Why such light line?

[Stumpy-USA2]

I have noticed in some of the posts that quite a few people on here use very light line, in the 2lb. to 6lb. range, why is that? Over here we tend to use much heavier line in comparison. Here is a line up of some of the different techniques I use and the line weights I use with them.
Crankbaits - 10lb.
Jerkbaits - 12lb.
Different Soft Plastics - 15lb.
Spinnerbaits - 30 lb. (braid)
Jigs - 50lb. (braid)

We also tend to up the line size also depending on the type of cover we are fishing. With open water rock piles we can go down to 6 or 8lb. test while around timber and heavily matted grass we often go up to 30 to 50lb. test. Are the line sizes because of the cover or lack of cover you fish? Or is it based on the type of fish you are after? Just curious!

Casey

[DR]

a combination of lack of cover & fish size, also most at the moment are using fireline which breaks well above stated strength.
a lot also have heavier leaders which provides some protection against bustoffs

then you have the ANSA members who sportfish & work a points system for line weight , fish weight & species.
a lot also have heavier leaders which provides some protection against bustoffs

[S.S.]

Depends on the fish and the area they're being targetted in. From what I've heard you blokes in the States also fish with a lot more drag than what we do. Horses for courses. Different species, different anglers..... :)

[Far_Canal]

why is it that when i watch pro bass (US) stuff on tv that the yanks quite literally yank the fish out of the water right into the boat ?

i cannot believe how hard they strike little bass and the rate at which they try and retrieve it into the boat...

[alleycat]

We like to squeeze the most out of catching a fish no matter how big, and being a nation of sporting billies using light line is just another way of giving the poor scaley buggers a chance!!.

[NeilD]

As stated previously a lot of us use fireline which is greatly understated in B/S. The finer lines enable better presentation under certain conditions. One of our main targets now is Snapper and until a few years ago most people would have rated them a bait only species. The finesse approach has opened up a whole new fishery

Cheers

Neil

[Stumpy-USA2]

Thanks for the responses guys! Our finesse fishing techniques would probably fit right in. We will take a four inch worm rigged weedless on a jig head tie it to 6-8lb line on a spinning rod and reel and fish when the bite is slow or there is a ton of pressure.

Mad Max,

The guys on TV are fishing for big bucks, often as much as $250,000, so they want to get the fish in as fast as possible to minimize its chances of escaping. When that kind of cash is riding on five fish you have to do what it takes to get the fish in the boat. If you want to see a little more about U.S. fishing go to FLWoutdoors*com or Bassfan*com. There is a wealth of good info on those sites. So far there have been 3 tournaments (The Ranger M1 tournaments) with a first place prize of $1,000,000. Kind of crazy isn't it.

Casey

[Stumpy-USA2]

LeanneP,

Yeah, we do use a good bit of drag. Usually ranging between 6 and 9lbs of drag, sometimes as much as 12lbs of drag if the reel will handle it.

Casey