Ultra light setup

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SuzukiGS750EZ

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Hey guys. Wanted to get your input on a setup i'm thinking about purchasing. I've been looking at a 5' st croix triumph ultra light rod, and i'm going to pair it with a Pflueger President 6925X reel with some 20lb power pro. I know the line is overkill, but i like braid and the reel will be set at drag for 4lb line to save wear on the reel/rod. Anybody have experience with either of those components? Altogether will cost about 140.
 
St croix are great rods but go for a longer rod IMOP.

a 6.5 to 7 ft will give you better casting and control especially from shore but still boatable. I had have a 5.5 and once I got a light action 7.5 it collects dust.

A longer light action rod will land bigger fish protecting your light line vs a light action rated for the same line weight. Longer will have more flex and bow.
 
You will not like the way a 20lb line behaves out of an ultralite setup even if it is a braid... get a 6-8lb braid (if you feel the need for even that much) and it will handle anything that rod does. I have caught 10+ pound northerns on my ultralite with 4lb mono. It wasn't what I was going for but it happens. BTW, Presidents are excellent small spinning reels.
 
Brad "the butcher";12797074 said:
St croix are great rods but go for a longer rod IMOP.

a 6.5 to 7 ft will give you better casting and control especially from shore but still boatable. I had have a 5.5 and once I got a light action 7.5 it collects dust.

A longer light action rod will land bigger fish protecting your light line vs a light action rated for the same line weight. Longer will have more flex and bow.
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i have a 5.5 light, and most of my casting rods are between 6 and 7 foot. So i figured i'd go with the 5. Most of the fishing ill do with it are small creeks and ponds anyways. i love my st croix triumph i have so that's why i went with the croix. I was thinking of maybe an ugly stik but i havent picked up my ugly stik in forever
 
A couple suggestions.... dump the idea of the 20lb test line. Go 4 or 6 lb. Tried a lot of different light lines and always go back to Stren (original). Has a bit of stretch unlike braid but has good casting. Light lines increase your casting distance and are less visible to fish. I also change out my line after a couple of uses and the cost of braid would make that prohibitive.

Basically if you are looking at light or ultra light, look at the diameter of the line.

For a rod, I like the 5' Bass Pro Micro Lite ($50). It has a stiff butt for an ultra light and I prefer the full cork handle and floating/adjustable reel seat. You might find that you prefer to mount your reel pretty far back versus the center for balance. Light and ultra light fishing is all about wrist motion on your cast.

I looked at the entire lineup of St Crois rods at Bass Pro recently for light to ultra light spinning and was not particularly impressed for this application. The bigger/heavier rods are better in my opinion.

As far as the reel goes, your choice. I like Shimano stuff. Although I have been considering experimenting a bit. Look at the line retrieve ratio. The smallest "ultra light" reels have small diameter spools. I suspect something like the 2500 series (vs 1000) might be good for someone used to larger reels. But I use the 1000 series almost exclusively, but have one light action rod (about 6 ft) that I sometimes use for larger water which has the 2500 Stradic on it. I feel the Stradic is one of the best light action spinning reels made. You pay for them however and they tear up just like any other. Hint... don't dunk your reel if you can avoid it and try to remember to lube it periodically.

What do I use? Currently use a GLoomis light action rod that I believe they called a panfish/crappie rod back when they were available. Love this rod. But it was pricey. One of my back up rods in case I break one is the Bass Pro Micro Lite. I only wish it was 5'6" versus 5", but I can live with the length.
 
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I have Diawa, Presidents, and Shimano Saharas. The Saharas continue to give me trouble after dunking though Shimano claims they've cured the "binding" problems caused by swollen washers. That President will make a nice real and IMHO the best bang for the buck. It sounds like you know what you want in re: to rod length, but I'd agree that you don't loose much going longer 6-7ft. and you gain casting distance and leverage if needed. I kayak fish so thought I'd want something shorter for the light weight and manuverability but have found that the opposite is true. I want casting distance while sitting and the ability to clear the bow of boat with the rod. I'm migrating to longer rods now.
Also say dump the Powerpro for this application. If floats on moving bodies of water and tends to create big bends on the water's surface if you're casting cross current. If you don't want the stretch of mono look at some co-polys or "hybrid" lines like the YoZuri Hybrid. I often use Seaguar Florocarbon for no stretch depending on the application but think the Hybrid would be a good compromise.
 
'go light more fight!',......yes 20lb braid is somewhat of an over kill for ultralight, Why not use 4lb fireline for your main, awesome product. Or If you're really set on the 20lb, use a 4lb leader, Oh also go for a longer rod maybe 6-7ft, better casting and better fish control. Hope this helps

Kris,.
 
I found the fluorcarbon lines a bit brittle and subject to getting nicked up easily. Like I said, I find myself going back to basic stren and keep the bulk spool at home to change out my line frequently. I hate twisting line.

I am going to have to give the Fireline another try.

Longer rods are good for open water like big streams or lakes. They have their advantages.
 
I've tried fire line on spinning reels. Very stiff and I hated how flat it was. I ran yozuri hybrid on one of my first baitcasters and liked it, many many years ago. If I remember correctly it's somewhat stiff. To be honest the 20lb braid is the 6lb diameter, or 15 is 4lb, but I wanted to get it because it's just as thin and strong, and braid doesn't wear or or keep memory. In my experience on smaller reels, memory becomes an issue wether the line is "low" memory or not. That is why braid appeals to me. I was looking at suffix mono in 4lb as well though, it's cheaper too. I could go with 8lb braid which is 1lb mono equivalent, but going that thin would make me worry about snapping the line on longer casts. I may go to a 5'6" rod, but I don't think I'd go higher. The spots I fish spinning gear are tight. My 6'+ rods always grab a branch no matter how I cast. But these spots produce nice trout so sometimes I step into the water if it's a warmer day. I'm going to use my current UL setup today. An Abu cardinal 101 on a shakespeare excursion 5' UL 2 piece and some 4lb stren mono. I got it for free and it's what got me into the UL idea. Landed some decent trout on it last year.
 
I think braid gets fewer bites than mono or fluorocarbon. In an ultralight situation , I think braid , even though it has a smaller diameter, it is easier to see and feel. It puts out more vibration. This may not matter in some waters if the fish are not spooky but in the waters I usually fish, I would not consider it
 
Yeah the last two times I've been out I used a 5'6" light two piece rod and my Abu Garcia cardinal 101 with 6lb trilene on it and it's handled everything I usually fish with braid. The largest fish I caught was only about 1lb, but it was fun. I usually run a st croix triumph mh 1 piece 6'6" with a shimano chronarch with 50lb power pro so downsizing to a light is the total opposite end of the spectrum. It's enjoyable though. I mainly fish frogs, spinnerbaits and senkos with the baitcasters. Rapala, lighter worms and buzz baits I usually use spinning setups on, but I can cast it all on a baitcaster as well if it's all I bring with me. Just doesn't cast as far due to the heavy duty setup.
 
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