Just picked up some Berkley IronSilk, solar mint color. I have been a Stren fan but I do like this line. Easy to see, good sensitivity and low memory, even in cold water (42 DEG).The question I have is, how do you tie it to your bait? I am at present tying it to a ballbearing swivel and adding a 3ft leader of flourocarbon. Can you tie directly to the jig or will the high vis spook 'eyes? I use it for mostly vertical jigging or pitching to shallows. Thanks for any info. Al W.

I once made a comment to my fishing partner Mike McClelland about this very thing. He laughed and said "why do walleyes swim into gill nets?" I thought this was a very interesting comment. I do however feel there would be times in ultra clear water that you would want to tie a leader on it. But if you are going to tie direct, I would use the Palomar SP? knot. It seems to hold in all situations and with all types of fishing lines. Good fising and don't forget to shoot the puck. Mike Peluso #82

Unlike the answer Mr. Peluso got from Mr. McClelland, I ALWAYS try to eliminate the human element when trying to coax a fish to bite. Obviously, certain water/under pressured fish will produce with rope and shark hooks however. BUT.....the trick is to catch'em when they ain't bitin'. So......stealth is key when or whereever there is way regarding line,hooks, boat control etc. Remember.....big fish don't get big eatin' things with lines and hooks attached to'em. And....contrary to Mac's laughable outlook on the question....Mille Lacs walleyes swim into gillnets without hesitation, yet Mac fishes with low vis, ultra small hooks when the money is on the line at Mille Lacs. He failed with the "dumb" fish theory. (this isn't a jab at Mac....I think he is one of the greatest fishing minds in many ways that will ever play the game.)

LundDriver,

What is the water color you generally fish in? Is it stained or clear? Are you fishing in trees, among rocks, or a fairly clean bottom. This will determine which way you go.

If the water is generally clear, I use the smallest diameter line I can get away with in a low visibility color. If the water is generally stained, I go with a high visibility line like XT Solar, still using the smallest diameter I think I can get away with.

Next, what kind of cover/structure are you generally fishing? If among trees, rocks, or other heavy debris, I go with Fireline or Power Pro tied directly to the jig. If the bottom is generally clean, I go with mono, usually Berkley XT in 6 lb test. The Iron Silk is another fine choice for jigging.

As for how to rig it, I, like Steve, like to use stealth tactics. Use as little terminal tackle as possible, usually tying the jig directly to the line. The Palomar knot is, in my opinion, the best knot for this situation. For most uses, I would tie the Iron Silk directly to the jig and go without the fluorocarbon leader. If you feel, over time, that you could be getting more bites with a less visible line, switch and try the fluorocarbon leader. God luck.

J. Ruffolo #583

If you are using a very small diameter hi-vis no stretch line it will not spook fish under normal fishing conditions. To tie directly you should use the palomar knot, which is the easiest to tie. I use a high abrasion mono leader most of the time when vertical jigging. The biggest reason is to keep twist out of the line. Another reason is because it is easier to tie mono when it is windy and the boat is rocking or when my hands are cold. It also lets me create a break point when I am snagged (I use 2lb test lighter mono) and if the water is dirty I know the fish is close to the net when I see the swivle. When I am pitching jigs I use a hi-vis mono rather than a no stretch line. Biggest reason is it is more forgiving in the wind. It also lets me be slower on the draw when a fish picks up the jig, allowing the fish not to detect me as easily. Most pitching is done in shallower water and usually there isn't alot of line out and seeing the bite is more important than feeling it. I never use a swivle or leader when pitching jigs. Hope this helps.
Andy Kuffer

I use 8 pound test for bass
how would the iron silk in sloar mint or p-line xxx in florescent work fir these fish

rebs

I have never used any hi-vis line for bass. But for pitching to fish in cover, bedded or in off colored water it should work just fine.
Andy

I have used 6# Stren Hi Vis for a long time now,(literally 1000s of hours),and will have a hard time replacing it. It's knot strength with almost any knot is exceptional. We have the fun of getting occasional 25-35# carp on and while it takes forever to get them in the boat the 6# test brings almost all of them in.

With regards to my preferred knot ,(a nonamer),pass your line through the jig eye once making a loop around your finger leaving yourself 2 or 3 inches of line to work with. Now rap the loose end of the line 4-5 times around the line above the loop . Pass the line through the back of the loop around your finger and then through the front of the loop you just made when you circled behind the first loop. Draw it loosely down to snug it up. Almost all of the line damage with this knot is caused by pulling the knot tight before you work it down to the eye. Once you draw it down tight you can wail on it pretty hard if it makes you feel better. Now snip the extra line. It even works for fireline. I used this same knot for MUSKY, BIG Northern Pike, and Redfish on the Gulf.

The only time I use a swivel is when I change from live bait or jigs to a jigging spoon or cranks.

Regarding spooking fish the only time I have noticed that the high visibility line spooks fish was on The Madison Chain in Wisconsin. It is not uncommon to be able to see the bottom clearly in 25FT+ deep water. All we did was move from 6# to 4# HIVIS and the problem went away.