So what I would like to bring up is why does everyone today want to go big on line? Guys I'm going to be 100% honest here and from my experience I know my biggest bass have always been on 12lb mono or less I know florocarbon is great as well but I won't throw anything over 12lb mono except for topwater that's the ONLY time I go bigger for largemouth. I know your going to say well what about flipping in grass or around structure? BUT here me out if you want to catch the smart big bass you gotta be subtle and smart I will use 12lb or less and catch more and bigger fish yes I even use it around cover I don't break off often even dragging over cover. Thoughts.......

12 lb mono is good strong stuff. It held a 30 + lb striper for me this spring. Gotta have braid in scum though 

I agree most go overboard with line size. But, if you can get away with it why not? And no way I'd be pitching a 3/4 ounce jig around cover on 12lb line. 

There is a lot of tying and retying checking for abrasions after a fish that is time consuming I don't mind it though 

8 minutes ago, CroakHunter said:

I agree most go overboard with line size. But, if you can get away with it why not? And no way I'd be pitching a 3/4 ounce jig around cover on 12lb line. 

You could launch the jig into outer space that way!

Match the line to lures and presentation used.

12 lb mono is too big for most bass size spinning reels and too small for nearly every swimbait over an once. I use 10 & 12 mono/coploy/FC line as standard size for 90% of presentations using baitcasting, the exceptions are braid in heavy cover and 25 lb mono for swimbaits. Spinning it's 5 lb Max UG and 7 lb Sniper FC.

Tom

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

Match the line to lures and presentation used.

12 lb mono is too big for most bass size spinning reels and too small for nearly every swimbait over an once. I use 10 & 12 mono/coploy/FC line as standard size for 90% of presentations using baitcasting, the exceptions are braid in heavy cover and 25 lb mono for swimbaits. Spinning it's 5 lb Max UG and 7 lb Sniper FC.

Tom

I agree and good points Tom thanks!

My Dad loves ultralight set-ups. He always says fish with the lightest line you can. 

 

For Bass fishing on spinning reels I use 4-8# line. On Baitcasters I use 10-12# line. I caught my PB Smallmouth on 10# line and my PB Largemouth on 6# line.

I like big line. 99.9% of my 4+ lb largemouth come on 17-20lb fluoro or 40-60 lb braid. 

Open water I've got no issue going down to 12 or even 8lb line for most techniques. The reasons I go heavier are fishing heavy cover, around rocks, or using heavier gear or terminal tackle. I'm not gonna use light line to punch, to fish jigs around rocks, to fish swimbaits, to fish frogs etc. etc. All things being equal I think lighter line will get you more bites but if you end up breaking off your fish it doesn't matter. Hell, just today I broke off a jig because the fish dragged my 18lb leader over a rock so I upsized to 25lb. 

Recreate any of these with 12lb or lighter line and let me know how it works out. Every one was caught with at least 20lb test and I'm not sure they would have been caught without it. I have no issues fishing light line and actually really enjoy it, but if you think you don't need it in certain situations, you're lying to yourself. Not only are you doing a disservice to yourself if you fish light line in heavy cover, but the fish that is going to end up having to wear your bait after it breaks you off. 

 

Heavy line ftw. 

 

Location and type of water dictates what line to spool. Does light line have benefits? Sure, is it "the best"? Sure ain't. 

 

If you have confidence in 12lb test, congratulations. You sure ain't throwing your lures where I throw mine?

I usually use lighter line than what the articles, posts, and videos tell me I need to use as well. Lighter powered rods too. Properly set drag and well tied knots are key. I also favor a moderate fast action where the articles, posts, and videos recommend a fast action.

 

I once watched my buddy frog fish with 10lb mono. I was blown away by him not only hooking up, but not snapping his line. Going that "ridiculous" isn't for me, but the point is, for whatever reason, everybody is different and almost nothing is universal. 

 

I think too many people try to fish like pros. Pros can't afford to lose fish so they stack every possible thing in their favor to land the fish. They grind and grind for the special bites. I find that that isn't the average Joe, but the average Joe thinks it is. 

Spinning..6 to 8 lb either mono, copoly or FC..

 

Baitcasting 10 to 12 lb, usually copoly or fc..Flippin 40 lb to 50 lb braid, big swimbaits 20 lb coploy or mono.

 

Kinda makes me laugh when I see guys fishing tr worms, ect on 20 or 25 lb line in a park lake.

15 lb InvisX is perfect for me, any lighter and i start breaking off on the hook set. it’s a “me thing” i suppose.

In my view line choice has more to do with hook penetration and lure weights than the fight of the fish. Braid in the 30lb+ sizes often used bass fishing is strong enough for hard running saltwater species. On a fight basis I don't think any bass warrants more than 6lb test but all of my reels have heavier line.

On 5/11/2019 at 6:42 PM, WRB said:

Match the line to lures and presentation used.

12 lb mono is too big for most bass size spinning reels and too small for nearly every swimbait over an once. I use 10 & 12 mono/coploy/FC line as standard size for 90% of presentations using baitcasting, the exceptions are braid in heavy cover and 25 lb mono for swimbaits. Spinning it's 5 lb Max UG and 7 lb Sniper FC.

Tom

I agree and good points Tom thanks!

 

I fish using braid so I think pound test in regards to braid doesn't apply in this discussion.

I base my braid size on diameter, other than fishing the slop where I use 65 lb in the past but am trying 50 this year. 

1 hour ago, Dens228 said:

I fish using braid so I think pound test in regards to braid doesn't apply in this discussion.

Why?

the finesse legend guido hibdon stressed that fishing with light lines would result in more bites because of the more natural presentation with the fisherman having to accept more breakoffs ... some of the places he used light line in during tournaments were amazing ... the method stressed more bites ... with spinning tackle ... just another way to skin the cat ...

 

good fishing ...

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/shaky-worm.html

 

 

Why light line always loses!

 

Try pulling big bass out of these types of cover with 12# anything.

 

 

 

22 minutes ago, Catt said:

Why light line always loses!

 

Try pulling big bass out of these types of cover with 12# anything.

 

 

 

Or even a 2 or 3 pounder! Line stretches and fish get off. 

Ridiculous...

 

PB smallmouth...#4 Yo-Zuri Hybrid

 

PB Largemouth #15

 

More generally, #6 for spinning tackle; #12 or #15 for Baitcasting

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Ridiculous...

Is that fact or opinion? 

Fact

 

Big O fishes #25 almost exclusively and seems to fool a few big fish.