Ultra lite setup?

[206]

In need of a good panfish setup for crappy and such in the spring...just trying to get a head start on what I'm looking at?

 

Anyone recommend a decent set up at any price range

 

Thanks

[manitoubass2]

In need of a good panfish setup for crappy and such in the spring...just trying to get a head start on what I'm looking at?

 

Anyone recommend a decent set up at any price range

 

Thanks

 

For ultra lights I go pretty cheap on the rod. I'd just look at any UL in the 5'6" range, and pair it up with a decent 1000 or 1500 series real.

 

My ultralight rods are just Wal-Mart Shakespears with Okuma avenger 15 or 20 series reels. Work perfect.

 

For line you can go any which way, but I use light braid with a 4-6lb fluoro leader ( that way I can still let the kids use the rod for walleye fishing)

 

Hope this helps!

Edited August 19, 2012 by manitoubass2

[adolson]

I'll second the "go cheap" recommendation. I think money should probably go into better gear for more critical applications. My own ultralights are pretty decent little rods that I sometimes use for catching specks. Two identical setups: Shimano Sojourn 5' 2-piece, paired with Shimano Sienna 1000 front-drag reels. I can fit both into one Plano ultralight rod case for carrying through the bush. The rods were about $20 each. Reels about double that. I use 6-10lb Tuf-Line Duracast on them, but whenever I respool I may go with 4lb P-Line fluoro.

[SlowPoke]

I just picked up a lightweight setup today for walleye but the reel may be of interest for you...

Shimano Stradic CI4 1000FML & St. Croix Eyecon ECS63MXF

The reel weighs nothing and is silky smooth.

[Broker]

x3 on the cheapness, my lightweight is a berkley rod from CT at around $25 and a shimano sienna 1000 FD that I picked up for $32. I actually really like the reel and now all my spinning setups have that reel

[mike rousseau]

I like long rods for panfish... I use a 10.5 foot st croix wild river...

 

I think it's light action...

 

Casts really far and gets a nice bend with slabs...

 

I own a small fenwick and it collects dust...

Edited August 19, 2012 by Musky Mike

[kickingfrog]

I was going to say "I like long rods for panfish" but after Musky Mike I guess I should say I like medium long rods for panfish.

 

I like a 7 foot light action rod and a good reel. With 2 spools this can be a good walleye jig rod as well as a small stream trout combo too. I am willing to pay more money for a sensitive rod.

Edited August 19, 2012 by kickingfrog

[northernpike56]

I have a 5'6 UL st. croix premier and a shimano sahara 1000FD, paired with 4 lb mono. I tried it out for brookies, panfish, and a few SMB with the odd walleye and it works fine. Not too expensive as well, wouldent cry if I dented something up.

 

 

 

EDIT: typo

Edited August 19, 2012 by northernpike56

[Sinker]

I use a 7' Shimano Clarus UL for pannies. Works great. Nice for long casts, or fishing with a set float in deeper water. I also use it for trolling inland specks and bows. Great rod, lifetime warranty, for around $100. Can't complain!

 

S.

[chefboi17]

My ul rod that has served me quite well is a 6'6" diawa spinmatic, picked it up for like 35$ at lebaron. Last week I had it doubled over fighting a 6lb pike lol, good times

[Garfisher]

I have a St.Croix Avid 7' UL matched with a Shimano Sedona (750 i think) and 4lb mono. Works very nicely for panfish (not bad at keeping them out of the pads, even able to control 2lb largies pretty well), I use UL though for fishing very small/light jigs most of the time (less than 1/32oz usually), not sure how it would feel casting stuff around 1/8-3/16oz though if you plan on casting small lures a lot of the time.

[Sour_Squirrel]

I use a St. Croix Avid 5'6" two piece ultralight rod and a Daiwa Tierra 1500 spinning reel spooled with 4 lb. Suffix mono.

[Terry]

first

are you fishing from a boat

are you on shore fishing heavy weeds

are you flipping docks

live bait, jigs or spinners

 

those things make a big difference on how long or stiff of a rod I would want

[crappieperchhunter]

Almost 100% of my pan fishing is done using floats. I have 3 rods. An 8.5 footer, a 10 footer and a 12 footer. Quality is unimportant for pan fish. The reels I have for these rods are all Diawa's and they are all spooled with Green Trilene XT. I fine the mid size reels balance out the long rods better. Since my reels will probably hold over 250 yds of 4LB line I spool backer on with crap line and just keep putting 100yds of fresh line over it. Fill the spool as full as you can, and you will be able to cast this 4LB line a mile.

 

I use the 12 foot rod 90% of the time. The extra length once you get used to it gives you way more flexibility when fishing in a crowded boat or on shore. You can reach and cast over and around people because of the extra length. The only time I use my shorter rod is if I'm in a situation where there are overhanging trees or under a bridge and the long rod just doesn't have enough room.

[206]

first

are you fishing from a boat

are you on shore fishing heavy weeds

are you flipping docks

live bait, jigs or spinners

 

those things make a big difference on how long or stiff of a rod I would want

 

from a boat, not usually heavy weed(spring crappy),no flipping usually casting to schools, mostly jigs/tubejigs but sometimes they like the grubs swam back in.

[Dabluz]

My ul rod that has served me quite well is a 6'6" diawa spinmatic, picked it up for like 35$ at lebaron. Last week Iad h it doubled over fighting a 6lb pike lol, good times

 

 

I also have a Daiwa Spinmatic and it's a great rod....not wimpy at all. I usually hate the action of an ultra-light rod but the Spinmatic has a fast action.

 

For the reel, I like a reel to be smooth and tight. I hate any handle play or play in the spool. I use an Abu Garcia 601 ALB and it's great. It also has a great drag. I use 2, 3 and 4 lb mono or 4 lb nanofil on this reel.

[spyder3g]

I use Frenwick spinning rod and Pflueger 6925 reel with 6lb Cajun mono line.

http://www.fenwickfishing.com/prod.php?k=309807&sk=309807&p=PUREGTS%2056UL-2%20%20%281160879%29#EGTS%2056UL-2%20%20%281160879%29

 

http://www.basspro.com/Pflueger-President-6900-Series-Spinning-Reels/product/10213341/

 

Do not be cheap on Ultralight. You can save money on muskie/pike rod but not on this one.

Using that rod I got a carp in 11lb; it got my jig when I was fishing for bass. I also got a pickerel around 4.5lb and 5lb pike. Basses in 2 – 3.4lb are very common as well when you are targeting some smaller species.

Edited October 9, 2012 by spyder3g

[Joeytier]

I just picked up a 5'6" Fenwick highlander UL and threw my 1000 Sahara on it. Great combo, although I only use it for trout fishing. Like others, I would go with longer blanks if you want it for a spring crappie rod, as I find it's tough to make overly accurate casts with a very short blank.

[Garry2Rs]

In the last two or three years I have built at least 5 Ultra-Lights looking for what I really wanted.

 

Most UL's are very soft, and are live-baits rods in my opinion. That's fine for lobbing soft baits, but I wanted a rod with some snap, one that would also throw 1/8 oz. spinners as well as bobbers with 1/32 and 1/16 jigs with small plastic grubs or tubes etc.

 

The rod that is my currant favourite was a one piece 6 ft. spin-jig blank. I stretched it to about 6'6" by adding a splice inside the reel seat. It has the power, but can also handle everything else that I want to use.

 

The beauty of this rod is that it had the power to land bass in the 5 pound class, that hit my small baits...Out of season..grin.

 

I used high quality guides and a special wrap-around cork handle on mine. Loomis and St.Croix both make very good blanks in this class, but my blank was about 1/2 the price of their high-end jobs.

 

Obviously, the cost of a hand made rod is largely dependent on what handle and guides are used, so depending on how much a guy wanted to spend on Bling this rod could sell for between about $150.00 and $250.00.

 

If I were doing it for myself I'd use the new Microwave guides in best quality, and an Areo type grip, that keeps your hand off the reel-seat threads...This would be a state of the art rod and could sell for about $175.00.

 

I have these parts on hand, and am going to build a slightly heavier rod with them...If any one is interested PM me and I will send you a picture.

Garry2R's

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