If you have been paying attention to bass fishing circles this last year you may have heard a lot about finesse fishing for bass. This technique has quickly become one of the pro’s go-to tactics when one more bass is needed to round out a limit or when the bite is extremely tough. Along the way finesse fishing has even been responsible for winning a few tournaments.
Finesse presentations are generally fished on spinning gear and are considered to be on the light side of bassin’ when it comes to presenting a lure. As a rule of thumb, line size ranges from 4 lbs to 8lbs test, with 6 lbs and 8 lbs test being the most common. Finesse presentations are generally fished using a 7-foot medium action rod. A longer rod helps in two ways. First, you can get a faster hook set than compared to a shorter rod. Secondly, the length of the rod helps take up some of the shock when hauling in a big bass on a light line.
Jigheads are a main stay in finesse fishing, but there are a few old standbys that I turn to when the bite gets downright tough and I want to give bass a different look. When faced with having to fish during cold front conditions, my number one go-to bait is a Texas rigged 4-inch ring worm. I do most of my finesse fishing on 6 lbs test line. When rigging this presentation I use a 1/0 hook, but before I tie on my hook I thread on a 1/16 oz or 1/8 oz Bullet Weights® long taper slip sinker. I feel the long nose sinker is much easier to pull through weeds and cover, thus not getting hung up as much as some other types of sinkers. The Bullet Weights slip sinkers make it easier to work the bait and feel light bites, which are essential when finesse fishing.
For a little different twist when finesse fishing, consider using a Carolina rig. We know this presentation works well in deep water, but it can also be an excellent technique when rigged for a shallow water finesse presentation. Fished on a 7-foot rod teamed up with a matching spinning reel that is spooled with 8 lbs test line, I peg on a Bullet Weights long taper slip sinker with a rubber T-stop about 2 feet up the line. On the end of the line I tie a 1/0 hook and use a 4-inch ring worm. Or I can go with a 2/0 hook and use a 4-inch Senko type bait. Finesse sinkers range from 1/16 oz to ¼ oz. You will find out fast what this rig can do and how well it performs catching early season bass when the bite is tough.