website and I want to try his half a Strike king zero on a 1/32 ounce jig head at a REALLY pressured lake about 30 minutes from my house that has CRYSTAL clear water and up to 50 feet deep, would 4 pound fluorocarbon help me or hurt me if I have a good drag? I just feel like since the lake gets pressured, the smaller the line=MORE bites. Any advice?

[roadwarrior]

Most of my smallmouth fishing on the Tennessee River is with #4 Yo-Zuri Hybrid.

The fish in my avatar were caught using this line. On the RoadTrip I caught a 7-7

largemouth on a Fat Ika and #4 Hybrid.

[Team9nine]

If your drag is good and heavy cover isn't a problem, you shouldn't have any problem with 4lb. line. You might even consider moving up to 6lb. if you don't feel comfortable with the 4. Ned and other "Midwest Finesse" practitioners typically use either 8-10lb. braid with an 6-8lb. fluoro leader, or just straight 6-8lb. mono or fluoro for most of their fishing. The system is pretty fun, but you might also add some 1/16-oz. jigheads into the mix, as the 1/32nds are awefully light and good only for pretty shallow water.

-T9

[Primus]

I use it when throwing an 8" Hudd . Just kidding 6 lb is as light as go but if you keep your drag loose or learn to backreel you will probably land the majority of fish that bite if your not around heavy cover. I've been throwing something similar to the Ned Kehde rig long before In Fisherman brought it to the public's attention about 3-4 years ago. I use a 1/16 oz Gopher mushroom head jig made with a #6 Gama hook superglued to a 3" Yum Dinger or Senko. Falls with a slow death spiral, very good bait for calm bluebird days in the summer when fishing clear water.

[jj'sbassinforfun]

The lakes I fish have some lunkers over 10 LBS. and I would absolutely cry if I hooked into one and lost it due to too light of line. 10 LB flouro is just as invisable as the 4 LB IMHO! Why take the chance??

[Packard]

I fish with 4lb Stren a lot. This is mostly for dropshot, grubs, shakey head, finesses jigs, flukes, and tubes. It is nearly invisible and has great casting distance. I haven't lost a smallie on it yet but you can't horse the fish.

[Bluebasser86]

I use the technique you're talking about and have fished with some of Ned's group that help develop the technique, light braided line with a 6 or 8lb fluoro leader is the way all of them fish even in the clearest of water. If you're really wanting to fish a fluoro main line just fish 6lb, no reason to drop down to 4.

[Crestliner2008]

For years I used nothing but 4# test fluoro as my drop shot leaders. Very challenging! However, smallies tend to inhale the bait on the drop shot and on the set, the line would abrade against their teeth. After loosing some very nice fish, I decided I would change leaders every 2 fish, without exception. This strategy worked well for me and I became very proficient in quick changing pre-tied leaders. However...

I finally tried 6# test fluoro leaders instead and find this size to be much more abrasion resistant, allowing me to change a lot less frequently, if at all. And I do not perceive any decrease in numbers of takes either. Just a thought.

[ww2farmer]

8 is as low as I will go for bass fishing, tied to 10lb braid. Good ones hooked out in semi-open water make me cringe on that when they make a beeline for the weeds or cover once hooked. Most of the time it's not an issue, but with 4 or even 6, I probably would lose alot more. I have caught some nice bass panfishing on 4lb test mono and an UL rod, but I have also lost a few too. I ice fish with 2lb test, but I have yet to hook a bass that was a challange on that.

[RobertBG]

I've been fishing #4 on a ul rod most times this season and I have to say it is a blast playing a angry bass.I only lost one that dove for cover to a broken line but believe it or not I caught him later on a different color senko............it was quite a surprise when i went to pull the hook to see the senko and hook I had lost earlier in the fishes mouth.

You didnt mention the size and type of rod you plan on using and imo this comes into play,a heavy action rod or one not designed to go down too #4 can and will bite you where as one designed for it will help absorb shock and play the fish.The shock on heavy gear is what will part your line.The majority of my fishing in my life has beef offshore where a properly set drag on the right rod means everthing,there is no horsing a 150# tuna on a #30 rod and real,,same goes for a #300 plus shark on a int 80.

If your going to use light line on heavy gear,try this:tie off and spool up a few yards of #4,set your drag with a scale to about #2 or so and then tie off the line to something,leave a little slack and then set the hook like you would on a nice strike...............you'll see what I'm talking about