Lighter than Ultra Light?

[Jonas Staggs]

Is there such thing as lighter than a UL rod? I have been micro fishing a lot, 1/64 oz jig head, some of the bass I catch are so tiny they dont put much of a fight on my 4' UL Rod. Was wondering if there is such a thing as a lighter setup? What about the Ice fishing rod/reels, are those lighter? Catching these tiny guys is fun and they put up good fights, looking for a way to make the fight more difficult/fun

 

 

[WRB]

Stop fishing the nursery for baby bass. 12" juvenile bass are minimum length in Calforina and appropriate for UL tackle.

Tom

[JustJames]

There is SUL and  XUL. SUL start at 1/64oz lure weight while most UL is 1/32oz. I’m not sure if any available in US market, you might have to get JDM rod.
If you use such small bait you would catch more of small fish. 

[kayaking_kev]

A lot of people seem to frown upon using UL for bass just to get a better fight, because it puts a lot of stress on the fish and increases the chances of mortality after releasing it and also makes the fish too tired to be able to normally defend against predators.

[JustJames]

8 hours ago, kayaking_kev said:

A lot of people seem to frown upon using UL for bass just to get a better fight, because it puts a lot of stress on the fish and increases the chances of mortality after releasing it and also makes the fish too tired to be able to normally defend against predators.

Not 100% true.

I understand why OP wanna use such small lure, not for better fight but to increase catch rate or at least not skunked. Have you ever fish city park lakes in SoCal? It is small shallow, and become a zoo on weekend. A whole lot of ppl that fish on weekend would take whatever they catch home doesn’t matter size or limit. If you don’t use live bait or downsize your lure, you won’t get any bite. 
Another point is L or UL rod for bass (or the hype of BFS). Those rod are not regular UL rod that you see every day. They have good backbone blank but soft enough tip to be able to cast light weight lure and control fish when needed. I have never spent more than 2 minutes landing a bass from 2-4lb bass with these type rod and I caught plenty. Again I don’t downsize to catch bass, I target a whole different species. 
 

But with all you said, I agreed with you and never promote “BFS” for bass fishing, if there such huge bass in the lake/pond. I’m not a BFS guy, just a guy who enjoy UL fishing.

Majorcraft speedstyle S63UL 1/64-3/16oz.

Tsurinoya Proflex ii.

 

Majorcraft Benkei L/BFS

Majorcraft Goemotion L/BFS

[WRB]

There is a Ultra Lite spinning fishing community that targets trout and crappie primarily.

Ray Scott the founder of B.A.S.S. tried to start up a business with bass anglers using Ultra Lite spinning tackle that didn't go over with bass anglers. Today with spinning tackle more prominate in bass fishing Scott would have had better success.

I made a UL rod for my son when he was 5 years with Omega miniature underspin reel because the combo was perfect for a youngster to cast, not to target small juvenile fish.

Merlin Olsen pro football player for the Rams was a UL spinning angler using Turner Jones 128th to 64th oz Micro jigs for crappie and bass at lake Sherwood in the 70's.

My point is ultra lite lures require tackle to match doesn't mean you should target very aggressive baby bass.

Tom

[Mobasser]

I have ultralight spin setups that I use for crappie and stocked trout. They're way to light and soft to use for bass in my area. A med or med light rod still has some backbone and is light and non tiring. That's the lightest tackle I would use for bass fishing

Most 1/64 and less jigs and lures won't cast well with anything but a parabolic action rod. Also the line might need to be 2 to 4lb test with this setup. With this tackle you can hook fish, but landing them may be hard, especially around any cover.

[WRB]

Big fish can be fought and landed using UL tackle if you know how to control and fight the fish. Fishing from a boat it's possible to follow a big fish to better control it. Fishing from something stationary it very difficult to control a big fish using light tackle around any type of structure or cover the line contacts.

My son caught a few extrodinary big fish on his UL tackle using 4 lb test mono; 26lb channel catfish and several LMB to 7lbs using slip shot rigged 3" reapers. The vast majority of bass he caught were between 3/4 lb to 1 1/2 lbs, we didn't try to catch those big fish they just happened to eat his lures.

Tom

 

[HenryPF]

Why not just use fly casting gear? People catch trout less than 8 inches and they more than happy.

[JustJames]

@WRByup I told myself every time that I’m ready to pull the plug if big fish come on my UL setup and I can’t control them. I did that twice which I’ll never know what kind of fish are they.
Luckily I landed my PB 8.5lb bass on that Benkei rod after the fish tried to get under dock a few time.

[Jonas Staggs]

22 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

There is SUL and  XUL. SUL start at 1/64oz lure weight while most UL is 1/32oz. I’m not sure if any available in US market, you might have to get JDM rod.
If you use such small bait you would catch more of small fish. 

Thats what I was looking for, although I was thinking of the name Ultra Ultra light lol. But yeah a SUL Rod would be fun. 

 

throwing some flies on a spinning rod has crossed my mind and I have been meaning to get some flies to try.

 

I dont hit large lakes targeting tiny bass, I target tiny bass and sunfish when I do what I guess falls under micro urban creek fishing which I do a lot of. My UL setup is appropriate for the size fish in these tiny creeks/sewers/drainage ditches. Micro fishing has taught me alot about hook size selection and matching it appropriately to the fish. Im dying to get after some bigger bass in my kayak but have only gotten to take it out once since I got it, between all the information I have gotten here at bassresource, youtube, and putting in a lot of time fishing this year Im probably the best I have personally ever been in my life at fishing right now and with the water access the kayak will give me I am hoping to get a new PB this spring. 

 

My bass rig is 10-12# test, M Rod, and 1/2oz lures at the heaviest, and worm hooks in 1/o. This might sound light to some but in socal its not.

[Mbirdsley]

What’s a BFS?

[MN Fisher]

41 minutes ago, Mbirdsley said:

What’s a BFS?

Bait Finesse System - started in Japan.

[Jonas Staggs]

Doing stuff similar to this is what I do, and a SUL would be better suited for this than a UL. fish in a roadside ditch might be common in other parts of the country but in SoCal it's quite the opposite, which is part of the fun and challenge of it. I think this type of fishing might have its own niche, especially in the city and what's available in your area. Its creek fishing, in the ghetto instead of the forest. 

 

 

 

A big part of the fun is finding new untouched places that hold fish no one knows about such as this pond I found. 

 

 

Places like this hold fish to but if your not a local, for your own safety, I would not recommend going.

 

 

 

 

 

[JustJames]

I’m not sure if I’m with you walking around in unknown area here in SoCal. If you want more adventure, fish the LA river with either your UL or fly rod.

If you like something like this check out 618 fishing video. He is the one inspired me to get back into UL fishing, after 10 plus year. My dream is to hike up hill finding wild trout. 
 

If you want, I’ll sell you my MC Speedstyle S63UL lure rating 1/64 - 3/16oz. You can try it first if this type rod the one you want. 120 that all I need. 

 

 

[Jonas Staggs]

5 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

I’m not sure if I’m with you walking around in unknown area here in SoCal. If you want more adventure, fish the LA river with either your UL or fly rod.

If you like something like this check out 618 fishing video. He is the one inspired me to get back into UL fishing, after 10 plus year. My dream is to hike up hill finding wild trout. 
 

If you want, I’ll sell you my MC Speedstyle S63UL lure rating 1/64 - 3/16oz. You can try it first if this type rod the one you want. 120 that all I need. 

 

 

 

I watch 618 a lot and I enjoy UL fishing a lot. I want to try LA river and will one day but I can do the same right here in the IE. I find it amazing to find and catch completely wild, not stocked, natural, fish. 

 

I have haven't checked yet but know of some areas that I have been told have trout nearby as well just gotta get out and try

 

 

 

[Luke Barnes]

I have a 4'8 UL Ugly Stick that I always have a 1/64 oz Panfish Magnet jig head tied on. I use it mainly for Panfish. On occasion I'll get a small bass, and the rare occasion I get bigger ones, and its helped me learn to use thw drag better and fight them smart, but quickly. 

 

But if I want to go super ultra light and get a great fight out of a 6oz fish I use my 4wt flr rod with a 2lb mono leader. A bluegill will take you for a ride. Caught a bass that was about 8 oz I'm guessing and it felt like I had a salmon on the line! 

 

I dont target small bass but occasionally they bite and the fun begins!

[the reel ess]

Nanolight?

Uberlight?

Microminiairweightflyweight?

If you cast it it goes up.

 

[Jonas Staggs]

On 8/28/2020 at 5:10 PM, Luke Barnes said:

I have a 4'8 UL Ugly Stick that I always have a 1/64 oz Panfish Magnet jig head tied on. I use it mainly for Panfish. On occasion I'll get a small bass, and the rare occasion I get bigger ones, and its helped me learn to use thw drag better and fight them smart, but quickly. 

 

But if I want to go super ultra light and get a great fight out of a 6oz fish I use my 4wt flr rod with a 2lb mono leader. A bluegill will take you for a ride. Caught a bass that was about 8 oz I'm guessing and it felt like I had a salmon on the line! 

 

I dont target small bass but occasionally they bite and the fun begins!

 

Yeah I try to bring the correct setup to where I'm fishing. I have some small urban creeks and drainage ditches I fish. Even trout magnet can be too big, I recently got the mini magnet too. 

 

When I fish other lakes that hold bigger fish I use my UL, pretty much a requirement for the high pressure areas of SoCal and the chances of me catching a 5lbs bass are zero so the UL setup is usually the right tool for the job. 1/16th oz. Jig at the largest. For my neck of the woods 2lbs is a nice one.

 

I tried for big bass today, threw a 9" lizard all day from M rod came home skunked and wish I brought the UL instead. Biggest bass caught there I'm aware of is 5lbs

On 8/28/2020 at 6:08 PM, the reel ess said:

Nanolight?

Uberlight?

Microminiairweightflyweight?

If you cast it it goes up.

 

Super ultra light

[Luke Barnes]

15 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

Yeah I try to bring the correct setup to where I'm fishing. I have some small urban creeks and drainage ditches I fish. Even trout magnet can be too big, I recently got the mini magnet too. 

 

When I fish other lakes that hold bigger fish I use my UL, pretty much a requirement for the high pressure areas of SoCal and the chances of me catching a 5lbs bass are zero so the UL setup is usually the right tool for the job. 1/16th oz. Jig at the largest. For my neck of the woods 2lbs is a nice one.

 

I tried for big bass today, threw a 9" lizard all day from M rod came home skunked and wish I brought the UL instead. Biggest bass caught there I'm aware of is 5lbs

Super ultra light

Yeah that's why i like the Panfish Magnet stuff. Smaller than the crappie magnet. 1/64 oz jig head. Sometimes, like in the pic, I'll throw a power egg on it for flavor. When im hitting pressured public park ponds its about all that works. The biggest thing that works is a med rig on a ML. But that's why ive stopped going to those ponds pretty much. 

[Jonas Staggs]

58 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

Yeah that's why i like the Panfish Magnet stuff. Smaller than the crappie magnet. 1/64 oz jig head. Sometimes, like in the pic, I'll throw a power egg on it for flavor. When im hitting pressured public park ponds its about all that works. The biggest thing that works is a med rig on a ML. But that's why ive stopped going to those ponds pretty much. 

Yeah I don't like to fish those spots much either. I don't like the major lakes you have to pay to enter either, as I have been skunked from the banks at them. I have resorted to urban creeks. Most contain tiny blue gill, some have bass and even crappie. Some of the fish can be a good size considering the spots they are living. Are you in socal? 

[Luke Barnes]

9 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Yeah I don't like to fish those spots much either. I don't like the major lakes you have to pay to enter either, as I have been skunked from the banks at them. I have resorted to urban creeks. Most contain tiny blue gill, some have bass and even crappie. Some of the fish can be a good size considering the spots they are living. Are you in socal? 

Ive never been to a paid lake but they just made a ton of them pay lakes. Im in Oklahoma. Tulsa area. So still city but no Call city type. 

[Jonas Staggs]

3 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

Ive never been to a paid lake but they just made a ton of them pay lakes. Im in Oklahoma. Tulsa area. So still city but no Call city type. 

Nice, urban fishing is fun. I can show you some real fishing in the hood stuff. It's amazing To see some of the places that hold fish. That's the challenge of it, finding a creek, wash, or drainage ditch that actually holds fish. I envy the guys down south with all the water, swamps, and big bass they have. It seems like in Florida every pond or creek holds fish. Here in SoCal 99 outa 100 don't. 

 

Most places here are either pay to enter or no fishing allowed.

[Luke Barnes]

9 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Nice, urban fishing is fun. I can show you some real fishing in the hood stuff. It's amazing To see some of the places that hold fish. That's the challenge of it, finding a creek, wash, or drainage ditch that actually holds fish. I envy the guys down south with all the water, swamps, and big bass they have. It seems like in Florida every pond or creek holds fish. Here in SoCal 99 outa 100 don't. 

 

Most places here are either pay to enter or no fishing allowed.

Man that sucks. I have a few urban creeks and drainage ditches that have fish. Some I havent explored because they are so wooded and me and snakes are not fans of each other.

[J Francho]

Microlite was a term used for fishing baits that were as light as 1/100 oz.