Do you ever do this?

[Drew03cmc]

I sometimes like to break out the UL gear and small grubs to fish small creeks for bass and whatever else bites. I fish these waters the way I would if I had a short fly rod with me, short, accurate casts, small baits and light tackle. It allows me to simply catch fish, enjoy some wading and be one with the creek. Having said this, I realize that I normally use L power rods, not UL, but the effect is the same. The baits i normally throw are 1/16oz ballheads with a 2" grub on them. I can swim them or jig them. The other baits are 1/16oz crappie or marabou jigs. Does anyone else do these sorts of things? If so, what region do you fish in and for what species of bass? 

 

One of my targets is to fish for native Guadalupe Bass in the Hill Country west of San Antonio using these techniques. 

[Gundog]

In the late summer, when the river I fish is the warmest and lowest it usually is I break out the light rod and small spinners or small tubes and fish the riffles. I target the areas with the fastest water because that area has the most oxygen in the water. You don't catch a lot of fish but its fun. 

[corn-on-the-rob]

I don't, but it sounds awfully fun and relaxing.

[Drew03cmc]

It is fun. It's how I learned to read water. Small smoke or black grubs are incredible.

[j bab]

Not exactly this but I do break out the light and ultra light gear at ponds when I want to catch numbers, tons of fun and when I hook a 1 pounder it feels like a giant

[jr231]

I was doing this one time with "crappie magnets".. I had the drag set real loose so that the big gills could run and pull out line.. I had a hog bass Grab my hooked gill. Inhaled it too.. ended up breaking my 4 lb mono after a short battle. 

 

It was awesome though. She flashed me her whole side.. somewhere between 20-24" I'm sure.  I'll never know. 

["hamma"]

If im facing a skunk? i will break out the ul gear and have a blast with the perch, crappie, bluegills and eventually break the skunk with a bass

 Its alot of fun

[crypt]

I do it all the time.have a small pond right next to work so at lunch or after work I hit it. 3-4 days a week. best way to unwind before I go home.

[Raul]

Nope, in my neck of the woods there's no year round running water creeks, they all dry once it stops raining unless they are fed by a spring or something like that.

[Bluebasser86]

I do and I use UL equipment,  a 6' Avid Ul with a 750 Symetre and 3.5lb DAM Techtan line. I use a 1/80oz jighead with a piece of a 2" grub. I catch gobs of bluegill, sunfish, chubs, bass, even occasional carp or catfish. It's a good way to spend a few hours when it gets really hot out.

[Megastink]

I have a creek by me full of 6"-10" smallmouth. I go there in the evenings after work sometimes with a KVD Splash Jr popper on 8lb mono and a 6' Ultralight. No trophies, but it's fun to watch them crush that popper!

 

i also micro-dropshot for crappies in the summer months when bass fishing action eases. I'll use my UL with 6lb braid to 6lb fluoro, a 1.5" strike King Lightning shad on a #6 hook and a 1/4oz weight. It's great practice using my electronics as they stack up between 14-22'.

[junyer357]

A few times a year. I actually did that with my groomsmen for my bachelor trip. Catching red eye bass, crappie, bream, and an occasional largemouth. Its fun to go back and simplify, going from a boat with thousands of lures to wading with a backpack cooler, 1 rod, and a handful of lures. 

[webertime]

7' Avid UL Moderate action and a tiny chartreuse crank smashes creek fish (Smallies, Larrys, Rock Bass, Gills, Falls Fish) up here (NOT trout though)

[ww2farmer]

Most of the time there is an UL rod in my boat. IF bass fishing is super slow on any given day, I'll take a break, and go looking for deep water panfish. Usually I can catch the snot out of them, and when I get bored with it, I'll go back to bass fishing. I catch a few bonus bass hear and there on the UL gear, but I don't go looking for them with that equipment in hand.

[fishnkamp]

My wife and never go fishing without our G loomis SJR 721 and SJR722 rods. These a 6 foot light and medium rods. The 732s almost always have a 5 inch kalin grub on a 1/8 ounce texas rig or a BPS Perfect worm hook( looks like a texas rig weight but it is molded onto a high quality hook).  Kinda works like a charlie Brewer slider head.  Last spring we were fishing Dale Hollow Lake and the big females had just left the beds and were really not doing anything. Ned rigs were the answer so we were fishing with our light action rods (1/16 to 5/16 is their spec).  She hooked and landed a 8 pound catfish on that combo. I laughed so hard as she fought it and in her best Ike imitation she ran from the front deck to the back over and over again.  It was a wonderful sight, but she nearly wore out the carpet. nytime we hook anything big we are glad it is on that sensitive rod.

[Jagg]

22 hours ago, Drew03cmc said:

I sometimes like to break out the UL gear and small grubs to fish small creeks for bass and whatever else bites. I fish these waters the way I would if I had a short fly rod with me, short, accurate casts, small baits and light tackle. It allows me to simply catch fish, enjoy some wading and be one with the creek. Having said this, I realize that I normally use L power rods, not UL, but the effect is the same. The baits i normally throw are 1/16oz ballheads with a 2" grub on them. I can swim them or jig them. The other baits are 1/16oz crappie or marabou jigs. Does anyone else do these sorts of things? If so, what region do you fish in and for what species of bass? 

 

One of my targets is to fish for native Guadalupe Bass in the Hill Country west of San Antonio using these techniques. 

Definitely speaking my language! I'm in SE Colorado now but am from TX and will very likely be in JBSA (Joint Base San Antonio) for our next duty station. Was stationed there once before and did AIT there so I know that area very well and hope to make it our permanent home. When I started out bass fishing it was fishing the Angelina River in East TX along with the other rivers and creeks in The Big Thicket. Normally reserved UL rods for 'gills and other panfish but we did have L and ML rods (5' - 6'6") for bass that we normally would use the same reel and would switch out spools for 6# or 8# test depending on the cover and size class fish. Basic used the same methods and tackle for the greater SA and Hill Country areas and there are tons of spots perfect for that style of fishing in that area. Even more if you have a canoe or kayak to get around with.