Finesse Bass Fishing Levels

by Kayak

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. )

Super Finesse Level #5

This Monster Bass was sitting in less than 2 feet of shallow, clear, calm water and may easily have spooked away on the approach, but the kayak came into position slowly with no wake, and the Small Designer Bass DragonFly Lure™ landed very lightly. The quiet twitching retrieve with the wings softly flapping, abdomen wiggling, and legs kicking convinced it that it was a safe easy favorite meal with low risk factor. Patient, persistent pressure with the "light" action 7'5" rod with 10 lb. braid and 15 lb.mono leader tired it down without tearing the small hook out or breaking the line.

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  

Super Finesse Level #4

 Monster Bass - 24 inch Bass caught on floater/diving weedless MayFly Nymph Lure. Extreme spooky conditions with very calm, clear water when the bass were not biting well. This fish was very cautious and followed the nymph lure and nipped at it 3 times before taking it.

Caught with 7.5 ft medium action spinning rod with 10 lb braid and 15 lb test monofilament leader.

It's a very versatile combination & effective with most lures.

Extreme Finesse Level #6

Monster 24 inch Bass on an Albino Weedless medium size Cricket Lure with a 7.5 ft. light action spinning rod and 6 lb braid line with 12 lb monofilament leader. Awesome fight.

Extreme Finesse Level #6

7 ft. ultralight Spinning Rod with 6 lb braid line & 12 lb. mono leader with a Head Hook Micro FROG Lure with Feather Legs in clear, calm, extremely shallow water with Logs, Hydrilla, Duckweed & broken off eel grass cover.

Extreme Finesse Level #6

7 ft. ultra light rod - 6 lb. braid Line - 12 lb mono leader - Micro FROG Lure with Feather Legs -

 Belly Hook with Allen Loop Weedguard - Logs, Hydrilla, Duckweed & broken off eel grass cover. 

Extreme Finesse Level #6

7 ft. ultralight rod - 6 lb. braid - 12 lb. mono leader - 

Bigger Bass on Micro FROG Lure with Feather Legs - Belly Hook & Allen Loop Weedguard 

Extreme Finesse Level #6

Bigger Bass on Micro FROG Lure with Feather Legs - Belly Hook & Allen Loop Weedguard 

7 ft. ultralight rod - 6 lb. braid - 12 lb. mono leader - on a small, shallow Spring Creek.​​​​​​​

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. 
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