# Big bass breaking my line



## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

I just started using swimbaits for the first time. I hooked into 2 huge bass last night after fighting them for a couple of minutes my line snaps. I was using my 5'6 Abu Garcia Ultra Lite with 6lb Cajun Red line and a strike king swimbait on a 7/0 weighted hook. I was not happy about losing those fish so I went home and rigged my 6' Medium action Mitchell and that has 10lb Trilene on it. I went back out there today and got 2 bass. The one was smaller but heavy has hell and the other was decent size. As soon as I hooked the bigger one he dove straight down to the sea weed, it took me about 5 minutes to muscle him out of it but I got him. If I was still using my ultra lite that would have been another lost fish. I've never had a problem with line breaks till now, lost 3 in the last 2 days on my Abu Garcia.


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

Here is the fish I got today


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

well for one thing big swimbaits on 6 lb test is a mistake ..10 or 12 is better .. ultra lites are for crappys ..not bass ...i use a 7' med heavy baitcaster 10 or 12 lb line 

as far as line breaking how olds the line ..how often do you retie ..check your eyes of your rod might have a snag in one of them.. i use a qtip and check each eyelet for damage you will know because the cotton will hang up ...


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

I restring my lines about once a month so the lines pretty new. The swim baits are 3.5 inches so they are not huge. I always use my Ultra Lite for bass awesome fight on it. But ya from now on i'm only using my Mitchell for bass


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## Bnichs (May 24, 2004)

Ultra Lites are not designed for swim baits and if you are fishing around weeds (as it sounds from the post) they are not designed for that either.

That doesn't mean it can't work but it would be a lot more difficult.

I am suprised you have enough power to drive a 7/0 hook into a bass with an ultra lite, which obviously you do if you are keeping the fish hooked long enough to get your line broken. It just does not sound like an ideal situation.

Good Luck :B


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## JignPig Guide (Aug 3, 2007)

rklagstad said:


> I just started using swimbaits for the first time. I hooked into 2 huge bass last night after fighting them for a couple of minutes my line snaps. I was using my 5'6 Abu Garcia Ultra Lite with 6lb Cajun Red line and a strike king swimbait on a 7/0 weighted hook. I was not happy about losing those fish


First off... That's a nice bass you caught! And congratulation.

Unless you are fishing super-clear water, I suggest upping the mechanical end of your swim-bait presentation. I suggest a 7ft. medium-heavy rod and a reel lined with at least 12lb. test fluorocarbon line.


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

JignPig Guide said:


> First off... That's a nice bass you caught! And congratulation.
> 
> Unless you are fishing super-clear water, I suggest upping the mechanical end of your swim-bait presentation. I suggest a 7ft. medium-heavy rod and a reel lined with at least 12lb. test fluorocarbon line.


Thanks for the tips..I usually use my Ultra Lite for when I use rubber worms or scum frogs. for now I'm just gonna use my 6' Medium action Mitchell that has 10lb Trilene on it till I can get a better Pole


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## Bulldawg (Dec 3, 2007)

Nice bass and congrats . Most of my bass fishing I use baitcasters (personal preferance) , the one I have for swimbaits , and spinnerbaits is a 7' med. hvy with 14lb gamma copolymer. I also have a flippin stick with which I usually use for all my texas rigged and carolina rigged soft plastics for . That one is 7'6" telescoping hvy action with 17lb flourocarbon . May be a little much , but I have yet to have a fish break me off this year. Good luck !


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

1.) Nice bass you landed,congrats.
2.)Good T Shirt,must be a fan of KORN.

Count me as another one that'd suggest upgrading your rod and line when using swimbaits. It might be fun catching them on an ultralite but it'd do you and the bass better if you upgrade. Ever thought about using braid? If you're fishing in or around alot of grass/weeds there's nothing better.


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## cep156 (Jul 24, 2011)

What is braid and What is the test pound rating for Braid? I like the action of bass and pike when fishing around the weed beds. I am also not using any steel leaders just regular 8 or 10 pound test.


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## spfldbassguy (Mar 23, 2009)

cep156 said:


> What is braid and What is the test pound rating for Braid? I like the action of bass and pike when fishing around the weed beds. I am also not using any steel leaders just regular 8 or 10 pound test.


Braid is another form of fishing line. It has ZERO stretch to it and can cut through some nasty stuff if need be. I use 10lb Power Pro on all but one rod that I use braid on. On the other rod I use 50lb braid that is used for "froggin". I don't use any type of leader either when using braid.


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

Dont you have to start the spool off with Mono before you put the braid on? I dont know but thats what I heard thats why I always stayed away from it seems a little difficult and I dont know much about it.


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## mismas1 (May 15, 2011)

rklagstad said:


> I just started using swimbaits for the first time. I hooked into 2 huge bass last night after fighting them for a couple of minutes my line snaps. I was using my 5'6 Abu Garcia Ultra Lite with 6lb Cajun Red line and a strike king swimbait on a 7/0 weighted hook. I was not happy about losing those fish so I went home and rigged my 6' Medium action Mitchell and that has 10lb Trilene on it. I went back out there today and got 2 bass. The one was smaller but heavy has hell and the other was decent size. As soon as I hooked the bigger one he dove straight down to the sea weed, it took me about 5 minutes to muscle him out of it but I got him. If I was still using my ultra lite that would have been another lost fish. I've never had a problem with line breaks till now, lost 3 in the last 2 days on my Abu Garcia.


I never had a line break on a bass, and I use 14lb test fireline in smoke. Its braided, but can stand up to just about anything. Fireline is expensive, but it probably the best line on the market in my opinion. Try using a 7 foot ugly stick as well. As long as you get a good hook set, you will not lose fish. Just my 2 cents.


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## mismas1 (May 15, 2011)

rklagstad said:


> Dont you have to start the spool off with Mono before you put the braid on? I dont know but thats what I heard thats why I always stayed away from it seems a little difficult and I dont know much about it.


Not exactly. What you can do, it use a piece of masking tape or duct tape over the line attached to the spool when you tie the not to the spool. I find this works just as well with braided.


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## Azzuri (May 14, 2010)

I know I am in the smallest of minorities here but... I have 3 Shakespeare Microspin Rods/reels (yes, the $20 combos from Wal*Mart). I use either 6 or 8lb Spiderwire Mono. I catch just about everything I can on this set up. OBV if I'm searching for cats or carp I use different gear.

My advice is to be extremely patient when you are bringing in big bass. MAKE SURE YOU TIE THE BEST KNOTS YOU CAN. I haven't had a single fish snap my line, but I have had fish pull off a bad knot. I just love the action on my light set-up. I get strange looks all the time, but I don't see the fun in just crankin in bass on 25lb test and all. I just recently landed my PB, a 6.9 lb bass in New York (pics upon request). I keep my drag right below the tightest it can go for hook setting, and if I hook into a big one (they all feel BIG on this setup, so you'll have to be careful). I'm careful to be forcefully passive -- and when if they go on a big run I loosen the drag. PATIENCE IS KEY! TAKE YOUR TIME!

Happy fishing and good luck, nothin like pullin in big bass (or any fish for that matter) on Microspins!

ps I have been using these Microspins for about 7 years now. I started buying them to take back into woods and other crappy places where it wouldn't be ideal to take expensive setups. Ever since I hooked into my first fish on one of them I have been hooked and haven't looked back. For $20 you really can't beat it. I have went through about 6 of them in those 7 years (mostly due to scratches or car doors).


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## gapwedge (Jun 6, 2011)

I understand the appeal of using light tackle. The lighter the tackle the better the fight. It's definately a risk vs. reward thing, though. You are giving the fish a much better chance of winning the fight and foregoing your ability to just horse a hooked fish into the boat. I love the challenge and the fight, but you are going to lose more fish. Again, it's a risk-reward thing.

Having said that, I just got back from a trip to Canada. The smallies were breaking my 8lb line a lot. Upon a close inspection of the break, it looked like many of the breaks were occuring at the knot-tie point.

For many years I have used the fisherman's knot (twisting the line 5-7 times and snaking the end through the bottom loop and then again through the resulting loop). In preparing for my trip, I read and viewed a utube video on the paladar knot, but I have Flintstone hands and having tried it a time or two, I decided not to use it. Losing all these Canadian smallies due to my knot failures made me re-think using the paladar knot and I started using it in Canada. It seemed to help a lot and I plan on sticking with the paladar knot from now on. In fact, with some experience, I got pretty good (for me) at tieing my line with this method ... and now find it easier (and more effective) than the old fisherman's method.


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## young-gun21 (Mar 14, 2006)

I've landed 30" pike on 6# fluorocarbon and have had 11" bass break me off with the same line. Having said that, I wouldn't go pike fishing with 6# test line. There are a million variables when it comes to landing a fish of any size. If your fishing for fun, use whatever rod/reel/line you have the most fun with. As everyone has stated, ultralite combos aren't technically the best option for swimbaiting or froggin...but your not fishing for money so fish however you like.

_Sent from my HTC Evo_


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Nice fish!

If you like that UL rig, I suggest not throwing the swimbait and 7/0 weighted hook on it anymore. It will eventually break. That UL is not designed to throw baits of that size.

Most bass line and rod combinations are not put together for the size of fish, but rather for the size of line and lure that will be used. I just weighed a 3.5" shadalicious with a 4/0 weighted hook and it weighs 0.5 oz...with a 7/0 it is pushing 5/8 oz. I'll go with what JignPig said and suggest a 7'MH with a baitcaster.

How do you set your drag?

And...the million dollar question...how did you rig a 7/0 hook into a 3.5" bait?


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

rklagstad said:


> I just started using swimbaits for the first time. I hooked into 2 huge bass last night after fighting them for a couple of minutes my line snaps. I was using my 5'6 Abu Garcia Ultra Lite with 6lb Cajun Red line and a strike king swimbait on a 7/0 weighted hook. I was not happy about losing those fish so I went home and rigged my 6' Medium action Mitchell and that has 10lb Trilene on it. I went back out there today and got 2 bass. The one was smaller but heavy has hell and the other was decent size. As soon as I hooked the bigger one he dove straight down to the sea weed, it took me about 5 minutes to muscle him out of it but I got him. If I was still using my ultra lite that would have been another lost fish. I've never had a problem with line breaks till now, lost 3 in the last 2 days on my Abu Garcia.


I tried that Cajun Red 2-3 yrs back. I had nothing but breakage problems. Swore I'd never use it again. Now, I use nothing but braid (trying the Suffix 832 this yr) or fluoro (prefer YoZuri Hybrid, but trying Trilene this season.) I'd change the line.

That said, I'm not sure that I'd be targeting big bass with a heavy swimbait on an UL?


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## firstflight111 (May 22, 2008)

mismas1 said:


> I never had a line break on a bass, and I use 14lb test fireline in smoke. Its braided, but can stand up to just about anything. Fireline is expensive, but it probably the best line on the market in my opinion. Try using a 7 foot ugly stick as well. As long as you get a good hook set, you will not lose fish. Just my 2 cents.


ok really not even one.. either you dont catch bass over 10'' or you dont fish much... i have even broke 65 lb braid ...


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## mismas1 (May 15, 2011)

firstflight111 said:


> ok really not even one.. either you dont catch bass over 10'' or you dont fish much... i have even broke 65 lb braid ...


Well I fish 3-4 times a week, and that is what I use for bass. I have fished all over the world for peacocks, payara, snakehead, alligator gar, you name it. If you are using 65lb test for bass you obviously don't know what you are doing, or you line is older then you are. So I would keep my mouth shut if I were you, because you have no idea what you are talking about.


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

Tokugawa said:


> Nice fish!
> 
> If you like that UL rig, I suggest not throwing the swimbait and 7/0 weighted hook on it anymore. It will eventually break. That UL is not designed to throw baits of that size.
> 
> ...


I set my drag loose so the fish can run..and rigging it isnt easy but I didn't buy the swimbaits or the hooks they were given to me. but like I said I was just trying them out and now I'm going to buy some.(smaller hook of course). any recommendations on what size of a hook for the 3.5" swimbait?


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

rklagstad said:


> I set my drag loose so the fish can run..and rigging it isnt easy but I didn't buy the swimbaits or the hooks they were given to me. but like I said I was just trying them out and now I'm going to buy some.(smaller hook of course). any recommendations on what size of a hook for the 3.5" swimbait?


Gotcha! 

I use a 4/0 5130W weighted Owner beast. Not the cheapest, but they don't tear up baits and they are stout and sharp. I'd go to LBF, as they have the best selection and you can see them before buying. That way you know the hook fits the bait. You want that tail to wobble as freely as possible, but still have a big hook for big lips.

http://www.landbigfish.com/showcase.cfm?PID=5448


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

thanks for all of the tips guys..


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Good luck!!


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## kurtykurt2011 (Jul 11, 2011)

I have 20 lb spiderwire..


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## Dinger (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm probably also a minority here but I use tackle that will bring a fish in as quickly as possible.

Long fight (in Summer especially) equals high chance of mortality for the fish.

Ding <---might start hunting with a smaller caliber "to let 'em run a bit" lol lol lol


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

I've fished from 4# mono to 65#braid, and loose fish on ocassion. #@it happens! Mismas...you might want to check around/facts before suggesting folks on this site, or any other experienced fisherman, "don't know what they're doing if they use 65# braid." I, too, fish all over and quite frequently use heavy braid, or even an added heavy fluoro shock leader. 

Many of us "experienced fisherman," including most pros on the tour, have rods rigged with 65# braid to rapidly extricate fish from very heavy cover, quickly, without risk of breakoffs or added harm to fish. You simply cannot gain that strength, performance and response from mono, heavy fluoro or even lighter weight braids in most situations where there is heavy cover or weed. I have used lighter braid, and have that break too in heavy cover. In fact, I have used Firelinein the past, but don't prefer it- MHO, it is flatter, stiffer and holds more memory than other braids on the market. That said, I am also a little fickle about braid not being a big fan of it, but recognize it is a necessary evil if you are going to fish HARD.

Everyone has their preferred techniques and ways to fish. The key is enjoying your time out there and catching fish...that's why we all do it (and for some of us, it helps lower the BP!)


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

Tokugawa said:


> Gotcha!
> 
> I'd go to LBF, as they have the best selection
> 
> http://www.landbigfish.com/showcase.cfm?PID=5448


Agree with Tokugawa here...*LOVE LBF*!! UNBELIEVABLE selection...especially plastics and hardbaits! You'll definitely be able to find what you are looking for.


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## mismas1 (May 15, 2011)

heidlers said:


> I've fished from 4# mono to 65#braid, and loose fish on ocassion. #@it happens! Mismas...you might want to check around/facts before suggesting folks on this site, or any other experienced fisherman, "don't know what they're doing if they use 65# braid." I, too, fish all over and quite frequently use heavy braid, or even an added heavy fluoro shock leader.
> 
> Many of us "experienced fisherman," including most pros on the tour, have rods rigged with 65# braid to rapidly extricate fish from very heavy cover, quickly, without risk of breakoffs or added harm to fish. You simply cannot gain that strength, performance and response from mono, heavy fluoro or even lighter weight braids in most situations where there is heavy cover or weed. I have used lighter braid, and have that break too in heavy cover. In fact, I have used Firelinein the past, but don't prefer it- MHO, it is flatter, stiffer and holds more memory than other braids on the market. That said, I am also a little fickle about braid not being a big fan of it, but recognize it is a necessary evil if you are going to fish HARD.
> 
> Everyone has their preferred techniques and ways to fish. The key is enjoying your time out there and catching fish...that's why we all do it (and for some of us, it helps lower the BP!)




He is the one who called me out. Not vice versa.


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## redhotbuzz (Dec 2, 2004)

I use 20 lb Spiderwire Invisibraid on my Shimano Citica . Its the size of 6lb mono .my frogging rod Is a Shimano im6 6.5 ft. With a Palomar knot tied on a 6/0 screw in gama and a Rage Toad I have hauled in bass trapped in tree limbs.Once you have used braid Its hard to go back to the rubber band feel of mono.IMHO


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

redhotbuzz...can't argue the comment about mono. Haven't used it in years. However, I don't like using braid in clear water or finesse situations...big TW's/frogs, jigs, worm, creature...I'm throwing braid- no question! I generally fish a 7'MH rod with AG Revo reels. Where I have braid there, it is 17#-20# (I also use a similar weight Fluoro on some of them) Though I do have a couple 7'11" heavy action rods I fish big frogs, swimbaits and heavy cover with where I have 65# braid.


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## redhotbuzz (Dec 2, 2004)

Heidlers I fish alot of farm and stripmine ponds. When Im sneaking around the odd crystal clear one.I use a smaller worm rod .. A homemade Mudhole 6 ft IM6 fast tip med. 1000 Sedona with 15 lb spiderwire with a 20lb 18 in leader of vanish flouro..But honestly the invisibraid seems to be working well even in some of the cleaner water.


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## redhotbuzz (Dec 2, 2004)

Heidlers I fish alot of farm and stripmine ponds. When Im sneaking around the odd crystal clear one.I use a smaller worm rod .. A homemade Mudhole 6 ft IM6 fast tip med. 1000 Sedona with 15 lb spiderwire with a 20lb 18 in leader of vanish flouro..But honestly the invisibraid seems to be working well even in some of the cleaner water.


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## heidlers (May 24, 2010)

Gotcha. That's says a lot about the fish. I'm generally on the larger, heavily pressured lakes where the fish are pounded and a little more skittish. I have two acre 1/2 ponds on my property that are stocked. There are days out there that I feel like I could throw a bare hook on rope and have them bite! LOL. Limited pressure makes a big difference in their behavior. --Tight Lines--


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## Auk23 (Jul 25, 2011)

Nice looking fish right there!


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

Thank you....


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## GerthyONE (May 4, 2010)

I'm not one to force my views on anyone, but I agree with Dinger who stated longer fights ( on ultralight combos) lead to higher Mortality rates, especially in summer. I have evidenced this on my own farm pond, I fished a whole summer with ultralights, couldn't figure out why so many bass were dyin'. then it hit me. now I get them in, and get them back out.

I like to use enough rod/ line to get a fish landed quickly if I am C/R-ing, If your eating it then tiring out the fish dont matter much.
Just my 2 cents from my own experience, Happy Fishing !


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## foxbites (Mar 15, 2010)

i have been doing well on my pvc swimbaits in june and july. my blugill swimbait has been my favorite one. the bass just crush it. nothin better than cathin bass on swimbaits!


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## rklagstad (May 13, 2009)

The bluegil swim bait is that the one that has the hook sticking out of the top if it?


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## Tatonka (Aug 23, 2007)

rklagstad said:


> Dont you have to start the spool off with Mono before you put the braid on? I dont know but thats what I heard thats why I always stayed away from it seems a little difficult and I dont know much about it.


I use mono to start my reels and then tie the mono and braided together then finish loading my braided onto my heavy poles
I use a double uni knot to tie the mono and braided together


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