It depends a lot on many factors, I fish several gin crystal clear lakes where you can see the bottom 30 ft down, that 's really clear and there are days that fish are line/lure/sound/sneeze/cough shy and there are days you can fish with a rope and they won 't bother. Needless to say that what plays a huge role on how the fish behave is wind, when there 's no wind and the lake looks glass smooth is when the fish are more inclined to be line/lure/sound/sneeze/cough shy.

Activity level or how aggressive the bass are feeding plays a roll on the line size you can use. Water clarity and light conditions; wind defuses/bends the light rays, low light conditions or cloudy/rainy weather, cover and structure are all factors to consider.

Bass are only active for short time periods, we fish for them for several hours when they are inactive. It's the inactive bass that are affected by line size the most by shadows and noise. We tend to go with smaller lures to increase our odds of getting strikes and if you over power the lure with too heavy of line, your strike odds go down in clear water.

The average bass lake, slightly stained water (depth of light to 6') with good cover of weeds, brush, trees, docks, etc., the size of the line isn't a factor as long as the lure action isn't affected.

I can remember the high vis era and 20 lb line that looked like a neon rope and we still caught bass is clear water using it!

WRB

Activity level or how aggressive the bass are feeding plays a roll on the line size you can use. Water clarity and light conditions; wind defuses/bends the light rays, low light conditions or cloudy/rainy weather, cover and structure are all factors to consider.

Bass are only active for short time periods, we fish for them for several hours when they are inactive. It's the inactive bass that are affected by line size the most by shadows and noise. We tend to go with smaller lures to increase our odds of getting strikes and if you over power the lure with too heavy of line, your strike odds go down in clear water.

The average bass lake, slightly stained water (depth of light to 6') with good cover of weeds, brush, trees, docks, etc., the size of the line isn't a factor as long as the lure action isn't affected.

I can remember the high vis era and 20 lb line that looked like a neon rope and we still caught bass is clear water using it!

WRB

Activity level or how aggressive the bass are feeding plays a roll on the line size you can use. Water clarity and light conditions; wind defuses/bends the light rays, low light conditions or cloudy/rainy weather, cover and structure are all factors to consider.

Bass are only active for short time periods, we fish for them for several hours when they are inactive. It's the inactive bass that are affected by line size the most by shadows and noise. We tend to go with smaller lures to increase our odds of getting strikes and if you over power the lure with too heavy of line, your strike odds go down in clear water.

The average bass lake, slightly stained water (depth of light to 6') with good cover of weeds, brush, trees, docks, etc., the size of the line isn't a factor as long as the lure action isn't affected.

I can remember the high vis era and 20 lb line that looked like a neon rope and we still caught bass is clear water using it!

WRB

Personally i think it matters a great deal if theres no wind or clouds. When its clear smooth water i feel flouro is superior under those conditions.  good fishing

Personally i think it matters a great deal if theres no wind or clouds. When its clear smooth water i feel flouro is superior under those conditions.  good fishing

Personally i think it matters a great deal if theres no wind or clouds. When its clear smooth water i feel flouro is superior under those conditions.  good fishing

I gonna make me a million dollars on braid scissors made out of zebes.

I gonna make me a million dollars on braid scissors made out of zebes.

I gonna make me a million dollars on braid scissors made out of zebes.

Very good read to get all these opinions. I really support Senko Sam's ideas.... Now here's two  interesting and opposing ideas that I received from two Ozarks anglers who has won lots of money in the clear waters of Table Rock Lake. We were discussing the premise that, if indeed, flourocarbon line is invisible to the fish, then why aren't we using heavier lines to avoid break offs... His answer was a new one on me.  His response was that fish "can hear the line" and that thicker lines make more noise and therefore spook more bass. Now that's one interesting theory from a sly old veteran that given his stature as an angler, I wan't going to argue with. Good a reason as any to stay with the thinnest diameter one can get away with.

The other angler who is perhaps as fine a jig fisherman as I've seen has his theory on fishing clear or dirty water. "I like 25 pound test, I like 3/4 oz. jigs, and that's what I catch fish with. Don't bother me if it's clear or dirty." Refreshingly simple and he is a really good big bass catcher in all colors of water. Both guys are highly successful using baits with lines that they have confidence  in. Go figure.

Very good read to get all these opinions. I really support Senko Sam's ideas.... Now here's two  interesting and opposing ideas that I received from two Ozarks anglers who has won lots of money in the clear waters of Table Rock Lake. We were discussing the premise that, if indeed, flourocarbon line is invisible to the fish, then why aren't we using heavier lines to avoid break offs... His answer was a new one on me.  His response was that fish "can hear the line" and that thicker lines make more noise and therefore spook more bass. Now that's one interesting theory from a sly old veteran that given his stature as an angler, I wan't going to argue with. Good a reason as any to stay with the thinnest diameter one can get away with.

The other angler who is perhaps as fine a jig fisherman as I've seen has his theory on fishing clear or dirty water. "I like 25 pound test, I like 3/4 oz. jigs, and that's what I catch fish with. Don't bother me if it's clear or dirty." Refreshingly simple and he is a really good big bass catcher in all colors of water. Both guys are highly successful using baits with lines that they have confidence  in. Go figure.

Very good read to get all these opinions. I really support Senko Sam's ideas.... Now here's two  interesting and opposing ideas that I received from two Ozarks anglers who has won lots of money in the clear waters of Table Rock Lake. We were discussing the premise that, if indeed, flourocarbon line is invisible to the fish, then why aren't we using heavier lines to avoid break offs... His answer was a new one on me.  His response was that fish "can hear the line" and that thicker lines make more noise and therefore spook more bass. Now that's one interesting theory from a sly old veteran that given his stature as an angler, I wan't going to argue with. Good a reason as any to stay with the thinnest diameter one can get away with.

The other angler who is perhaps as fine a jig fisherman as I've seen has his theory on fishing clear or dirty water. "I like 25 pound test, I like 3/4 oz. jigs, and that's what I catch fish with. Don't bother me if it's clear or dirty." Refreshingly simple and he is a really good big bass catcher in all colors of water. Both guys are highly successful using baits with lines that they have confidence  in. Go figure.

Ya' know, people always seem to be concerned that the fish might be shy of their line......

Forget about all that !

I'll tell you what fish are shy of !!!!! Read this twice.... maybe 3 X's if neccessary...

What they are shy of is "YOU AND YOUR BOAT" !!!!

Either stop a long ways from where you know the fish to be, and make long casts..... or, beach that pretty, shiny boat, and aproach the fish from the shore.

Whatever you do, don't "trap" the fish between your boat, and the shore ! Nothing makes a fish more nervous, or lock it's jaws tighter !

Worry about the stuff worth worrying about.

Peace,

Fish

Haha, good point. I agree.  Although I believe in using leaders for slow dragging and shaky presentations, boat control is more important to fishing success than nitpicking over line diameters and visibility, IMO.

Ya' know, people always seem to be concerned that the fish might be shy of their line......

Forget about all that !

I'll tell you what fish are shy of !!!!! Read this twice.... maybe 3 X's if neccessary...

What they are shy of is "YOU AND YOUR BOAT" !!!!

Either stop a long ways from where you know the fish to be, and make long casts..... or, beach that pretty, shiny boat, and aproach the fish from the shore.

Whatever you do, don't "trap" the fish between your boat, and the shore ! Nothing makes a fish more nervous, or lock it's jaws tighter !

Worry about the stuff worth worrying about.

Peace,

Fish

Haha, good point. I agree.  Although I believe in using leaders for slow dragging and shaky presentations, boat control is more important to fishing success than nitpicking over line diameters and visibility, IMO.

Ya' know, people always seem to be concerned that the fish might be shy of their line......

Forget about all that !

I'll tell you what fish are shy of !!!!! Read this twice.... maybe 3 X's if neccessary...

What they are shy of is "YOU AND YOUR BOAT" !!!!

Either stop a long ways from where you know the fish to be, and make long casts..... or, beach that pretty, shiny boat, and aproach the fish from the shore.

Whatever you do, don't "trap" the fish between your boat, and the shore ! Nothing makes a fish more nervous, or lock it's jaws tighter !

Worry about the stuff worth worrying about.

Peace,

Fish

Haha, good point. I agree.  Although I believe in using leaders for slow dragging and shaky presentations, boat control is more important to fishing success than nitpicking over line diameters and visibility, IMO.

FISH CHRIS is correct, the bass are shy because of your boat, it represents a shadow or noise that is not part of their natural environment, so stay away from your target area and make long casts, and dont make noise in your boat. The thud of dropping something might very well shut off that area for an hour.

FISH CHRIS is correct, the bass are shy because of your boat, it represents a shadow or noise that is not part of their natural environment, so stay away from your target area and make long casts, and dont make noise in your boat. The thud of dropping something might very well shut off that area for an hour.

FISH CHRIS is correct, the bass are shy because of your boat, it represents a shadow or noise that is not part of their natural environment, so stay away from your target area and make long casts, and dont make noise in your boat. The thud of dropping something might very well shut off that area for an hour.