So I’m fishing 3/16-1/4 ounce finesse jigs and zoom super chunk jr trailer on a medium power Daiwa tatula xt 1/4-3/4 rating. I’m using 12 pound suffix elite mono. For cast ability with such light lures. And for bite detection and hook set should I try braid?? I’ve fished braid for years and years and recently went back to mono to try it out. But now that I’m so serious on the jigs I’m considering trying a good 8 strand braid. 

I select the line for the cover - not necessarily the bait.  Different line does different things in terms of bait action which is a whole nother vector that can be fun to play with.  Short answer is there is no proper line for fishing jigs.  There's lots of proper line for fishing jigs.  You got a figure out which one is proper for you fishing jigs.  🙂

 

Here I'll give some context.

 

If I'm only fishing a jig in choked out Hydrilla - braid would be the obvious choice and probably 50+ lb.

 

If I'm fishing open pebble banks with occasional twigs and very isolated stumps and small rocks here and there - I could go as low as 12 lb big game and be fine.

 

If I'm flipping my jig into a tree on a point in 10 feet of water and I'm using a 1 OZ jig and a 7'6 heavy rod - 20 lb big game would be the line of choice.

 

If I'm only gonna be swimming a jig at a pond where there's only dinks and the bottom is mushy snot that I need to stay above and I'm using a very light jig with a very light wire hook, I might fish it on a spinning rod, take off the weed guard, not use a trailer and shake it like a crappie jig for bites while reeling it back and not give a hoot.

14 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I select the line for the cover - not necessarily the bait.  Different line does different things in terms of bait action which is a whole nother vector that can be fun to play with.  Short answer is there is no proper line for fishing jigs.  There's lots of proper line for fishing jigs.  You got a figure out which one is proper for you fishing jigs.  🙂

 

Here I'll give some context.

 

If I'm only fishing a jig in choked out Hydrilla - braid would be the obvious choice and probably 50+ lb.

 

If I'm fishing open pebble banks with occasional twigs and very isolated stumps and small rocks here and there - I could go as low as 12 lb big game and be fine.

 

If I'm flipping my jig into a tree on a point in 10 feet of water and I'm using a 1 OZ jig and a 7'6 heavy rod - 20 lb big game would be the line of choice.

 

If I'm only gonna be swimming a jig at a pond where there's only dinks and the bottom is mushy snot that I need to stay above and I'm using a very light jig with a very light wire hook, I might fish it on a spinning rod, take off the weed guard, not use a trailer and shake it like a crappie jig for bites while reeling it back and not give a hoot.

Ahh ok perfect. Yep snot covered ponds with rock banks. Biggest I’ve caught was around 4 pounds. You nailed it tho hopping a light swim jig off the bottom since it cuts through the moss and much or lays on it. Rarely clean the jig head off honestly. I just wants sure if I could be experimenting better since I’m taking the jig real serious. 

Fish a lot of Rocky Rivers. I use 15 lb flouro or Mono. Rods are MHXF . I have tried braid but I don’t care for it . Been a mono guy forever and it works. Like the flouro too when they get a little spooky 

is that a spinning rig?  If so, I use braid.  I just dont like light braid on casting reels.  just me.  

 

on a casting I am almost always 12lb flouro.  

 

bottom contact spinning??  for me I like the Albright braid.  it is sinks better than my Suffix.  I dont have to contend with the long section of line floating on the surface and gradually drooping down to my bait.  it seems to improve my sensitivity, if even only in my mind. 

1 minute ago, Darth-Baiter said:

is that a spinning rig?  If so, I use braid.  I just dont like light braid on casting reels.  just me.  

 

on a casting I am almost always 12lb flouro.  

No it’s a baitcaster. 

I think you've got the right line for what you're describing.  Braid would also work but you don't need it.  And 12# elite is a thicker mono for the rating anyway (comparable to big game in that way).  I'd stick with what you have and get good with it.  Vary up your trailers and weights a little bit but otherwise you're on the right path.

I like braid for bottom contact, but I fish around a lot of grass and wood with jigs.  When braid contacts grass or wood, its really loud.  For that reason, I use FC.  I don't throw shaky heads into cover often so I use braid on my shaky head setup. 

Really line choice is a preference.  If mono works for you and you like it, stay with it. 

Use the reel and firm rod sweep hook set in lieu of the rod only set….moves 3X more line to load up the faster hook set adding power.

FC would improve lure contact and strike detection with less bow in the line.

Tom

30 minutes ago, WRB said:

Use the reel and firm rod sweep hook set in lieu of the rod only set….moves 3X more line to load up the faster hook set adding power.

FC would improve lure contact and strike detection with less bow in the line.

Tom

Thank you! Thanks everyone for the tips! I’m gonna implement all of them. All I’ve been fishing is a jig. The last week or two. And I’m really liking it. It’s like a Texas rig on steroids how I’m fishing it. I wish I could bring myself to try flourocarbon. I just don’t wana deal with line conditioning and all

that. 

I prefer the feel of fluorocarbon for worming and jigging in all but heavy cover as I feel I stay connected to the lure better, mono for chuck and wind lures. You shouldn't find much need for line conditioner with a good quality 10 or 12lb fluoro on the limper side like invizx. It's all personal preference, no right, wrong, or proper per se.

4 minutes ago, Bass Rutten said:

I prefer the feel of fluorocarbon for worming and jigging in all but heavy cover as I feel I stay connected to the lure better, mono for chuck and wind lures. You shouldn't find much need for line conditioner with a good quality 10 or 12lb fluoro on the limper side like invizx. It's all personal preference, no right, wrong, or proper per se.

Hmmm ok. Maybe I’ll give some a try then. Spool the same way as mono for a baitcaster? And just hope to not have a ton of memory lol 

1 hour ago, Joedodge said:

I wish I could bring myself to try flourocarbon. I just don’t wana deal with line conditioning and all

that

 

I tired really hard to like Fluorocarbon!

 

Berkley Big Game for everything but frogging & punching. 

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I tired really hard to like Fluorocarbon!

 

Berkley Big Game for everything but frogging & punching. 

That’s kinda what im

thinking. But every once in a while my mind wanders lol. I need to try big game every one says it’s great 

I use 30# PowerPro. As I said in the other thread I do fish in some cover whenever I can.  But I keep a spool of 15# Big Game in my bag in case of catastrophic backlashes. It has saved a trip for me before. 

Thank you!!!

I use fc for jigs. Better slack line sensitivity than braid. I use P line tactical or Diawa J Flouro Samurai. No line conditioner needed with those 2.

I use FC (tatsu) for jigs. Even my flipping/heavy cover setup has tatsu on it. I use 25lb on that setup whereas most people would use braid. 
 

To me, the “slack line” sensitivity is more important. I just don’t have the confidence to fish bottom contact baits with braid. 

I’d run 14-18lb fluorocarbon for that