Bass fishing is often done with baitcasting rod and reel, along with medium-sized lures. But if you are a fan of ultralight fishing, then you can hook down a handful of bass with ultralight spinning gears as well.
You cannot actually use a light lure with a baitcaster setup but in the ultralight spinning setup that is possible. With the right setup, you can land your lure wherever you want. In other words, you will get great casting control.
If you are a beginner and looking for some tips on ultralight bass fishing, you have landed on the right page.
To be honest, there isn’t much to tell you except for telling you about the right setup which is extremely important.
With the wrong setup you can end up missing even the easiest catch, so no compromise in this if you want a memorable fishing trip.
Picking the right Reel
You are going to start off with the right reel. By right reel I mean, you should pick a spinning reel that will be able to withstand the challenges that come with fishing. Do not go for cheap so-called best reels, you will regret it for sure.
Go for top-notch ultralight spinning reels. They could be a little expensive but in the long run, you will thank yourself for investing in one of those.
In case you need any assistance regarding ultralight spinning reels, click here!
There are a lot of sizes, the bigger the size, the heavier the reel is. So go for small sizes such as 1000, 2500. They would be the best bet for ultralight setup.
Small reels indeed come with less line holding ability but you can’t do anything about that, they are designed that way.
Try to pick the highest capacity reel. Some 2500 size reel has 4-5 lb. line holding capacity and few come with 8 lb. line holding ability. And obviously, you would want to go with the higher one.
Also read: Fishkeeping For Mental Health and Stress
Pick the right Rod
You will be needing an ultralight spinning rod. And before you go and pick any, you will have to keep 3 things in mind.
- Rod length
- Power rating
- Action
This three matter a lot. You need the right length with ideal power and action.
For ultralight bass fishing, the ideal rod length would be 6’6”. You can go a little longer if you want but I think this is perfect. The power rating should light and it must be a fast action rod for greater success.
And most importantly check the weight before buying the rod, now a lot of ultralight rods are not ultralight. So keep your eyes open.
Right Line
For ultralight fishing monofilament line would be the best choice. Don’t go for a braided line that wouldn’t be a good idea in an ultralight setup.
Go with the 6-pound rating lines. Also remember, the line rating and the rod rating should be equal, and in that way, you can expect to get optimum performance.
However, with lightweight lines, you will have to be extremely careful since there are chances that the line might break.
To make sure this doesn’t happen you will have to ensure there isn’t anything under the water. If there is so, once bass gets hook then will go deep and once they get inside those beds, it will be easier for them to snap the line off.
Also read: Best Species Of Fish For Your Backyard Pond
Suitable Lure
The main point of using an ultralight setup is to use light and small lures, so you will be choosing small and lightweight lures.
Choose spinners, though they are best for trout fishing but they work well in the case of bass fishing as well. Not spinner, choose small inline type spinners, they will be suitable for trout fishing.
Also look for panther martins, short strikers, and Mepps, these will be great for ultralight bass fishing.
The color matters too. You should choose the lure body-color wisely, wrong color will scare the bass away. Some experienced anglers use a silver blade, according to them it works well for smallmouth bass fishes.
You will have to use a dressed treble hook on the lure but you should choose that depending on the season and the watercolor. Panther martins come with black and green color dressing and these colors are great.
Some anglers do use smaller-sized crankbaits since they are incredibly effective for bass fishing after the spawning season. After this season bass fish gets aggressive because at that time they are protecting their hiding nests. But make sure to use the small crankbaits.
And lastly, you can use walkers or chuggers or other topwater lures that these on the ultralight setup as long as the size is small.
Pick Sharp Hooks
Not only in bass fishing or in ultralight setup, but you should also always make sure that the hook you are using is super sharp. Especially in ultralight fishing.
In ultralight fishing the line rating is low, so that line is prone to breaking which gives very low muscle power to hook the fish.
But when the hook is super sharp even the lowest muscle power will work great.
Also read: 5 Impressive Health Benefits of Fishing
Final Words
With the ultralight fishing setup, bass fishing could turn extreme fun but for that, you will have to get the right tackle and target the fish at the right spot.
When bass fishing anglers need to be very careful since they are clever. So be very quiet when you are fishing for bass, especially with an ultralight setup.
And consider not wearing something too shiny, wear dark clothes and do not choose a crowded area. Choose the summer season for bass fishing and the best time for bass fishing in the morning time and before the sunset.
Because of the heavy sunlight bass remains quiet and mostly inside the nest spots, so it is tough to get them during mid-day.
If you are doing this for the first time, you might not get everything right on your first go so don’t freak out, it is the learning curve. The more mistake you make the more you learn.
This is it, for now, hope this guide helps you to get started!!!
Happy bass fishing!
