light duty spinning combo

[firefightn15]

I normally fish an ultra light rig for panfish up here as most waters I fish generally don't hold any that demand anything more. I just put a Saros 1000 on a 6' LF for the local river smallies (1-2 lbs). I've heard that KENTUCKY LAKE holds some nice panfish, and am wondering how this set up would do panfishing that area as well as for my smallies.  Any thoughts would help.

[roadwarrior]

Well, the problem with Kentucky Lake and the entire Tennessee River

system is that you never know what your're going to catch. If you are

specifically fishing for white bass, bream or crappie you might get away

with an ultralight rig, but if you target smallmouth, it won't work.

First of all, the smallmouth are too big, but most of all, the drum, buffalo,

striper and catfish will wear you out. Maybe you can land a 20+ trash fish

in open water, but you'll spend the better part of an hour doing it!

8-)

[firefightn15]

If I am targeting panfish, what rod would I be able to get away with, in the event I get bit by something other?

BTW, I like the idea of bigger smallies.  they are very rare in my immediate area.

[roadwarrior]

The minimum I use is an Avid AVS66MLF. This is my panfish rod,

but I have landed a 6 1/2 smallie and several 20+ rough fish on

this rig.

My best story is a 7 lb German brown trout caught while anchored

on the White River. The fight lasted more than 45 minutes and was

very challenging!

8-)

[firefightn15]

Thanks for the input RW, hope to hear the story in person.

[Raul]

You can land a big fish on an UL rig ?

Yes you can ....... with the right drag setting, with the right fishing technique, without any obstructions, with plenty line, yes you can catch and land a bigun, I 've done it and not only once.

Do I recomend it ?

Uhhhmmmm ....... nope

You need a little bit more muscle ( just in case ), ML is light enough for panfish without having to sacrifice the fun factor and if you happen to hook something interesting you have enough power plus you 'll have a lot of fun.

[firefightn15]

Thanks to you also Raul.  I guess getting the species to bite that you want just isn't always gonna happen.

[Raul]

Thanks to you also Raul. I guess getting the species to bite that you want just isn't always gonna happen.

You tell me about it, how you think I hooked 4,5 & 6 lbs bass ? ( once hooked a really nice one but couldn 't land it, it ran straight into the weeds ) well, for starters I wasn 't fishing for bass  : and they got hooked .... on a Mepps Black Fury 00  :-?, on a squirt ( teeny tiny tube )  : , on a itsy bitsy shad assasin  :, then how come when I 'm after them with bass gear they simply vanish ?  :.

Murphy 's laws of fishing, so now I 'm prepared.  

And now that I 'm prepared I 'm shure they can smell something fishy going on cuz haven 't caught one since I 'm prepared for them.  :-/

[bilgerat]

You tell me about it, how you think I hooked 4,5 & 6 lbs bass ? ( once hooked a really nice one but couldn 't land it, it ran straight into the weeds ) well, for starters I wasn 't fishing for bass and they got hooked .... on a Mepps Black Fury 00 , on a squirt ( teeny tiny tube ) , on a itsy bitsy shad assasin , then how come when I 'm after them with bass gear they simply vanish ?

I've read numerous articles that have said that a majority of the critters biologists have removed from bass stomachs are generally in the two inch range. Of course they won't pass up a huge meal (10 inch worm, anyone?).

My guess is a majority of their food intake is small critters that are easily caught with minimal effort.

Raul, with your background, maybe you could shed some light on this ?

[LAO162]

With an ultra light you may not have a stiff enough tip set the hook on a keeper bass - keep your hooks really sharp.  Some Medium Fast rods are a good compromise for ME.  Enough backbone for bass, but light enough to be fun with panfish.

[Raul]

I've read numerous articles that have said that a majority of the critters biologists have removed from bass stomachs are generally in the two inch range. Of course they won't pass up a huge meal (10 inch worm, anyone?).

My guess is a majority of their food intake is small critters that are easily caught with minimal effort.

Raul, with your background, maybe you could shed some light on this ?

I seriously think that bass are more opportunistic feeders than we want to admit, shure if the prey is or appears swallable and they can catch it picking it 's nose they will grab it, I 've caught numerous fish of 10 inches with a 4 inch shad ( half in the stomach and half in the mouth ) in the mouth, we 've found 3 + pounders floating dead or near death with a tilapia stuck in their mouths half their size; I bet that me catching big fish on teeny tiny baits is a matter of the fish taking the advantage of the fact that the bait was right on their noses, they see the opportunity of an easy meal with little or no effort and they grab it, it doesn 't matter if it 's small.

[Bantam1]

You would be surprised at how many bass we catch in So-Cal on 3-5 pound test and UL rods. It can be done and fairly easy too. We have to deal with rock, brush, and grass. Imagine fighting two 5 pounders at one time on 3# line    

RW- A 7 pound German Brown is a nice fish! My best to date out here is about 4 pounds. Do you have any pictures of that trout? I have to drive 4-5 hours to catch them so I rarely target them.

[roadwarrior]

I do! And some others, too. All on a regular camera,

so if my daughter can copy and send them out, I will

post some big browns. Mine are not in the same class

as J Francho's, but a couple are just under 10 lbs.

BTW. My 79 year old dad had an estimated 15-20 on for

45 minutes. Although he had it to the boat several times,

it stayed just beyond reach of the net.  Each time it jumped

we all nearly had a heat attack! That fish never gave up.

8-)

[J Francho]

Here is a honest to goodness 12# class brown buck.  Coincidentally caught on a Shimano rod, Bantam1, LOL.

[Bass Mekanik]

Raul is right about those 3+ pounders biting off more then they can chew.  I saw this 4+lber making a big commotion and snagged it to see what was up.  It ended up having a HUGE mayan cichlid in its mouth with the spines flared out so the bass couldn't swallow it.  If I wasn't the nice guy I am this fish would have easily died.  I pulled the mayan out and revived the bass for a while before she swam away.  Shows bass are

very opportunistic hunters.