Ultralight Rod Recommendations?

[huntcountypussbuck]

I was looking at the USA made Falcon's at Cabelas online but not sure if thats the best choice. Stream fishing mostly. My reel is a Sigma Whisper Titan 025 4 lb test. Price range up to 125.00 USD.

What do you guys Recommend?

[Michael82929]

Several factors play into selection

Kind of stream water you will be fishing... If you tend on spending most of your time on the skinny water / small to medium size streams versus the wider / bigger & deep pool streams - there are two lines of thinking..

Another thing to consider is will you be fishing metal as opposed to bait.

I fish primarily bait - so I'm sure their are some guys here who have done a lot of research for you in regards to fishing metal.

Once you have nailed that down, I think you can narrow down your searches.

For bait fishing on skinny water - nothing wrong with a 4'9 to 5'6 rod (2 - 6 pd) with a small reel to go with it.

I fish with an old Loomis GL3 - that a 4'9. Dad fishes a 5'0 Lami / Brother fishes a 5' St Croix - all respectable rods and never had complaints about any of them. They all vary in price. But can't go wrong with any of them.

Reason I love the rod I fish with - I can feel when the trout just mouth the egg and dont bite on them versus some less sensitive rods, you may not be able to get that feel.

If you plan to fish metal, Im sure there are some guys that will give you some great tips.

Tight lines

[Wilson]

Several factors play into selection

Kind of stream water you will be fishing... If you tend on spending most of your time on the skinny water / small to medium size streams versus the wider / bigger & deep pool streams - there are two lines of thinking..

Another thing to consider is will you be fishing metal as opposed to bait.

I fish primarily bait - so I'm sure their are some guys here who have done a lot of research for you in regards to fishing metal.

Once you have nailed that down, I think you can narrow down your searches.

For bait fishing on skinny water - nothing wrong with a 4'9 to 5'6 rod (2 - 6 pd) with a small reel to go with it.

I fish with an old Loomis GL3 - that a 4'9. Dad fishes a 5'0 Lami / Brother fishes a 5' St Croix - all respectable rods and never had complaints about any of them. They all vary in price. But can't go wrong with any of them.

Reason I love the rod I fish with - I can feel when the trout just mouth the egg and dont bite on them versus some less sensitive rods, you may not be able to get that feel.

If you plan to fish metal, Im sure there are some guys that will give you some great tips.

Tight lines

The above is pretty good information. I fish a 7'6" Cabela's Tourney Trail U.L. rod on almost all streams. I too like to fish bait and like a longer rod so I can hold my line off the water to get a more realistic drift without the surface tension slowing down my line and pulling my bait off the bottom. Some times going through heavy brush and wooded areas is a pain with a long rod.
On the other hand on the Big. D. I can haul off some pretty impressive casts and cover lots of water.
I think a stiffer rod works better for spinners and other imitation baits.

I find you can spend a little less for a rod and not really notice much difference in the action. The durability or build quality may not be the same as a pricier rod from a well known company.

Reels are a different story, a cheap reel used for one season of heavy fishing will probably blow up at the worst time.

Good luck with your fishing:)

[jimmythegreek]

I use alot of st.croix rods nowadays. They are a great rod for the money. I have a 5'UL and a 5'6"UL that I love. I also have a 6'L for smaller stuff and even hybrids on LH.

[AndyS]

Conolon Premier at Wal-Mart, best 35 bux I ever spent. I have 6 of them now.

Keep your money in your reel.

[GetANet]

I agree with that! A SMOOTH DRAG is critical especially with the U/L's.

[Capt. Lou]

My overall choice in trout UL's are 6' to 6.5'. These longer rods present drift baits & lures superior to any short stick.
I use Phenix UL 6'6" , these rods enable any angler that drift fishes bait or lures the capability to obtain far better line control & lure & bait placement
On the DS presentation. They will also with their full tapers allow the use of lightest lines , on big fish with minimal line failures.
If you cast & reel or present bait w/ O drifts or syill fish against current, then rod length is your choice.

[Mark B.]

Several years ago I bought a one piece (just over 6’) Falcon spinning rod for my Penn 714 (6 lb. test) for wade fishing the Del. River, S. Branch & RVR.
After using it for about 1 month, I developed soreness in my casting arm elbow. I contacted Falcon & a Rep. suggested that I try another one of their rods.

At the same length, line test rating, & one piece it is their Low Rider (one of my favorite songs by “War!") model ,……….a “tube” rod.
No soreness, & I am very pleased with it. Falcon was very helpful & did an even swap for the first rod.

[Jigman13]

I used a rod that I bought YEARS ago for the longest time--Berkeley Stinger. It's a small, maybe 5'0 one piece--whippy as all hell and matched great with an ancient shimano symetre 1000 with the double handle. The rod is probably 15 years old--if not more. Nailed countless fish on it in sweet and saltwater with 6 lb test. The rod has been so well used you can't read any of the printing that was above the foregrip.

The rod is still a workhorse but I kind of hung it up this past season and moved on. Went out and purchased a St Croix Triumph 6'0 light action and paired it with a Sedona 2500 (didnt want to break the bank, the new Symetre hadn't dropped yet, and shimano paused the production of the saharas). Spooled her up with 6 lb P-Line CXX and man... is this a sweet set up for throwing anything in the NJ rivers! I throw small pins minnows, lures slightly larger, spinners, metal, drift eggs and worms, and even flies with success. It's long enough to present bait naturally via the drift and has enough play to launch micro lures generously--and most importantly, has the backbone to handle large fish. It's also not too bad when huffing it thru the woods. It's hands down one of the better combos I've used for trout--a home run for me this season. The rod was about $80 IIRCC... The Sedona reel, although not on the premier side of what shimano offers, has performed flawlessly thus far. The new Sahara, Symetre, or Saros may be in my arsenal in the near future but I'm waiting to hear more about their performance before switching.

[muskynut]

Fenwick elite tech "River Runner"......Capt. Dave:)

[Lard Almighty]

I have a 5'6" Berkley Cherrywood UL that I do the bulk of my trout and light river fishing with. It's an pretty inexpensive rod and has done well for me over the years. I've used both 4-6 lb. mono and 4 lb. fluoro with it, and it handles both well.

[GetANet]

I like the long rod idea, seems like has potential. Been fishing a 4'6" FENWICK that I've had for prob at least 25 years LOL! Bought it before i got married and still like new. I mostly bait fish on smaller streams so it serves me well but not so good on the bigger streams and rivers. The presentation and casting seem like a plus so might consider a purchasing one in the future.
Thanks for the advice everyone and even though I didn't start the thread it was def a useful one. I knew there was a reason i liked this site!!!!!!

[thefishermanmechanic]

Loomis GL3 5' use it for everything spinners trolling #5 rapalas trout up to 4# bass 5# walleye 7# ! The rod is one of my best $160 10 years ago

[Cuz]

I like the action of G-Loomis rods for trout. Cork handle, strong graphite, good warranty. You get what you pay for.

[tycomps]

Conolon Premier at Wal-Mart, best 35 bux I ever spent. I have 6 of them now.

Keep your money in your reel.

I'm getting quite a bang for my buck from good ole abu garcia products also.

[huntcountypussbuck]

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to give opinions on what they have found while on the water. Now I got to upgrade the 25 years plus old 5 foot ugly stick...