Is 3lb test too light?

[BASSandICE65]

I use small mealworms on a flourescent jig and sometimes hook pickeral and usually snap my 3 lb test. Will gills see 6lb test and reject my baits. Any advice or comments thanks

[PeRcHsLaYeR]

most of time yes they will turn away at 6# line.

[kerosenecounty17]

In my opinion, 3# is too heavy.  Some days 1# is too heavy.  You just have to live with the fact that you're going to get bit off once in a while.  Besides, a pike's teeth will cut 6# just as quick as 2 or 3# anyway.

kero

[PERCH_INC.]

I use 1lb. or 2lb test with a mirco-lite rod works well!!

[BASSandICE65]

Ok guys thanks for the input guess I will have to live with it and accept the inevitable breakoffs by other fish

[Lobes]

I have yet to master 1 lb. line. I have excellent results with 2 lb. (for strength). Friends of mine though will at times catch fish on 1 lb. when I'm catching none with my 2 lb. Tells me I need to keep working at it. My main problem (I think) is with the knots. That is where I always break off with 1 lb. line. I keep a good supply of jigs so I don't mind breaking off a pike or bass to keep fishing. Any suggestions will gladly be appreciated.

[TroutFishingBear]

depends on how clear the water is

if it is fairly murky, 6 is okay, and sometimes pike won't bite that off
stick with 2 most of the time

[BASSandICE65]

I learned to keep the drag super loose with the 3# test line seems to help caught a 2lb 5oz pickerel took about ten minutes but eventually he tired. But anyhow 1# test wow that must be tough. I'm scared with my 3#.

[crappieloo]

In my opinion, 3# is too heavy.  Some days 1# is too heavy.  You just have to live with the fact that you're going to get bit off once in a while.  Besides, a pike's teeth will cut 6# just as quick as 2 or 3# anyway.

kero

I agree with kerosenecounty17, 3# is way too heavy.
I use 1# most of the time and 1.5# the rest of the time. A micro noodle rod  and a reel with a silky smooth drag turned back real light, does the trick. You would be suprised on what you can catch by accident with this set up.3# Pickeral and few years ago and a 2&3/4# Bass this year.
crappieloo

[frostbite]

I use 2# most of the time on my micro light rod, and have caught many small pike on it. Just remember the drag is there for a reason, and when you set the hook just flex your wrist up not your elbow or shoulder (unless you are in very deep water and need to adjust for line stretch)

[jigginstick]

 I never use anything any heavier than 1# with a loose drag. Seems to make a difference when the fish are a little skittish, which is often under ice.

[Germ]

just a question here ..I use Fireline which (appears to me) is less thick then mono even if i use 6 pound fireline is less thick to me then 2 pond mono? SO if i use this fireline you think its ok? ANytone else use Fireline? Thansk guys i can;t get squat in Sunniesin the iwnter so any advice is great!

[crappieloo]

OK, the lb. rating doesnt matter. you can use 25# line and have good success.
As long as the line diameter is .005 or less (.004 is better) for a more natural jig presentation and no line detection. I'm using .004 and .005 dia. lines in mono with 1# and 1.5# break strength.
Hope this helps
crappieloo

[Lobes]

Crappieloo & Germ are all over it now. Line diameter is the determining factor. Use the most strength with the right diameter and you are halfway there.
Also I must say line color is also a factor. Normally I go with clear lines, but I tried the blue ice line and it worked fine in stained water on dark days. The fish hated it in clear water on most days. It was highly visible on the Aqua-Vu also. Looked like a long skinny post attached to a jig (2lb test). The clear was invisible on the Aqua-Vu, same line brand (2lb test). That clear fine line will test your eyes when your tying on your jigs. Just a minor problem to me. I count on trying several patterns every time I go out.

[crappieloo]

Another note, i use blue and natural color line and it makes no difference cause i fish mostly at night or stained waters. But,line dia. makes a difference in catch rate day or night or water clairity. Its tough for me sometimes tieing 1# with older eyes around midnight, LOL.

[reelcharacter]

Although I have not found a 1-2 pound test that did not break by hand too easily, in theory, if the drag on your reel is set correncly You soulld reduce broken lines.

For the breakage reason, I have been using 4 lb test in the clearest and thinnest combination that I can use.

-Reelcharacter

[Swift]

Managed to get a 20" bass to the hole last year on 1.2lb test. Darn things mouth was open and it was bigger than the hole, did save the bait, a size 14 dry fly hook and a Berkley maggot. Generally fish with a 2lb leader below a swivel and 4lb main line, have no second thoughts about going to 1lb or less if I have to.

[Polar]

Sometimes your going to get bit off.I use 2lb and on certain days they shy away from that.

[kingfshr16]

I have had days on Lake George where i couldnt get a bite on 4 lb test so i switched to 2 lb test and snapped off i dont know how many stupid pickeral that were down in the weeds with the perch, that day i couldnt win , but the 2 lb did increase my fish 

[reubenpa]

I think I am going to 1 # on at least one rod and 2 on others!!!!!   and 2# for perch under tipups, and 10 or 15 LB for pike

[iceintheveins]

Three pound test is fine for most all panfish applications. I use two pound original stren with smaller jigs in the shallower areas, and will bump up to 4 pound stren for deeper perch or crappies. Three is fine, though maybe in some really pressured lakes it might scare fish, even 2 sometimes. Fluorocarbon could be the answer here, though I don't have much experience with it to say one way or the other.

Tyler

[Icefish4Life]

I  switched to 2 lb. test (for panfish) a few seasons ago and noticed that I've caught more fish, particulary during the tougher mid-ice period.

[RM fishin]

Anything smaller than 4lb and I have to be a lot more professional on my knot tying. Light lines, loose drags, and good knots. It don't get anybetter!

[sbfPA_Mike]

Hey JW,

     Have you experimented with one rod having 2# and one rod having 6#?  I think a side by side comparison would be a great test.  I think posting the results would be even better.

[sbfPA_Mike]

I like and don't like the leader theory,  will have to try that next year.  I have 2 rods with 2#  :omicro ice and 2 rods with 4# test,  the 4# test is for the larger species like walleye.

[bigdave1018]

i use 4 lb golden stren or the new mr crappie gold line then tie a leader off this using quality leader material usually 2 lb or less. im a line watcher 75 percent of the time and the golden line glows on the ice and helps me see the slightest twitch or bite. 2 of my commercial fishing friends just use the 4 lb golden stren straight with no leader and do real well. with this combo , i no longer need or use bobbers because with a quality rod thats super sensitive even a small gill feels like a whopper through the handle lol. tight lines experiment and good fishing, big dave out.

[crappieloo]

NOT HERE jigwiggler. We use light line out of need not because we want to. At 2# or up you can forget about it. Its all really lake specific. Some spots all you get bites on is 1# OR 1&1/2# line. I think IMO most of you have ''easy'' lakes to fish so line diameter really doesnt matter that much. But for guys who know there is fish present and dont get bites they should try going lighter.I learned this many years ago when almost everyone was using 2,3,4 and 6lb. line. Two Dec. officers came over to check us just for number of fish caught and type. I had 1 gill and my bud 1 perch. They had a clipboard with all the fish catch numbers from the lake. I asked to see it and they showed me. They were mostly ''no fish'' or ''one gill'', EXCEPT 2 GUYS. I asked them where are they and how were they catching fish.
They pointed them out and said they were finessing them. I checked out the productive guys and they were usind micro noodles with very light line and no fishfinders.
If its ''no bite'' or tough you must downsize.

[cnyiceguy]

There's more too it than just line diameter. Often the rate of fall of the jig is just as important. Light line tends to allow jigs(of the same weight) to drop quicker, possibly "triggering" the fish to strike. Heavier line slows down the fall, this may be useful when the fish are very slow to bite. I've found every lake is slightly different, whether its gin clear or slightly off color. I like to use 6 lb low vis line, it's worked well for me, and seems to reach a good compromise between knot strength, abrasion resistance, and ease of use to hand line( I strickly hand line, on light rods and spring bobbers). Lets be honest, they're fish, if they're not spooked by everyones "video" cameras watching them at point blank range, its more than likely presentation or bait type that is putting them off, not the diameter of your line.

[richstick]

I can't believe nobody has really hit on how much the line diameter affects the action of the jig.  Tie two identical jigs, one onto 6lb, one onto 2lb, and tell me which one has better action.  I believe the majority of the time, it is the quality of action of the jig that triggers bites or turns fish away.  Most of the time I can fish 2lb hi-vis golden stren with no leader and not shy away any fish.  And most of the lakes here in northern Wi are about as murky as Absolut Vodka! 

[crappieloo]

Absolutly richstick I never gave the reason why(my mistake) but is the subtle action with 1#test that nails em for me. I wish i could find unpressured lakes. its tough here. I do love the solitude in which i get around 1:00 am. tho.
When i started put years ago some spots were so easy that we caught fish with goat rope and a bare hook. Not anymore