8/11-Murray Micro fun?

[Dannicus]

"I guess I should be clearer, on a jerkbait do you use straight braid and on worms or craw baits, if you use Flo or mono on topwater I thought that they both sink so why wouldn’t you use braid as it floats, sorry about so many questions but you consistently catch fish and I’m appreciative of your openness to share?
Thanks"

@vito1023 I know you were asking Vinny here but I thought I'd pitch in my 2 cents. I know the common consensus of the YouTube pros is mono or braid if it floats, and flouro if it suspends or sinks. I throw a lot of different baits from topwater walking baits, to jigs on the bottom, and every area of the water column. For me, I use 10 pound braid to a flouro leader on nearly everything, but admittedly I fish light equipment. I do not feel that the flouro leader has any negative impact on my topwater, nor any area of the water column. To me, I like braid because I don't have to deal with line memory, and with the flouro leader I still get easier knots, and abrasion resistance at the lure end.

The only exception for me is when I step up to a medium heavy rod to throw a frog or heavier topwater bait then I usually throw 20 pound straight braid.

Chris (pourboy) usually likes straight flouro. I think it's more about personal preference than anything else. I remember a time when mono was the only choice, and people still caught fish lol. My best advice is try not to get too hung up on the myriad of choices or opinions. Find what you like and try different ways of working your baits, and it'll end up working for you. Learning to give your baits good action is far more important than line or gear in my opinion. Of course I could be wrong.

[VinnyBass]

Vito, just recently I bought a few Gunfish 75NF because of the success a couple buddies have had.
I have never prior to that thrown one that small, but I think it does better at matching the bait(shad)
that the bass are chasing. I have had most of my luck on the chrome colored one.
https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Lucky_C ... LCGF7.html
I am not sure about the small jerk bait because there is nothing on it to ID it. I have a few
of them I bought years ago and I have a Berkley Flicker shad that is a diving bait that
looks similar so it may be a Berkley bait?
Unknown-2.jpegIMG_2026.jpg
Anyway....Good luck.

Do you tie straight braid or leader of flor or mono?

If I’m using braid, I never use a leader. So when I’m throwing top water, I’m usually throwing straight mono or fluorocarbon.

I guess I should be clearer, on a jerkbait do you use straight braid and on worms or craw baits, if you use Flo or mono on topwater I thought that they both sink so why wouldn’t you use braid as it floats, sorry about so many questions but you consistently catch fish and I’m appreciative of your openness to share?
Thanks

I do not go with the flow on what others use or what people should use or say is best.
I have used straight braid on all types of baits from crank baits, glide baits to topwater and all types of worm or craw set-ups.
It depends where I am fishing as if there are a lot of rocks tree branches etc I need to get that bass in quickly.
In clear water lakes like Miramar I just leave the rods with braid at home in fear that the bass will see the line and throw mono, Co-Polymer line or fluorocarbon lines.
I do not throw jerk baits that often, but would use Mono or Izor Co-Polymer line
.....Sorry to ramble on but just hope I am answering your questions...
Back to Topwater...I have used straight braid as I said , but 90% of the time just use Mono or Izor Co-Polymer line. Here is one thing I don't do anymore even throw many do it and works for them, that is use braid with a leader. Breaking off some healthy bass in the past has made me never use a leader with braid, so if I say braid, I am talking straight
braid right to the bait and most of the time I am probably flippin' with straight braid.
Hope this helps.

[VinnyBass]

"I guess I should be clearer, on a jerkbait do you use straight braid and on worms or craw baits, if you use Flo or mono on topwater I thought that they both sink so why wouldn’t you use braid as it floats, sorry about so many questions but you consistently catch fish and I’m appreciative of your openness to share?
Thanks"

@vito1023 I know you were asking Vinny here but I thought I'd pitch in my 2 cents. I know the common consensus of the YouTube pros is mono or braid if it floats, and flouro if it suspends or sinks. I throw a lot of different baits from topwater walking baits, to jigs on the bottom, and every area of the water column. For me, I use 10 pound braid to a flouro leader on nearly everything, but admittedly I fish light equipment. I do not feel that the flouro leader has any negative impact on my topwater, nor any area of the water column. To me, I like braid because I don't have to deal with line memory, and with the flouro leader I still get easier knots, and abrasion resistance at the lure end.

The only exception for me is when I step up to a medium heavy rod to throw a frog or heavier topwater bait then I usually throw 20 pound straight braid.

Chris (pourboy) usually likes straight flouro. I think it's more about personal preference than anything else. I remember a time when mono was the only choice, and people still caught fish lol. My best advice is try not to get too hung up on the myriad of choices or opinions. Find what you like and try different ways of working your baits, and it'll end up working for you. Learning to give your baits good action is far more important than line or gear in my opinion. Of course I could be wrong.

Thank you Dan...that explains it nicely.

[DarkShadow]

I know the common consensus of the YouTube pros is mono or braid if it floats, and flouro if it suspends or sinks.

I've got a buddy that fishes the local pond with me and is full steam ahead with the BFS. But, what I've noticed, that in open water with baits with trebles, he is golden! Rarely misses any fish, and aside from a few digging into the salad and not being able to turn them, he still manages to land them, albeit with 5 pounds of salad covering them.

But, when he's throwing bottom contact baits in or near the grass? Good luck. His hook set ratio/land ratio is pretty bad, considering he loses about half the fish that he sets hooks on. I've let him know that he's trying to fit a round peg until a square hole, but he continues to miss fish. He's tried to change things up (using FC leader, instead of mono, shortening the leader, etc) but I'm not seeing much of a change.

Do you find it a tad more difficult with getting penetration when fishing soft structure, or even deeper water with the typical parabolic actions of BFS rods? Last time I fiddled with his setup, it felt like I was throwing a jig with a crankbait rod or my 4 weight fly rod.

[Mcfish]

Yeah @Mcfish I've been working on him too. I even loaned him a BFS rig to try out, but it reels left handed so he couldn't get the hang of it. So who's the real sissy here lol.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks..or baits!

[VinnyBass]

Yeah @Mcfish I've been working on him too. I even loaned him a BFS rig to try out, but it reels left handed so he couldn't get the hang of it. So who's the real sissy here lol.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks..or baits!

I use more different types baits in one or two fishing trips than you use in a year....ha ha
You know how many times I change baits as you have witnessed in person.
If you saw my Tackle Warehouse purchase record you would faint.

[Mcfish]

I always use a Pline Fluoroclear leader with my braid and have NEVER had a failure at the connecton..I use a double uni knot and am very happy with it!

[VinnyBass]

I always use a Pline Fluoroclear leader with my braid and have NEVER had a failure at the connecton..I use a double uni knot and am very happy with it!

Too bad those trees at the rock pile aren’t nice to your fluorocarbon leader, even though your double uni knot never breaks at the connection ha ha ha.
Although even my straight braid breaks down there on those rocks. That’s a tough fishing area.

[camobass]

A lot of long fluoro leaders down at Loveland that get reeled up. People need to learn how to do proper fluoro to braid connections if they are going that route. Even on shorter lengths, there should absolutely never be a knot failure or slip. I got to do a lot of experimenting on the boss’ dime with different knots. The knots that performed 100% of the time from bass all the way up to near 1000lb black marlin is the FG knot and the Tony peña. We tied FG exclusively for years but it takes an absolute toll on the fingers and takes a some time. The Peña is awesome, doesn’t take much time and go through guides no problem. My buddy uses it exclusively on his charter for trophy blue fin.

[Mcfish]

Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Funny...I use a 3" craw....go smaller!

[Dannicus]

I know the common consensus of the YouTube pros is mono or braid if it floats, and flouro if it suspends or sinks.

I've got a buddy that fishes the local pond with me and is full steam ahead with the BFS. But, what I've noticed, that in open water with baits with trebles, he is golden! Rarely misses any fish, and aside from a few digging into the salad and not being able to turn them, he still manages to land them, albeit with 5 pounds of salad covering them.

But, when he's throwing bottom contact baits in or near the grass? Good luck. His hook set ratio/land ratio is pretty bad, considering he loses about half the fish that he sets hooks on. I've let him know that he's trying to fit a round peg until a square hole, but he continues to miss fish. He's tried to change things up (using FC leader, instead of mono, shortening the leader, etc) but I'm not seeing much of a change.

Do you find it a tad more difficult with getting penetration when fishing soft structure, or even deeper water with the typical parabolic actions of BFS rods? Last time I fiddled with his setup, it felt like I was throwing a jig with a crankbait rod or my 4 weight fly rod.

I fish jigs probably 75% of the time, at least when topwater isn't going off. My jig rod is a 7' Trika medium fast. Almost all of my jigs are 1/8 to 3/16 and most of my trailers are under 3 inches.

I'd say my hookup ratio is very good, but the key is (whether worming, jigging, ned rigging etc..) to pick jigs or hooks that are lighter wire. Lighter wire gets easier penetration with rods that don't have as stiff of a backbone.

I used to worry about the hook strength but to date my best BFS fish was 8.23 and I haven't found it to be an issue. I'll never be able to skate a fish back to the boat anyway, so I have to rely on my rod to take up the impact as I play the fish in.

Of course I'm fishing from a tube and usually the outside edges of grass, and not pulling them to shore through it so it's probably not apples to apples.

My .02

[Dannicus]

Man I’d take a single 4lber over big numbers any day! I think I was referring to Mcfish when talking about double digit days lol he puts up numbers! I bought a few spybaits last year and have been forcing myself to use them cause they were pricey, lots of casting but it’s fun when I get bored of bottom fishing. I like to count it down and try to run it underneath any bait balls I mark, or just off the bottom has worked good too. I’m no expert yet but that’s what I’ve learned over the past year. It’s been fun watching the bass do acrobatics even if I can’t catch them, tight lines to you too my friend!

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Funny...I use a 3" craw....go smaller!

2.75". My go to... And they are CHEAP too. Here's Vinny thinking 4" is a small bait... sheesh!

[vito1023]

So I get it’s personal on lines, what I have found tying leader to my braid has been a pain as I don’t like the idea of bringing the knot through the guides so I tie short leaders, two problems I’ve had is knot going through guides and I usually have been tying around eighteen inches, after I have to retie for lures that I tie straight to lures and I have retie a couple times I need new leader and don’t trust my knots when tieing at the lake I’m fishing so, I’m going to try a swivel with small bead so it won’t reel into the guides and perhaps no line twist that way I can tie new leader whenever I like, I do like the way braid seems to cast further and is easier to control on my reel.
Does anyone have experience doing it that way?
Thanks and appreciate any input.

[Dannicus]

So I get it’s personal on lines, what I have found tying leader to my braid has been a pain as I don’t like the idea of bringing the knot through the guides so I tie short leaders, two problems I’ve had is knot going through guides and I usually have been tying around eighteen inches, after I have to retie for lures that I tie straight to lures and I have retie a couple times I need new leader and don’t trust my knots when tieing at the lake I’m fishing so, I’m going to try a swivel with small bead so it won’t reel into the guides and perhaps no line twist that way I can tie new leader whenever I like, I do like the way braid seems to cast further and is easier to control on my reel.
Does anyone have experience doing it that way?
Thanks and appreciate any input.

Are you fishing spinning or baitcast reels? I use a 6.5 foot leader which puts the knot just short of my baitcasters when reeled all the way in. I never have a problem with the knot going through the guides. What knot are you using for braid to flouro?

Also be careful when reeling in the swivel and bead. I have knocked the insert ring right out of the tip guide doing that when I reeled it in too fast. With a good knot you shouldn't have any problem with a longer leader and the guides. Just my 2 cents.

[VinnyBass]

I know lots of people that only throw bigger baits (I'm working on Vinny) and catch nice fish, I just like to catch more fish, with nice fish mixed in.. Too many people think that throwing finesse baits only gets you small fish! I think that the area and depth youre fishing has more of an effect on the size of fish you're catching! The majority of fish I'm catching on finesse baits are one and a half to four pounds with bigger fish as a bonus. I've caught double digit fish on finesse worms and picked up an eight pounder at Murray last month on a splitshotted 4" worm! I know it might be fun catching a 4lber on a big old crank bait, but I normally fish 8 hours and I prefer catching more than a couple fish during that time! Don't look now, but Vinny has been downsizing some of his baits lately! You won't see them in his photos...for fear of looking like a sissy...lol lol lol......

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Funny...I use a 3" craw....go smaller!

2.75". My go to... And they are CHEAP too. Here's Vinny thinking 4" is a small bait... sheesh!Screenshot_20250814-062502.Chrome.png

Dan….i agree that is a perfect bait for BFS, but remember i am using extra heavy or mag heavy rods so a 4” bait is small to me or anyone using heavier bass rods or equipment.

[camobass]

So I get it’s personal on lines, what I have found tying leader to my braid has been a pain as I don’t like the idea of bringing the knot through the guides so I tie short leaders, two problems I’ve had is knot going through guides and I usually have been tying around eighteen inches, after I have to retie for lures that I tie straight to lures and I have retie a couple times I need new leader and don’t trust my knots when tieing at the lake I’m fishing so, I’m going to try a swivel with small bead so it won’t reel into the guides and perhaps no line twist that way I can tie new leader whenever I like, I do like the way braid seems to cast further and is easier to control on my reel.
Does anyone have experience doing it that way?
Thanks and appreciate any input.

Be careful of the swivel/bead hitting your guide, it can blow out the ceramic piece. Then you’re screwed. They call that pulling a Luke Bryan-reeling anything up to the guide. Learn the Tony Peña. It’s simple. One overhand knot with your mono or fluoro. If you use a swivel, you’re adding another knot to the equation.

[camobass]

Actually, speaking of small baits, I used a 4 inch Googan craw when I caught my 9 1/2 at
Sutherland a few years ago… so you do have a
point that small baits can catch bigger fish sometimes.

Funny...I use a 3" craw....go smaller!

2.75". My go to... And they are CHEAP too. Here's Vinny thinking 4" is a small bait... sheesh!Screenshot_20250814-062502.Chrome.png

Dan….i agree that is a perfect bait for BFS, but remember i am using extra heavy or mag heavy rods so a 4” bait is small to me or anyone using heavier bass rods or equipment.

Didn’t you use to fish dads Vinny? The original BFS bait. Casting peanuts on 12-15lb. No prob.

[VinnyBass]

Funny...I use a 3" craw....go smaller!

2.75". My go to... And they are CHEAP too. Here's Vinny thinking 4" is a small bait... sheesh!Screenshot_20250814-062502.Chrome.png

Dan….i agree that is a perfect bait for BFS, but remember i am using extra heavy or mag heavy rods so a 4” bait is small to me or anyone using heavier bass rods or equipment.

Didn’t you use to fish dads Vinny? The original BFS bait. Casting peanuts on 12-15lb. No prob.

Yes….I did.
It was several decades ago and you are right …that I never had a problem casting them. They definitely were my favorite live bass bait. That is why I have thrown a lot of craw-type baits over the years as bass recognize them as a tasty great.

[Mcfish]

Time to give away Vinny's secret....

[VinnyBass]

Time to give away Vinny's secret....

…… but you promised!