What's your bass fishing setup?

[Luis Dominguez]

I'm wanting to try out some bass fishing, bought myself an Abu Garcia Baitcaster with a 17 Lb mono line. I think 17 is too heavy, so what are you guys using line-wise? I tried braided and personally didn't like it on my spincast. So would a 12 lb mono line with a little 8-10 lb floro leader work okay?

 

[TimberTodd]

That should work fine. The braid gives you more abrasion resistance around structure. My dropshot rod has a spinning reel with only 8lb PLine mono. I haven't had any problems with breakoffs. I will toss plugs with it also.

 

[Berg03]

It depends what you are going to be fishing. Most of my rods are 30lb braid and I use a leader depending what I am throwing or how dirty the water is. Usually anywhere from 8 to 17lb fluro is my leader. If you are throwing lures that don't weigh to much then 10-12lb is great. I personally dont throw any soft plastics over 12lbs but that depends on the cover you are throwing it into. Jigs you want braid to a fluro leader because of the no stretch. You want that hook driving in to the mouth as hard as possible. Dropshots though are "usually" considered finesse fishing, And thats where some people pull out 6lb and 8lb line for that. A lot of it is personal preference, bass are not very line shy unless its super super clear water.

 

[fish4life]

I just use my trout setup with six pound line fishing the Willamette for smallies in rocky cover. If you plan on fishing areas with down trees and brush you will need to use heavier line to keep them out of the cover.

 

[Luis Dominguez]

Thanks guys, guess I'll have to expirement!

 

[hobster]

The braid gives you more abrasion resistance around structure. .

Braid, although stronger, is actually less abrasion resistant than mono. This has been proven, here is a little test I found on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-SqIsZaE6s

I use 6 lb mainline for bass fishing also, though I only usually fish for smallies on the Umpqua. I don't think you need anything heavier than 8 lb mainline, most people use 10 - 12 lb. mailline for steelhead.

 

[TimberTodd]

Braid, although stronger, is actually less abrasion resistant than mono. This has been proven, here is a little test I found on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-SqIsZaE6s

I use 6 lb mainline for bass fishing also, though I only usually fish for smallies on the Umpqua. I don't think you need anything heavier than 8 lb mainline, most people use 10 - 12 lb. mailline for steelhead.

I have always been under the impression it was. Thank you for the link Hobster.

 

[hobster]

No worries :thumb: Most of us have mono leaders anyway, so that is the part of the line most likely to hit a rock in most cases.

 

[Don Fischer]

Boy this is old! What the heck, so am I! Heaviest line on one of my casting reels is 6# mono. Have a few spinning reels, mostly for crappie but now and then bass in the John Day. Max they get is 4#. On my catfish rod's I do have one with 15# on it but the rest 10# to 12#. Seem's to me people really get carried away with thing's sometime's.

 

[PhoFish]

I run 10 # braid to a 6# fluorocarbon leader for just about every thing that I have fished and have had good luck with the bass using that with jigs and white twisters as well as spinners. I use a 6'6" spinning rod with a 2500 spinning reel for more versatility... that and I am really trying to avoid the collection of reels again.