I commonly see advice like “throw 20lb braid on your reel”, but doesn’t that depend on your rod? For example - my Ugly Stik Elite says 6-14lb on it, so wouldn’t using 20lb braid mean my rod would break before the line? By that logic it seems I should keep it to 12lb or less

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by NewCobbler2512

Is it bad to set the drag tight then adjust once you hook the fish? I generally have a tight drag but still feel like im under no worry of the line breaking. Im fishing for bass at the moment with an 8lb leader. It doesnt really feel like a challenge reeling the fish in but the bass arent that big, under 2lbs. If i feel something heavy on the end i will probably compensate for it by loosening the drag.

If i start with a moderatley loose drag i feel like im not really "setting the hook". At the moment i lift the rod i can also hear the drag scream. Is the hook still setting when it does that?

The reason i set it tight is because im worried about losing a fish due to a poor hookset.

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by darealmvp1561

I’m asking cause I’ve seen a lot of videos of people saying I should do mono backing on my reels and I wanna know if I can do it to a ugly stik Gx2 reel and the lines I’m thinking of using are Ande Monster Fishing Lines, 20 lb, Blue and Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid line? If you guys can suggest a better line to mono backing please do. You’ll help me out a lot 🙏🏼

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by darkangel2352

Curious to find out y'all opinion/experience about catching game fish with jointed swimbaits( i.e. Bucca's baby bull shad, savage gear hard4play, jackall giron). Do you think they are as effective as other types of lures?

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by dingdong22md

What is the ideal conditions and temperature for bass fishing?

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by XtremeZack521

Cause I really wanna know and the lines I’m thinking of using are Ande Monster Fishing Lines, 1lb/ 20lb & Sufix 832 Advanced Superline Braid 20lbs

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by darkangel6122232

I’m new to the sport and have watched many YouTube videos on which knot is the best knot but figured I would ask as well.

What knot is best for tipper to fly?

Thanks!

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by sorry-rum-ham552

Mono? Fluoro? Braid?

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by Wwoody2136

Looking for something that can take a licking and keep on ticking.

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by 21Ryan216122

Do you need to use a swivel and a leader when using soft plastics on a jig head? - using braid for main line

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by CutLen335

I live in Florida. I don't have a lot of time to fish during the day so I've been trying to go at night.

I've been fishing for about a month and really enjoying it, but I really want to learn to use lures instead of just worms. I'd love to catch a bass.

I've read that dark soft plastic worms work at night so I've been trying them with texas rig. I've been out over and over at night fishing little ponds and off a pier on the river and haven't gotten a single bit.
Any tips on night fishing or best lures?

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by photoperitus1564

Recently got into bass fishing a little more seriously. Been building a few combos to take out on my kayak with me. Wanting to build a Texas rig/jig set up.

Normally I’ve seen quite a few people suggest a MH/fast for strictly t-rigs, but since I’m wanting to also jig with this rod, should I move it up to a heavy/fast? Was leaning towards a shorter length as well, since I am mostly fishing in a kayak, so something around a 7’ to 7’2 was what I was thinking. Definitely going with an 8.X:1 reel, more just trying to iron out what kind of rod I should work with right now. Trying to keep the price lower ($100-$150) as I am still new to this.

I know you get what you pay for, but until I can get my techniques down I’m not dropping $350-$400 on a combo that I can’t get the full potential out of.

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by liftandfish6122

I already upgraded from my do-it-all standard 9' 5wt medium-fast action for a slightly better 5wt fast action rod for streamers and heavy nymph rigs. I've been thinking of getting my first dry fly specific 4wt rod (probably the Redington Classic Trout). I've noticed people tend to prefer slightly shorter rods for these, but I'm not sure what (other than being in extremely cramped quarters/tiny mountain brook) should factor into whether I should get a 8', 8'6", or 9'. Any insights appreciated.

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by kng-harvest2622

Hey guys, I've been fishing for about 5-6 years now. So this might be a pretty 'late' question to ask, as I've never fully been told if this is right or not.

But from what I understand, when fighting a fish (especially a big one pulling drag), if the fish seems to be pulling drag way too much - in this situation you would want to tighten the drag right?

And you'd only loosen the drag if it's not pulling drag but rather creating tension on the line itself - where loosening would lower the chances of it snapping?

I just sorta want reassurance that I've got this right in my head haha

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by storm85620error

I have decided to get into big swimbaits. I am looking to throw lures in the 4-6 oz range for bass and maybe some inshore species. My questions is what line to use. I have heard that braid is a bad idea when throwing big swimbaits but I have trouble using 20# mono or fluoro because it is so difficult to work with. For the swimbait masters on here is braid really an issue?

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by Hodor91754