Arkie John there's not a dang thing wrong trolling with 12lb test. Now if you vertical jigging in fairly clear water with it, I also would be thinking sheesh! Gotta love those Bandits. And thanks for the story!
I agree heavy braid is awesome for crappie when line visibility isnt a factor,I can fish the nastiest hang ups all day and never lose a jig and get those fish that tend to wrap you up in the boat. Try fishing the black forest at Rayburn without it,youll learn a lesson.
Great Story.
Speaking of line size .... Dec 1955 using a Mitchell 300 and Conolin 6' Rod and 6# line an old 3 hooker Red Worm with a little prop spinner and a #4 Split Shot .. A lot of Coon Tail Moss ... No snags (Natural Lake .. Dunsford Pond Washington Couty FL) That 10 pounder made this boy sweat .. I kept on using this rig (different lures) until I latched on to a big fish in heavy grass .. I leaned over the side of the boat in the wad of grass it was wrapped up in and went straight to its lower jaw (mr. lucky) that was an 8# plus ... I quit Bass fishing with that light out fit that day (this was on the Lucas Lake About 1/2 mile from the Dunsford ) in the same lake years later while fishing with an ultra lite and 4# line for Bluegill with a jig I tied into a fish that I thought I must have the world record Bluegill ... My son and good friend but now departed fishin buddy Dave Bannister were in the boat with me .. all most into the boat and in the clear water I saw it was a big bass .. they could not see it because of the different angle ... I reached down and got it by the lower jaw and into the boat (the little #6 Jig fell out) and I thought the both of them were going to leave the boat when they saw the 8# + and they were looking for a Blugill ... The bass did not jump.
I can see the looks on their face today ..
Light Line can make you sweat but it is sometimes worth it.
TTYL
JSC
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JSC On The Choctawhatchee
Last edited by JSC : 12-12-2008 at 09:53 AM.
Reason: corrected error jsc
You guys are alright. lol Thanks for the input and the support.
Lately, here on Ouachita the crappie are hard to find, so I've turned to stripers (who aren't hard to find), uppping my tackle to 25 lb mono, a half oz sinker, swivel, two foot of 20 lb leader, a no. 4 red circle hook and the biggest brood minnow I can find!!! They taste great and fight like nothing I have ever fought. They will do in a pinch, when the specks are hidin' out.
On this 40,000-acre Corps lake, there is a multitude of critters in the depths. While trolling, when I get a tad too fast with my trolling, I have picked up largemouth/smallmouth/spotted bass, bunches carp in the 6-10 pound range and pesky stripers and catfish that REALLY make a mess of a trolling set-up. You can imagine what happens when a large fish hits a six-pound set-up. There goes another lure.
Now YOU may have the money to replace the Bandits every time you get broke off by an uninvited strike from another species of fish. I choose not to spend my money that way. Besides, the diameter--the DIAMETER of the line--not the poundage classification--is what makes it a sensible choice for trolling--for me. It allows me to not have to pay out as much line for whatever depth I'm attempting to achieve...and I like that. (makes turning easier, too)
If you were a puritian and into crappie fishing merely for the "fight" of the fish, you wouldn't be trolling anyway. Gimme a break. For a good fight, vertical jig fishing on 4/6 lb test is the way I do that...and I do that much more than troll.
By the way...did you like the story????? Just wondering. I just thought it was amusing and wanted to share it with you all. <><
aj
i had a similar experience ! i was putting my boat in at the launch on the wisconsin river the white bass were really running that day. some idiot was bank fishing and just wouldnt get out of the way, after the boat was in and i was ready to take off the dummie casted behind the boat . well you could guess what happened next , it got in my prop!!! at this point i only had 2 choices, lift the motor and give him his line back or take off and spool him ! still having mostly Yankee blood in me at the time and a 20 year old attitude off i went full speed ahead needless to say i bet he didnt fish at the ramp when people were loading any more.
i had a similar experience ! i was putting my boat in at the launch on the wisconsin river the white bass were really running that day. some idiot was bank fishing and just wouldnt get out of the way, after the boat was in and i was ready to take off the dummie casted behind the boat . well you could guess what happened next , it got in my prop!!! at this point i only had 2 choices, lift the motor and give him his line back or take off and spool him ! still having mostly Yankee blood in me at the time and a 20 year old attitude off i went full speed ahead needless to say i bet he didnt fish at the ramp when people were loading any more.
You could always look for the guys boat when you're duck hunting and out of lack of attention mistake his outboard for a duck... think the 12g. damage would get his attention.
Or maybe the shooting alone will ruin his fishing.
Anyone else sensing a hint of Dick Cheney from this statement? lol
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