Hi new member and new to Smallie fishing... Question about line preferences and what color line

[lynnyskynny]

So what color braided do you use.. Is there a braided that you don't need a fluorocarbon leader with now day... I Have been using a little of every kind of line from mono to braided to fluorocarbon.. Haven't done leaders ... just trying to get a grasp on the whole smallie fisherman ways.. I lived in Louisiana for almost 50 years and we have no smallies ... moved to Tennessee and I am obsessed with them now. Always was a bait cast fisher.. But I bought my first finesse rig didn't spend a lot of money on it but got decent stuff.. Medium-Light 6'6" walley marshall by lews and a Penn Pursuit 2500 spinning reel.. Been using 10# mono and or fluorocarbon for the most part tried out some of the 3 color zebco cajun line.. Had about a 20" smallie pop it like cheap thread.....That's where the addiction started.. Any tips would be much appreciated.. Hi, my name is Lynny and I'm a smallie-a-holic.... 

[Bluebasser86]

I like the Hi-Vis green with a leader but the leader is as much for sink rate and abrasion resistance in the rocks as it is for visibility. I like Seaguar Smackdown and SPRO Finesse 8X Braid. 

[TnRiver46]

6 lb clear mono 

[Blue Raider Bob]

I like mono as well. I use the 8 lb. I also use both HiVis and clear. Really don't see a difference in catch rate. Tried braid for a year and decided I do not like. Not happy with straight floro either. I'm always interested in forum members line choices as well.

34 minutes ago, lynnyskynny said:

So what color braided do you use.. Is there a braided that you don't need a fluorocarbon leader with now day... I Have been using a little of every kind of line from mono to braided to fluorocarbon.. Haven't done leaders ... just trying to get a grasp on the whole smallie fisherman ways.. I lived in Louisiana for almost 50 years and we have no smallies ... moved to Tennessee and I am obsessed with them now. Always was a bait cast fisher.. But I bought my first finesse rig didn't spend a lot of money on it but got decent stuff.. Medium-Light 6'6" walley marshall by lews and a Penn Pursuit 2500 spinning reel.. Been using 10# mono and or fluorocarbon for the most part tried out some of the 3 color zebco cajun line.. Had about a 20" smallie pop it like cheap thread.....That's where the addiction started.. Any tips would be much appreciated.. Hi, my name is Lynny and I'm a smallie-a-holic.... 

Where in Tennessee?

Totally understand the addiction. Happened to me on the Tennessee River but I landed mine.

[roadwarrior]

I fish Tatsu #4 & #6  and Yo-Zuri #4.  I get more bites on #4, but have a lot more

confidence in #6.

[Steveo-1969]

I use 10# hi-vis braid and a leader. Leader is for abrasion resistance and ease of breaking off. NOT for reduced visibility.

[Standard]

Both my baitcasting setups are 20lb Sufix 832, one hi-vis the other dark green.  Mainly because I grabbed a box of hi-vis by accident ? I'll probably switch the other to hi-vis, it's nice seeing where the line is.  Both go to a flouro leader, either 20 or 30lb Seaguar blue label.  

 

My spinning setup has Sufix Promix braid, 10 or 15lb can't remember.  Wanted to try it out, liking it so far.  That goes to a 15lb flouro leader.  This is for plastics.

 

Smallmouth fishing is quite the addiction.  I discovered it around 4-5 years ago and they're about the only species I target now.

[PaulVE64]

I have trouble with abrasion from rocks in my rivers so I throw #10 to #15 hi-vis braid to a #12 to #17 mono leader.

Leaders are 5' and tied with an FJ knot. 

I used to use fluoro but I dont like how it holds knots, shatters on hook sets and knicks easier.

Imperical evidence says I'm wrong but it's a trust issue now. And since im always in current the smallies get less time to shy off the line.

[GaryH]

My SM spinning gear set up’s are 

6# Trilene XL clear

20# Suffix 832 hi viz w/ 6# Seaguar gold leader

BC reels 

30# 832 green w/8# Seaguar gold leader

 

[Scott F]

10lb braid on my spinning gear, with no leader. I’ve never felt line color made any difference to the fish. If you have issues seeing the line, use whatever color helps you. 

[Kev-mo]

I'd like to say line color or lack of matters but I wonder if it really does. I've caught wild trout using straight hi vis braid in ultra clear rivers, same with smallmouth. I think line diameter and type matter more.

 

[Dwight Hottle]

Welcome to the addiction. I like to use 10lb braid either green or hi vis with a mono leader of 10, 12 or 15lb test on spinning tackle. I fish for big smallies in the rocks so I use heavier leaders for abrasion resistance. I use 15 or 20 lb braid on bait casting equipment with the same copoly leaders 10-15lb test.  

[The Baron]

I use 15# or 20# braid (hi-viz yellow or hi-viz green) with 10# or 8# fluoro leader (Seaguar Blue Label) on all my spinning setups.   A double uni-knot is easy to tie and has worked very well for me.  Be sure to really tighten/test your leader knot - I have a 6" piece of about 1" dia. PVC pipe I use - wrap the braid around it several times, not overlapping itself, and pull very hard to tighten.  Then trim your tag ends and do it again.

[PaulVE64]

On 9/2/2022 at 4:23 PM, Dwight Hottle said:

Welcome to the addiction. I like to use 10lb braid either green or hi vis with a mono leader of 10, 12 or 15lb test on spinning tackle. I fish for big smallies in the rocks so I use heavier leaders for abrasion resistance. I use 15 or 20 lb braid on bait casting equipment with the same copoly leaders 10-15lb test.  

I feel even more confident now .

If I ever land an 8# smallie i will thank you.

[kingmotorboat]

On 9/1/2022 at 10:15 AM, lynnyskynny said:

So what color braided do you use.. Is there a braided that you don't need a fluorocarbon leader with now day... I Have been using a little of every kind of line from mono to braided to fluorocarbon.. Haven't done leaders ... just trying to get a grasp on the whole smallie fisherman ways.. I lived in Louisiana for almost 50 years and we have no smallies ... moved to Tennessee and I am obsessed with them now. Always was a bait cast fisher.. But I bought my first finesse rig didn't spend a lot of money on it but got decent stuff.. Medium-Light 6'6" walley marshall by lews and a Penn Pursuit 2500 spinning reel.. Been using 10# mono and or fluorocarbon for the most part tried out some of the 3 color zebco cajun line.. Had about a 20" smallie pop it like cheap thread.....That's where the addiction started.. Any tips would be much appreciated.. Hi, my name is Lynny and I'm a smallie-a-holic.... 

I just moved up here from Louisiana myself

[nbbassin]

Braid to fluro or straight fluro depends on the technique, but general setup spinning is 8lbs to 10bs and baitcasting is 12 to 12.   I use the bright color braid for things like dropshot or ned but , usually it is green or gray. 

[drakesndrum]

Berkley X9 15lb hi-viz to a 12lb Seaguar leader(FG knot) on my river spinning setups.  Berkley Sensation 12lb or 14lb on my baitcasters.  Baitcasters are 99% for moving baits, spinners for finesse.

[Deleted account]

6-10 lb mono, or 10 lb braid with a 8-12 lb leader.

[Buzzbaiter]

I fish a medium fast spinning rod for the majority of my river applications.

 

Last year I did 30lb moss green PowerPro to either 10lb trilene or 8lb Zebco Outcast. I found that to be slightly overkill, so this year I ran 20lb moss green PowerPro to 8lb Stren mono. I found that the lighter braid was easier to fish with, but the Stren mono wasn’t very strong and broke easily. This coming year, I’m gonna try 15lb high vis yellow PowerPro to 8lb fluoro 

[Motoboss]

That’s my set up on my BFS baitcasters. Although I go straight to the lure with moving baits without the floro leader. I’ve been using the Power Pro moss green but man, it’s hard to see when wade fishing!

[Kdizzle]

On my lighter finesse stuff(split shot and drop shot) I use 6# Power Pro(color doesn't really matter, but I mostly fish moss green).  

 

Tubes and finesse jigs I bump up to 10 to 15# Power Pro.  

 

I've started to use Seaguar Basix for all my leaders going from 4 to 10#.  Its really good cheap flourocarbon, and I'm not a pro, just a guy that likes to fish.  

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard!

[bowhunter63]

Welcome aboard. I run 30 lb braid on my bait casters and a 8 to 10 lb leader . I use it mainly for carolina rigs. 8 to 10 lb braid on my spinning Green color and i dont use a leader. On all my other baitcasters 10 to 12 lb big game green mono 

[nbbassin]

Usually 6 to 12 lbs test, 8 /10 90% of the time.   braid to fluro or straight fluro. Depends on the technique I still use mono smaller rivers where the snag factor it higher to save money. Hi-vis braid for bottom fishing, or dropshot. Green for everything else.  Seaguar Sunline, Daiwa and Berkley are the lines of choice, depends on availability. 

[Susky River Rat]

I run medium and medium lite rods. 10lb braid  with a 7-8ft 17lb fluorocarbon leader. If where you fish isn’t extremely rocky and you don’t bounce bottom often isn’t as important. That being said I would still run one. At the very least it saves on you losing braid when you get snagged. I know most would not run that heavy of a leader. It was just what I had because it’s what I had laying around when I decided to start doing it. It also helps with getting snags back in a rocky river like mine.