bay fishing braid question - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

JoeBeck · 01-26-2010, 03:11 PM

I like to use a leader myself. I too use 20lb moss green on my bay setups. The leader gives you a bit of stretch also nice when getting a fish next to the boat to be able to grab the leader instead of the braid. I mostly target halibut and bass in the bay.

Gino · 01-26-2010, 03:31 PM

I Tried used 20lb spiderwire for Spotted bay bass. Id tie it right to the lure, and I had only caught 1 bass with it.

I went back to the 4+ foot 10lb mono leader and caught more spotted bay bass than i could count.

These are my results for night fishing. I was suprised it made a huge differance when it came to using a leader or not.

Iceman · 01-26-2010, 03:38 PM

I only like to tie straight to it for spinner baits in daylight. Night fishing I like it for plastics.

chefchatten · 01-26-2010, 03:40 PM

IMHO You def need a leader when bass fishing...braided line looks like rope to the fish. Mono or fluoro

I have always had a hard time casting braided line on a bait caster but love it on a spinning reel.

robmandel · 01-26-2010, 06:25 PM

I don't recommend spectra for bass fishing like that. I do alot of fishing in newport and there's really no need for spectra like kelp. also, alot of the fishing you need the stretch (swimmies, crank baits, spinners, etc) of mono and I think it casts better in casting reels. it does this for no other reason than most small baitcasters don't have a synched levelwind and the spectra will end up getting crossed up and over itself, and will end up in a na-a-a-a-asty birds nest.

I fish straight spectra with a short top shot on in the kelp with the jig baits, and other slow plastics like zoom flukes. but alot of the strikes come on the sink and you're in free spool and can give a few feet of line to run off before you set the hook. and there I need the spectra as I toss it literally right into the middle of the kelp and let it work down. also use it on topwater suff like slugs and weedless jig rigged swimbaits (pour my own jigs and use heavy weedguard) which I skip across the top.

not everyone will agree with my sentiment on spectra here. but if you do go with it, use a softer, slower action rod. (by the way, i used to, that's used to, use spectra on my offshore swimbait rod until I kept missing hooksets) i'd basically say as a rule spectra for two things: a) kelp w/short topshot and b) backing with 50yds topshot.

dsafety · 01-26-2010, 06:51 PM

I don't do a lot of bay fishing but I prefer lightweight spectra on my small spool reels because it does not have the memory that mono does. Maybe I have just been using the wrong brand of mono but whenever I have tried it on small reels, the line comes off all curled up in ringlets making casting very difficult. I agree that a leader is important but if you plan to cast, it cannot be too long.

Bob

taggermike · 01-27-2010, 02:41 PM

Thanks for the replys. I fished out of 24th Street in south SD Bay this morning with one outfit set with strait braid and the other with a fluoro leader as a head to head experiment. So much for that good idea. The fishing was very slow for me and I only picked up one small spotty on a drop shot set up in the rod holder. Rob M I went to braid in the bay because I have been using more soft palstic jerk baits, zooms and sluggos, lately and I've been missing bites while fishing slack line with mono. Mike

bender0240 · 01-27-2010, 04:52 PM

I'm all about 6 lb Fireline. It's about as thick as 2 lb mono so I believe it to get many more bites. I'd ALWAYS catch more than my dad who always stuck with mono. I personally wouldn't use 20lb in the bay, since bay fishing's charm is catching a lot of fish, I feel it would diminish the numbers.

01-26-2010, 03:38 PM	#3
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,948	I only like to tie straight to it for spinner baits in daylight. Night fishing I like it for plastics. __________________

01-26-2010, 03:11 PM	#1
JoeBeck Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Diego Posts: 370	I like to use a leader myself. I too use 20lb moss green on my bay setups. The leader gives you a bit of stretch also nice when getting a fish next to the boat to be able to grab the leader instead of the braid. I mostly target halibut and bass in the bay.

01-26-2010, 03:31 PM	#2
Gino Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 520	I Tried used 20lb spiderwire for Spotted bay bass. Id tie it right to the lure, and I had only caught 1 bass with it. I went back to the 4+ foot 10lb mono leader and caught more spotted bay bass than i could count. These are my results for night fishing. I was suprised it made a huge differance when it came to using a leader or not.

01-26-2010, 03:40 PM	#4
chefchatten Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: 92107 Posts: 36	IMHO You def need a leader when bass fishing...braided line looks like rope to the fish. Mono or fluoro I have always had a hard time casting braided line on a bait caster but love it on a spinning reel.

01-26-2010, 06:25 PM	#5
robmandel Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 186	I don't recommend spectra for bass fishing like that. I do alot of fishing in newport and there's really no need for spectra like kelp. also, alot of the fishing you need the stretch (swimmies, crank baits, spinners, etc) of mono and I think it casts better in casting reels. it does this for no other reason than most small baitcasters don't have a synched levelwind and the spectra will end up getting crossed up and over itself, and will end up in a na-a-a-a-asty birds nest. I fish straight spectra with a short top shot on in the kelp with the jig baits, and other slow plastics like zoom flukes. but alot of the strikes come on the sink and you're in free spool and can give a few feet of line to run off before you set the hook. and there I need the spectra as I toss it literally right into the middle of the kelp and let it work down. also use it on topwater suff like slugs and weedless jig rigged swimbaits (pour my own jigs and use heavy weedguard) which I skip across the top. not everyone will agree with my sentiment on spectra here. but if you do go with it, use a softer, slower action rod. (by the way, i used to, that's used to, use spectra on my offshore swimbait rod until I kept missing hooksets) i'd basically say as a rule spectra for two things: a) kelp w/short topshot and b) backing with 50yds topshot.

01-26-2010, 06:51 PM	#6
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,122	I don't do a lot of bay fishing but I prefer lightweight spectra on my small spool reels because it does not have the memory that mono does. Maybe I have just been using the wrong brand of mono but whenever I have tried it on small reels, the line comes off all curled up in ringlets making casting very difficult. I agree that a leader is important but if you plan to cast, it cannot be too long. Bob

01-27-2010, 02:41 PM	#7
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	Thanks for the replys. I fished out of 24th Street in south SD Bay this morning with one outfit set with strait braid and the other with a fluoro leader as a head to head experiment. So much for that good idea. The fishing was very slow for me and I only picked up one small spotty on a drop shot set up in the rod holder. Rob M I went to braid in the bay because I have been using more soft palstic jerk baits, zooms and sluggos, lately and I've been missing bites while fishing slack line with mono. Mike

01-27-2010, 04:52 PM	#8
bender0240 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 118	I'm all about 6 lb Fireline. It's about as thick as 2 lb mono so I believe it to get many more bites. I'd ALWAYS catch more than my dad who always stuck with mono. I personally wouldn't use 20lb in the bay, since bay fishing's charm is catching a lot of fish, I feel it would diminish the numbers.