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Spring 2018
fight to compensate for this diameter difference is a recipe for disaster and eliminates your goal of applying consistent pressure to prevent the hook from falling out.
A slipping drag means a lot of line twist, especially when the drag slips while you are reeling. Back-reeling is one of many things that I do that help me eliminate line twist problems.
Most importantly, I can’t emphasize enough that I back- reel, because I like a firm drag that still slips on the hookset, but not so much that I can’t sink the barb. That firm drag setting works against you when the fish dives close to the boat, increasing the chance your hook pulls out or the line breaks.
If you fight big bass on 6-pound line in the summer, when they fight the hardest, they can dive much faster than your drag can compensate. Back-reeling keeps you in control instead of letting the bass dictate the terms of the fight.
LIGHT LINING A PB
When you hook your personal best on light line in open water, you want to take your time getting the bass to the boat to avoid stressing your line and pulling out the hook.
As I play the big bass close to the boat, I am ready to reduce force, because the battle may have torn the soft tissue at the hook, and on a short line you have less line stretch making it easier for the bass to rip out the hook. Back-reeling allows you to adjust your tension as you feel necessary for the situation.
Even back-reeling will not overcome carelessness or poor-quality gear.
Your landing success improves when using quality reels with well-maintained drag systems. Using a strong line like Sugoi fluorocarbon insures your line is uniform in diameter, quality, and consistency.
LINE MATTERS
Take care of your line and change it often. Stepping on your line when the rod is laying on the deck, and abrasions from sharp objects like hook points and rough line guides are magnified on thin-diameter line; and are fatal.
Remember with light line you can’t use a monster hook set, so don’t use a heavy hook that requires a lot of force to set. Start by selecting a sharp, light-wire hook that will stick in flesh the instant pressure is applied.
HOOK ANGLES AND MORE
Trophy anglers carefully consider each hook feature, including overall size, angle of the hook point, size of the barb, and diameter of the hook wire.
Modern improvements include nanocoated finishes that allow the hook to penetrate deeply with less effort, like Gamakatsu G-Force hooks. Quality thin-wire hooks like Gamakatsu’s Split Shot/Dropshot hook are tempered, making them stronger than your line, and their small barb facilitates deep penetration.
When snags require the use of a Texas-rigged dropshot worm, the new G-Finesse Worm Light Wire hooks are ideal, and their light-weight molded keeper system keeps hand poured worms in place.
4-pound Largemouth from Lake Casitas
ROD FEATURES FOR LIGHT LINE SUCCESS
Fly rod anglers are successful landing big trout and salmon with light leaders because their rod absorbs the punishment of the fight. A quality rod with the right taper is the key.
I use Lamiglas rods in models that range from 3-power (for 6-pound test) down to 1-power (for 4-5-pound test).
When your goal is to land big bass on light line, a parabolic rod action is preferable over a fast action more commonly used for heavy line. The deep bend of a parabolic rod serves as a shock absorber to protect from line breakage, while allowing you to maintain constant and firm pressure to prevent the hook from falling or tearing out.
So that is the skinny on light line and
landing big bass. Instead of learning to
throw that big swimbait on your next
trip, try filling your favorite spinning
reel with light line, and practice back-
reeling. You just might land your
personal best bass using line you could page floss with. Ciao. •
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