What line do you use with which technique (crank, jigs, topwater...)

[FishTank]

Jigs and soft plastic >  12lb Invizx

Crankbaits > varies on rod....  12lb Invizx and 12lb CXX

Topwater > 15lb Sunline Natural or 50lb Briad

Jerkbaits > 12lb Invizx

 

All Spinning gear > 6lb Trilene XL 100% FC

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Mono for all ...big game and hybrid ..i havent found a need for braid and definatly no need for floro..braid is not very abrasions  resistant  and floro stretches and has problems with knots ...mono is a jack of all trades IMO

[scaleface]

I use mono on everything but I am going to spool up a reel with braid for frogs and toads , I just need to remember not to hold the line between my index finger and thumb or I will slice said finger on the hook-set . If that happens back to mono it will be . On my worm/jig rod I use trilene clear blue fluorescent just so I can see it , everything else gets Big game .

[tholmes]

13 hours ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

Mono for all ...big game and hybrid ..i havent found a need for braid and definatly no need for floro..braid is not very abrasions  resistant  and floro stretches and has problems with knots ...mono is a jack of all trades IMO

Same here. I've tries flouro and hated it. Braid is OK, but too expensive. Trilene Big Game or BPS Excel.

 

Tom

[bwjay]

I've been going back and forth on what to use for next year's season. Here's what I used this year, and what I intend to use next year.

 

First, I was using:

* 40lb Super8SlickV2 braid to 14lb Sniper FC (or 14lb FC Leader) for all applications except frogs and flipping

* 40lb Super8SlickV2 or Sufix 832 braid for frogs and flipping

 

Then, I got tired of breaking off leaders at the bank and having to retie, so I switched it up to:

* 10lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid copolymer for everything except frogs and flipping

* 40lb Super8SlickV2 OR Sufix 832 braid for frogs and flipping

 

What I intend to do next year, with at least 1 combo for each line below:

* 80lb braid for muskies

* 65lb braid for frogs and flipping/punching

* 65lb braid to 16lb FC100 leader for flipping, big worms, big jigs, big swimbaits

* 40lb braid to 16lb FC100 leader for worms, jigs, spinners, cranks, swimbaits, topwater, jerkbaits

* 15lb FC/mono for jigs, spinners, cranks, swimbaits, topwater, jerkbaits

* 15lb braid to 10lb Sniper FC for dropshot, Ned, tubes, finesse jigs

 

As much as I don't like tying leaders in the field, the sensitivity and hookset response of braid to leader is too good not to use it for bottom contact presentations. I don't need it for moving baits, but I want my combos to be multidisciplinary when possible, so my 40lb braid to leader combo can be used for moving baits as you see, but it's more for worms and jigs. The 15lb FC combo is more for moving baits but I will also use it for bottom contact as well. I am thinking of trying Tatsu because line memory screws up the action of a lot of baits and casting ability, and I have read very good things. However, Tatsu is ultra expensive so I'm going to try a few other things before it, like some 12-15lb Trilene Sensation mono as I know one angler in MN has had great success with it and it's cheap enough to try. I do like Yo-Zuri Hybrid, really strong stuff, but it has a decent amount of memory and it's not the most sensitive thing. Plus I feel like it stretches a LOT; when using my Helium3s that have quite a bit of flex to them, I swear I gotta really rip on the rod to set the hook. And jerkbaits are almost pointless with that setup I think, since I can't get the rod tip to snap the bait. It's just too soft. So, I have some experimenting to do.

[OnthePotomac]

So there you have it.  Confused now?  As I have posted before, when I retired and got in to bass fishing 19 years ago, before the dizzying world of mono, flouro an braid line choices, every reel I had, but the frog reel, had 14lb green mono on it and the frog reel had 20lb green mono on it. It worked great on the Potomac grass beds with lots of baits and no lost fish.  Yes I have changed with everyone else regarding mixing in flouro, but have never liked  braid except on my frog reel and still enjoy frog fishing with 20lb mono.  So it is what do you like blondes or brunetts?

[clemsondds]

On 11/11/2019 at 11:58 AM, OnthePotomac said:

So there you have it.  Confused now?  As I have posted before, when I retired and got in to bass fishing 19 years ago, before the dizzying world of mono, flouro an braid line choices, every reel I had, but the frog reel, had 14lb green mono on it and the frog reel had 20lb green mono on it. It worked great on the Potomac grass beds with lots of baits and no lost fish.  Yes I have changed with everyone else regarding mixing in flouro, but have never liked  braid except on my frog reel and still enjoy frog fishing with 20lb mono.  So it is what do you like blondes or brunetts?

Ha yeh things can get complicated quickly.  I don't mind complicated, as long as there's a science/reason behind it (fg knot ha).  But I would like to try to keep things as simplified as possible, while still using the best technique.  I understand fluoro helping get to depth with cranking so that helps. Now just trying to decide on the others. Thanks again for all the help and advice everyone! Love hearing the different opinions on why you use what you use. Very smart people here! 

[punch]

I've gone to the KISS method. Keep it simple stupid. 

 

All my casting rods are either 10lb fluoro (jerkbait, cranks), 15lb fluoro, or 50lb braid. 

 

My one exception this year is running 30lb braid to a short 10" fluro leader for topwater. Really love this setup. 

 

All my spinning rods are 10lb braid to 8lb fluoro leader. 

 

That's it. Done. 

[Boomstick]

Here's what I have found out that I like on my reels:

 

7.1:1 casting reel for frogs and jigs in heavy cover: 50-65lb braid

7.1:1 casting reel for trigs in covr, jigs in lighter cover, spinerbaits or chatterbaits in cover: 17lb flurocarbon

6.3:1 casting reel for trigs, spinnerbaits or crankbaits in thicker grass: 15lb flurocarbon

6.3:1 casting reel for crankbaits and jerkbaits: 12lb flurocarbon although I will be using 10lb next year

7.1:1 casting reel for poppers and jerkbaits: 12lb mono

spinning reel for finesse: 12lb braid with a 6lb leader.

 

[Bigassbass]

Mono for everything, green.  braid doesn't float and who wants to tie on leaders to a fishing line and who wants to carry scissors. 

[Eric Hug]

Intentions for next year:

40lb braid for froggin

40lb braid to 12lb fc for texas rigs, paddle tails, spinnerbaits, jigs

40lb braid to 12lb mono for topwaters

15lb braid to 8lb fc for cranks, jerkbaits, Ned rigs, drop shots

 

All tied with Alberto knot which is easy to tie. These are all things that I've been doing successfully for the last couple of years except for the braid to leader for cranking and jerking.  Is anyone familiar with doing this? Any opinions on it?  Also looking at learning the infamous fg knot. Any opinions on that?

[snake95]

Spinning: braid to fluoro leader.

All sizes, and all applications.

 

Baitcasing:

Mostly - braid to fluoro leader, mono leader for topwater or cranks.

I also fish YZH straight for just about all baits, and mono straight, particularly for topwaters and cranks.

 

I am not an especially serious angler compared to a lot of the guys on here.

 

But bottom line, I have zero reservations about using braid to leaders with just about everything.

[Bird]

 

 

Straight braid for anything moving.

Braid to FC leader for anything sitting.

[NorthernBasser]

On 11/10/2019 at 6:38 AM, LonnieP said:

Everything except bottom contact and frogs- Copoly

bottom contact-fluorocarbon 

frogs-braid

This. Except I use mono for poppers/walking baits/ploppers.

 

And braid also for punching. 

[ike8120]

Very interesting to see the variations that each type of line is being used.

[GreenPig]

Muzzy 200 lb braid. Poor casting but man it's strong. 

[Dangerfield]

Straight Braid most of the time. 50lb PP Maxcurato

Braid to FC on my spinning out fits. 12lb Sufix Nanobraid to 10-12lb FC leader. Looking to test Sunline SX1.

Braid to Co-poly or Mono on my treble hook baits - I've lost a number of lures to a Northern drive by. 40lb PP Maxcurato to 12lb YZH or Sufix Siege.

Braid to titanium leader for 1oz+ swimbaits, 130 WP and all my other big baits. 50lb PP Maxcurato, also might explore 50lb FC leader and crimping.

[Khoa Vu]

On 11/13/2019 at 9:56 AM, punch said:

..

My one exception this year is running 30lb braid to a short 10" fluro leader for topwater. Really love this setup. 

..

floro leader for topwater? no problem with the actions of the lure with the line pulling the head down? I usually go braid to mono leader for topwater but have heard some people using flouro so that it drags the top of the lure down giving a different action. 

[Chance_Taker4]

I absolutely hate braid on everything concept. But that's me. I used to be a picky on what line I had spooled on what reel but this season I switched it up. I use 40# braid for heavy cover and various size Yo-Zuri Hybrid for everything else. 

[Bankbeater]

The punch rig gets 65lb braid. Everything else gets Big Game. 

[FishingGeekTX]

Braid, no leader.

No-memory on braid, lower diameter, absurdly high break strength, and casts far...I can't string up with anything else.

 

Braid can be somewhat a PITA in the wind, but I hate fishing in the wind with any line.

Braid can also get some gnarly knots that result in cutting more often than a polymer line, but a lot of that is mitigated by taking more precautions to avoid that happening.

I'd rather lose 1 spool every few trips to bad braid than spool up with polymer line, personally.

[ChrisD46]

Wild Card :

 

*Have a rod deemed too stiff for the application ? Use Mono / Co-Poly line.

*Have a rod deemed too soft for the application ? Use Braid .

 

Make the line stretch (mono - co-poly) or the lack of line stretch (braid) work for you .

FC line is a sinking "tweener" line - add to the above as required ...

[Catt]

Berkley Big Game 15# except when punching or froging!

[Boomstick]

 

49 minutes ago, Catt said:

Berkley Big Game 15# except when punching or froging!

nice and simple

[Hook2Jaw]

On 12/1/2019 at 8:50 PM, Eric Hug said:

Intentions for next year:

40lb braid for froggin

40lb braid to 12lb fc for texas rigs, paddle tails, spinnerbaits, jigs

40lb braid to 12lb mono for topwaters

15lb braid to 8lb fc for cranks, jerkbaits, Ned rigs, drop shots

 

All tied with Alberto knot which is easy to tie. These are all things that I've been doing successfully for the last couple of years except for the braid to leader for cranking and jerking.  Is anyone familiar with doing this? Any opinions on it?  Also looking at learning the infamous fg knot. Any opinions on that?

Learn the FG.  It's as easy as an Alberto, just more time consuming.  Tie a long leader.