KayakFishingSouth

Lots of good suggestions.... thanks guys!

I have an old Abu 4600C narrow spool baitcasting reel that I haven't used for literally 30+ years. It's still in good shape, so I want to give it a shot with more modern line (I only used mono back in the day). What type, brand, and weight line would you recommend? I'm planning to use a 5-7 foot mono or fluoro leader if I spool braid. I don't fish heavy cover often, just the occasional tree and rocks, not much grass or lily pads.

bigassbass - yeah, I guess quite a few fishermen swear by some of the Japanese UL rods, and I've watched some of TroutMagnetMan's videos on YouTube. Still, I don't know how to navigate the whole buying the rod/shipping/warranty route. haggard - that's interesting feedback on the Avid. Have you tried throwing lighter (1/32 or 1/64) jigs on it? I'm still hesitant to spend that much money on my first rod dedicated to panfish, but I bet my wife would buy me one for Christmas. ?

ALL of these suggestions are really helpful. bassjam - I appreciate your independent opinion, even though your enthusiasm for St. Croix rods might qualify you to be a product rep. ? haggard - Was your 5'-6" rod a Premium series? You're the first person that's recommended an Avid, although the reviews I've seen for that series of rods are really good. Do you think the Avid is worth the premium in price vs. the Panfish and Premium series? And you mentioned Premier rods (I have a 6'-6" MLF that I really like), but it's funny I haven't been able to find ANY reviews or comments for Premier rods in UL power. Maybe that should tell me something? It sure would be interesting to be able to compare a Premier 6' ULF to a Panfish 6' ULF!

Bassjam - thanks for the reply. I'll probably throw mainly light (1/32) jigs + a plastic like trout magnets or gulps, only because my understanding is they are the best lures for panfish. I plan to use 2 lb test of some variety - a entire thread in it's own right! Jimmyjoe - I think you and others are dead on with the whole "enthusiast vs practical" fisherman observation. I definitely fall into the "practical" category. I'll probably end up buying or ordering something thru our local Cabelas, knowing that if I don't like the way it fishes I can return or exchange it within 90 days.

jimmyjoe - that's a great question. And my answer is "yes" and "yes". I'm hoping to catch more fish, and have more fun doing it by virtue of using lighter weight lures and line, but I'm not sure paying up for a super sensitive rod or premium reel makes much difference. Based on the feedback so far, it doesn't sound like it's not necessary to pay a lot for a good ultra light rod and reel. As of this year, I do all my fishing out of a kayak. So I'm out to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and catch some fish. Most of my fishing is done for bass with a St. Croix Premier 6-6" MLF rod and Pflueger President 30 reel. It's great fun, and I enjoy it much more than the old bass boat, cast and crank fishing I used to do. Although the bass fishing here in South Carolina can be excellent, some days the bite is pretty tough - and I really just want to catch some fish. So my thinking is throwing lighter lures - down to 1/32 oz. jigs - on 2 or 4 lb. test line should get some bites from panfish that I might not get now, and be more fun to catch. What do you think?

Great feedback. I'm still looking at all my "new" options based on everyone's recommendations, but probably the biggest surprise to me is "TroutMagnetMan"'s review of the Trout Magnet Trout Slayer rod. For a $50 rod, he sure does make it sound like a great value for a panfish/light jig rod. It's probably because my 2 piece rods are so old, but I thought I should get a 1 piece rod - both for increased sensitivity and not having to hassle with aligning the rod sections, making sure the pieces are snug, etc. Is that only true of the older glass rods? I know I'm already biased because I really like my only new rod - a St. Croix Premier MLF, but I'd still like to get some feedback on both their Premier UL or L rods for panfish, as well as the Avid series. Anybody out there that uses those particular rods? I know I'm asking a lot of questions - so thanks for the valuable feedback. Fishing gear sure has changed over the years!!

Great suggestions. I have never held a Kuying, Okuma, or Fenwick for that matter, so I will have to check them out. I was able to handle a St. Croix Panfish 7ft light extra fast, and the 6ft-9" ultra light fast. I was surprised how much stiffer the extra fast was in the tip compared to the fast, and wondered how that would affect casting distance when light (1/32 or even 1/64 oz) jigs? Bassjam - which of those rods do you think can cast light jigs the furthest? I'm also a little surprised that nobody has recommended a little higher end rod, like an Avid. But maybe that is overkill when you're just fishing mainly for panfish?

I’m looking for a good ultra light rod and reel combination to do some fishing out of a kayak. I’d be fishing mostly for bream/bluegill, crappie, and small bass, although the lakes I fish all have good numbers of bigger largemouth and spotted bass. I do most of my fishing now with a St. Croix Premier 6’-6’” MLF rod and a Pflueger President 30 reel, which have been great for bass fishing. Around here the fishing can be good almost any time of year, but I want an ultra light set up for those days where the bite is tough or I just want to catch some fish and have fun doing it. So I’m leaning towards another St. Croix/Pflueger combination, but there are a lot of choices out there, and I’m open to any suggestions. I don’t want to spend more than about $200 on the rod, although I’d prefer something more in the Premier price range, and no more than about $75 on the reel. I’ve looked closely at the St. Croix Premier, Panfish, and Avid series. I’m thinking I need at least a 6’-6” rod to be able to throw 1/32” lures, and probably a size 20 reel. I’m assuming it should be fast action, since most of the UL choices seem to be. I would like the rod to be sensitive enough for light bites from panfish. Any thoughts on the best rod and reel specs and recommendations? Thanks!