Ultralight Bass Techniques???

[ratherbfishin1]

I have a St. Croix trout series that is a 6' UL.  In previous years I have gone for multispecies and so I had that rod for larger panfish but this year I have resorted to all bass fishing because that is what I enjoy most.  I was wondering if there was anything a 6' UL is good for as far as bass fishing goes.  I fish mostly for largemouth because that's the only bass that is in the ponds/lakes around me.  I live in NE so it's not very likely I'm going to catch a a double digit bass on it, rarely a fish over 4lbs.  Thanks!

[Bankbeater]

A few years ago I stopped using a UL and went to a ML rod.  I can still fish with the same baits as I do with an UL, but I have a little more backbone in case I catch a fish that has some size to it.

[Dorado]

11 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

A few years ago I stopped using a UL and went to a ML rod.  I can still fish with the same baits as I do with an UL, but I have a little more backbone in case I catch a fish that has some size to it.

I agree, that added backbone in a ML rod makes a significant difference in your hooksets. 

[bobbyg]

If I were going to use an UL for bass fishing I would use bait that has an "easy" hookset. No plastics, or jigs. Maybe lipless crankbaits, or my son uses a 6' UL and uses beetle spin crappie jigs, and actually catches some decent bass on them, and they don't have too much drag for the UL.

 

I will say this, a decent size bass pulling on an UL rig, is a lot of fun to bring in.

[CroakHunter]

Float and fly

[TnRiver46]

I would use it to throw ultra light lures. Bass will surprise you with how small of a lure they will hit, especially when it's cold. Like a small rapala countdown 

[Paul Roberts]

Absolutely! Just keep hook sizes appropriate for that line.

[papajoe222]

I use a 6ft. Light action MicroLite rod pairs with a 2000 series spinning reel for crappie, trout and bass all season. Crappie cranks, in-line spinners, drop-shot and all with 10lb. braid with a 4lb. or 6lb. mono leader. In fact I caught an 18in.bass yesterday on that combo.  Light and ultra-light tackle really adds to the enjoyment of catching. As long as you’re not in a hurry to land them and there aren’t a bunch of snags, go for it. 

[bigbill]

Using a UL setup for bass make sure your hooks are very sharp for a better hookset. Make sure your Drag is set correctly. The next important thing is line test.

[ratherbfishin1]

Thanks for all the replies looks like I will hold on to it

[Darren.]

I use light-wire hooks, very sharp, like the Gamakatsu

Split shot/Drop shot hooks. Look at #2, #4. They are 

nice and sharp, and thin, making for an easier hookset.

 

Even the smaller Gammy Finesse Wide Gap hooks in

#2, #4 will work, but are a slightly stouter wire than

the other.

 

#1 or 1/0 O'Shaughnessy hooks will work, too, with

small plastics.

 

I imagine a St. Croix UL is a bit more stout than other

ULs. My Croix ML rods are somewhere between ML and M

in most others I've tried.

[fishwizzard]

I catch a lot of smallies when I am chasing panfish with an UL rod. I use micro cranks a lot and the bass love them.  As others have said, just keep your drag low and don't cast too close to cover. 

 

[Paul Roberts]

I started my serious fishing as an UL guy years ago, and gradually worked my way up. I pull them out though for my bass fishing during winter -when vegetation has died back, clarity is up, and the fish respond to the little stuff best. I've also broken them out during strong hatch years of little bass, when tiny baits do really well, or in high visibility conditions. A little 1-1/2" twister type grub has caught quite a few good bass for me.

 

However, all that said, I've found that really small stuff may NOT interest mature bass, esp as waters warm. So, use it where it works.

[Raul]

Here’s what I think, catching bass on UL is a ton of fun, my largest UL bass was a little bit over 5 lbs, however, based on my experience forget about purposely going bass fishing with UL gear, I’ve done and caught Richard ..... however, it’s just a matter of me NOT purposely going bass fishing with UL gear and there they are, I bet I catch more bass than panfish whe I go panfishing with UL gear !

[Florida Cracker2]

I started out with medium gear and progressed to ultralite and super ultralight. Still have my punching/flipping gear, but ultralight is a ton of fun. I like to troll with my med. gear while casting my ultralight along the shoreline for panfish and the occasional bass. 

[haggard]

I have a St. Croix trout series that is a 6' UL.  In previous years I have gone for multispecies and so I had that rod for larger panfish but this year I have resorted to all bass fishing because that is what I enjoy most.  I was wondering if there was anything a 6' UL is good for as far as bass fishing goes.

 

I have a StC 5'6 UL/F (Premiere not Trout series) that for me is perfect for panfish plus small bass, and a StC M/F as my go-to bass rod (mostly open water here, no heavy cover). In my opinion if you want to target bass, the UL will be a little light. Yes you can land bass on it but as others said, you'll really need to make sure your drag is set light at first, be ready to point the rod fishward on the bite, consider netting rather than lifting... If you're really bass oriented, the UL can do it but if you may find yourself tuning the tools rather than focusing on the fish. I'd recommend a M/F or if you want a little lighter a ML/F.

 

I've landed an accidental big (well for me big, for others it would be dinks) bass with the UL/F and it was a blast - fish felt huge but if I'm expecting bass, I use the M/F.

 

StC will probably be slightly stiffer than some other brands so that helps you if you want to use the UL.

 

I can't remember if it's the trout series or the panfish series, but one or the other is a blend of a stiffer blank (SC VI?) at the base combined with a less stiff blank towards the tip - as opposed to the Premiere which is a single material - so might not be a fair comparison. The blend would give you more backbone for the larger bass which helps in your UL scenario.

 

Nothing wrong with trying what you've already got; it will work. But if you find you really want to target bass with the occasional panfish, consider using the UL setup for the latter, and a dedicated (slightly heavier rod) for the bass. Unless you're fishing laydowns, pads, frogging, thick cover, I'd go no heavier than M, especially if you're used to a light setup.