Smallmouth line size

[blanked]

First off I hate spinning reels. Anyone else only use baitcasters for smallmouth?  What line size and type of line do you use with a baitcaster

[TnRiver46]

Mostly 12 sometimes 20 for topwater 

[Susky River Rat]

10-17  braid with a fluorocarbon leader. 

[MickD]

Braid for most, but with a mono leader for surface to keep it from sinking.  Usually 35 pound braid,  premium 8 carrier stuff.  15 pound leader.  

 

On one I have 14 pound Suffix Elite mono, and it casts great.  

 

If you have not tried a premium 8 carrier braid in 10-15 pound test, you haven't used what I consider the best spin setup.  Casts a mile, very sensitive, quite trouble free, and lasts for years. 

[Jig Man]

I use 6# Yozuri hybrid with my Ned setup and 12# fluorocarbon with the others.

[Jeff Zurawski]

30lb test braid (8lb diameter) on my baitcasters. 

 

I use mono and flouro leaders mainly for two reasons: 1) To keep the reels at full capacity for as long as possible, which helps get the most bang for the buck out of the braid. 2)  Mostly I float mountain Rivers that have a lot of swift current where there's no stopping to retrieve a snagged bait.  It's best to break it off, tie on a new bait, and get back in the game asap so as not miss throwing into the next fishy spots quickly approaching or any chances at the lunker of a lifetime. 

[Bdnoble84]

20lb braid on my medium power bc, 30lb on the mh’s. Typically 10-12lb fluro leader unless top water then i go mono. For spinning 10lb braid. 8lb seagur invisx leader. I use power pro. Super slick is amazing stuff but regular old powerpro works fine. 

[Standard]

20# Suffix 832 braid, with anywhere from a 10# to 30# fluoro leader depending on how many pike are around and how expensive the lure was that I'm using.

[Steveo-1969]

I can think of lots of variables that would dictate what size/type of line I use on a baitcaster. Bass species is not one of them….

[drakesndrum]

Trilene Sensation 12lb and 14lb on baitcasters.

Berkley X9 15lb braid to Seaguar 12lb fluro leader on spinners.

[bowhunter63]

10 or 12 Big Game 

[Wildbillb]

Yo zuri hybrid or original stren mono 12 or 14 pound

[WIGuide]

12 lb. fluoro on my baitcasters and then I run 10# Sufix Nanobraid on my spinning reels to usually a 6# fluorocarbon leader. 

[Bdnoble84]

Honestly I dont think i could get away from a spinning rod even if i wanted to. Certain techniques just wont work short of going to bfs (future goal). But for bc’s i typically run 20lb powerpro to a 10-12lb invizx fluoro or xt mono leader. (Mono for topwater). 

[TnRiver46]

17 minutes ago, Bdnoble84 said:

Honestly I dont think i could get away from a spinning rod even if i wanted to. Certain techniques just wont work short of going to bfs (future goal). But for bc’s i typically run 20lb powerpro to a 10-12lb invizx fluoro or xt mono leader. (Mono for topwater). 

I wouldn’t dream of getting away from spinning rods 

[ATA]

I am using 12lb Tatsu with 802 Conquest, But honestly I was like you but now I have spinning setup with 8lb InvizX (also I recommend 6lb in highland reservoirs when catching get tough) for tough days.

[Bdnoble84]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:15 PM, blanked said:

First off I hate spinning reels.

Im curious what it is about them that you hate?

[Bassbum1016]

#15 flouro when I can get away with power fishing them, which is more often than not.

But spinning has its rightful place if you fish for smallies regularly 

[PaulVE64]

I am all spinning, all braid.

Just sayin

[galyonj]

Depending on what I'm using, my leaders right now are 15lb Invizx, 8lb YZH, or 6lb Assassin. 

[Motoboss]

I use several BFS baitcaster set up; Curado SLX reels, 10lb Power Pro braid with a 12 or 8lb fluro leader on 6’ 8” medium light/fast rods.

I too prefer baitcasters to spinning but do carry a 6’ 6” light/fast spin rod with same line set up for 1/32 - 1/16 hair jigs.

[Spankey]

On a bait caster 10-12 lb. But I’ll fish 8 lb. On a lighter setup I have. Spinning 6-8 lb. Majority of my setups are 6 lb. but some soft plastics I fell better with 8 lb. Sort of like the med. light vs. medium. 

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, Spankey said:

On a bait caster 10-12 lb. But I’ll fish 8 lb. On a lighter setup I have. Spinning 6-8 lb. Majority of my setups are 6 lb. but some soft plastics I fell better with 8 lb. Sort of like the med. light vs. medium. 

Good to see you back on here spankey! 

[TAUMI]

I use 10lb braid to 8lb flouro leader on my finesse spinning setups and 12lb flouro on all my baitcasters. 

[SWVA]

I fish mostly spinning, use 15 or 20 lb PowerPro and 6-10 lb leader depending.  Use to always use 5-6-8 lb Maxima UG, but last 2 spools were awful.  Was touring the 5lbs strength to a bud at work.  We had both bought a spool at diffeeent places the following week…honestly snapped easier than some 2lb test I’ve used before.

 

20 or 30 lb on the casting reels, PowerPro again here, with 8-14 lb leader.  Mainly Biggame.