Of all the kinds of fishing I've done over the years, ultralight fishing is by far my favorite. But if you're like many fisherman, you have no idea what I'm talking about. Well, let me try and remedy that situation, and introduce you to one of the most exciting kinds of fishing out there!

What is Ultralight Fishing?

Ultralight fishing is any kind of fishing where you use light tackle and line to catch your chosen species of fish. For example, a lot of people tend to use medium action spinning and bait casting gear for smallmouth bass. While this is fine for large open water lakes and reservoirs, it may prove cumbersome on small streams, rivers, and lakes. this is where ultralight tackle shines. However ultralight fishing tackle isn't just for situational use, it's an entire style of fishing unto itself, kind of like fly-fishing.

What makes a rod/reel or other tackle "Ultralight"?

The "ultralight" designation simply means that the rod, reel, line, and other tackle is a smaller, lighter version of the standard type. For example, my current favorite set up is a Quantum Catalyst PTI spinning reel, rated for 4ib test, on a 6ft, fast action, St. Croix ultralight spinning rod. You can check to see if a rod you're looking at is a true ultralight fishing rod by looking at the rod itself next to the grip, there it will say what "action" the rod is, medium, light, or ultralight etc.

While it may be easy to identify a rod or reel as ultralight, other tackle can be a bit more difficult to match up. As a rule, fishing line used in ultralight fishing won't exceed 8lb test, and fishing lures won't exceed 1/8 of an ounce.

What species of fish can be taken on ultralight?

Most sport fish species that don't exceed 10lbs under normal conditions can be targeted with ultralight fishing tackle. The most popular species are panfish such as bluegill, and my personal favorite, rock-bass, black bass such as smallmouth, most species of trout with special mention being given to the brown trout, and many other fish species.

Ultralight Bass Fishing

Ultralight Trout Fishing

Ultralight Fishing for Panfish