What is considered "finesse" fishing?

[roadwarrior]

2 hours ago, ajschn06 said:

7" Power Worm

3/16 oz weight

12 pound line

Medium action casting rod

 

To ME, that fits the bill for small lures and light line.... just kind of curious how many share that opinion

 

Definitely NOT.

 

[Bird]

If finesse fishing is defined by a slow presentation then many baits would be exempt, baits like buzzbaits in particular.

 

Where is the line drawn if finesse is considered technique? 

I consider a 1/8 weight on a drop-shot throwing a 4" Roboworm on light tackle finesse. Now we bump up the weight to 1/2oz and nose hook a Magnum fluke shouldn't it fall out of the finesse catagory even though it's a drop-shot ? Idk

 

For my simple mind and historically, the term finesse is considered small profile baits on light tackle.

 

 

[Bankbeater]

To me it’s a little bit bait and tackle and a little bit presentation. Whatever works. 

[detroit1]

Most of us older folk think finesse means ul to ml spin tackle, small baits, and 4 & 6 # line, with slow to medium retrieve speeds. Like just about everything else these days, the lines have been blurred.   

[king fisher]

Here in Mexico, a 7 inch Senko fished with a bait caster, and 20 pound line is as close as I get to finesse.  Just got to love big dumb bass that don't see lures.

[Cdn Angler]

At the end of the day it's an imperfect description. Do what you have to do to catch fish.

[GreenPig]

After six hours of casting a 5oz Baitsanity Exploxer Glide or 5.5oz Bull Shad most everything I own feels very finessy.

[WRB]

The problem of making up your own definition to bass fishing terms we loose the ability to communicate.

Websters word definitions don’t always apply to bass speak, ie; grass doesn’t mean grass to bass anglers, it means all types of aquatic vegetation. Grass was weeds where learned to fish.

Accurate casting doesn’t define finesse, flipping is accurate casting for example. My 7/16 oz hair jigs with 5/0 Gamakatsu hook using 10 lb to 12 lb line isn’t finesse even if I finesse them.

Don Iovino is the only bass pro in the Hall of Fame as the Father of Finesse Fishing. To me Dons presentations, tackle and techniques is the definition of finesse fishing.

Tom

[Bass Rutten]

One of the best definitions I've ever come across in the context of fishing was written by Rich Zaleski:

 

"The cumulative effect of the subdued, subtle, slow, simple and seductive aspects of certain artificial lure presentations used to catch stubborn, finicky, spooky and/or inactive bass."

[Cgolf]

Honestly I don’t give it a lot of thought anymore, but one that comes to mind is when I am on a square bill bite. Over a week on a vaca they were crushing the Xcalibur 200 SB that pushes a ton of water. Two cold fronts later I had to switch to a bandit 100 a SB with a much subtler action and the bite was on. Is that finesse no, but the lighter action of the bandit was a winner that day. 
 

The only finesse baits I fish are probably rigged on a true Ned head. Rarely fish a drop shot or other finesse techniques. Slider spider rigged plastics, normal plastics most fish with a bullet sinker and worm hook, are 3/16 and 1/4 ounce fished like a standard Texas rig. For me it’s a mentality not the bait, so I may not finesse fish ever, but I fish with either an aggressive or subtle retrieve depending on what the fish want. Based on other convos on here a subtle retrieve with a bigger and heavier bait isn’t finesse fishing. 
 

After all the rules with what is and isn’t a Ned rig, I gave up trying to say I am using this specific method to catch a fish, rules make it too difficult. I just want to catch them however I can. If it is a Ned  bait on a 1/4 ounce mushroom head due to wind and waves making lighter jigs impossible to fish so be it. 

[CrashVector]

Smaller lures, light weight, and bottom contact.

 

Fast or slow is up to you and the fish.

 

I'm a finesse fisherman 95% of the time.  In fact, the only power fishing lures I use are a devil horse, a chatterbait, frogs , and swimbaits...and I only rarely use them.

 

 

 

[TOXIC]

18 hours ago, Bird said:

I consider a 1/8 weight on a drop-shot throwing a 4" Roboworm on light tackle finesse. Now we bump up the weight to 1/2oz and nose hook a Magnum fluke shouldn't it fall out of the finesse catagory even though it's a drop-shot ? Idk

There’s actually a term for that, it’s called the “Bubba Shot” when you upsize your dropshot into the heavier lines and bigger baits.  Some will dropshot a 5” and up size Senko which is something I have never seen the need to do.  Once you get up to that size, it’s not a finesse presentation anymore in my book. 

[FishTank]

Finesse fishing for past 20 years to me means 6lb test line and a Med or ML spinning setup and a lure that is around 1/4 oz or less. Also, whatever lure is used, is fished slow ?. 

 

12lb test line and a Med or MH baitcaster set up is just regular fishing. 

 

There are of course baitcasting reels and rods now that can do finesse or BFS, which is a whole different discussion.