I mention frequently that I fish a city lake that sees a lot of pressure. I have mostly used 10 and 12 pound Big Game mono.

 

I switched to 8 pound and it seems I got more bites. I thought so at the time, but switching back, the number of bites has not decreased I think.

 

In your opinion, from the standpoint of pressured fish, will I notice a difference between 8lb, 10lb, and 12? Or are they so close that it's moot?

 

I don't feel comfortable dropping down any further. With the 8lb, it was light, but I could still effectively set the hook and get fish out of light cover, as before.

 

I have considered trying 6lb, but, well, I don't know. That sure seems light for things like texas rigs, flukes, crankbaits, jigs. Which is primarily what I throw. Considering I'm fishing pressured waters, should I try 6lb?

I would only drop down to 6 for DS and in the cover allows it. 
 

I have noticed more strikes the thinner I go in general but that has a limit. 
 

If the fish were active, then your line diameter probably does not come into play. 
 

my general rule is to use the lightest line I can get away with. 
 

sometimes the cover is tough and lightest I can get away with is 15#. 
 

sometimes I’m cranking open water and I could use 6 or 8# but many times such lines can be so limp that the hooks would occasionally get caught up the line and waste casts. So the lightest line for practical purpose might be 10#. It’s stiffer and less susceptible to that. 
 

and in extreme and tough conditions, where even 6# mono isn’t cutting it on the DS, I might pull out 6# invisx, lol. 
 

let your conditions and lure types influence the pound test you use. 
 

speaking about mono here. I love braid for its traits but its opacity for me is almost a show stopper. Love fc line for my finesse, but i dont care to spend that much because as a shore angler who dares to drop shot in rip rap, mono is just more cost effective 😎🤣

Unless the water is really clear probably not. Just a guess but I would think 12lb big game is about the same diameter as 15lb.Invisx .

Back in the day I used 6lb. on my wiggle wart rod in an effort to get them to run deeper. 

Considering the value of those old baits it always made me nervous..

“If you want to get more bites, especially in clear or pressured water, drop down to smaller diameter lines like 6 or 8-pound test. It makes your bait look more natural and helps you fish with finesse—the way bass want it.”

Guido Hibdon

Winner 1 Bassmaster Classic 1988 -- Bassmaster Winner Angler of the Year 1990 and 1991.

 

6 hours ago, Bazoo said:

 

In your opinion, from the standpoint of pressured fish,

 

To  me this is a misnomer and I think it leads to ideas that may or may not even be real.

 

When someone says fish are pressured from so many fishermen, does this mean they are now some how educated to humans and wise to us?

 

Does pressured fish mean that now a fish knows what fishing line is and will run from it in fear for their lives? And unpressured fish are opposite and never seen fishing line and will now run to it happy to see it? Or, will pressured fish now be used to line and not afraid of it?

 

What exactly does pressured fish mean in relationship to the fish? I've never really bought into this idea of pressured fish. It has no relevant meaning to me.

 

It would be nice to see objective scientific data on this idea of "pressured fish" and see if there are some differences between pressured and unpressured fish.

 

So when someone says from the standpoint of pressured fish... huh? What does that mean? Do pressured fish run from line from experience? Or do they not care about the line being there because they are now educated to it? Which is it?

 

I'm not seeing a "standpoint." That would mean a definitive definition upon which to rest. And I'm 61 now and fishing for more than 50 years, and to me there is no standpoint on pressured fish.

 

I use straight braid no matter what and could not care less if the fish have been pressured or not. Its not an issue to me.

 

Would be great if someone would actually do some science testing on this and provide objective data.

 

I go to some heavily fished lakes with "pressured" fish and still catch them just fine. I fish spring fed crystal clear waters sometimes with straight braid on pressured fish who swim up to my line and peck at it trying to eat it. I see no fear in any of them. So why should I change what I do based on some idea of pressured fish that does not seem real to me? Its an idea and it sounds good, but are we really improving our fishing based on an idea that may or not even be real? I don't let this idea of pressured fish enter into any of my fishing equations. Not happening.

 

Not picking on ya Bazoo, just pointing out that this idea of pressured fish may not be so black and white. We have these discussions based on a perceived idea and I'm not even sure which way pressured goes? Educated to fear and run? Or educated into no fear from constant contact? And is it the same for every fish in there because this is a generalization term covering all of them which may not be the case.

 

I think we give fish too much credit sometimes. Just how I see it though.... back to regular programming on the "standpoint" and which way to go.

Without any detail about your water, I would honestly focus acutely on making a great presentation over worrying about line size. When fish aren’t biting, “wrong bait or too heavy line?” seem to be instant thoughts. I fish from shore, in areas with lots of angler and rec traffic. It gets tough on congestion days, but a good cadence with a good bait in proper cover is gonna get bit. I’ve been running green 14lb trilene xt lately for largemouth and 12lb sensation for smallmouth and they’ve both bit well in the midday sun and good fish too. Have confidence and BE DIFFERENT!

I wouldn't go below 8 lb on T Rigs, Flukes, and jigs with weed guards. For me, 6lb is for open hook baits. 

Largemouth probably don't care.

 

Smallmouth do but my Smallmouth are a-holes so we ignore them.

 

Big Game is a relatively thick line. Even at 8 lb, .28 mm puts you near 12 lb fluorocarbon. Sometimes lighter line allows a bait to work better or present more naturally. 

Hmm,

Freeman Lake https://elizabethtownky.org/freeman-lake-park/ is the place I consider pressured.

 

At the north end of this lake are 2 ponds. Each pond is separate from the other, but each is connected to the main lake by a channel on the outer most sides.

 

So, what makes this different is, there is a parking lot and some nice walking trails, such that there is a lot of people. The pressure on a slow day is around a dozen people fishing the banks of this pond a day, going up to over dozen at any given time during weekends and nice days.

 

Everything from kids and nightcrawlers to folks that are serious shore bass anglers, to those that just throw whatever they have for bass.

 

As a result, the fish don't bite unless you present to them something that is different or exactly what they want.

 

I've had success with squarebill crankbaits, but sparse success. Success is measured by catching any bass. I caught smaller ones. When I tied the hooks on, which changes the sound and vibration, I caught a larger number of smaller ones and a few larger ones.

This indicates to me, that because they see a lot of squarebills, they have learned not to bite, and the older they are, the more wise they get. Squarebills are a reaction bite, so they are biting sometimes just because you get lucky and bump the lure off the log they are sitting on.

 

Now, if you fish a spinnerbait, you get nothing.

 

Soft plastics have given me some success. I think a lot of folks don't fish soft plastics other than creature baits such as bandito bugs.

 

Things like flukes, brush hogs, worms, grubs, and lizards have given me success, but I am selective in my choices for color, size, and presentation to pick what I think is not "popular".

 

A weightless lizard worked slow does well. But most people can't stand to work things that slow. I've fished Zoom Fat Albert grubs on a small texas rig, and that has worked well too.

 

I've had very little success with senkos, as a lot of people fish senkos I think.

 

Often times you see fish crusing along the shore, but you just can't get them to bite.

 

So this is my definition of pressure and how it makes fish act.

 

-----

 

The second place I think of is the opposite of pressured. It's a private pond I have access to, with only a handful of people fishing it each year. This pond is about the same size as the larger of the 2 ponds at Freeman Lake.

 

The fish there will hit just about any lure. They don't hit every lure every day.

 

I have had plenty of days where I can catch an average of 1 fish per 5 minutes over the course of an hour. All I have to do is match the conditions to the lure and technique and they will bite.

 

Things I have no confidence in will get bit easily, so I use this place to learn new techniques and build confidence.

 

This is the opposite of the aforementioned city lake.

 

-----

 

Now, why would I fish the first spot you might ask?

 

Well, my goal is to become a better bass fisherman. Sure, I fish other spots, but the challenge of Freeman Lake's ponds keeps drawing me back.

 

I've fished that spot for 3 years now. It was common for me to get skunked 4 out of 5 times. Now, it is the norm for me to catch fish 4 out 5 times. If I go for 2 hours, I most normally catch at least 1 fish.

Pressured fish definitely get line shy, so you want to keep it as thin/unobtrusive as you can get away with. Most of my finesse presentations are on an 8lb fluoro leader attached to 10lb braid. I will cut down to a 4lb leader in some situations, but that’s only on one reel where I’m really confident in the drag’s performance. My “pond” baitcaster is spooled with 10lb fluorocarbon. 

9 hours ago, ElGuapo928 said:

Pressured fish definitely get line shy, 

How do you know definitively that pressure makes fish line shy? Couldn’t they react to boats, trolling motor noise, splashing from constant lures landing, other fish being caught and released or a list of other disturbances? What makes you say it’s  fishing line? 

On 8/17/2025 at 9:46 AM, Scott F said:

How do you know definitively that pressure makes fish line shy? Couldn’t they react to boats, trolling motor noise, splashing from constant lures landing, other fish being caught and released or a list of other disturbances? What makes you say it’s  fishing line? 

Nicely done, sir. 

I was coming here to post something very similar. What constitutes pressured fish? 

We each fish places and at times where pressure can mean different things.

In my fishing it's simply boating traffic. Could only be one boat. It scatters the bait, disturbs the natural zen of the habitat, and big fish bail and fast. Sort of like a big buck getting spooked by anything unnatural.

So back on topic, IME when this happens my line is of zero consequence.

But when I am able to make a cast to that same fish undetected, as long as my line is up to the task, type and size almost don't matter. 

A-Jay

 

 

The line is only a piece of the overall puzzle, but it is easily observable. Fish that get hammered day in and day out start getting really jumpy, and they will stay away from that intruder into their environment.

 

Back in the mid 80’s I attended a tank seminar at a Fred Hall boat show, and the pro would pitch an identical bait on different weight lines, and we could see their reaction in real time. He started with 20 or 25, and the fish would stay huddled up in the corner. As the line size decreased, they would be more inclined to approach the bait and investigate. None ever got close enough to strike until he was down to 6lb line. 

What he said was to think of your line as a guitar string - the heavy line transmits your movements to their lateral lines like a thumping bass note, as the diameter decreases, it becomes a higher frequency that gets lost in the other noise. 
 

Whether this was scientifically verified or not, it has stuck with me since I was a kid and has consistently put fish in the livewell for me. 

1 hour ago, ElGuapo928 said:

 

What he said was to think of your line as a guitar string - the heavy line transmits your movements to their lateral lines like a thumping bass note, as the diameter decreases, it becomes a higher frequency that gets lost in the other noise. 

 

I disagree with him. His comparison is not an accurate analogy.

 

A guitar is designed to vibrate with taut strings suspended on a resonating device designed to amplify and enhance guitar string vibrations.

 

A fishing line in the water is no where close. First the line is not taut so vibrations do not travel well on loose line, and secondly the water acts as a dampener muting any vibrations.

 

As for any frequency changes remains to be proven. I'm not sure there are any frequencies there in the first place, much less transmitted down the line to the fish.

 

Once my braid hits the water it appears dead silent to me. And with the loose weave of my braid it isn't transmitting scary audio to the fish.

 

My trolling motor, banging around in boat, and cranked up Skynyrd might be cause for alarm, but I tend to catch MORE fish playing some Skynyrd and Allman Brothers cranked up! 😁

 

Edited August 17, 2025Aug 17 by FloridaFishinFool
spelling corrections

18 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

I disagree with him. His comparison is not an accurate analogy.

 

A guitar is designed to vibrate with taught strings suspended on a resonating device designed to amplify and enhance guitar string vibrations.

 

A fishing line in the water is no where close. First the line is not taught so vibrations do not travel well on loose line, and secondly the water acts as a dampener muting any vibrations.

 

As for any frequency changes remains to be proven. I'm not sure there are any frequencies there in the first place, much less transmitted down the line to the fish.

 

Once my braid hits the water it appears dead silent to me. And with the loose weave of my braid it isn't transmitting scary audio to the fish.

 

My trolling motor, banging around in boat, and cranked up Skynyrd might be cause for alarm, but I tend to catch MORE fish playing some Skynyrd and Allman Brothers cranked up! 😁

 

That’s a good point on tautness. Most of the finesse techniques relied on out here don’t allow for much in the way of slack. A dropshot 30 or 40 feet down is going to stay pretty taut.
 

Also this was in the days that Trilene XL represented the pinnacle of technology. Super braids were still several years away, and fluorocarbon was limited to saltwater leaders. 

Very interesting discussion.

 

I agree that line is not the only factor affecting pressured fish.

 

The guitar string analogy is something I had not considered, which is odd, because I have owned a nylon string guitar. And monofilament fishing line is made from nylon.

 

Whenever I am fishing a crankbait, my line is taut, maybe not as tight as a guitar string, but tight enough that where the line enters the water the line vibrates the water a small amount.

 

Line, particularly braided line, makes sound when going through the guides on a rod, and thus it stands to reason that it would make sound when going through the water as it rubs against the water itself, any debris in the water, any plants in the water.

 

Water, sure enough, would dampen the sound, but fish hear in low tones that we cannot, best I recall. I know some fish make sounds, cats and drums, which we can hear. It stands to reason that those sounds aren't just for our amusement, but that other fish hear them.

 

I think sound plays a more important role than we give it credit, however, I don't think fish hearing fishing line is the issue. I think they can sense it with their lateral line.

 

The smaller the line, the less they can sense it, and the "quieter" the line, the less they can hear it. And perhaps it's not just the volume, but rather, line that sounds different.

 

Something that gives credence to the sound/feel of line is that crankbaits come in silent, rattle, and hard knock models. That is sound. That rattle also makes a concussion every time it hits, which would make waves which could be felt. But, also they come in wide wiggling and narrow wiggling, which is feel.

 

Replacing the split rings and tying the hooks on also will entice leery fish to bite when they have seen plenty of other crankbaits. This changes both the sound, and the feel of the lure.

 

If the line and lure are sort of a package, changing the rattles in a lure changes the lure sound AND it changes the sound and vibration of the line. I hadn't thought of that detail before.

So my mind is spinning.  (That's usually a bad thing)

 

If every sound from my boat is being transmitted down the line and is being listened to by the fish,  it's basically sensitivity in reverse.  It makes sense that rod sensitivity would play an important role in that process.  So I should buy the least sensitive rod I can find to dampen the sound and keep the fish from knowing everything I say and do.  😆

And I have some swamp land to sell. Ha!

 

 

I actually have thought about that, that the line could transmit some sounds down to the lure. If I'm trying to be real stealthy, I do not let my thumb bar click back hard. I either move it by hand or put my thumb in place so that it doesn't give a hard thump.

I don't know all the logistics and nuances of how to frighten a fish and keep them from biting but do know highly pressured water is definitely one.

 

We have this one particular lake that is located close to suburbs with no other lakes close by that gets absolutely hammered, 117 acre lake that could see up to 50 bass boats on a busy day.

 

It's nickname is well known around here as " one fish Frederick " .

If you catch 2 you instantly become a local legend and may even get harassed for information.

3 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

And I have some swamp land to sell. Ha!

 

 

I’ve got some ocean front property just outside Phoenix that I’ll trade you for it.

12 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I actually have thought about that, that the line could transmit some sounds down to the lure. If I'm trying to be real stealthy, I do not let my thumb bar click back hard. I either move it by hand or put my thumb in place so that it doesn't give a hard thump.

 

I stopped worrying about scaring fish decades ago. Now I just enjoy it! If I catch, then fine. If not that's fine too!

 

Sometimes I think we overthink things and do things we think matter that may not really matter.

 

Part of it is where I cast to I don't think the fish even know I am there and then some lure hits the water in their vicinity. That's about the extent of it for me these days. Simple is better.

 

32 minutes ago, Bird said:

I don't know all the logistics and nuances of how to frighten a fish and keep them from biting but do know highly pressured water is definitely one.

 

We have this one particular lake that is located close to suburbs with no other lakes close by that gets absolutely hammered, 117 acre lake that could see up to 50 bass boats on a busy day.

 

It's nickname is well known around here as " one fish Frederick " .

If you catch 2 you instantly become a local legend and may even get harassed for information.

That city lake I fish is 170 acres, and if you catch more than one it's uncommon. The most I've caught is 5 in a trip. I've done that only once, and they were all from the same creek channel area. 4 on a baby brush hog and 1 on the spit'n image.

Well, I guess the obvious question is why limit yourself to the same ol’ spot? I’ve been on this site for a couple months and you’ve never mentioned any other water. I have 3 rivers I hit regularly, but two are my main rivers. If I wanted, I could travel elsewhere and will in time, but for now…I’m not running out of action or size. 
 

As far as line size and pressured fish…hard to say. If it’s high angling pressure…they could associate line with danger, but it’s more likely cadence or bait profile. Certain sections and certain times of the summer, I’ve saw clear hesitation on senkos, but not all the time. Lots of tourists and googans use stick worms around me and it shows.
 

One thing I’ve noticed is if a bait type gets popular, everybody uses it and claims it’s the best. Well, fish get used to seeing shape and profile. Same with color. I’d try and figure out the brands, styles and colors you feel fit your fishing and your fish. You will simply fish better with max confidence. I almost feel like you’re trying to maximize a situation that can’t be maxed 

33 minutes ago, JonB2 said:

Well, I guess the obvious question is why limit yourself to the same ol’ spot? I’ve been on this site for a couple months and you’ve never mentioned any other water. I have 3 rivers I hit regularly, but two are my main rivers. If I wanted, I could travel elsewhere and will in time, but for now…I’m not running out of action or size. 
 

As far as line size and pressured fish…hard to say. If it’s high angling pressure…they could associate line with danger, but it’s more likely cadence or bait profile. Certain sections and certain times of the summer, I’ve saw clear hesitation on senkos, but not all the time. Lots of tourists and googans use stick worms around me and it shows.
 

One thing I’ve noticed is if a bait type gets popular, everybody uses it and claims it’s the best. Well, fish get used to seeing shape and profile. Same with color. I’d try and figure out the brands, styles and colors you feel fit your fishing and your fish. You will simply fish better with max confidence. I almost feel like you’re trying to maximize a situation that can’t be maxed 

Sometimes you just don’t have that option. Using my little microcosm as an example, the city lakes don’t have a teaspoon of water that someone isn’t beating to death 6 days out of the week. The big lakes are a pretty decent drive, absolutely suck for shore access, and even if you have a small boat or kayak you are in constant danger of being run over by a wake boat blasting “Pony” by Ginuwine (why they all gravitate to that particular song is beyond me). 
 

But in the end, you hit the nail on the head - that’s why I always bring my “old school” bag of tricks with me. And now that you mention it, I don’t think I have a single Senko/stick worm in the boat anymore.