Fighting Bass On 6 Pound Test 2025
basslover12345 reply :
What is the best way to fight a bass on 6 pound line with spinning gear in 10-20 feet of water with a medium action rod? How do you strip line off ( Iaconelli style) and keep pressure on the fish all at the same exact time?
Goose52 reply :
If the water is open and you don't need to horse the fish, then you just set your drag light and let the fish take line. I've caught fish up to a 33" channel cat (~18-20lbs) on 6lb test line.
A properly adjusted drag is your friend...
Michael DiNardo reply :
Very carefully.
Seriously though, I prefer to backreel with a spinning reel rather than trust the drag.
Mike
00 mod reply :
As long as you have a good real, the drag is your friend with light line and spinning reel. Just have a properly set drag and you are good to go!
Jeff
roadwarrior reply :
On 6/5/2012 at 12:26 AM, Goose52 said:A properly adjusted drag is your friend...
First of all, buy Yo-Zuri Hybrid #6 which has a breaking strength of 11.9 lbs.
Measure the drag setting to no more than 3 lbs.
basslover12345 reply :
I'm using 6 pound P-Line floroclear
roadwarrior reply :
I consider Floroclear "unfishable" in any size.
If you like P-Line, CXX #6 is fine.
basslover12345 reply :
On 6/5/2012 at 1:57 AM, roadwarrior said:I consider Floroclear "unfishable" in any size.
If you like P-Line, CXX #6 is fine.
Oh, I've been fishing it the last 2.5 years religously, a guy at Dick's got me hooked on it
clayton86 reply :
im with what every one else said drag is your friend in this situation my PB light liner was a 20lb salmon not big by any means but i caught it on a 4'6 UL with #4 stren took me like 2 hours and lots of "oh bleeps" and took of running down stream reeling trying to not get spooled. anythings possible
Lund Explorer reply :
On 6/5/2012 at 12:20 AM, basslover12345 said:What is the best way to fight a bass on 6 pound line with spinning gear in 10-20 feet of water with a medium action rod? How do you strip line off ( Iaconelli style) and keep pressure on the fish all at the same exact time?
You do it by stripping the line off with your free hand, slowly so you don't allow for slack in the line. I've seen others do this same thing, but it isn't my preferred way of doing it. Too much chance of not matching the pace the fish wants to take line at.
Like others, I've always thought that a looser drag is easier to control. I do this by keeping my thumb close to the spool's skirt so that I can add pressure if I need to. You only need to stop reeling, keep the rod tip up high and loaded, and then use your thumb to control it. With a little practice it is easy to get the hang of doing.
SirSnookalot reply :
If a line breaks at 11# a 6 pound bass isn't going to break it when the tension is removed with a proper drag setting. A 6# bass is a nice bass but it's only a 6# fish that doesn't strip out much line and tires very quickly. The biggest fear is the fish getting hung up in slop and if that's the case you're using heavier line to begin with. To put it real simple, keep your cool, never get excited and you will own it, I don't see any problem in landing it. Best to keep a tight line rather than stripping line out.
I've never tried Yozuri line, I'm sure it's good stuff, I do use p line floroclear 20# both on an 8000 spinner and the same line on an Avet mxj, this line has landed 50# amberjacks and cobia, many hard fighting kingfish, this line has performed well with good line and knot strength. The important thing is not break strength but how ones plays a fish, Ande lines have a low breaking point as compared to the number on the label, yet they hold countless numbers of IGFA records.
J Francho reply :
I caught this fish in 6# Invisx on a medium-light rated rod. Drag was set to 2.5 lbs. resistance. The reel was a Stradic CI4 with a dry Carbontex drag upgrade. The fish made three runs, and then was netted. I credit my friend Noel with 3/4 of that fish.
basslover12345 reply :
On 6/5/2012 at 2:43 AM, J Francho said:I caught this fish in 6# Invisx on a medium-light rated rod. Drag was set to 2.5 lbs. resistance. The reel was a Stradic CI4 with a dry Carbontex drag upgrade. The fish made three runs, and then was netted. I credit my friend Noel with 3/4 of that fish.
How do you measure the poundage of your drag?
J Francho reply :
I use a spring scale, and put the handle in a vice. Then I tie the line to the hook on the scale, and pull. Slowly increase until you get the amount you want. That way, you KNOW it's set perfectly. 1/4 to 1/3 of breaking strength (not rated"test") is about right. After a while, you do it by feel, but it never hurts to check them once in a while.
chromedog reply :
BINGO!
What roadwarrior said!
basslover12345 reply :
Ok, So I just did what JFrancho said, And my drag was moving at 1.5 pounds of pressure pulling on the line. So, does that mean it should be moving at 1.98 pounds? 1/3 x 6 = 1.98?
I just got it to the drag pulling at 1.12-1.14 pounds of pressure, I'm using a Field and Stream $25 electronic scale
J Francho reply :
About 2# is fine.
Raul reply :
How do you fight a fish with lbs ---> carefully setting the drag and maintaining the pressure, try with a UL rod and 2 lbs test, a 5 lber feels like you´re fighting a 200 lb tuna. 
HeavyDluxe reply :
Yeah, part of the fun of using reasonable tackle is the sport of getting to play out the fish.
I certainly don't have anything to add to the technical advice you've gotten here... But I can tell you that a good rod, good reel with properly set drag, and patience will allow you to boat just about anything that doesn't bolt into stupid heavy cover.
basslover12345 reply :
Just went out, this was my biggest bass. Played it slow and landed it, I literally made a cast and it bit all the way across the pond!
BassWhole! reply :
On 6/5/2012 at 5:43 AM, Raul said:How do you fight a fish with lbs ---> carefully setting the drag and maintaining the pressure, try with a UL rod and 2 lbs test, a 5 lber feels like you´re fighting a 200 lb tuna.
Tuna? Really?!...Please to stop typing silly things oh yee of freshwater ways.....
When we were kids, we had one rod, a 5' 9" spinning with 6lb test, had to use it for everything from sunnies to bluefish, The only way a bass should break off on 6lb line is if it gets in the cover.
NBR reply :
I rarely have line on a spnning rig that is heavier than 6# and commonly use 4#. I back reel in preference to using the drag.
Fontana Finesse Man reply :
On 6/6/2012 at 1:25 AM, NBR said:I rarely have line on a spnning rig that is heavier than 6# and commonly use 4#. I back reel in preference to using the drag.
I do use some 8 lb test, I also backreel in most cases with spinning gear and it it hard to beat.
I agree with most here, unless there is heavy cover, 6 lb test will get the job done if played properly. I worry more about breaking on a hook set than I do playing the fish.
iceintheveins reply :
You can land great big bass on six pound test. I land 4 - 5 pound smallies in swift current on it all the time. But when you have any appreciable cover, six pound test is hard to get away with, even with a 2 pounder.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Learn to backreel. It's an almost guaranteed path to success. I've landed some really large fish this way. However, at my age, I truly do enjoy to hear the "whiiizzzz" of the drag instead. Makes the overall experience just that much more enjoyable for me. 
You just have to have a reel with a good drag to begin with and maintain it properly throughout the season.
21farms reply :
just want to share two related thoughts:
1) 6 lb. line will hold up against a bass very well in open water under even pressure...it's the sudden snaps and jerks that will quickly break your line.
2) keep in mind that the longer you play the fish, the less its chances of survival after release. here's some more info:
QuoteMake sure your gear is strong enough for the challenge of the fish you will target. Fighting or playing a fish on tackle that is too light may result in an exhausted fish that is unable to recover and live to fight another day. When a fish is played to exhaustion, lactic acid builds up in its muscles. The same thing happens to humans when we exercise. It’s the lactic acid buildup that makes us tired from heavy activity. In fish these increased levels of lactic acid can lead to acidosis, a condition that may reach a point of no return, and the fish will die. Warm water will exacerbate the condition. Low oxygen levels in warm waters complicate the survival challenges for fish. Tired and exhausted fish need plenty of dissolved oxygen to balance the ph of their blood.
just something to think about if you're a C&R fisherman. cheers.
SirSnookalot reply :
I both agree and disagree with 21farms. I'd give up fishing altogether if I were to using heavy equipment with 50# line to drag a 3# fish in within seconds, without the joy of playing it, that is why I'm there. In 60 years of fishing with many thousands caught I can probably count on my hands and toes the number of fish that were totally spent and I know for a fact died. Even fish landed quickly that swim off have been stressed to a certain degree, quite often we have no knowledge of their fate. Also while fishing for smaller targets with lighter gear, there is no control of what may be swimming by to hit that light set up.
Where I agree is targeting certain species that are known to have a higher mortality rate, muskie for example. Not long ago on BR I said was a firm believer in fishing for them with fairly light gear as compared to their overall size. After doing some research my position has greatly changed, I would never target muskie again. I've caught many of them fishing on lake St Clair and I don't feel the fight justifies the risk of these fishing dieing. I am not interested in overpowering a fish with tackle I could land a 100# tarpon on, that on average don't go over 30#. I say let those beautiful fish live.
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