Conference wahoo::fishing

    I've got a 5' Shakespear ultralite rod w/Daiwa silver series spin
    reel (model ??) loaded with 4lb test.  I use this combo strictly
    for trout in brooks and streams.  Because of its light weight, even
    a 6" brookie puts up a nice little fight.  Nail a 1-2lb Rainbow
    on it and you'll have your hands full...make sure the drag works
    well, especially if there's fast moving water.
    
    I found that by using 4 lb. test, just the weight of a #8 hook and
    a worm or a 1/16th oz. spinner is more than enough to underhand
    flip the lure out 20-30 feet.  It's a real thrill using light-weight
    tackle like this.  Now, I need to step down to 1 or 2 lb test line
    and really have some fun.
    
    -Joe- (still_a_basser_at_heart_though!)

    I second the four pound test. You will improve you casting plus
    catch more trout, as you know they are line shy. If you want to
    get real fancy, you can put a 2 lb test leader on. I wouldnt fill
    the whole spool with 2 lb, you would have to change you line too
    often. When fishing for brookies I always use a 2 lb leader.
    
    Rich
    

    My ultralight is spooled with 4 pound and I like spinners more than
    any other type of lure.  Mepps are good and I have even better luck
    with Blue Fox Vibrax spinners, especially for smallmouth.  I haven't
    lost a Bass or Trout yet due to broken line.  I did have trouble
    with Shad, though.  You can't lift a 4 lb fish out of the water
    with 4 lb test; a net is safer.
    
    I have my new ultraultralight spooled with 2 lb.  I can't wait for
    spring!
    
    Steve

    
    I have a hand made 5 foot ultralight.  It was made ten years ago
    from a Fenwick blank.  I love it for trout.  Its best in the brooks
    and small streams.  I use 4lb test line small sminners or worms
    and eggs with a splitshot.
    
    I have used it for bass.  I got tried of breaking off nice fish
    when I set the hook.  You need a reel that has a very good drag
    if you want to use this for bass.  I have caught a 4lb small mouth
    in Quabin on a tny crazy crawler with tis rod.  But a few minutes
    later lost a bigger fish and the plug when the fish hit.  The light
    line can not take the sock of a sping smallie.  BuT I had a reel
    with a bad drag that used to freeze on me. (what do you want for
    10 year old technology).
    
    I have also tried it worming in the spring with small 1-4 in worms.
     If was nice but could not rig texas stile.  No power to drive the
    hook through the worm and the fish.
    
    Most of all when you get bored a can of worms and a small bobber
    make for a fun afternoon for the the kivers!!!
    
    Bassin Bob

                      < FREE ROD FOR ME >
     I DON'T know if anybody out there seen the add about getting a
    ultra light"casting"lighting rodfor the purchase of two filler spools
    of berkly trilene line.I went out and bought the line and sent away
    for my rod.i use trilene anyways.the rod is 4 1/2" long and extremely
    sensitive.I also bought a shimano baitcasting reel for and plan
    to use 8lb test .not exactly ultra light but i'm going to use it
    for my worming rod.I figure i can still pull in everything but the
    biggest bass on it"7lb plus".anyways i know that i will have a blast
    on pulling in small bass on it.with this sensitive rod i should
    be able to feel the slightest hits.I'll just have to watch the way
    i set the hook.any open water yet
    
    
                                              creator of tobacc
    
    

    I have (or should I say my son has) a 5' shakespeare ultralight
    with a pfluger spinnig real and they can be really exciting.
    As everyone points out, all the smaller fish are exciting but
    also go for pickrel and bass.  There's real excitement but don't
    do it in a tourney!! We loose some fish and lures doing this but
    wait till you latch onto a 2-3 lb bass or pickrel. If you like long
    fights and playing the fish, it's the only way to go. My boy got
    a 4.5 lb bass on the ultralight (plastic worm) and I was surprised
    both he and rod lasted the duration, but he landed the fish after
    about 5 minutes (seemd like hours). Boy was I jealous!
    
    Good luck
    

    Ok, all you 'closet kibby catchers', what about reels for these
    ultralights?  
    
    I'm considering filling one of my spare spools with 4lb test and
    bouncing one of my QMD20's (7.8oz) onto the ultralight when necessary.
    However, I may consider getting another smaller real, such as the
    Quantum QMD10 (6.9oz).  The only lighter reel in the basspro catalog
    is the Shakespear Sigma 41/30, weighing in at 5.7oz.........
    But, I'd hate to give-up that wonderful Quantum Drag........  
    
    Don Mac  
                         
    
    

    re:ultralights
    	
    	One of the problems mentioned earlier about using worms can
    be overcome by using the hooks with the weed guard instead of the
    Texas rigged worm. I agree that most ultralights do not have the
    backbone to drive the hook through the worm and into the fish. I
    used to fish nothing but an ultralight. I have an original Mitchell
    308 and an old olympic 5'6" rod. I lost alot of fish from not being
    able to properly set the hook. No matter what you use for a rig,
    I would not recommend anything less than 6 lb. test for spring
    smallmouth. Even with the best drags, the fish either breaks the
    line, or you don't get a good hook set most of the time. I have
    a friend that insisted he could catch good size spring smallmouth
    on 4 lb. test trilene. After one attempt, he went back to 6 lb.
    test. It can be done, but I wouldn't try it with any real expensive
    lures.
    
    RAYJ

    .-1 I did try the wire weed guards but I don't like them.  Then
    tend to open after hitting logs and such.  Also I believe the fish
    can feel that spring.  
    
    .5 As for 8lb test for worms that is fine.  I used to use it all
    the time.  I still keep a spare spool in my box for clear water
    conditions but!!  I lost to many big spring fish because of the
    light line.  I would be flipping or casting into cover so thick
    of branches and logs with rocks for those big bass.  It only takes
    one LITTLE nick in 8lb and a strong hook set over some structure
    and you will watch MR BASS swim away with hook in mouth!!

    Thats only my opion from past experiences.  Good luck with the light
    line.  Just some times take a good look at the conditions and check
    you line often.  (But we know how many people check line every few
    casts ^:)   )
    
    Bassin Bob
    

    
    I currently have a Fenwick ultralight blank on order from Cabela's.
    I plan on using it for trout. Sounds like I should have a good time
    with it. Can anyone recomend a good ultrlight spinning reel. Kmart
    has a Shimano and a Fenwick on sale this week and was wondering
    if anybody has had any experience with Fenwick reels. I know their
    rods are excellent but have never used their reels.
    

    The only thing I don't like about my Shimano reel I bought last
    year is the drag!  It gets hung up alot and I've lost two lures
    already because of it!  The model # is GT-X 2200.  I'm going to
    write to Shinano to see if maybe they have alot of complaints
    and they've come up with some replacement washers to get the
    drag to run smoother!
    
    							The Legend 

    I have been using ultralight on the Susquehanna for smallmouths
    for almost seven years and have found that the smallies here will
    hit the 4lb. test much quicker than heavier baitcaster lines.  We
    don't seem to have many problems with "long distance releases".
    Most people use cranks such as the Norman "TinyN" in a variety
    of colors but jigs with twister tails work just as well.  I caught
    four walleye (all under minimum) 14-12 inches just yesterday on
    this setup.  Perhaps you can tell me where I can get the Merrimac
    smallies as I'll be coming up to Bedford at the beginning of May

    I don't know what the smallmouth action is like on the Merrimack
    below Manchester, but good fishing can be had both below and above
    the damn in Hooksett.  About a mile bove the damn is the Bow power
    plant discharge.  Even during the winter, water temp is fairly high
    at the discharge so fish seem to congregate there.  Even now, there's
    apt to be fairly decent bassin there.  The only thing is that the
    bass seem to be fairly prone to parasites due to the warmer water.
    
    Most of my fishing is done below the damn where there's faster water
    as well as slow moving stretches.  Although I've never caught one,
    I've been told that there's some repectible sized walleye in there.
    Also, an occassional salmon is caught that makes it way down from
    up north. 
    
    The boat launch in Hooksett is now open but the power plant launch
    is still snowed in.  Hopefully, it will be open within a couple
    of weeks.  
    
    -Joe- 

    I've been using ultra-light with 4lb line for a couple of years
    now.  Great fun, even with smaller fish.  An interesting thing about
    ultra-light is that regular spinning gear starts to feel clumsy
    (especially in a boat).  You get spoiled by the "flick of the wrist"
    casting.
    
    Match the gear to the location -- I use ultra-light in clear water
    or for small fish.  If you are fishing weeds for bass or large
    pickeral, go to something heavier.
    
    The previous comments about hook-setting are absolutely right --
    ultra-light has very little backbone and makes it difficult to set
    the hook.  My solution is sharp hooks, light wire hooks, and exposed
    hooks (if you can't use an exposed hook, you probably shouldn't
    be using ultra-light).
    
    One of my favorite lures is the twisty-tail grubs -- either a bare
    2"-3" grub, or a 1"-2" grub on a 1/32 oz jig head.  (Note on the
    grubs -- I've found that you can virtually eliminate line twist
    if you use a jig hook instead of a regular hook.  You'll probably
    have to use mail order to get #4 light wire jig hooks, I couldn't
    find any locally.)
    
    Final note on 4 lb line -- plan on tying a lot of knots!  I got
    tired of fish breaking off, and finally started re-tying the lure
    after each decent fish, every two or three small fish, and every
    half hour or so of casting.  This has cut the lost fish to very
    few.  (Now if I can just figure out how to find more fish!)
    
    Russ Doty 

    I went for Quantum's brand new QSS2 Ultralight reel.  Weighs just
    6oz.  I tried mounting one of my QMD20's on the ultralight rod,
    but it just didn't feel right.  The QSS2 seems like a `reel' nice
    reel.  It's alot smaller than the QMD series, but still has that
    great Quantum "Magnum" drag.                  
    
    Don Mac

    RE.-1
     Don,  how small is that QSS2?  I've been looking for one 
    for weeks now as it looked good in the Cabela's catalog,
    but I prefer to look before I buy.  Where did you find yours?
    None of the stores in the Manchester NH area seem to carry 
    them.
      Thanks.
          Mike
    

    re:-1
    	I believe I saw them at Zyla's in Merrimack, N.H.. They are
    an authorized distributor for Quantum (Zebco), Shakespere, and Shimano.
    
    RAYJ

    Yes, Zyla's is where I got mine.  	Don Mac	

    		
    	I have a Daiwa Whisker 750 loaded with 2 lb. test with an ultra-
    	lite that I built, and have been catching alot of rainbow trout
    	with it over the past few days. I just keep the drag set right,
    	and watch the fish jump when he gets close.
    
    	The Whisker is a great reel with one of the smoothest actions
    	I've ever felt.

    I have been using an old Quick reel on my 5' Fenwick FS50.
    My choice of line is Trilene XL (not XT) in 2 lb. test.
    This year i bought a new graphite browning reel, model 
    804-X (I think). the drag system is excellent, with very fine 
    tuning. With my old reel I caught trout to 16" with 2 lb. 
    line, but you sure can't horse 'em in !

    Last night, I had the most fun I've had yet with my Daiwa minispin.
    I keep it in the trunk, usually with a small plano box containing
    a dozen small crankbaits, spoons and spinners.
    
    I was driving past a large marina (out for a drive with the wife
    and kids) and pulled in and stopped, "just to stretch our legs".
    I opened the trunk to get my ultralight and realized the box of
    lures was home in my boat.  The only lure I had was a small red
    rooster tail, maybe 1/32 oz.  I assembled the rod and tied on the
    spinner.  
    
    Now, this marina is a substantial operation, full of big boats that
    people treat like summer homes, and has room for a couple hundred
    of these cruisers.  What this means is that it has miles of docks
    over 2-8 feet of water.  My 6 year old son and I alternated casts
    for about 1/2 hour (until the Mrs complained), pitching the little
    lure along the edge of the dock and reeling back at relatively quick
    pace.  The toll? .... about 20 fish, half were largemouths (small
    ones up to a pound or so) and half were big bluegill (the proverbial
    fish the size of your hand).
    
    When the fish are small, nothing beats 2 pound test!
    
    Steve

    
    Was that a cold front coming through last night?  I went back to
    the marina and pitched everything in the box for an hour over the
    same spots as the previous night and all I saw was a couple of very
    spooked bluegills.  As a last ditch attempt, I tied on a little
    jig/spinner (sort of a mini-spinnerbait) with a white curly-tail
    grub and headed for the deepest end of the docks.  I recalled reading
    that fish head for deeper water after a cold front.  I jigged it
    a couple times before I pulled up a decent crappie.  In the next
    half hour, I caught a half dozen more up to a pound.  By 8:30 I
    couldn't take that cold wind any longer but I know where I'm going
    tonight.
    
    Steve

    Hi,
    	I am planning on purchasing an ultralight fishing outfit (a
    longtime dream of mine).  I am most likely going to get a Berkley
    Ultralight "Hot Rod" since they are on sale at Kmart this week for
    $24.77. As for the reel I am not really sure what to get.  I am
    going to try to spend less than $30.00 for the reel but as usual
    I will probably get lured into buying something more expensive because
    of some neat gizmo a certain reel has.  I noticed this topic hasn't
    had a reply for about a year so is there any new reels out that
    are really good for ultralights? and/or could I get some status
    reports on some of the reels some of you have been using good/bad.
    	The only reel on sale at Kmart is the Diawa "Silver Spinning
    Reel" for $12.88.  Is this a good quality reel?  I will probably
    use it a lot so I will pay more money for a reel that can take a
    little more abuse.  The Daiwa does not have a rear drag which I
    think might be of big convienience with an ultralight.
    	Another reel on sale a Kmart is a lightweight Baitcast reel
    the (ABU Garcia amBASSaduer LITE PLUS).  Has anyone ever used one
    of these before?  This reel is on sale for $39.44 and has little
    button on the top labeled "hook set", I assume that this button
    freezes the drag while you set the hook.  Do baitcast and ultralight
    mix at all?
    
    Any experience/warnings/suggestions about entire ultralight setup
    appreciated.
    
    Thanks
    Steve Harris
    

    
    I have 2 ultralight setups that I love to use whenever I can.
    
    The first is a Shakespeare uglystik rod with a Shakespeare 025 Sigma
    real on it.  I'm not really a big fan of uglystik rods (I have to
    admit I was at one time until I tried a couple of other models)
    but this set up is extremely durable.  The real is inexpensive
    (around $25.00 I think) but I have beat on this thing for 4 years
    now and have not had a single problem with it.
    
    The other set up, I bought only because it was to cheap to pass
    up (besides, you can NEVER have too many rods !!)  I was up at
    Zylas and the had an Ultra-Ultra light (read: Prince makes pasta
    that when cooked has more back-bone!) Shakespeare 100% graphite
    "Liberty" rod for 10 dollars.  I like this rod much
    better rod than the Ugly-Stik, and I think they were quite expensive
    at one time/at another place.  Anyhow I put a Quantum (QD-2 ??)
    ultralight reel on it and love the setup (I think I paid under $20
    for the reel). I've caught bass in the 2.5 to 3 lb range in open
    water, and what a blast !! 
    
    I guest my point is, look around, there are some good deals on good
    equipment. 
    
    Gus
    
    P.S.  I own 2 ABU Garcia 521 XLT Baitcaster and think they are an
          excellent reel especially for the relatively low price.
    	  I don't know anything about the "LITE" series, 'cause I still
    	  have some problems cats the foolish things with anything
    	  smaller than a Zara spook !!  Just kidding, I am getting to
    	  handle those things MUCH better !!
    
     	C.U. on the H.2.O.
    

    I also use an ugly stick - have for almost 5 years until this past
    weekend until the tip snapped off.  According to the ad, they'll
    replace it if it breaks, so I sent it off this week to Shakespear.
    
    I used to have a cardinal/abu reel.  It was ok, but a bit heavy for the
    rod.  Eventually the bail spring let go on it.  I ended up getting it
    repaired and a few years later the drag blew out on it and it is no
    longer useful. I switched over to a Shimano GTX reel and LOVE IT!! 
    It's got every goody a person could want and it casts like a bullet and
    is still as smooth as the day I bought it (4 years ago).  I lkie it so
    much that I just purchased another shimano reel to match up with a
    shimano magnumlite rod that I use for larger rivers and some occasional
    hawg fishing.  For the ultralight set-up I chose the next from the
    smallest size up reel primarily for line capacity purposes.  I'm glad I
    did because the ugly stick can really handle quite a bit of abuse and
    I think the added capacity and bit larger reel gave me a bit more
    adaptability, PLUS the smallest shimano is almost microscopic!!
    
    Ken

    	I went to Kmart yesterday to buy my new ultralight rod.  I got
    to Kmart and they didn't have any of the rods that were on sale
    (Classic Kmart).  Due to not having the rod I was looking for I
    started looking at the other ultralight rods which they sold (which
    I think is part of KFSS - Kmart Fishing Strategy Sales).  I started
    looking at the Berkley Lightning Rod Ultralight and this feeling
    of dizzyness and (burn hole in pocket fishing) syndrome came over
    me as usually does when buying a new fishing equipment.  I bought
    the rod $41.00 spending almost as much as I planned for the whole
    combination.  Since my overbudgeting (at trick I learned from DEC)
    I will have to wait until next week to buy my new spinning reel
    which cannot be too inexpensive because it wouldn't match the rod
    right - right?  Suggestions for any ultralight reels expensive or
    not will now be under consideration.
    	After I bought the new rod I couldn't just let it sit around
    for a week so I slapped on the Sigma Pro reel which I had on my
    6' boron spinning rod with 8# test line.  This reel isn't very big
    and still consider too big for the ultralight but for "test" purposes
    I tried it out.  Even though I caught nothing with the combo I got
    a good feel for the rod which is extremely sensative.  I can't wait
    to catch a fish on this thing because every fish will feel like fighting
    a lunker smallmouth.  I'm very satisfied with the rod selection.
    
    More reel suggestions welcomed.
    
    Steve         
    	
    	

    I second the notion of going for a Shimano ultralight reel. They are
    very well made, have a smooth drag, and have that handy one hand cast
    feature.
    
    The Doctah

    I might add that the Shimano reels are reasonably priced too!  Bass pro
    has them for around $29.00 (I'd cite numbers, but forgot my catalog at
    home).  All this AND they even come with a spare spool!  I use 4 lb test
    and in a second can rig right up with 6 for bigger water or 2 pound if
    the trout are spooky.
    
    Such a deal.

     SHIMANO!!
    
    --The Skoal Bandit
    

    I have a Shimano CX1000. Had it for three years W/O any problems. A
    great little reel with a smooth drag. 
    
    You may wonder if the rod was worth the bucks, but over time I bet you
    won't regret it. 
    
    Ed 

    Twist, Twist, OK, OK, I will go and check out the Shimano reels
    tonight.  I have a freind which is a Fishing Guide/Tackle Dealer who is
    an authorized Shimano representative.  Last time I saw him he gave me a
    free spool of 8# test Trimax and I'm sure he'll give me a competative
    price on a new reel.
    	RE:-1
    	I tried out the new "Lightning Rod" this weekend and completely
    fell in love with it.  I caught a few small smallmouths using a
    small J-7 rapala.  On one cast I jigged it on the surface until it was
    about twenty feet from shore and then started reeling it in when I saw
    this bohemoth largemouth snag it from behind I set the hook but pulled
    it right out of his mouth.  I figured that if the fish around there
    were that big than I'd switch to a bigger lure, a J-9 rapala of the
    same silver color.  I casted it out and jigged it on the surface using
    every twitching motion I could think up.  About twenty feet from shore,
    SLAM, a big smallie nailed it.  After 5 minutes of zipping drag and the
    lightning rod doubling over I got him to shore.  He was fifteen inches
    long and fat, I estimated him at around 3 pounds and let him go.
    	I am now officially "SOLD" on fishing with Ultralight equipment.
    I'll reply on my Shimano reel adventures
    
    Thanks for advise
    
    Steve
    
    
    
      

	I have had good success with that type of fishing on an ultralight
    as the fish hooks itself a lot of times that way. I tried using
    it for worm fishing for bass and although I still caught some, 
    I lost more than I feel I would have if I had been fishing with a 
    pole with more backbone. It didn't seem as though my noodle
    rod gave me the backbone needed to drive the hook into the fish.

    	Definitely a lot of fun when you do catch them. I've used an
    ultralight off a boat in a little over 100' of water to catch sand
    sharks up to 3+'. Now that was fun !!!

    	RAYJ

    I bought a 6.2 ounce Shimano reel for UL rod yesterday.  It has the
    fighting drag and quick cast features on it.  It is a Black Magnum with
    a number something like CBX 1000.  I bought it for $48.00 which I think
    isn't too bad of a deal.  I haven't had a chance to try it out. Too
    damn hot yesterday.  I really like the fighting drag feature but it
    might take a little while to get used to.
    
    Thanks for all of your suggestions
    
    Steve
    

    	Last week I managed to snap my Lightning Rod in half while trying to
    unsnag my lure from a rock.  Since I had only had the rod for about a
    month Kmart offered me a choice of a cash refund or a new rod.
    	I decided to take the cash refund because the outfit did not seem
    very well balanced (tip-heavy).  I bought a new rod from "Harpo's"
    the local Bass Pro Shops dealer (prices are same as catalog + tax) for
    $29.95.  The rod is the BPS Mini-lite which is rated for 2-6lb line and
    is guarenteed for a year.  It has a cork handle which allows you to
    move the reel to a good balancing point.  This rod is a lot more
    flexable than the lightning rod so every fish feels like a huge lunker. 
    I haven't yet caught a decent sized fish on the BPS rod but I'm sure
    that I will be in for a good battle when the time comes.
    
    Steve                                                             

    I am going to get an ultra lite set up and in looking for a rod found
    these "tenessee wraps".  These are rods without rod seats.  They have
    cork hand and two movable rings that you push onto the reel foot.  This
    allows you to adjust the reel to your touch.  Are these worth it?  Does
    anyone have one of these types of rods?
    
    Brian

    With Tennesee grips you use electrical tape to secure the reel to the
    handle.  I haven't tried one, but have seen folks use them.  Some folks
    prefer them.  To me, it would appear that the tape would slip and leave
    a gummy residue - but I'd guess that this is not actually the case. 
    I'd also like to hear from someone who has used these.
    
    -donmac

    I bought a Cotton Cordell 4"6" ultralight at a fishing show. Its got 
    rings and a cork handle. I love it. I don't even need to use electrical
    tape to secure the reel. I'd forgot how nice a cork handled rod can be
    to fish with. It get a thumbs up from me.
                                                   Scott

    I went with the elec. tape. I had to because the rings kept
    getting loose. Have had no problems at all. Actually, I never
    gave it a thought until I saw this note. I taped it probably
    2 yrs. ago. 
    
                                     Jeff (Captain)
                                     Team Starcraft

     I've got 3 "All-Stars" with cork tennessee handles, and I'll never
    change back. Comfortable and sensitive - especially the IM-6.
     Best way to tape the reel on is:
    
    1. put several strips of masking tape on the handle where you want the
    reel to go. Allow several extra inches at each end past the reel foot.
    This tape goes on horizontally.
    2. Tape the reel on with several SHORT pieces of nylon filament
    (Packing) tape - enough to secure the reel.
    3. Overwrap with plastic "Builder's tape" - it's like electrical tape,
    but better & more flexible. Available at better hardware stores.
    
    Convinced,
    
    --The Bandit

    
     I have a browning origiginal teneesee grip.
    
     Yes you put the reel on with electrical tape there is no cork on this
     baby nor rod seats
    
     It is very sensative and great for small grubs and gitzits. And as
    usual Ota it doesn't make all that much difference what you put on for
    a real beacuse you'll still be the man operating it. 
    
     Don't get too concerned with names/prestige get a decent graphite rod
     and reel and work on technique! The rod/reel can help but you still 
     have to develop technique.
    
     _ Dave