Probably been discussed before, but maybe not. How many do the power finesse for fussy fish around moderate to thicker cover? I've been traditional wormin' lately, but am always liking to mix it up and try different things.

I've rigged multiple setups for smaller, subtle baits on heavier tackle for fishing and getting fish through cover. I feel fairly intrigued by this type of fishing and am kind of excited to try it. I've got texas rigged straight tail worms(4.5-6") and typical sized trd's(2.75"). I've also rigged a modified drop shot(stop with a free-sliding ewg and normal ds weight below). What else has worked for you?

That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Power and finesse are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Neko rigging a craw or a baby brush hawg

Power shot with 6” roboworm flipping hook and 3/8oz weight on 30lb braid

Texas rigged Stingray grub (1/8 oz weight, #1 EWG hook) is deadly in thick brush. 4” ringworm on a weedless darter head is a good one too.

11 hours ago, Jig Man said:

That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Power and finesse are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Power finesse is a bass fishing technique that bridges the gap between traditional power fishing (large, fast-moving baits on heavy tackle) and finesse fishing (small, subtle baits on light tackle). It allows you to present small, subtle lures in heavy cover or thick vegetation using heavier tackle.

Why Use Power Finesse?

The goal is to trigger strikes from highly pressured or inactive fish that ignore large, noisy baits, without sacrificing your ability to pull big fish out of thick cover.

The Best of Both Worlds: You get the natural, non-threatening appearance of a finesse bait paired with the control, lifting power, and casting accuracy of heavy-duty gear.

Thick Cover: You can fish a small worm or shaky head around docks, trees, and grass without the fear of your line snapping or the fish breaking off.

3.5 inch BPS Tender Tube on a t-rig.

Zoom finesse worm, green pumpkin, Texas rigged …. toss it in the thick stuff.

Power Finesse is 90% of what I’m doing in NC these days. It’s extremely rare that I’m throwing something big and noisy and mechanical.

Examples of ways I make finesse a priority with traditional power presentations:

Lighter weights, lower casts where I thumb the spool and try to dampen the splash, using smaller variations of baits I know work well like small poppers, spooks, worms, jigs and crankbaits, I modify crankbaits to be silent and often to suspend, I take markers and make baits look more natural all the time, lighter line, lighter hooks, I try to fish my baits more methodically when I’m in finesse mode and really take my time with retrieves.

To me finesse is just applying nuance to your techniques and not chucking and winding but over time it’s evolved into branding for small lures and I think that’s part of it but it’s more an approach than a size of lure.

I reguarly pitch regular tubes into thick cover. Not big flipping tubes.Normal sized ones like Original Gitzits and Z-Man tubes. Use the largest ewg hook I can get away with and an unpegged 5/16th oz weight.

The only bait I throw that could be considered " power finesse " would be the Mojo rig.

The hook is a 2.0 and a finesse worm is T-rigged on med action rod with 1/8 weight.

I heard one member call it a finesse Carolina rig. 😁

I don't know where finesse starts to infringe on power fishing but there's a well known fisherman locally who owns a tackle shop and has won local tournaments on a split shot rig, that's all he throws.

All I see is finesse fishing with heavier line.

finesse fishing = a subtle, delicate presentation of any bait... power fishing, just the opposite.

1 hour ago, Jig Man said:

All I see is finesse fishing with heavier line.

That’s essentially what it is. Heavy line and heavier hooks so you can present a finesse bait in heavier cover

I see power finesse and only think of jumbo shrimp😃

17 hours ago, Jig Man said:

That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Power and finesse are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Agree

To me it’s a contradiction in terms, no matter who or what defines it.

Mike

Man, some of you guys are really uptight. It makes sense to me and is like stated; smaller and maybe a bit lighter for fussy bass relating to thicker cover. Definitely not a big deal nor that deep. Thanks for the talk and discussion so far everyone.

I think the finesse part of it just means smaller baits, and the power part of it means heavier line. They slam the two words together confusing everybody. It works for me when the cover is too thick to punch in. I downsize the hook and bait which helps to get the presentation through. The power part of it remains the same 50-65lb braid to jack them with. Common sense, really.

39 minutes ago, JonB2 said:

Man, some of you guys are really uptight.

Without consistent terminology communication becomes incoherent.

I’ve been called many things but never “up tight”

I just disagree with the whole process and definition.

That’s All

Mike

Just do what makes you happy and don’t worry about what others think. There are hundreds of ways to catch them, and you may have stumble on the secret way. Just remember what works today may get you skunked tomorrow! If we had the answers we would all be on TV and millionaires! Most important thing is just have fun!😆👍😆

2 hours ago, herder said:

I see power finesse and only think of jumbo shrimp

. . . and military intelligence.

19 hours ago, Jig Man said:

That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Power and finesse are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The concept first struck me when I was in the middle of my own vision quest to find the perfect Senko rod. When querying for suggestions, I quickly found that although I was interested in a finesse presentation for this popular bait, I found that there are many different ways to present it. There are many perfect Senko rods, and they are often quite different from each other.

In a perfect world, terms like power, finesse, BFS, light line, Bubba (LOL), deep, shallow, clear, etc., would all be easily quantifiable. Much like trying to figure out who the GoAT bass angler is, everyone has their own unique criteria.

So, is it really 'power finesse'?

I don't know, and maybe it's just fishing to others, but I think I might get where he's coming from. Or. . . . maybe not.

I think the problem is that often people define "finesse fishing" as whippy spinning rods, light line (less than 10 lbs), small hooks and tiny baits, when really it's a presentation style. The term "power finesse" evolved because so many people equate the equipment with the term "finesse". The reality is you can use stout gear and still be "finesse fishing".

Here's a few videos I've made over the years where I've touched upon the concept:

This shows Texas Rig fishing with a "finesse" tube (not a flipping tube)

The second part of this video shows how to use finesse worms in heavy cover

I could show more, but you get the idea.

Put me down for flipping straight-braid drop shots and punching small craws.

On the straight fluoro side, trying to drop shot 7" Roboworms this summer.

Is power finesse an oxymoron, or simply a description?