All BassFans know by now that Ray Scott is pushing light line bass fishing. Are you skeptical? I was too. But I spent a while thinking about it and fishing it (actual 4-pound test), and here's what I found.
First I'll address the skepticism. I tried to find a gimmick, but I couldn't. Light line is a legitimate way of fishing. I did it when I was young and you probably did too, before we got way into "serious" bass fishing (I'll come back to that word).
I also thought: Why is Ray doing this? What does he stand to gain from it? The answer is, not much. The guy already is a millionaire several times over -- not just from selling B.A.S.S., but also from singlehandedly creating the specialized whitetail seed market with his Whitetail Institute products, and from a few more successful business ventures. In other words, he doesn't need the money.
He's built a new, specialized light line rod (the Sportackle rod), which should be out on the market soon, but that won't put him into Bill Gates territory. He also is lending his name to a new type of reel (the SuperCaster) whose larger spool makes for better casts and a smoother drag, but he probably won't get megabucks from that either. And if just making money was his goal, his name would be all over the fishing industry already. Ray literally turns down hundreds of thousands if not million of easy dollars a year.
So since money isn't behind this light-line deal, what is? To find out, I spent some time with Ray recently. His answer boils down to one word: "fun." He's concerned that in some respects, bass fishing has gotten too serious. "Water- skiing" 2-pound bass back to the boat on 50-pound braid (and then netting it) isn't that much fun to do, and sometimes isn't much fun to watch.
He realized that several years ago, and thought about what was needed. His answer is going back to where many of us started: light-line fishing.
Not Simple
But light-line fishing isn't that simple. Can you land a 3- or 4-pound bass on real 4-pound test -- not 4-pound line that breaks at 10 pounds? What rod and reel are you going to you use? Where are you going to cast in relation to the cover? How are you going to set the hook? Do you really know how to fight a fish? Do you back-reel or count on your drag?
I spent part of a day fishing with 4-pound line using one of Ray's specially- designed Sportackle rods, and here's what happened.
We were fishing wood, and at first I craved a flipping stick. I literally craved it, like an addict. I had to resist the impulse to rummage through rod lockers I already knew were empty.
Then I almost felt like it was a joke, like someone would say: "Okay, Jay, just kidding. Put down that toothpick. Here's the real rod."
Then I felt a little scared. When you're used to 14- and 17-pound line, tying a knot with 4-pound line is like tying a knot with pixie hair. It just doesn't seem like it will hold up to the bite from a bluegill, let alone a bass.
Then I felt foolish. I felt like we were wasting our time, and I hoped no one I knew would see me fishing stickups with this little reel and spinning rod.
That all happened in about 30 minutes, before I caught a fish. The first fish I caught I thought was about a 5-pounder, but it turned out to be around 2 pounds. Man, it was fun. I didn't set the hook right, but the Sportackle rod has enough give that if you pop the hook, the line won't break.
I got used to it. It didn't feel funny anymore. Ray said that the pros he's gotten to fish in his light-line tournaments have had the same experience. They feel silly, they feel scared and then, about 30 minutes into it, they adjust.
The bottom line is that it's a boatload of fun. Now, think of the last time you really had fun catching 1 1/2- and 2-pounders. I told Ray and Jim Kientz, executive director of Ray Scott Outdoors, that if I was fishing with heavy gear and catching these fish I'd actually be a little bit teed off. Disappointed. But here I was having fun (even the bluegills were fun).
And what made it more fun was learning to use a new type of equipment and learning new techniques. For example, when fishing around heavy cover, light- line fishing is more like flipping. In other words, you don't cast far because you can't: if any cover gets between you and the fish, you're sunk (fishing in open water is a different story). You also have to do your best to entice the fish out of the cover instead of going in after him.
A Place in Competition?
But this is BassFan.com, and we're about competition. Does light-line have any place in competition? Judging from this year's tournaments, the answer is yes.
Three examples that come to mind are the FLW Championship, the Lake Murray Southern Open and the EverStart Championship on Lake Martin. In all of those, light-line techniques -- like flipping docks with 6-pound test -- figured in good finishes.
Also, at this year's Pro Bass Fishing Hall of Fame World Championship on Arkansas' Lake Ouachita, the pros fished a light-line tournament the day before the main event started. Several pros said after the whole thing was over that they caught more fish -- and had more weight -- with light line than they did in the tournament, when they reverted back to heavy line.
Last but not least is Jay Yelas' FLW Angler of the Year win last season. What shocked him about the win is that he spent more time than he ever had with a spinning rod in his hands, because of the tough conditions.
Two final examples of light line's effectiveness are the resurgence of light- line cranking -- small baits fished shallow with spinning rods -- over the past 2 years, and western finesse techniques like dropshotting.
In sum, I believe light-line fishing does have a place in competition. Power techniques dominate, but light-line techniques have a place.
And if you really want to have some fun, make everyone fish with light line. That gives the same old lakes a whole new spin, which might be just what your bass club needs. But beware: your kids and spouse, for whom a 7-foot flipping stick might be too much to handle, might wax you out there.
And that's another thing: light-line fishing isn't nearly as tiring.
Lactic Acid
One final area of concern for me was lactic acid, the toxic substance that builds up in muscles during stress and which can cause a fish to die after prolonged fights. In general, lactic acid is much more of a problem when the conditions are stressful to fish (e.g., low dissolved oxygen or high water temperatures).
Anglers have been schooled to believe that the longer the fight, the more lactic acid that builds up and the more likely a fish is to die. But all fish are different, and a bass is one of the hardiest fish that swims. Trout are highly sensitive to everything, and saltwater fish would rather die than give up. Not a bass.
Bass are like fat guys: they tire quickly. They give up, come to the boat and usually live to fight another day. Skinny marathon runner-types would probably just run (swim) until their hearts gave out. That's not a bass.
I'm satisfied that given the right conditions -- that's key -- and correct fish- handling at the boat (and, if applicable, in livewells and at weigh-ins), light- line fish are no more susceptible to dying than heavy-line fish. That's based on my own experience and research, as well as research done by independent biologists and supplied to BassFan by Ray Scott.
Also, no studies have been done on comparative bass survival: in other words, is it worse to jerk a 2-pounder out of cover with a heavy flipping stick and 30- pound braid and skate it back to the boat, or to catch it on light line, fight it a little and then get it in the boat? I'd be curious about that.
Not a Replacement
Ray makes it very clear that light-line fishing isn't a replacement for conventional tournament techniques, nor does he want it to be. It's just adding, or reinstating, a fun dimension to bass fishing.
Certainly, you can't fish a Spook or 1-ounce spinnerbait on 4-pound line. But when light line works, it's effective.
One Man's Opinions
These are just my opinions. I had a great time fishing light line and can't wait to do it again (it's too cold here in New Jersey). But you certainly don't have to take my word for it. Ray said he's looking for "a few good BassFans" to try it out and let him know what they think. I highly recommend giving it a shot.
We already have a light-line tournament scheduled for the spring. I can't wait. That will be for largemouths, but I'm already day-dreaming about having one on smallmouth water. That should be awesome.
Jay Kumar is BassFan's president.
