ADVANCED BASSING: The Topshot For Bass fishing?

WORDS: Martin Engelke We know about monofilament, braid and fluorocarbon as a main line. Then there there is braid as a carrier line with a fluorocarbon leader or sometimes monofilament. For other facets one can also have a trace or a tippet. The Topshot is mainly a saltwater rig, but also for longline freshwater facets such as carp angling where it is normally called a shockleader. But a Topshot on a bass rig is unheard of. It follows then, that I had to try it! Of course, I have to report back on my findings regarding this question that probably no-one has ever asked. Definition A lot of fishing specifics are not specific at all, so the following descriptions are offered more as an explanation of where the Topshot fits in. A Topshot can be anything from ten meters (33 ft) to as much as 24m (80ft);A Shock leader is 25-30ft, but thick and stretchy, mainly for saltwater and carp fishing use where heavy terminal tackle is cast on a thin main line;A Leader is anywhere from 60cm to twice the length of one’s rod;A Trace can be of a short length from the swivel entering the rod’s tip eye. The swivel attaching it to the mainline is what differentiates it from the other rigs;A Tippet is about 30cm, to which the fly is attached. The Topshot for this article is then a braided carrier line (aka Superline) with a commonly used variety of bass lines tied to it. This will mainly be Fluorocarbon for it’s quick-sinking ability, low visibility and abrasion resistance. Of course, one can also use a suitable mono for a bit of shock resistance, especially at the knot. It is also essential should it be for topwater purposes, even while many prefer direct braid on topwaters. My set-ups This being a new rigging method to me, I eventually opted on starting off with a 10m Topshot. Hereunder, somewhere, follows a list of rods and line that I decided upon, but first an explanation of why I implemented specific products: Nothing was bought specifically for this exercise. These are all rods that I already had and essentially none of them are for go-to techniques. In fact, most of them can lay idle in the boat locker for months at a time. The same goes for the lines. I have lots of different spools of braid, nonfull. This is because I never, ever, spool a whole reel with braid. I use mono backing and then between forty metres (on spinning reels) to an absolute maximum of 75m on my frogging setup. I’m just not good (or rich enough to buy the most expensive reels) enough to zing a frog into the backing. Next factor is that I will try and actually never really settle on one braid as the ultimate for that rod and technique. When a line is replaced, it is wound back onto a spool with a cordless screwdriver to prevent line twist, and quite often will be used again years later. And of course, we sometimes review braids, which is usually either a smaller spool in the 120m class, or sometimes divide amongst field staff. In other words, it’s stuff that I had already so not really a plug on the particular product, other than to acknowledge that I’m not going to spool up with braid that I have had problems with. The Topshots are generally either the last (at least) ten metres on a spool that was miscalculated, or fluorocarbon that I stripped off a reel when respooling and saved (after inspection), a practise that will leave many a fisherman cold. The Leader knot is of course the massive concern, being the weakest link in the system. In fact it is probably the dealbreaker for most naysayers. This is especially relevant in my case, as I do not use the FG Knot which is widely regarded as the strongest for the application. However, I cannot execute it either efficiently or effectively. In any event, it appears more a weave than a knot, so a loom would be nice. Overseas there is now a hand-held spindle for this purpose. Many saltwater anglers employ hollow braid into which they then elaborately splice and whip-finish the Topshot on a workbench similar to those used for fly tying. Good luck with that on a pitching boat! The leader-to-Topshot knots that I used? I started with the Thirty-second knot. Over the years for my leader knot, I have been alternating between the Tie-fast knot-tying tool, the Alberto knot or the Thirty-second knot (the latter available on the For Anglers site), without knowing which is the strongest. At home I tied the much thinner spinning leader rigs to my front gate and pulled very hard until the reel drag started to slip while the knots held out (yet they break off underwater when a lure is stuck..?). What tickles me about the Thirty-second, is that it seems to be the only one that contains a double strand of braid inside which is further secured to the leader by something similar to a Clove Hitch. In addition, the fluorocarbon end is secured with an improved clinch, which normally scores quite well on a hard line. The ‘Slim Beauty’ is one example where the braid is doubled, but is then, after all the turns, trimmed at the loop, leaving one strand floating inside the knot. With many knots, including the FG, the fluoro line is not knotted anywhere and the braid is expected to grip onto it. On the other hand, neither does it cross over itself at any point to cause a friction mark where it will shear, so choose your poison. Ultimately, I tend to rotate between my three knots by using one until it breaks, then switching to the next one - completely illogically, in other words. Sharing the experience So, with a copious amount of previous ado, I’m finally setting up for a practice session. First up was a Kistler Magnesium 2, Heavy 7’. Onto it went an old Shimano Cruxis reel, having been unused for probably eight years. But now after having it “supatuned” by reel wizard, Willa in Secunda, with new high-speed bearings and a few other adjustments. The braid - and it’s still on to this day by the way - is 60m (half a spool) of Sufix 832 hi –viz green with a claimed diameter of 0.33mm and 63lbs test. I felt as if I needed a modicum of shock absorption on this rig, so the Topshot was 10m s of 17lbs (0.41mm) of Sufix Big Game, which is sadly no longer available. This line is so strong that I’ve already had to hang on with both hands against big fish on the 6lbs test and not break off! The intended use was for chatterbaits and big spinnerbaits. Next up was a first-generation Quantum KVD cranking combo comprising a 7’ft medium heavy composite rod and 5:1 reel, spooled with mono backing, followed by 50m of 0.25mm Spiderwire Camo Braid and topped off with 10m, 14lbs (0.33mm) fluorocarbon. Although cranking has traditionally been a no-go area when it comes to braid, I am however quite satisfied, to the extent that I’m still fishing two composite cranking rods with the braid/fluoro Topshot. The other two options were more of a case of looking for something to do with set-ups so specialized that I hardly ever use them. On my Flipping Rig, it came as the answer to a dilemma that should not even have been created, namely that through the decades I could not make up my mind whether the default rig should be heavy braid, or heavy fluoro. I would wind on one or the other, but with the rod being consigned to the bottom of the rod locker and never seeing the light of day on the water, the line being swopped after a few months. In fact, this imaginary dilemma was even further fed, as I now had the opportunity to finally use 50m of a gift many years ago, namely Sufix Fused Metered Braid in 65lbs test. This is surely exclusively saltwater specific. Onto this went 10m of 20lbs Berkley Trilene 100% Fluoro that I personally rate as way, way over 20lbs test. The final set-up for when the lock-down was eased, was on my frogging rod, the conventional version of which I only do in summer. But, in the prespawn, I previously would add a short, heavy mono leader to swim big texas-rigged grubs, 5” swimbaits and keel-weighted frogs. It was now only adding a Topshot of 0.40 mm Sufix Big Game. Again because I had it in hundreds of metres, but Berkley Big Game would probably have provided better shock absorption. On the water It takes a cast or three to get used to the new setup, despite having made dozens in my yard. I was quickly into a fish on the crank with the initial bite a bit of a shock, and so too the initial surges of a 1-kilo bass. I’ve used a lot of the Spiderwire Camo and let’s just say that it casts far to a fault. On my first time, using a thinner version on a spinning rod many years ago, even before it came to market, forced me to beach the boat and climb up a steep hill to get the lure out of a fence. In other words, if one wants to make superlong casts, here is your answer! On the Kistler, even with the 10m mono Topshot retrieving the chatterbait felt as if my tooth fillings were shaking loose. Bumping a rock caused an adrenaline spike and fighting a fish felt brutal. Breaking off lures in snags did happen, but was not the problem it used to be on the spinning rods with 8’ leaders where that was also gone. After only one trip I was used to the set-up, to such an extent that I used it like that as a chatterbait rod for over a year. Problems, though, where also had: firstly, on the frog rod the lure frequently and then repeatedly stopped dead. It took me a while, but I did discover that one needs to set the brakes up more on the side of caution. I eventually also changed to a “better” reel which helped. Should one have to buy a new spool of braid for the purpose I would recommend going for a slick, coated one instead of the sawtooth type that is so good in grass. Breaking off at the braid-to-leader join is yet to happen, but breakage did occur on the Topshots at times. This only on the cheapest fluorocarbons that I could find (and often use). Normally I hardly have a complaint when using these fluoros as main line on certain techniques, but the minute it is a Topshot, they let me down and here is why: Firstly the softer brand of fluoro that I’ve been using for many years for cranking, being that it casts further and offers more stretch, I actually increased to twenty metres for a long, four-day fishing trip. It started to break in the spool, first time on a big fish (we luckily retrieved fish and line). I figured that the leader knot was hurting the Topshot, as I re-joined the line, but it snapped again twice, my two favourite crankbaits with it. Clearly it’s never going to sink ink in - that old sports adage of never trying something new at an important event. Yet, I’ve now gone to 15 meters of the same line, and I’ve caught many a fish on this, no probs. Likewise, on another rig, I put 20m of a different ell cheapo brand and this one did not break, but did fray almost down it’s complete length. This brings to mind two issues: firstly that the fluorocarbon tag end may be damaging a cheap line exiting the spool with every revolution thereof. Here I need to add that, the presenter of the thirty second knot recommends the tag ends being trimmed flush, but mine then comes undone. The second issue may be that going as long as 20m may also create an issue with less tough line, which is hard to explain, but I stopped this practice to be on the safe side. The braid often becomes mere backing then, anyway, being that we do a lot of shorter casts. I give up compiling a list of pro’s and con’s, because it is difficult to discern between the two with certainty. For instance, is it really a money saver? I mean, only 10m or so of fluorocarbon at a time is used while the braid likely never has to be replaced, but it won’t be long before the fluoro becomes too short (excuse the double-speak) and then let’s say 8m or even more gets ditched. So it will probably only benefit obsessively frequent line replacers. As for casting distance, it seems that one’s technique, the type and diameter braid, knot in the spool and reel all contribute to form a logarithm that may be hard to decipher. For example, my fishing buddy had a hard time casting his Topshot with a Curado DC, reputedly the ultimate forgiver of bad casts. Having said that, it was a Carolina rig. Yet, if one does get a long cast off, here is your best chance of a positive hookset. In terms of sensitivity and reaction, this Topshot is the way to upgrade an intermediate modulus rod into a high modulus one. Would I recommend the Topshot as the answer to bass fishing line? No, but I will recommend giving some techiques a try. If I was forced to use it at all times, there would be no complaints either. In fact, I have at least six set-ups like that at all times and am going through all my own techniques, one by one, to decide which will remain that way. Probably only the super high modulus worming rods and the one with micro guides will escape the experiment.

ADVANCED BASSING: The Topshot For Bass fishing?

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