COLUMN : TACTICAL BASSIN
Here are a couple examples from my own fishing that have convinced me that braid is the superior option with treble hook baits .
When bass are eating the crankbait , it seems like you can do no wrong . As long as that handle is turning , you ’ re going to get bit . When the bite begins to slow , you start noticing that pausing your bait after bumping into structure can elicit a strike . We can all agree that a stop-and-go retrieve will get more bites than a steady retrieve when the bite is tough . Now , let ’ s consider the stretch in fluorocarbon and how that affects your crankbait .
You ’ re burning the crankbait just as hard as you can , and you feel the bait make contact . You pause . As you do this , the rod begins to unload and the stretch in the line starts rebounding and pulls the bait forward . As this process is slowing and the bait is beginning to stop , you ’ re back to cranking . The result is not a stop-and-go at all ; it ’ s more of a fast , then slower , then fast , then slower , retrieve . Repeat that same scenario with braided line and you ’ ll get a very different result . As quickly as your rod can return to straight , the bait pauses in the water . The braided line has far less stretch so when you stop , the bait stops , and when you reel , the bait moves .
I ’ ve had countless days that I ’ ve caught crankbait fish on fluorocarbon and I suddenly realize the fish want a stop-andgo retrieve . I set the rod down , pick up may “ braid to leader ”
crankbait combo and start catching more fish immediately .
The second scenario has to do with topwaters . I ’ m not going to argue the virtues of braid after the hookset . Let ’ s just focus on the retrieve .
When you ’ re walking a large topwater on monofilament , it can be a full-arm workout . It takes serious work to keep that bait walking side to side , but switch over to braid and it ’ s a different story . The same bait that requires movement from the elbow down on mono can be walked with the flick of the wrist on braid . Again , the low-stretch characteristic of braid makes it very user-friendly .
Keep in mind when switching from monofilament or fluorocarbon to braided line that you should drop your rod by one power . Meaning , if you throw your crankbait on a medium-heavy crankbait rod and mono , you may be better off with a medium crankbait rod and braided line . Something has to give when you ’ re fighting a big fish . Adapt your rods and your drag accordingly so you don ’ t bend out your hooks the next time you hook a big one .
Bass fishing is full of misconceptions . This column barely scratches the surface of the rules and theories we choose to accept as fact every time we go fishing ( except the banana thing ; that ’ s true ). Keep an open mind when you ’ re on the water and you might find you ’ re the one catching fish when the book on bass fishing is leading others astray .
34 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2021