Finesse is all about Presentation of a Lure to a Fish
( Presentation = technique = the tackle, the cast, the landing, the retrieve,
& lure attributes & behavior, etc. )
These are my own Finesse Fishing Guidelines for Topwater Bass Fishing in Florida.
You can develop your own for the environmental scenarios that you fish.
Finesse Levels of Bass Fishing
Level #0 Finesse - General Bass Fishing - Baitcaster & 55 lb braid & up to 75 lb braid
Level #1 - Finesse Fishing - 7 - 7.5 ft - Medium Heavy Spinning Rod - 20 lb braid & 20 lb mono leader
Level #2 - Finesse Fishing - 7- 7.5 ft - Medium to Medium Heavy - 20 lb braid & 20 lb leader + lighter or smaller lure
Level #3 - Finesse Fishing - 7 - 7.5 ft Medium Spinning Rod - 10 lb braid & 20 lb leader
Level #4 - Finesse Fishing - 7 - 7.5 ft Medium Spinning Rod - 10 lb braid & 15 lb mono leader
Level #5 - Super Finesse Fishing - 7.5 ft Light Action Spin Rod - 10 lb braid & 15 lb mono leader
Level #6 - Extreme Finesse Fishing - 7.5 ft Light action Spinning Rod - 6 lb braid & 12 lb mono leader
Level #7 - Crazy Cob Web Finesse Fishing - Ultralight Spinning 5 ft - 7.5 ft - 4lb braid - 6 lb mono
Finesse Bass Fishing - Level #1
7 ft medium heavy action Spinning Rod - 20 lb. Braid - 20 lb mono leader
Full size Designer Bass FROG Lure™
Large DragonFly Lure
Weedless FingerLing PLUG Lure
Topwater Creature Baits
* Good Power & good control over fish in heavy cover by kayak
*Great Distance casting
**Used very often
Finesse Bass Fishing - Level #2
7.5 ft medium action Spinning Rod - 20 lb. braid-20 lb. mono leader
*Smaller lures land lighter & at times are more appealing.
Micro FROG Lure
Micro PLUG Lure
Weedless FingerLing PLUG Lure
Jumbo Cricket Lure
** Finesse of Longer Rod helps distance casting & control over retrieve on cover.
***20 lb braid & mono helps prevent break off in heavy cover
****Medium rod helps prevent break offs in heavy cover
****** good strength but more forgiveness, especially in heavy pads
*Good distance casting
**Used very often
Finesse Bass Fishing - Level #3
7.5 ft. or longer rod - medium action -10 lb braid - 20 lb. Mono leader
Micro FROG Lure
Large Dragon Fly Lure
Small DragonFly Lure
Weedless FingerLing PLUG
Micro Plug Lure
*Great Casting Distance Advantage
**with terminal line protection
***20 lb mono leader for extreme cover situations
> rocks, docks, flooded woody terrestrial plants; bushes, tree limbs,
sunken logs or other abrasive unyielding submerged cover
>Whenever the leader might "fray" on cover
Used in brackish & saltwater as a lightweight "shock tippet"
**** Not used that often
Finesse Bass Fishing - Level #4
7.5 ft. medium action rod -10 lb braid & 15 lb. mono leader
Micro FROG Lure
Micro Plug Lure
MayFly Nymph Lure
Large DragonFly Lure
Small DragonFly Lure
Weedless FingerLing PLUG Lure
*Great Casting Distance
**Often used in challenging cover
***Edges of heavy cover bordering deep open water
****Used very often
Extreme Finesse Level #5
7.5 ft. light action rod -10 lb braid & 15 lb. mono leader
Micro FROG Lure
Micro Plug Lure
MayFly Nymph Lure
Large Dragon Fly
Small DragonFly Lure
Weedless FingerLing PLUG Lure
Medium Cricket Lure
Used often
Extreme Finesse Level #6
7 to 7.5 ft light to ultralight action rods - 6 lb. braid & 12 lb mono leader
Micro FROG Lure
Small DragonFly Lure
MayFly Nymph Lure
Weedless FingerLing PLUG Lure
Micro Plug Lure
MayFly Nymph Lure
Medium Cricket Lure
Small Cricket Lure
*Long distance casts with light lures & light line
**Extreme Finesse with good power reserve for fighting fish
***for more difficult fishing situations with clear, calm, shallow water,
and very suspicious or spooky fish
****Used very often
Cob Web Crazy Finesse Bass Fishing Level #7
4 lb braid / 5 ft - 7.5 ft long ultralight action rods
Micro PLUG Lure
Medium Cricket Lure
Small Cricket Lure
MayFly Nymph Lure
Small DragonFly Lure
* Over Kill on finesse
***** Just crazy fun !
The higher the finesse levels with lighter & lighter tackle make learning some extra skills increasingly more inportant.
The BackUp Drag Factor and the Hands Free Factor might not be enough and can even sometimes work against you when a strong fish wants to pull your kayak into heavy cover.
You might want to practice your back paddling and One Handed Paddling.
Go to ------
to get the information and custom lures you need to catch monster bass on light tackle without spooking them in very extremely challenging conditions.
It's a "new style" of fishing that was developed while kayak fishing with new lures that were designed by kayak, and they are especially effective while kayak fishing.