Ultralight Bassin

[Clash City Rocker]

I save the UL setup for trout.

[PondBassin]

Yeah, I can see both pros and cons to using it. It just is one hell of a fight, I'll say that.

[redboat]

Just seeing how many of you guys will use ultralight gear for bass. I sometimes will use it in the warmer months, and ithey're very fun on 4 pound mono. However, I lose a lot of fish, which is expected (worth the fish I will catch though), and to this day still think I lost what I think could have been a personal best (but then again, I had just started back then, so anything of size was automatically 10 pounds to me). Do you guys do it?

PB

Here's a picture of a 10-6 my wife caught a couple years ago on 6 lb PLine flouro, a six foot rod, and a minature spinning reel. I've used PLine exclusively ever since.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g200/pscarbor/JoysBass.jpg

[Jonas Staggs]

On 2/17/2012 at 10:23 AM, Team9nine said:

Yes...and no. Last year, about half my bass (>1,000) came on 6# or less line, down to 2.5# test. But, I won't use an ultralight rod to fish it, and that is the big difference in my opinion. I've got several outfits set up for this type fishing and they all utilize ML rods with either fast or extra-fast actions. The whole setup is much more efficient from start to finish, including the time required to play and land a bass, versus using an "ultra" light.

-T9

 

If I am reading this correctly, your saying that a ML setup is better for targeting larger bass?

 

I am located in Socal, the majority of places, the fish are finicky, and highly pressured, since switching to my UL, I have had great success, I feel its a necessary switch. Im going after the biggest bass I can catch, doesnt mean Im gonna catch them, but in the off chance I do,  I feel I have a better chance using the UL  setup, but at the same time, am thinking to myself ok great, I hooked one, now what am I going to do.

[GreenPig]

20 something years ago I caught a 7.2 LM on 2 lb mono while fishing for bream with a Renosky Keystone Minnow. I always carry a UL when fishing ponds and did today. Caught 15 just slow reeling parallel to the bank with a Rapala on 4 lb test.

[jimmyjoe]

13 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

ok great, I hooked one, now what am I going to do.

   Try it with a pike on the end. It's Mother Nature's way of educating fishermen as to how much pull you actually can put on 4 lb. line.     ??    jj

[J Francho]

Fourscore and eight years ago, UL was fun for bass.  Still is.

[Tennessee Boy]

32 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Fourscore and eight years ago, UL was fun for bass.  Still is.

I apologize for being THAT GUY but four score and eight is eighty eight (aka 1932) ?

[Team9nine]

16 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

If I am reading this correctly, your saying that a ML setup is better for targeting larger bass?

 

I am located in Socal, the majority of places, the fish are finicky, and highly pressured, since switching to my UL, I have had great success, I feel its a necessary switch. Im going after the biggest bass I can catch, doesnt mean Im gonna catch them, but in the off chance I do,  I feel I have a better chance using the UL  setup, but at the same time, am thinking to myself ok great, I hooked one, now what am I going to do.

Unless you are going micro with your baits, a good ML outfit can easily handle 4-6 lb line and downsized baits, typically considered L/UL in many circles, while still maintaining a little more power to handle the larger fish (or any fish). 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I apologize for being THAT GUY but four score and eight is eighty eight (aka 1932) ?

Oh, you're the NEW GUY.  I know what fourscore is, it's something I put on every thread dug up from the grave.

[Tennessee Boy]

28 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Oh, you're the NEW GUY.  I know what fourscore is, it's something I put on every thread dug up from the grave.

Yeah,  I’ve noticed the four score tradition with old threads.  I just couldn’t resist being a smart arse ?

[J Francho]

Fourscore and two weeks later, Tennessee Boy's login worked. 

[Mbirdsley]

I only did it one time.  I had bought st.croix 7ft premier UL intending to use it for trout fishing. I think most st.croix rods run lower in weight than what they say. I should have bought at least a ML.  any how, middle of July rolls around and I’ve been working 12 hrs 7 days a week for the last 4 months.  

 

Buddy and I hit the river for smallies. I decided to use the UL as I paid about $230 Total for the set ( at that time I was spending maybe $100 bucks tops on rods and reels) up and decided I should finally try it out. Ended up Catching a crap ton small mouth with a ned rig.  Extremely sensitive except when I started getting into legal sized fish they completely owned me.  I think I was using either 4-6lbs mono.  If they decided to go on a run there was litteraly nothing I could do about except let them take drag and where out enough to get them.  The one I gotten close enough to me and he circled me about 3 times mid river .  I had to go with him so my buddy about fell into the river laughing Watching me turn in circles fighting the fish.

 

its fun but, I’d prefer not tire them out to land them in mid-summer River water temps. for the record I have been trout fishing exactly 2 times with That rod and bought it In the spring of 2017.  Took me a while, To realize with my work schedule and living in the wrong part of the state that I should give up trying to trout fish.  At least for a while. 

[Jonas Staggs]

18 hours ago, GreenPig said:

20 something years ago I caught a 7.2 LM on 2 lb mono while fishing for bream with a Renosky Keystone Minnow. I always carry a UL when fishing ponds and did today. Caught 15 just slow reeling parallel to the bank with a Rapala on 4 lb test.

yeah i started micro fishing for fun, and then just started throwing slightly larger lures with my UL setup and have been killing it, and hooked into some decent sized fish lately. UL is awesome.

11 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Unless you are going micro with your baits, a good ML outfit can easily handle 4-6 lb line and downsized baits, typically considered L/UL in many circles, while still maintaining a little more power to handle the larger fish (or any fish). 

what pound test would be considered UL? I hear on youtube people talking about finesse fishing with 10, 12, or even 15lb test line, but to me I think thats heavy. I got a 6 ft medium action rod with 10 lbs, and a 8 ft medium action rod with 12lb line. Another thing I was considering was to use some 10 lb braid on my UL, so if I do hook into a big fish, i know the line wont snap. Im slowly learning different type rod setups for different applications. Do you think a 6ft medium action rod with 10lb test is good for throwing 1/2oz lipless crankbaits or should I have a heavier action rod and line? 1/2 oz is the heaviest I throw with that setup.

[MN Fisher]

For me, UL means small reel, UL rated rod and light line. My UL rig is a President-25 on a Diawa Spinmatic UL/F loaded with 4# Yo-Zuri Hybrid. This is my main Ned rig, as well as other finesse jigs - under 1/4oz with small trailers...Keitech Leeches, TRD Hogz, etc. I'll also toss Mepps Aglias and Comets in #3-#5 size.

 

Nothing more fun than catching a 2-3# bass on UL.

[Team9nine]

9 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

yeah i started micro fishing for fun, and then just started throwing slightly larger lures with my UL setup and have been killing it, and hooked into some decent sized fish lately. UL is awesome.

what pound test would be considered UL? I hear on youtube people talking about finesse fishing with 10, 12, or even 15lb test line, but to me I think thats heavy. I got a 6 ft medium action rod with 10 lbs, and a 8 ft medium action rod with 12lb line. Another thing I was considering was to use some 10 lb braid on my UL, so if I do hook into a big fish, i know the line wont snap. Im slowly learning different type rod setups for different applications. Do you think a 6ft medium action rod with 10lb test is good for throwing 1/2oz lipless crankbaits or should I have a heavier action rod and line? 1/2 oz is the heaviest I throw with that setup.

Would agree with @MN Fisher above - UL is more a whole system of downsizing, not just a certain line weight. I’d also say your M outfit is borderline light on 1/2 ounce Traps. Might work most days, but I’d feel more comfortable bumping up slightly...but I also don’t know how stiff your M rod is. No real standard for that. If it feels a little underpowered to you, then it probably is. If your setups are working though, keep using them.

[Jonas Staggs]

5 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Would agree with @MN Fisher above - UL is more a whole system of downsizing, not just a certain line weight. I’d also say your M outfit is borderline light on 1/2 ounce Traps. Might work most days, but I’d feel more comfortable bumping up slightly...but I also don’t know how stiff your M rod is. No real standard for that. If it feels a little underpowered to you, then it probably is. If your setups are working though, keep using them.

Thanks well said. The 6ft feels a bit soft for the 1/2 oz