Do You Prefer Light Tackle Or Heavy Duty Gear For Bass Fishing?

[Teal]

There is def a time for both, and ive always been told to go as light as you can get away with. But my fishing style has changed alot in the past two years and now i lean more towards heavier action rods, stouter hooks, and braid.. (mainly 30 and 50#) most of gear is middle of the pack as far heavy/light goes..but i would Stick to flippin/pitchin/punchin/skipping if i could be sucessful with only that technique year round....but unfortunatly that not the way it is and its important to be well rounded.

[WRB]

Where I do 90% of my bass fishing there isn't much cover for bass to get into, a few trees and some brush.

My tackle is geared to effectively present the lures I am fishing from 5 to 6 lb FC for small finesse presentations to 25 lb mono for heavy swimbaits and rods to match the line. The only time I fish with braid is flipping or pitching very heavy cover to control the bass so it doesn't wrap the line around everything down there.

I have caught the majority of my giant bass on 10 to 14 lb mono or FC line with 4 and 5 power rods. A few DD bass on 6 and 8 lb spinning tackle.

It's foolish to use too light of tackle in heavy cover.

Tom

[OkeechobeeAngler]

This

 

I use the lightest tackle I can for the situation I'm fishing.

 

Sometimes, that's a 4lb test drop shot rig.

 

Other times, it's a Heavy action stick and braid in the slop.

 

As for a favorite - I like the system that allows me to land the fish I'm targeting as well as the occasional surprise.

 

A-Jay

[SirSnookalot]

Knowing the kind of fish Diggy has been catching lately it's no wonder why he wants to downsize. I can think of only a few reasons why heavier rods and lines are used.  Pulling fish out of thick cover, handling a heavier lure and getting them back at warp speed to get on to the next cast if in a tournament, none of which is my preference.  Most lines today break well over the number printed on the label, even a 10# line is really like fishing anywhere from 10-30% stronger.  Not much difference in the lighter lines but the difference gets very dramatic in the heavier lines, in essence we are fooled into believing we are fishing lighter than we really are.  As long as your line is in healthy condition with well tied knots, beefy fish can be landed on the light gear, that's where the rubber meets the road.

I will be taking Diggy with me to see if we can catching something special.

[retiredbosn]

You guys don't know a thriller til you start fly fishing for bass. A one pound smallmouth can feel like the next state record. One year I was fishing for trout on North Fork and ended up catching one of the biggest smallies of my life. Fought the fish for almost 30 min. on my fly rod. Will never forget it.

 

North Fork of Anthony Creek, up RTE 92?  Fished there many times for trout, would have never thought a smallie would make it that far up the creek system

[jm37817]

North Fork of Anthony Creek, up RTE 92?  Fished there many times for trout, would have never thought a smallie would make it that far up the creek system

North Fork of the South Branch of the Patomac actually. I tried to refrain from typing all that out, it's a mouthfull.

[retiredbosn]

Never fished down that way. From WV originally, have had many good days on the Greenbrier and new rivers.

[BrettD]

i like using the big guns & i'm almost always in the meat & potato's of the heaviest garbage i can find, thats what i love doing

 

+1 I fish lake okeechobee 95% of the time an finesse fishing isnt really a viable option. My friends laugh at me when they see my bass tackle is heavier then my inshore snook tackle. I think pulling a 5-8# bass out of the slop in Okeechobee is harder then finesse fishing you cant give the fish a inch or he is so buried in the grass you will never get him.

[J Francho]

I throw whatever is working or what I want to throw.  Cover, and to some extent, the bait dictates what weight setup I use.  Can't toss a 1 oz. swimbait on 6# fluoro.  Likewise, a 1/16 oz. wacky jig doesn't go far on 65# braid.  One thing I do a lot of is finesse in cover.  15-20# braid, and an 8# leader of fluoro or CXX will give you all the muscle you need in patchy weeds.

[Hyrule Bass]

North Fork of the South Branch of the Patomac actually. I tried to refrain from typing all that out, it's a mouthfull.

 

Smoke Hole? i went trout fishing at smoke hole once, didnt catch a thing. but the guy who runs the campground said there are 25" small mouth in there...

[bassinbrian]

The big guns Thick weeds and brush are most of the lakes around here.

[new2BC4bass]

My heaviest line is 14# which I don't like, its on an old setup that I only use for jig/frog fishing.  I learned fishing finesses and at the time it wasn't a technique just they way I learned to catch bass so I prefer light tackle 6-10#.

 

Me too!  Growing up 6# or 8# was the norm.  Once I got in my late teens, I bought a 9' Fenwick for fishing nightwalkers.  Naturally it got used for whatever else I felt like throwing.  By then I was using 4# Trilene XL.  Had to add a 10# leader to keep from snapping lures off on the cast.

 

Nowadays my standard line for baitcast outfits is 8# on Medium rods and 12# for MH rods...mono, of course.  Am using 10# braid on an outfit that would have 4# if using mono.  Went with Sufix 832 instead of PP because I didn't know if I could see a 2# mono equivalent well enough to thread a hook or lure.

[VtGr0wn]

i prefer medium light rod with 6-8 lb test as their are no major lunkers in my area

[J Francho]

Uhhhh, aren't you close to Champlain?  There's some big fish, and classic heavy cover fishing at the south end.

[ww2farmer]

I prefer the right tool for the job. LMAO at the "thrill of the fight" crowd. I am in the "thrill of the fish in the boat" crowd.

[Diggy]

You guys don't know a thriller til you start fly fishing for bass. A one pound smallmouth can feel like the next state record. One year I was fishing for trout on North Fork and ended up catching one of the biggest smallies of my life. Fought the fish for almost 30 min. on my fly rod. Will never forget it.

My friends fly fish for peacock bass, snook, tarpon and redfish. I will try it one day but it looks like alot of effort, once spring/summer comes the pea bite should be great locally

 

[Goose52]

I prefer the right tool for the job. LMAO at the "thrill of the fight" crowd. I am in the "thrill of the fish in the boat" crowd.

 

 

Wow, in that case, perhaps the right tool for the job would be dynamite.

 

Certainly, a fish in the boat is important for tournaments and fishing for food. And I always feel bad if I loose a quality fish. But isn't part of the enjoyment of fishing the fight? The knowledge that perhaps the fish might win and get away? I don't know about others on this board, but that's important for me.

 

Sometimes, fishing is about more than just catching...

[A-Jay]

Wow, in that case, perhaps the right tool for the job would be dynamite.

 

Certainly, a fish in the boat is important for tournaments and fishing for food. And I always feel bad if I loose a quality fish. But isn't part of the enjoyment of fishing the fight? The knowledge that perhaps the fish might win and get away? I don't know about others on this board, but that's important for me.

 

Sometimes, fishing is about more than just catching...

 

It is - and I do agree but I can also smell what ww2farmer is cooking.

Enough fish manage to escape the final lip or net job that I don't want to help them out any.

So, and I know you've heard this, I play with them once they're in the net.

 

A-Jay

[J Francho]

Goose52, on 28 Feb 2013 - 15:12, said:

Wow, in that case, perhaps the right tool for the job would be dynamite.

Certainly, a fish in the boat is important for tournaments and fishing for food. And I always feel bad if I loose a quality fish. But isn't part of the enjoyment of fishing the fight? The knowledge that perhaps the fish might win and get away? I don't know about others on this board, but that's important for me.

Sometimes, fishing is about more than just catching...

If you're in it for the fight, try a different species. Seriously, I just don't get playing out a bass, even smallies. Yes, you have to let them run when they want, but big fish are a weird deal. The less time they are hooked and not in my hand, the better for me. Half the time, you can actually lead a fish in open water with very little pressure. Read Charlie Brewer's stuff on Slider fishing. He would actually lead fish out of cover BEFORE setting the hook! I can't go that far, but, you get the picture.

[jm37817]

My friends fly fish for peacock bass, snook, tarpon and redfish. I will try it one day but it looks like alot of effort, once spring/summer comes the pea bite should be great locally

 

Not as much effort as practice and lots and lots and lots of patience. I was fortunate enough to learn when I was a kid by my Dad and Uncles. I'm almost 30 now and have had plenty of time to learn these two facts.

[Goose52]

It is - and I do agree but I can also smell what ww2farmer is cooking.

Enough fish manage to escape the final lip or net job that I don't want to help them out any.

So, and I know you've heard this, I play with them once they're in the net.

 

A-Jay

 

Sure, I know. And ww2farmer is talking like a good tournament angler. I don't want to lose fish needlessly either...but I sure do like to feel the tug on the line. AND, I don't mind the risk of loosing a fish from time to time. Thus, I personally will keep my tackle on the light(er) side to get more of those tugs.

[jm37817]

Smoke Hole? i went trout fishing at smoke hole once, didnt catch a thing. but the guy who runs the campground said there are 25" small mouth in there...

Yes, that's the area. If you've ever been to Seneca Rocks that's the River I'm referring to. I swear they eat the trout, that's how they get so big.

[Diggy]

 

If you're in it for the fight, try a different species. Seriously, I just don't get playing out a bass, even smallies. Yes, you have to let them run when they want, but big fish are a weird deal. The less time they are hooked and not in my hand, the better for me. Half the time, you can actually lead a fish in open water with very little pressure. Read Charlie Brewer's stuff on Slider fishing. He would actually lead fish out of cover BEFORE setting the hook! I can't go that far, but, you get the picture.

Normally you are all smiles , but with this post I envision you like this, lol

 

[J Francho]

Dude, I have more fun than anyone fishing for bass. It's not about the fight, though. It's about the game, and the results. That's why I prefer bass to other species. If it was just about the fight, I'd be chasing trout, salmon, or pike - and sometimes do. But that type of fishing isn't nearly as challenging or satisfying as bass fishing.

[Goose52]

If you're in it for the fight, try a different species. Seriously, I just don't get playing out a bass, even smallies. Yes, you have to let them run when they want, but big fish are a weird deal. The less time they are hooked and not in my hand, the better for me. Half the time, you can actually lead a fish in open water with very little pressure. Read Charlie Brewer's stuff on Slider fishing. He would actually lead fish out of cover BEFORE setting the hook! I can't go that far, but, you get the picture.

 

John, I don't play out a bass, all I've said is that I enjoy the fight that there is. Since I fish mostly open water, and typically use lighter baits, I use lighter tackle and enyoy the fight. Even with ML rods and 6lb test, you've still usually got the bass back to the boat/bank in about 30 seconds, minute tops.  I'm still trying to get the bass in before I lose it, and it's not like I'm trying to land 9 pound bass on 2lb test.

 

I understand about enjoying the strategy, tactics, bait selection, presentation, etc. But for many of us, bass ARE about the only species available and the fight is a big part of the equation.