I'm guessing I started using braid about 15 years ago and my primary bass fishing was T-rigs. And since I went from heavy stiff rods and 14 to 20 pound mono and have settled on 10# braid with 6-10 or 6-12 pound rated rods. Where I differ from most is that my drags are set to 7.5 to 8 pounds. Maybe I'm pushing the limits but with fresh knots the line and rods haven't failed me.

And by silly I meant entertaining....Carry on.

40 minutes ago, reason said:

And by silly I meant entertaining....Carry on.

Hey the bite is slow for some of us, we've got to do something. Wait for my mid January post...."What Do Bass Think About?".... 

19 hours ago, Catt said:

 

What would you recommend for pulling bass over 8 lbs out of buck brush?

 

Aint talking about fishing the edges but flipping-n-pitching back in it!

 

Just yanking you freshwater guys' collective chain. It's been hard for me to adjust to the bass fishing frame of mind having spent 99% of my time fishing saltwater. Just this past summer I landed a ray that had a 4ft 'wingspan' on 30lb braid with a 25lb mono leader. Fought him through, around, and under dock pilings and then across an oyster bar. So, being told that I should be using 65lb braid to catch fish that weigh in the neighborhood of 3-5lbs (Not holding my breath to see something like an 8lb bass locally.) just blows my mind.

@BrackishBassin I knew that ?

 

I grew up on the Texas/Louisiana Gulf coast & worked on Charter Fishing boats in the Gulf as a teenager.

 

Saltwater fish fight harder than any bass but ya aint gotta deal with heavy cover!

For bass isn't my spinning reel drags at "disaster" setting. Just enough to make sure I don't break a rod. Flip the anti-reverse and back reel. Bass aren't fast. Stay in control. Do not try this with Steelhead or Stripers though. The will eat you up. 

18 hours ago, Catt said:

@BrackishBassin I knew that ?

 

I grew up on the Texas/Louisiana Gulf coast & worked on Charter Fishing boats in the Gulf as a teenager.

 

Saltwater fish fight harder than any bass but ya aint gotta deal with heavy cover!

True enough! Although, I’ve lost my fair share of fish to dock pilings covered in barnacles. 

Off topic;Kelp forest grows to over 90' deep where white sea bass, Cal Yellowtail (Jack family), calico bass, and giant Black Sea live, live qualifies as heavy cover. oil platforms and piers also create havoc with fishing line.

On topic; Catt's 15# mono is about as heavy as you need for the majority of bass fishing, heavy cover requires heavier line and heavy lures over 3 oz requires heavier tackle and line to be able to retreive lures and cast lures, the bass aren't going to break you off, you are going to break the bass off by putting too much pressure.

Tom

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Off topic;Kelp forest grows to over 90' deep where white sea bass, Cal Yellowtail (Jack family), calico bass, and giant Black Sea live, live qualifies as heavy cover. oil platforms and piers also create havoc with fishing line.

On topic; Catt's 15# mono is about as heavy as you need for the majority of bass fishing, heavy cover requires heavier line and heavy lures over 3 oz requires heavier tackle and line to be able to retreive lures and cast lures, the bass aren't going to break you off, you are going to break the bass off by putting too much pressure.

Tom

True enough. Rule thumb for saltwater is 10lbs per ounce of lead/bait. Fishing the surf, I’ve always got a shock leader tied on that’s significantly stronger than the main line. 

1/3rd of the line's breaking strength is usually the most I will tighten my drag any many times I use less drag than that. Seems to work out just fine, both in freshwater and saltwater.