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!
