Light lures

[nunya]

What type of set up do you guys have to throw real light lures for bass. I own only baitcasters but can't seem to find one to throw real light lures.

What do you guys recommend I get. Spinning or baitcaster combos would be ok.

[walleyecrazy]

That’s really going to depend on what range of “light” you are speaking of, but generally you will be throwing that stuff on spinning gear. I have from ultra light up to medium rods for the lighter stuff that I use for various different techniques. What lures are you looking to throw? That would help us to better recommend a setup for you. 

[jimmyjoe]

   Up to a quarter ounce, a Daiwa SMD 702ULFB. I use a Curado 70 and 8 lb. line. Above a quarter ounce, use anything you want.   jj

[Bird]

As robust as baitcasters are and great tools for fishing, I believe spinning reels are a better choice for light applications. 

 

About the lightest I go for bass fishing would be 1/16 oz jig heads used for Ned rigs and use 6'6-7' med to med light rods paired with a 3000 series spinning reels.

 

Google finesse fishing to get a better understanding of lighter techniques for Bass fishing. 

[papajoe222]

I dislike spinning gear even though I use it on occasion and it always meets my expectations. That's why I built two casting rods using  'spinning' blanks Even so, 3/16oz is as light as I care to use them for, so I pick up the spinning rod, cuss it out and fish until the inevitable happens. Then I go home.

[Hook2Jaw]

I recommend a 7-7'3" Medium powered spinning setup for throwing light lures, a 7'1" is what I use for weightless plastics, shakeyheads and lighter hard baits.  Fast action, 12# braid to various fluorocarbon leaders depending on cover, clarity, and lure type.  I use a 7'1" with a 2500 sized reel for that purpose, and it has landed a lot of fish when power fishing tactics would not earn a bite that day.

 

My other spinning setup is a 6'10" Medium Light and it is specifically for drop shotting.  It currently pulls double duty as a Ned rig rod, thought I'm pretty horrible at that technique.

 

 

[Mike L]

I don’t use spinning gear for anything.  
When the need arises, the lightest I throw is a weightless stick bait with a 1/32. 

I use a Loomis MBR 843c and it works just fine. 

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

[scaleface]

  I dislike  to use spinning too but it is necessary  . I/8th ounce and less I use spinning .

[Midwest Fisherman]

I own only spinning, Stradic’s (1000 & 2500) & St. Croix’s ( ML/XF or ML/F) and I mostly fish Ned/Finesse baits. If I were to purchase a baitcaster it would be the Aldebaran BFS which I’ve been trying to convince myself for years to purchase one but I just can’t pull the trigger as I no issues with what I’m using. 

[the reel ess]

A size 20 Pflueger Trion reel with 7' medium spinning rod spooled with 20# PowerPro. I'll use a mono leader if needed.

 

I was going through my dad's rods and reels after he died. He had a bunch of retired rods that were either too light or too heavy for general bass fishing. There was a 2-pc 6' ML baitcaster in there. I want to give it a try at my buddy's dink factory pond, but I haven't yet. I'll fill one of my smaller BC reels with 10# mono someday and get around to it. That will probably be the day I finally get a bite from the biggest bass in the place.

[frogflogger]

I've used an 8' ul spinning rod 4-6# line with 1/32 oz jighead with a small 4" worm to fish for spooky bass suspended over deep clear water. Very effective if rarely needed rig. The slow slow fall and the ability to make a long cast worked when nothing else seem to entice them.

[JustJames]

Just like everyone ask, how light you considered light? For someone, weightless senko considered light even though they are almost 3/8oz.

If you are looking to cast 1/8oz lure true weight and you don’t have special need for baitcaster then spinning is the way to go, easy to put together, can be pretty cheap since you buy everything here domestically. 
To me to consider using either spinning vs bait caster is not just the weight of lure, but presentation that more important. My friend who have better casting gears than me open up my eyes when he uses spinning outfit on some of the finesse presentation. He caught 8 bass that night while me hardheaded got nothing. Since then I use spinning only on Neko Rig, Shaky head and soon Ned rig and wacky rig.

[Jig Man]

I use a Curado X70 with 6# fluorocarbon on a Gloomis medium light rod.  A trd with a 3/16 oz head is as light as I go.

[galyonj]

A lot of it depends on how much money you you want to spend, I guess. As we're focusing on bass fishing, I just about bet you'll never want to throw anything mugh lighter than 1/32 oz or so; given that, you'll probably be able to find a rod that'll work for whatever you want to do. So I'll focus on the reel and suggest you maybe look into BFS gear if you want to get crazy. A lot of this stuff is JDM, and it ain't cheap, but it'll really fling some real light lures. You can learn more about it here.

[thunderblack]

I prefer spinning for light baits. I just enjoy fishing a  light spinning rod and fight you get over a baitcaster. Both work. Good choices below for light duty

• expride 6'10 ML and 7' Light
• G. Loomis 901S and 820S models
• St. Croix L and ML 7'

[Crestliner2008]

Not quite sure why the negative-ism appears often when associating bass and spinning gear, but I can guarantee that if you try it, you'll like it!  I've used both casting gear and spinning over 60 years of fishing and there is little that a baitcaster can accomplish that I cannot do as well with a proper spinning setup. Especially when it comes down to light lures and presentations. JMO folks!

[MN Fisher]

All my light presentations are done with spinning gear. President-25 on an Ultra-light for Ned and inline spinners (Mepps) and a Trion-30 on a Medium-light for drop-shots, wacky, Neds.

 

Having used spinners longer than I've used BCs, I'm as accurate dropping a lure exactly where I want it with the spinners as I am with the BCs. Feathering the line coming off the spool on a spinner is equivalent to thumbing the spool on a BC - serves the same purpose.

[FryDog62]

Spinning is probably easiest for really light stuff, but many prefer baitcasting.  Here are my baitcasting set-ups for under 1/4 ounce:

 

•Daiwa Steez SV TW/Loomis NRX 852 for weightless wacky worm fishing and skipping.  (Phenix 7-1 ML would work well too)

•Daiwa Alpha SV with either Phenix Feather 7-1 MLF or 7-1 MHXF for 1/16 or 1/8 oz Neko rigging or tubes depending on depth and how heavy surrounding cover is

•Daiwa Alpha SV on Phenix 7-1 MLF for drop-shot

•Daiwa Alpha SV on 6’10” MajorCraft Don Iovino MXF for 1/8 oz Ned Rigs. Great when a shorter rod is desired, closer to a Medium-Light rod and well-priced. 

•Daiwa Tatula SV TW on a Tatula Elite Ehrler 7’0” M-MH XF for Caffeine Shads (very heavy plastic) on Owner Twistlock Light 3/32 oz weighted hooks

 

SV spools are the key for the really light stuff.