Ultra-Light Angling

The Joys Of Ultra-Light Angling

By John Kiser

To any of you out there feeling the least bit jaded by the intense and all-too rarely rewarded preoccupation with tournament bass fishing -- or perhaps more than a little bit bored by the relentless monotony of even the successful deep-water walleye trolling experience -- let me suggest a more sporting, exciting, inexpensive, user-friendly, and downright refreshing alternative.

The Ultra-Light Option.

I can’t guarantee that it will be a panacea for all your blues stemming from fishing’s occasional downside, only that it all but always gets me out of whatever angling rut I may find myself in at any given time. In addition, it has become something of a fishing "end" in itself for many, who eventually find themselves ultra-lighting an absolute majority of their allotted angling time, so enamored of the approach they eventually become.

Perhaps the biggest misconception associated with ultra-light gear is the opinion initially held by many that it is merely a kind of shortcut to fun, i.e., if you can’t locate and boat true trophy size fish. Then severely downsizing the equipment employed can become a kind of artificial, and some might cynically suggest, defeatist method of making smaller fish able to simulate the true trophy experience of the genuine lunker lugger.

I would venture that most of us that have eventually found ourselves evolving in this sub-sport by virtue of several ultra-light action combos and an accompaniment of appropriately tiny lures and terminal tackle would beg to differ.

While I’d be the first to exhort the sheer fun and challenge of fishing for most anything with tiny gear, I’ve frankly been fortunate enough in my half-century to likewise hook any number of double-digit northerns, muskie, catfish, carp, and steelhead. I still increasingly, as time goes by, find myself opting for lighter and lighter gear. I’ve found that the test of fishing skill

And, consequently, matching your gear to your goal specie is both worthy, wise, and distinctly relative, the nuances of each approach mutually exclusive of one another.

In nearly 20 years of retailing fishing tackle in the species-diverse midst of northeastern Ohio, much of the later years appreciating and fostering a burgeoning ultra-light market, I found that as with myself anglers found the increase in fun at the very least equaled by a commensurate and initially surprising bounce in the sheer number of hits they enjoyed -- a bonus hard to underestimate.

The simple truth is that the lighter the gear the greater the sensitivity to strikes (far more pronounced than the worthy but expensive switch from fiberglass rod to graphite, for instance). It’s easier to make longer casts with any lure but especially the smaller ones. The deeper your crankbaits will run, and the less stress and fatigue put upon the angler over a long day’s fishing.

Rods and Reels

No bulky flipping sticks or winch-like reels are needed here, thank you. Start out with one outfit featuring a longish (6-7 foot) fiberglass rod, which will be sufficiently whippy to facilitate long, accurate casts of the in-line spinners, tiny crankbaits and surface plugs you’ll be utilizing.

For vertical jigging off the side of a boat or pier I have another outfit featuring a shorter graphite stick more sensitive and stouter than my glass rod outfit. One application where such a rod shines is certainly the Lake Erie perch bite, where walleye anglers, in a grand gesture of false economy, use their walleye gear for the lighter biting perch and regularly find themselves throttled by more savvy ultra-light aficionados, better matching gear to specie.

For a reel, please try to find one that matches not only your budget but also the rod it will team with and appropriate for the sport defining two to six pound monofilament you’ll be using. A personal favorite is the Penn 4200 SS. This venerable workhorse features a smooth drag, sadly rare among smaller spinning reels but quickly appreciated when the bigger fish so often spooked by the "more appropriately-sized baits" thought essential for their pursuit are again passed over in favor of an ultra-light offering.

Lures

The once largely overlooked ultra-light segment of the lure industry has indeed exploded in recent years. Virtually every major lure outfit now features a catalog of tiny offerings. Don’t be afraid to experiment with various colors and configurations productive for the waters and species you’ll be targeting. Among my midwest favorites -- capable of true multi-species productivity?

A selection of smallish soft plastics (tiny twistertails, tubes, grubs), crankbaits always attached with a snap, Rebel Crawdads (preferably the deeper divers], floating minnows (Rebel, Rapala), and, of course, versatile and indispensable in-line spinners from 1/32 to 1/8 ounces. Panther Martin, Mepps, Roostertails, (always attached with a ball-bearing swivel to avoid line-twist) add casting weight, avoid action-robbing split shots, and help the vital blade action (essential at slow speeds).

Whether casually walking a nearby stream, dabbling off a nearby dock or pier, or using live or artificial bait, ultra-light angling is not just a transition point from conventional to fly-fishing or simply for fun. It would be worthwhile just for that if it wasn’t so much more productive for such a variety of fish in a variety of places in a variety of sizes.

Jack Kiser, the "Buckeye Angler," may be reached at buckeyeangler.com.