Hi all,

I am new to the board and new to fishing. More or less I have done the red and white bobber fishing with dad when I was young. I am much older now and would like to complicate fishing. LOL

What I am looking for is an ultra-lite or super ultra-lite. I thought this would be easy so I grabbed some thrill bobbers/wagglers and went down to bass pro shops and asked what kind of reel and rod he would recommend Well what I got in return is more information then I think I ever want to know. However no definitive answer. I have gone through 4 books on ultra-lite fishing and have searched the net, now I am more lost than ever. From what I understand there has to be a Zen like balance between the rod, reel and the line. This is where I lost it. hehe

So please help me with any advice you can, and please keep it simple this is making my head hurt. hehe

I am looking for a ul or sul that I don't have to build(I will work up to that), under $100,spinning, must break down into 2 or more pieces, and have some length to it(I am basing this on what I have read, keep in mind it has to be able to cast from a sitting position and always from a dock, I am in a wheelchair). I am hunting bass and any pan fish.

Thank you for your help

First off, WELCOME!!!

Second, I'm not sure how ultralight you want to go. 4lb. test is the lowest I've gone and I don't think I'd go much lower unless I was fishing a pond with absolutely no cover. With 4-6lb. you have a little forgiveness and also don't have to worry about your lure snapping the line every time you cast.

There are alot of choices for this class, but it isn't that complicated. Pick a rod and reel that feels comfortable to you and fits your budget. Don't let a book or someone else tell you what's supposed to fit you best.

I use a Shakespeare Agility combo that I got for 50$. Spooled with 4 lb. test it's perfect for weedless worms, small spinnerbaits and anything else that doesn't weigh much. Sensitivity is great and the reel seems decent for the price.

I also have an UL UglyStik with a cheapo spinning real and it's good, but the tip is a little soft for plastic worm fishing. It's probably great for live bait though.

So, I guess what I was saying is, until you see if you want to stick with UL tackle don't spend alot of money. Find a decent rod and reel and spend the rest on bait and lures. Personally, I think ultralight fishing is the funnest fishing out there. Also, you'll be suprised at how much light tackle can take. I've never lost a bass due to tackle malfunction and only a couple to line breakage.

Wow! My longest post ever. Hope it helps and good luck!

I was thinking about 4lb test.. and if it has a spare spool I have heard that if you put 1-2 lb test you can cast flys with a spinning rod.(not sure if this is true but might be fun to try) I would like to try that. So I do wonder how long the rod should be I have heard everything from 4' 12' I would like to use crank and wagglers mostly I have the rebel ul crawfish and that is the kind of tackle I want to use mostly.  That and thrill bobbers I got hocked on the stealth. Very cool for windy ponds.

I couldn't find any specific combo to meet your needs, but I recommend a 7' UL graphite rod and a 750 or 1000 series spinning reel (capacity approximately 100 yds 4lb test).  Use 4 lb test line and you should be all set.  Good luck casting flies.  I don't see that happening.  I'd say you misunderstood someone or they are just messing with you.

Hehe yea that is the source of my headache I cant find a specific combo either. It seems when we pass 5'5 the picking start to get slim. I read in one book that the writer cast them on 1 lb test linenot something I am depending on but I will give it a try for fun. I don't maintain high hopes for it to work. But ty for the direction. Just one question 750 or 1000 series reel? What brand? I tried to google 1000 series and got wildly different reels.

Well, this will be a great, very lightweight rod, and is fairly cheap.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_74043_100003002_100000000_100003000_100-3-2

it comes up to 6'6", which is plenty of rod.

If you want something even lighter, you could get one of these

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_44302_100003002_100000000_100003000_100-3-2

If you want something that is really ultra or super ultra light, you will either need to back down to 5'6" or less in length, or go up to 10' in length, generally speaking.

Try this one:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_90148_100003002_100000000_100003000_100-3-2'>

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_90148_100003002_100000000_100003000_100-3-2

$49.94 38-951-490-07 *      4520GX 6.5 OZ

LEFT/RIGHT-HAND RETRIEVE      5.2:1 21''

4 LB/105 YDS      MLT70ULS-2

2-PIECE      2-6 LB

1/16 - 1/4 OZ      7' UL

Thank you rocknfish and cephkiller for your suggestions. I think I like cephkillers best. I was looking at that one. But that brings me to another question in ul how important is the lure weight? I know the 6'6 is 1/32-1/4 and the 7' is 1/16-1/4 is there any advantage to use a 1/32? I don't believe I have seen a crank that small personally but I am also not in the know. I am also wondering if I should get that rod and move up the reel to the next higher so I get 6 lb line for a possibility. (Just thinking of utility) I doubt I would go over 4 lb line but should I step it up so I can swap spools with a 4 and a 6? Sorry for all the noob questions but I don't really know anything about ul fishing. (well no blue water experience that is)

Thanks again for all the help so far  

The Duck

Hey Linux welcome aboard.

I'm not sure why the UL or L is such a requirement you maybe should be thingking the opposite ( I'll explain later).

Here is a link to a reel that is very good for the money

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=52966&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

I use the 2500 size with 6lb test and fish for bluegill, crappie & bass. I wouldn't fish with less than 6lb line and in your case lipping or netting the fish might be a problem so you are going to want enough lb line to lift the fish out w/o a poblem? You might consider 8lb line based on this. You could get the 1500 or the 750 size to get closer to ultralite some people have concerns about a 750 size for bass, for others it works fine.

I checked the Symetre combos and it looked like BPS was a little over your budget.

So you might have to go with a seperate rod. If you go with seperate pick them out and mount on the rod before you buy for blance and feel/weight. If you go the sep route Bionic lades, Berkley Lighting rods or Cherrywoods might get you close.

Here is another choise, it is the Pflueger President they have combos with BPS extreme rods which is a nice rod from what I read on the forum.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&partNumber=59170&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults

I own a 6730 size and it almost feels a little small for bass but gets the job done. If you insist on the lite maybe the 6725. They also make a 6720 microlite but didn't see it as a combo.

Here's a Cabela's choice that is a little cheaper but limited 2 pc rod options

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0037131120702a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&No=40&Ntt=pflueger&noImage=0&Ntk=Products&QueryText=pflueger&Ntx=matchall&N=4887&Nty=1

You might think about a 7' rod this way your chair doesn't have to be so close to the edge of the dock ( not sure if it has railings or not). If it does have a rail it would allow your more play or room to work the rod out over the railing.

Sorry for the long post hope I didn't add to the headache.

Let us know what you pick out

sorry for not getting back to you all. I had a small stroke and haven't made it to the store yet. i will let you know what i do get and that was a very good post i agree that a 7' rod would probably be best and light action might be better for dead lift ability. i am making my crank baits since i am laid up for a bit. 1" wooden. the size is comparable to a Rapala countdown cd-1. will start a post in home made soon.

thanks for the help

The duck

You might also want to look at Okuma rods.

My setup for UL is an Okuma Celilo Rod ($20.00 give or take a few $$). Check out its specs:

Length: 7' (two piece)

Lure Range: 1/32 - 3/8 oz

Line: 2 - 6# test

Graphite - IM6

Although it is listed as a "light" action rod, it definitely has the feel of an ultralight rod and its lower lure weight range is definitely in the UL class.

I use an Abu G 101a Cardinal reel that can be had for about $29.99.

If have caught 3# bass with it and it casts those light lures a country mile.

Just another option.