The Lowdown On Line

[TRUMAN BASSER]

You've got the right spot, the right rod, the right reel, and the right bait but do you have the right line for the situation? In order to be able to perform to your highest ability on the water it is essential that you spool your reels up with a quality line. I choose to fish GAMMA line because of the strength and castibiliy this line offers. When it comes to deciding on what line you use make sure you go with a quality brand and don't skimp on this part of your setup.

When your spooling your reels make sure that you have the right size line for the bait you are using and the amount of cover you are fishing. When you go to fish fish a bait like a crankbait you want to make sure that you have a line that is not so heavy that it affects the action of the bait. When I'm deep cranking I will use 10 to 12lb test GAMMA Co-Polymer because the thinner diameter line helps allow the bait to run deeper. If I'm cranking shallow wood or rock I like to jump up to 14lb test because fishing this type of cover can take its toll over time on your line if your doing a lot of crashing with your bait. You want to make sure that you can get a 6 to 7lb bass out of a tree if you must.

Certain techniques require much heavier line in order to get the bass in the boat. When I'm flipping and pitching to shallow laydowns or docks I will almost allways spool up with 20lb GAMMA. This line is really good because it has enough stretch for high impact fishing at a short distance and it is super strong and tough. If you try and fish with lighter line you are going to get your heart broken. If youare flipping you don't need to use a light line because the fish usually hit the bait on the initial fall.

For my topwaters I use a couple different line sizes depending on the bait. For my walkers I like to throw 14lb test line because I can make that long cast on those flats. I step up my line size when throwing a buzzbait. I use at least 20lb test because I'm going to be throwing them in some heavy cover. Same goes for the spinnerbait. I'm going to try and get by with the heaviest line possible because I don't believe the fish can see the line when my bait is zipping over their heads. When it comes time to throw a kermit I'm going to spool up with a quality braided line.

If I'm fishing deep clear water with a jig or worm I'm going to make the switch to flourocarbon. I am really impressed with GAMMA Edge because it is super strong and casts easy. With flouro you don't get the stretch like you do with a mono which is great when your baits down deep and you have a long distance between you and the fish. The sensitivity is unparralled. I like 14lb on the football jigs and as low as 8lb on the shakey and dropshot if I'm working deeper spots. I can get a more natural fall out of the bait which is important when your working your baits slower.

Before I hit the lake I do a couple of things to get the most out of my line. I like to take some Kevin Vandam Line and Lure conditioner or some Reel Majic and add it onto my line. I will then take the end of the line and tie it to my boat cleat and walk back and stretch out the first 40 yards or so to get rid of any memory and make the line as subtle as I can. At the end of the day this is a great process to go through again. When I am practicing or fun fishing I'll try to get by with the same line on my reels for a couple of weeks. When it comes to tournament time I always spool on fresh line because new line will always perform the best.

Finally when it comes to storing your line make sure you find a nice cool place to put your spools. I don't recommend leaving them in the car or the garage or even the boat because all these places can hurt the life of your line due to heat and moisture. The worst thing you can do is leave your line in direct sunlight. The UV rays can really weaken your line. When it comes time to make decisions on line keep these tips in mind. Until next time good fishing!