# Ultra-light to med-light!



## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

Was looking at getting a light action rod and reel set up for under 100$. Will be using it for multi species fishing . Was looking at a inferno field and stream rod. Kinda lost on a reel tho. any suggestion?


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

Chris Martin said:


> Was looking at getting a light action rod and reel set up for under 100$. Will be using it for multi species fishing . Was looking at a inferno field and stream rod. Kinda lost on a reel tho. any suggestion?


Shimano Sahara 1000 is a good UL reel. You may find it on close out for $50. Check Dicks online.


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## Panfish_Hunter (Jan 12, 2016)

Cabelas pro guide ptc rods look very interesting for lightweight setup .im a huge st croix fan but have been wanting to pick up a few for loaners. Also has a lifetime warranty . Pair it with a nice pflueger president spinning reel and youll still have change for bait and tackle


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## krm (Jul 28, 2007)

For a budget setup, a Pflueger President reel and a Shakespeare Micro series graphite rod. This will still leave a few bucks to buy some decent line. 

Those are about the best cheap rods I've found.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

you can get the shimano Sedona 1000 off ebay for around 63.00. they are a smooth reel. I like the eagle claw featherlight rods, I have 6 of them. you can get a 6' from amazon for 20.75. they are the ultimate pan fish rod but can handle bigger fish.
sherman


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## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

Thanks everyone for the input when I get the combo I will post up pictures if I can figure it out and give my 2 cents of a review what I decided. Thank you to everyone again for the input.


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## iLoveNaturalLight (May 4, 2017)

if you're looking to go dirt cheap you can get an ugly stick for like 35 bucks at dicks. I think thats what I paid for mine. Im not too into ultralight fishing so I dont have the nicest gear haha


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## Dillon Friend (Jan 12, 2016)

I'm with natural here. I bought the micro series for my mom to use and a big 9 inch pond bluegill snapped 2 eyes off it. Not again!!


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## Dillon Friend (Jan 12, 2016)

i have the ugly stik lite pro in a 5' UL and 6'6" L both paired with the shimano syncopate fg 1000 and I love the setups. I use them for crappie bluegill and trout but have caught a few 6lb catfish and a bunch of nice bass and a 34" carp with no problems.


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## ristorap (Mar 6, 2013)

Some of the Lews come with a 2nd spool.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

I think it's fun to play around with the ultra light fiberglass rods from bass pro. I bought my rods for around 20 dollars a piece and they have been great for me. Fiberglass is not super sensitive but it's fun to catch rock bass, bluegill, crappie, smallmouth, and whatever else I can get to bite while wading the river in the summer. I have the 6'6" model and the 7'6" model. I prefer the 6'6" and I bought a Small president to go with it. I have a lot of fun with the set up. I use 4lb stren clear blue fluorescent and I can cast a1/16 oz jig/grub combo about a quarter mile.


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## mas5588 (Apr 15, 2012)

Just my thoughts on the subject that don't really do much to answer the OP...

I started fishing bass tournaments in high school (back in the late 90s before it was cool ) and back then I was using 20+lb line and generally nothing lighter than MH rods. 

In my "old" age, I love lighter stuff. Over the past year or so I've added a 6' light IMX casting rod and a 6' light IMX spinning rod. Absolute blast on the river catching smallies, but I've even started using them on lakes and ponds for largemouth. Might lose another fish or two, but the fight - even from relatively small fish - is totally worth it.

My two pesos


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## iLoveNaturalLight (May 4, 2017)

mas5588 said:


> Just my thoughts on the subject that don't really do much to answer the OP...
> 
> I started fishing bass tournaments in high school (back in the late 90s before it was cool ) and back then I was using 20+lb line and generally nothing lighter than MH rods.
> 
> ...



What kind of lures you using for your ultra light? I'm trying to get into it a little more and just curious as to what you're tossing for the bass?


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## mas5588 (Apr 15, 2012)

On the river, generally a Rebel WeeCraw on the casting rod and a Ned Rig on the spinning rod. I don't really want to spread the news, but that Ned Rig is deadly just about anywhere. I've caught smallies, largemouth, walleye, rock bass, crappie, yellow perch, big pike...anything that swims.


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## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

I ended up getting 5.5 2 peice. Field and stream sportsman. I have used it now 20+ times. Pretty happy with it ecspecially for the price of $40. The rod isn't super sensitive but defiantly lots of fun! Eventually I will upgrade but this works great for now. Thank you for all of the input.


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## Chris Martin (Jan 9, 2017)

mas5588 said:


> Just my thoughts on the subject that don't really do much to answer the OP...
> 
> I started fishing bass tournaments in high school (back in the late 90s before it was cool ) and back then I was using 20+lb line and generally nothing lighter than MH rods.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a blast with the casting light setup. I have been fishing less then a year and been using baitcasters for about 6 months. Seems like throwing light lures would be very tough. Is it a certain reel that helps throw the light lures? How lite of lures are we talking here?


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## RAVDOG (May 28, 2010)

shakespeare micro graphite rod (7') medium light is a great buy and is sold at walmart for $19.99. I have 4 of them for crappies and saugeye and they are nice for the money. Check em out!


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## maxpower (Jul 2, 2008)

Some have mentioned problems with the Shakespeare Micro Series rods, but I haven't had any issues with the two I have, and I've used them for 4-5 years now. (Actually, I have three, but the third is just in storage in case they are discontinued. I like them that much.) They are tough enough to handle the occasional bigger fish too. While crappie fishing, I have hooked Fish Ohio class channels cats, and though it took some patience, the rod handled them well.

As RAVDOG mentioned, I also love the 7 footer, and that additional length will get you a little more casting distance as well. As you swing a 5.5 foot rod versus a 7 foot rod, the speed of the rod tip will be significantly faster, given that it must travel farther in the same amount of time. More speed equals more distance.

I pair my medium-light $16 rod with the Shimano Sahara 2500 or Shimano Symetre 2500 for a combo that can handle most NW Ohio applications. I also use Berkeley Nanofil for casting distance. Typically, I keep 4 lb. test on one setup, and 8 lb. test on the other. They're my favorite to use, although I admittedly do not have any experience with any higher-dollar rods.


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## I'm G'na Ms Her (May 26, 2004)

_ use ultralight for everything. Have caught many walleye, cat, sheephead and pike in the 8-10 lb range. You just have to get used to the idea that you have to finesse them to the boat. Pfleuger Pres and St Croix Avid (over your 100 limit). I used to use Fenwick HMG but they quit making a 5'5" UL. I bought a nice UL at Field and Stream a couple of years ago for 30 (put away for the winter but I can pull it out if you want to know the model)_


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

I’ve been using med light to ultra light tackle my whole life. 10pnd power pro with a small barrel swivel and fluorocarbon leader. President reels and a 7-8ft fast action rod is my go to setup. For me a finesse approach always puts me at an advantage as well as using a longer rod for fighting Big Fish and for longer casts. You don’t need to spend all kinds of money on expensive rods and reels. It’s how you present your bait and how you fight the fish. Find a decent smooth light reel( the size above ultra light) and at least a 7ft 2 pc rod and you are golden


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