Need help simplifying.

[Capt No Fish]

Hi fellow fisherman.  I am in my 3^rd year of freshwater fishing and I suffer from information overload from youtube and reading, telling me I need this or that.  Kind of mad at myself for going out and buying or asking for rods as gifts to get my collection up and now have 6 bait casters and 3 spinning rods.  I finally stopped buying 2 of everything for lures because I no longer lose them as soon as I go out.

 

Anyway my purpose for this post is I am trying to simplify so I can focus on trying to find bass.  And I want to get my line choices to 3 or 4.  Currently I use either 15lb braid or 8lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid on my spinning rods and I think I am fine with that, no changes needed.  I use these for Drop shots, Shaky Heads and I tried a paddle tail on it and seems fine.

 

I fish in the SE PA region and took a trip with a local B.A.S.S pro who fished the classic a couple times to try and figure out what I was doing and he used 20# Gamma for Chatter baits.  I tried Yo-Zuri  20# for a chatter bait and I liked it, there are little back lashes and it behaves well. So instead of changing lines for what I think are equivalents moving baits with larger hooks would this be fine or is it too much for the spinners and swim jigs.

 

I am planning on using either Big Game or Yo-Zuri Hybrid for my casting gear.  I know there is a strong allegiance to Fluro but I don’t want to spend the money on that when I still backlash quite a bit so this is what I would like to use.  Take a look at my chart below and let me know if I am on track or I need to Adjust.

 

20# Chatter Baits, Spinner Baits, Swim Jigs. 

15# for worm hook/EWG type rigs.  Texas Rigs (worms and craws) (casted and flipped), Jigs, Wacky Rigs, Carolina Rigs

10# for treble hook baits.  Top Waters (walking and poppers), crankbaits, rattle traps, jerk baits.

40# Braid for Frogs and Flipping Lilly Pads

 

What buckets or line sizes should I change or rearrange?  Is 20# too much? What do you do?

 

Thanks!

[A kid from Canada]

Big Game is a thick mono, I use it and love it but 20lb is hefty. I use it for 2+ oz swimbaits and for pike fishing. I like 12lb for crank baits, lipless, ploppers, and chatterbaits. Never used it for worms, jigs or t-rigs. 

[PressuredFishing]

I'm sorry the market has overwhelmed you, it tends to overcomplicate things and push false narratives and counterintuitive information. All the line sizes you listed sound reasonable, generally line size in U.S Is usually chosen for hook gauge more than strength, excluding fishing heavy cover, hard to set a flipping jig on .009inch line even with a stout rod. Mono should be fine, I used zebco omniflex in 12lb and still do and it's a entry level reliable line.

 

 

(P.S) if you are very overwhelmed, Perhaps to help you out a little, specialize on plastic fishing the most, it's the most versatile lure choice out there and can catch fish 365 24/7 no matter the situation. More bass have been caught on plastics than any other technique. It will also teach and hone your bite detection, weight choice, give you a basic understanding of depth, color, water column, and it's cheap when broken off.

[Columbia Craw]

You are good to go.  As you wear out your mono or hybrid you can even simplify further with 17 test.  Fish on!

[TnRiver46]

Simple is the name of my game, I’ve actually been fishing without a trolling motor lately. Not on purpose but I’m enjoying it. All that other jazz is fun but if you want to find bass just toss a plastic worm around on your spinning gear. If you’re fishing in the jungle or timber, toss the worm on your bait caster 

[Capt No Fish]

44 minutes ago, A kid from Canada said:

Big Game is a thick mono, I use it and love it but 20lb is hefty. I use it for 2+ oz swimbaits and for pike fishing. I like 12lb for crank baits, lipless, ploppers, and chatterbaits. Never used it for worms, jigs or t-rigs. 

Thanks Kid from Canada.  If 20lb is too heavy what would you recommend.  And is line diameter more important that LB rating?

37 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

You are good to go.  As you wear out your mono or hybrid you can even simplify further with 17 test.  Fish on!

Thanks Columbia Craw.  To clarify are you saying to replace the 20# with 17# or both the 15 and 20 with 17?

 

Thanks for your input.

[A kid from Canada]

Yah I run by line diameter more than lb test. 20lb Big Game is just a little thick for my Tatula 100, I cast far better with 15 and under. I used to run 10lb BG and never broke off but it has too much stretch which is why I run heavier 12 and 15 line. (Which are pretty much the same)

10# BG .31mm

12# BG .36mm

15# BG .38mm

20# BG .46mm

 

[casts_by_fly]

45 minutes ago, Capt No Fish said:

Thanks Kid from Canada.  If 20lb is too heavy what would you recommend.  And is line diameter more important that LB rating?

Thanks Columbia Craw.  To clarify are you saying to replace the 20# with 17# or both the 15 and 20 with 17?

 

Thanks for your input.

for monofilament nylon, use diameter as your guide. Printed test strength is just wait the manufacturer chooses to print on the label. For ‘test’ rated lines it just means the line will at least take that much force before breaking. Go compare big game with sunline  supernatural  in a given rating and see how much difference there is.

 

I I wanted to simplify to two lines I could and would catch fish just fine. I’d put 8 lb supernatural on the spinning reel and 17lb elite on the baitcasters and be done with it. There isn’t much you can’t do with that set. You might prefer to throw smaller cranks on the spinning rod then or you might bump to the next depth class on the baitcaster if you really needed to hit a depth. For everything else though I’d have no issues. For the most part, this is my baseline mono for a baitcaster. 
 

50 lb braid for frogs and pitching heavy weeds is the next addition and worth it (though not mandatory)

 

outside of that I have a couple other lines but I could easily just use the three above (and I could ditch the spinning rod entirely personally)

[WRB]

Why do you think 20# mono is needed for bass fishing?

12# or 15# Big Game is more then needed imo.

The larger the diameter the line is the more negative affect it has in lure and casting performance.

Tom

[Chris Catignani]

4 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

...I’ve actually been fishing without a trolling motor lately. ..

Funny how the river just takes you where you need to be...usually!?

[TnRiver46]

32 minutes ago, Chris Catignani said:

Funny how the river just takes you where you need to be...usually!?

And other times into a giant rock 

[Catt]

I wouldn't nuthin! ?

[Capt No Fish]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Why do you think 20# mono is needed for bass fishing?

12# or 15# Big Game is more then needed imo.

The larger the diameter the line is the more negative affect it has in lure and casting performance.

Tom

Hey Tom, why 20#.  I dunno, I guess because someone who has made a living at fishing said he uses 20# Fluro for Chatterbaits and I figured they know more than me, also that was the way to go and since swim jigs and spinner baits have similar size hooks that I could use the same setup for all of it. .

 

Why mono because it is affordable and I wont care if I trash a reel because of a birds nest.

 

So you are saying I should use 12# for all of these techniques?

 

Chatter Baits, Spinner Baits, Swim Jigs. 

 worm hook/EWG type rigs.  Texas Rigs (worms and craws) (casted and flipped), Jigs, Wacky Rigs, Carolina Rigs

 

When looking at line should look more for the diameter?  I noticed that different brands have different diameters for the same weight class.

54 minutes ago, Catt said:

I wouldn't nuthin! ?

So you are saying you like my line choices to bait selections? 

[T-Billy]

I think you're pretty well set with what your using.

[WRB]

Fresh water Spinning reels ( size 1000 to 3000) suggest keeping the line to .010 diameter max. Ie: 6 lb straight Yo-Zuri Hybrid is .010D.

Casting reels line size isn’t as important but mono/FC over 15 lb memory issue can become an issue. Most bass anglers use line far stronger then needed to catch bass.

Tom

 

[Catt]

34 minutes ago, Capt No Fish said:

So you are saying you like my line choices to bait selections? 

 

Yes Sir ?

 

15 & 20# for abrasion resistance, not diameter or lb test.

 

34 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

I think you're pretty well set with what your using.

 

[LCG]

Been throwing 10lb yo Zuri hybrid all this year with no issues at all. It's diameter and breaking strength is 14lb. Same with big game, but a bit more stretch. 

 

I am running 6lb p line c21 copolymer line on my spinning, can't find 4lb yo Zuri anywhere. It is true 6lb line or .21mm. So far no issues. 

 

Fishing is only as complicated as you make it. Unfortunately marketing does what it does best and sells us things.

 

For line, choose based on diameter, not advertised strength. As a gauge, use seaguar invisix or tatsu as a true diameter to strength ratio. I am really liking yo Zuri, but buy based on actual diameter.

 

As for YouTube overload, happens to everyone. Focus on one technique at a time, become proficient with the technique, then learn something else. When someone first starts out, I always recommend a senko and either an inline spinner or spinnerbait if they have a baitcaster. That covers finesse and reaction. 

[PaulVE64]

20# mono because my bass swim with pike.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Looks good to me. 

[JackstrawIII]

I think you could simplify further honestly, by using 15lb YoZuri for the first two categories. I never use heavier than 15lb hybrid and have NEVER broken it off. Literally, I can't think of a single time a fish has broken 15lb line on me. 

I actually use 12lb YoZuri for most techniques. I only step up to 15lb for really heavy spinnerbaits and jigs. Everything else gets 12lb YoZuri, which is very manageable. 

 

To summarize: I could get by with casting gear using only:

15lb hybrid for the heavy stuff

10-12lb hybrid for almost everything

40lb braid for topwaters 

 

[Catt]

I throw 15# Big Game for everything but punching & frogging.

 

Nothing wrong with 20# for chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, swimjigs, or traps.

 

I ain't as good as the rest of these guys cause I occasionally get broken off. Big fish + heavy cover = occasional breakoff. 

[dodgeguy]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

Why do you think 20# mono is needed for bass fishing?

12# or 15# Big Game is more then needed imo.

The larger the diameter the line is the more negative affect it has in lure and casting performance.

Tom

One example would be spinnerbait fishing. It's very common to use 20 lb. Mono to help keep the lure up if your fishing it over weedbeds. It's not all about lb. Test. 

[WRB]

5 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

One example would be spinnerbait fishing. It's very common to use 20 lb. Mono to help keep the lure up if your fishing it over weedbeds. It's not all about lb. Test. 

Everything being equal the run depth between 15 lb and 20 lb Big Game would’t be noticeable with spinnerbaits....imo

Tom

[T-Billy]

4 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

One example would be spinnerbait fishing. It's very common to use 20 lb. Mono to help keep the lure up if your fishing it over weedbeds. It's not all about lb. Test. 

Another reason is abrasion resistance in rock and heavy cover.

[Spankey]

We are probably fishing the same water. Don’t overthink all the specifics. Keep it simple. The overthinking can cost you fish. Not sure about your equipment but for soft plastic, 6 and 8 lb. test should work fine. ML and Med. power spinning rods with fast and x-fast actions will fish all soft plastics. Grubs, tubes, light T-Rigs, Senko and swimbaits. My crankbait fishing ranges from 1/4 oz. to 3/4 oz. Done on a few setups.  No braid for me, too many good monos, flouros and copolys out there. I’m not interested in leaders. Fishing 8 to 14 lb. test. The moderate action on these rods means the most to me. 
 

Up here, where we are at is not the most overpressured waters in the country but pressured enough. Maybe not the numbers of fish being caught but guys on the water. I’ll continue to fish like I’m fishing the most pressured water in the country. Keeping it on the lighter side. Finesse approach if that is what it’s called. 
 

Line type is something that you settle into. Don’t want to say trial and error till you get it right but more toward your liking. I could personally get away with and be satisfied with fishing Berkley XL and XT but have come to liking Big Game for my casting along with some McCoy and SunLine mono for my spinning. They are simple, good quality, perform well and catch fish. 
 

There are so many good products out there, there is no right or wrong ways. There so many products and directions one can fish. We all have a different style and approach to it. We all have strong points and strengths to our fishing. There is most likely not a one answer. All opinion based. What worked for one may not be for all. I think you are going the right direction and I guess you’d call it you’re working on your game with the changes you have in mind.