What Length Rod Should You Use For Ultralight Fishing? 

I recently picked up a new Light Power TROUT COMBO which I love! Check that out here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XKZzg7uz43M.html

I have UL rods from 4'6" to 7', they all have their place...but you can't go wrong with a 5'6" or 6' UL rod....it's the sweet spot as an all-around package....a reel that balances the rod will make for a fun combo to go gillin', trout, pond bass, perch...ect. UL is by far my favorite way to fish!

My 4’ 6” is perfect at the creek. Can take it anywhere and it automatically upsizes every fish I catch. The dinks feel like decent fish and the decent fish feel like absolute donks.

My 5’ 6” Okuma Celilo is by far my favorite rod Ive been super impressed with its performance. The portability and ease of use in tight spaces make it the perfect size for UL fishing imo.

Love my ultralight bro, this subject isnt discussed enough.

Funny that you have a 7' and a 5' and my wife and I both have ultralights in those sizes. It works great when trolling for trout and trying to figure out what they want. We put a different lure on each one and then put the two longer poles out to the side in the front and the two shorter poles straight out the back. Allows us to cover a lot of water and find out what is getting their interest. Also, put a little sent on your line and lure. Trout not only have excellent eyesight but a keen sense of smell in the water. Braid to flouro is a cheap and effective way to fish them. Also, with your kayak you should consider throwing a bobber stopper on the 5 ft with a slip bobber beneath it and then a split shot about a foot above the jig. Much easier to cast a 5 foot ultralight with a slip bobber and yet you can get the bait down a bit using the bobber stopper as it will pass through the guides. Also, the split shot will help keep the mule jig down when you are slowly trolling it behind the kayak. Tie on a mule jig and pinch off about 1/3rd of a crawler and slide it on the jig. The trout can actually smell the crawler and will be drawn to it. Take the 7' rod, put on a barrel swivel between the mainline braid and about a 24" 2-4 lb flouro leader so you don't get a bunch of twist in the line and then tie on a panther martin, a rooster tail or a z-ray and cast to the front of the kayak. Both crappie and trout will hit them but trout really like them and when you troll them you get reaction bites. Also, they won't go too deep if you move steadily. Winter time we are finding trout in deep water but usually toward the surface. If you keep the drag light on the 5 foot the crappie or trout will run with it, giving you time to set down the 7 ft rod and grab the 5 ft. Don't skimp on ultra light reels as drag is very important and you are smart going to the 1000 as they have a better drag system than the tiny reels. If your going to go cheap do it on panfish set ups. If you are running 2 lb for trout and bass, which is extremely fun by the way, you need a more expensive reel like a Shimano or Daiwa (no I'm not sponsored by anyone) although Pluegers President series and up in the 1000 series is pretty good, but either way cheap rods tend to be cheaper because they cut back on things like a great drag system and, take it from experience, the last thing you want is to fight a nice 4 lb bass, get them up to the boat and they make that last run and the drag seizes just enough to snap your line. Started Ultralight fishing 48 years ago and that and musky fishing are still two of my favorite ways to fish. Sorry this is kind of long but thought it might help someone who wants to try crappie or trout fishing with Ultra Lights get started.

Bro, Ive been researchin and tryin to find videos about this exact topic. THANK YOU. Havent fished for about 8 yrs, just started again a month ago and My buddy introduce me to crappie fishing. Im like you, i dont care what i catch, i just want action. Its like learning to fish all over again, the ultralight rod, the 2-4 lbs line, the micro jigs, the finesse. Man o man it was fun, there was a moment where after i catch one, the very next cast, hooked one and that happened 4 in a row. Yeah it was only bluegills, but after 8 yrs of no fishing to experience this. Of course i was using his gear, the rod, he said it was from a local guy he met fishing, the brand is COLA. It felt great fighting bluegills. 😅😂😅😂 My biggest on it so far is a bout a 9" crappie off the bank. When reeling in the fish, i just remember him saying, " oh, be careful, oh watch the tip, dont pull too fast" of course me, im not paying attention to the tip or rod bending. Starting to understand now. Would like to try kayak fishing but not in price range rn or equipped to to do so rn. Thanks for this video. 🤟🤟🤝👏

I have a Shimano Sienna 1000 on a 5'6 Shakespeare with 6lb mono and its my favorite thing to use in farm ponds and the thick swampy creek I like to fish. Im always in tall grass or surrounded by trees and brush and its just well balanced and easy to handle. It'll cast surprisingly far down the creek channel and still haul in anything from bluegill to the typical large mouth and catfish I'm looking for. Just plain fun too

I literally bought and ultra light rod just now and then 2 min later this video popped up. I hope I made the right choice lol.

I’m not a super experienced fisherman or anything but growing up in the Appalachian mountains having a 2 piece 5 foot rod was perfect for breaking down and strapping to a backpack by sticking it in the water bottle pocket to go fishing in the small creeks and rivers in the mountains.

I love my 4;8 and have been using it for around 7 years. Recently I have been looking at 5,6 but wanted to try a 5 footer. Found a 5 footer, bought it and waiting for the weather to improve. So jacked up, waiting for N.Illinois to warm up a bit.Keep doing what you are.

Since the fishing is poo, you should bring back 5 minute fish talk for real. You are very insightful about tips like this

Recently while walking a creek I slipped in some mud & broke my favorite ultralight rod so being a budget fisherman, I picked up a Jawbone 5 1/2 ft Ultralight on sale for $9.99 at Dicks. It’s actually a nice rod & will do for now. Fish don’t know how expensive your combo is! Nice vid!

I enjoy all of your videos, and this one is no exception. I'm a senior citizen who likes to hike in to remote alpine and fish. I love the St. Croix Avid Ultra Light. I mostly cast small spoons for trout with 2lb. mono. The Avid casts great and is very sensitive. I can feel everything. I also use it in my frameless pontoon when I fish small roadside lakes. I do use a short ultralight when shore fishing creeks or lakes with a lot of brush. Keep up the good videos and thanks.

As a Texas bass bank fisherman, I've been looking for an ultralight rod to take to Colorado rather than my regular bass spinning combo. Couldn't find one anywhere (Basspro, Dick's, Academy) except Walmart. I unassed some major cash ($16.97) for the 5'6" Shakespeare ultralight rod to go with my Okuma 2500 reel and heading north for some river fishing.

researching Ultra Light rods, first on the search, was My fav ultra light You tuber

I have 4' 8" up to 7'. A lot of the jigs I fish way practically nothing so I like the 7 foot for slinging those light jigs out there. That being said, my 5' 6" has caught me more fishing than anything else.

I picked up a 7ft combo and it works for me. I primarily pond hop and getting into kayaking. Unfortunately got a broken rod tip so now its slightly shorter lol.

I’m just getting into trout fishing and bought a Okuma Cecilo Ultralight 6ft. with a 20 Pflueger President. I was going back and forth between the Pflueger 20 and 25 and choose the 20. It’s catching trout and the rod has a nice feel to it. I’m fishing small streams and sometimes when I’m forced to fish from the banks it’s nice to have a slightly longer rod.

My favorite lite fishing combo is a Fenwick Elite Tech River Runner Lite 7’2” with a Pflueger President 25 size. I use Fireline 8, 6lb test because I accidentally catch 15” plus LMBass & 20” plus Northern Pike fishing for Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, & Crappie. I like this set up because I am prepared for larger fish and the Rod & Line setup is insanely sensitive. This rod comes with a lifetime warranty and Fenwick is awesome servicing their warranty. For $60.00 or less the Pflueger President is an incredible & dependable reel for the money. Plus they don’t spend Bookoo bucks on paying someone to endorse it and advertise it. We get a quality reel for a fair price. I own 7 of them and zero failures.

I have 2 ultra light mini spins, 5’ and 5’6”. I use for pan fish and rainbows. This was a really good topic for discussion. I liked the video. Take Care and Keep Exploring The Outdoors.

I have Leland 6'6" ultra light trout slayer rod because it is rate to handle the 1/64 oz panfish magnets. However they the rod length is actually 6" with the extra 6" length coming from the grip. It does handle the 1/64 oz panfish magnets well. However due to the design/grip length I need to put a slightly bigger reel on it to keep the balance. I plan to put 2 lb line on it as that's the recommendation line size for getting any distance from those 1/64 oz jigs. However, I just bought the 5'6" defy silver spinning rod and I can already tell it's going to be my favorite ultralight outfit. I'm matching that up with Okuma's Inspira 20b reel also with 2 lb test. I give it a head to heat comparison to the Leland rod with those 1/64 oz and see how it does. I suspect there won't be much difference. I'm a bank fisherman so those really long rods can be a determent at times. When I'm fishing creeks and streams the 5'6" rod is coming with me while that 6'6" rod is staying home!

I have been fishing ultralight for a long time now. I almost feel like I felt pressured by all the videos that I watch and are using longer rods that I should also. To be honest I enjoy the shorter rods and have caught some of my biggest fish on the shorter ones. My shortest and cheapest pole that I purchased at Wallyworld is probably my favorite. I also broke this rod and fixed it and by the way its shorter now and still does great. It's a small ultralight I belive it's called a Black Beauty and it's great. So in other words I agree with you. Have fun out there.

I use a 7ft canyon creek super ultralight and it’s by far my favorite for general and especially for long casts. I would like to get some better line or maybe upgrade the reel but as of right now I’m good to to throw anything from 1/64-3/16 comfortably and within the ratings of my rod.

Absolutely agree that 5 feet is more flexible than 7 feet. My first rod was 6'6", and I just bought a 5' telescopic rod. Love the shorter one much much more.

i have a 5'9" fishing pole, got it from cabela's. got the rod & real as a combo and paid only $45.00. this reel only gose up to 6 pounds test line and it's a great lite tackle pole & reel

There is also a variance between brands with ultra-light rods. I got a 7' Lew's ultra-light Laser SG1, and compared to my other rods to me it feels more like in-between a med-light and light. I made it my dedicated NED rod.

I have a 7ft , 7.6ft and 8ft Presso and they are beautiful rods but I also have a Major Craft Finetail 662 Super Ultra Light paired with a Vanford 1000 and 2lb SOS Mono and this setup makes the Pressos feel like Shark rods

So here’s my two cents. I have a medium weight ugly stik 6 foot and a ultralight ugly stik 5 foot (best rod I’ve ever used but hard to find). With using the same reel (larger size reel on the medium but same model) I can cast farther with the UL, but it’s mostly the way you’d cast. I use a cross body underhand flip when at all possible and with the wobbliness of ultralights it really throws the baits

Live the video. Great job. But my experience proves that a rod in the same brand/model/power changes drastically with a change in length. I just bought a 6’ basspro air stream and it seems much more flexible than the 6 1/2’ I bought a month ago. Lots of guys talk about fishing with cheap reels. I try to use good middle of the road $60 reels. Same with rods. With this level you get standardized products (buy another and it performs like other one). Buy cheap stuff and this doesn’t happen.

5’6 feels like the all around good rod for ultralight. Smaller than that is great for creeks. I do have a 7 footer that I feel I can sling light weight lures further.

My current favorite is a ‘6-4” light powered all star drop shot rod. Planning on getting a bps panfish pro ‘6-9” ultralight at the spring classic coming soon.

Im here to help my ego feel better about liking 4’6” rods so much. I feel like there’s a stigma around it but ive never been one to care about that type of thing. Like watching other people hit trees on their cast and for trout most of the streams you could toss the lure with your arm let alone a full cast on a 4’6”. Ive only been wondering recently if im missing out on some sensitivity in open water, but I landed a 18inch large mouth this season on my trout setup in my canoe with no net.

I’ve caught 27” rainbow trout on my 5’ ultra light with 4lb test line. It’s so fun!!

got a shimano sienna 500 for ultralight fishing this year. thanks for bringing back the 5 min fish talk lol

Well done. You dd mention ultralight float fishing. That's something that needsto be covered more as does drop shooting with ultralights. Ive got me a new 7.4 just for float fishing. And now to find time to go fishing. Keep up the good work.

picked up a TFO 6ft 6 two piece for my intro to UL fishing . i have a fuego lt 2500D-XH on it with 6lb X9 braid and stren 6lb mono leader . it's been a great setup for me . thanks for sharing your experiences , jeff

Great video. I have a couple Quantum XT Micro reels on 5' Kmart $5 barrel Shakespeare carbon, loop wire guide rod that predates the Ugly Stik (and has landed gobs of fish - including some 4# bass & pike) and a 5'6" St Croix Premier. With a black Mr. Twistrer Teeny Tail of 1/32 or 1/16th oz jig they are my search rods when nothing else is happening. And tiny spoons or #0 spinners for trout. But I find in my 12.5 ft sit-in kayak a 7' UL rod (Lew's TLC2000 reel) allows me to get a little more control when fighting and distance when casting. Standing on a bank with a 5'6" is about the same as sitting at water-level with the 7'.

Found this older video and love it. I have ultralight and light action spinning rods from 5 foot to 6'6. I have resisted a 7 footer but I get the performance and action from each that I need. Jigs are great on 5-6 ft models and 6- 6'6 are great for small baits and floats. I don't think that having a few is a bad thing. Thanks Ethan

I use an Iprimi 5’ 6” XXUL and it bends like I’m catching a marlin on a 4 inch rainbow. Now imagine what it feels like when you hook a 16 inch. I use 1/70 to 1/32 ounce spoons out of Japan on light 2 lb. (.004” diameter) nylon line. I find myself using it over my main 6’ 2” UL.

Just bought a Phenix feather 7’ light best Trout rod I own so far. Also own a 7 ‘ daiwa spinmatic ultralight And a 5’ st croix ultra light. Paired them all with daiwa fuego 1000 size reels. I’m addicted to ultra light fishing. I really love the high end stuff. I don’t mind dropping a few hundred bucks on a quality Rod and making my wife go crazy lol.

I got a 6'4 st croix panfish ultralight paired with a daiwa laguna lt 1000 and it creates a very nice balance and it casts very nice as well I can probably get around 45 feet to maybe 55 feet out with a bobber setup

Awesome discussion on ultra light rod lengths Ethan. I just picked up a 7 foot one myself (I have a ton in the 4.5-5.5 length). I wanted the 7 footer to be my spinning version of my 3wt flyrod. I haven't fished with it yet but I'm excited to get it on the water and throw some mule jigs with it. I love the discussion that has happened on this video. I was reading through comments and found some great info on BFS. I was into BFS years ago but it wasn't super popular or in high demand and the only reels you could find came out of Japan and cost hundreds of dollars. But through the comments I found info on some affordable and quality BFS reels and I just ordered one!

I got into ultralight fishing about a year ago & I'm totally addicted my favorite set up is my 6 ft presso ul teamed up with my Shimano vanford 500 spooled with 2lb RUNCL mono!

6’8 is the perfect lenght for an ul-rod imo. Just my preference of course

That 6 foot tfo trout and panfish 1 piece rod paired with a smooth reel is a great combo I have caught fish so underdeveloped you can see through all the way to 10 pound snakehead. The casting is only good for about 45 yards

Yeah i see ur point.. A shorter rod is good so there are no tangles and so u can get to the spot without trouble. Thats a great idea! but i am looking to get an ultralight so would a 4ft 6 ul with 4lb line cast a 1/64 ounce jig decently far in order to get to the fish? or would a 5ft 6 do much better because its longer?

I have a field and stream 6ft 1in rod love it caught 20in trout on it no problem have abu garcia reel lite reel rated 4 6 8 pound test use 4 pound stren moss green line larger spool size longer cast !!!! The reel is a x10

I have a 4ft 6 ul Shakespeare witha lews 75 spin speed and a 7ft l Shakespeare with a 2500 Shimano fx but use them for completely different fish, ul for creek chubb and baby sunfish and light for anything.

I can’t get enough of my 10’ and my 4’ 6” UL rods!

I love my 5'6 fenwick eagle paired with me light weight daiwa regal lt 1000. It really is killer on everything from bullheads to trout!

5'6" ultralight is my go to.

I have a 5'UL, 3-5'6" lights, a 7'UL, a 7'6"UL and an 8'UL. I use every one of them. They all have a time and a place.

My first ultralight was a 7’ ugly stick. Like you, that’s the length I used for bass fishing so I thought that would be what I liked. But then I bought a 5 1/2’ fast action ultra light and I love it. Rarely I use the 7’ anymore.

Love using my 7ft rod but the 5ft I have also has its place. Depends on where I’m fishing and what I’ll be in.

I bought a 7-foot UL rod last spring, thinking I'd love it for trout, panfish and wading for smallies. Sadly, I don't like it much at all. It's too whippy, isn't very sensitive and wouldn't set a hook in wet Kleenex. Plus it's so nose-heavy that it's kind of a pain to use. Back to an old favorite, my very old Berkeley Canadian Specialist Series 6-foot Light spinning stick. Don't know why I thought I could improve on it.

Personal opinion. I prefer a 7’ rod in general mainly because it’s what I grew up on. I also feel that a 7’ casts better when out in the open or on a boat, as well as being able to reach over brush and other cover that much better. So I prefer a 7’ for lure fishing with an ultralight. That being said, there is definitely a place for a 5’ in my arsenal. I have yet to find a better setup for me or my wife when slip bobber fishing than a 5’-5’6” ultralight spinning setup.

I have found that your videos are very useful and helpful! I think one piece rods are better. Personal preference! It's exactly what you said.....whatever feels good for yourself.

I have ul ugly stik 6'6, and micro series shakespeare 7 n hve been using for more than fifteen yrs, it really works well. Thanks so informative.

Can confirm. The video turned out well.

for throwing small jigs for trout i use a 7'6 with 2lb test.

another benefit of a longer rod is line management and bait manipulation. the ability to let out or take up slack from your line or getting a good hook set when there is more line out is completely different on rods over 6 foot versus under 6.

My new favorite is a 6ft tfo,i have a 5 and 7..but love the 6

My 6ft lews lazer ultralight does the trick evrrytime we go out. Have some bfs and some other shorter spinners, I have a 8"6 ultralight too. The 6" is the go too.

From my experiences, a 5'6 is definitely fun, but the casting distance is pretty weak. If you want a rod for fishing in a cluster fuck most of the time, go 5'6. If you want a little more casting distance and aren't choked out, use a 6', feels similar to a 5'6, but with a noticeable increase in casting distance. If you fish wide open lakes, don't have to worry about clutter and overhangs, use a longer rod, 6'6 to 7'. Just note that with ultralight, you really don't need the longer rods because you will rarely be casting across a lake with it unless you're in a boat or something. I already own a medium, 6'9 rod so I feel there's too much overlap if I use a longer UL, and I like the ability to carry the shorter length rods thru brush and using them in small, overgrown creeks.

The UL combo I just ordered recently came with a 5’ rod and a size 1000 reel. It feels really good in my hands; I know what you meant by the 7’ one feeling long; hard to describe but I would agree. I only fish with 7’ bass rods; but I wasn’t interested in a 7’ UL combo.

Late to the party here but I love my 5’ UL. Then again I primarily fish local rivers and creeks which aren’t that big. I use a 6’ or 7’ for bass fishing the rivers it depends on where I’m going and the terrain. As always though I bring the UL and some crawlers with me if the bass fishing is slow.

Most of the time 5ft 6 or 6ft is about the sweet spot for me. I like 6ft for banking fishing cause I can cast further but also not cast too far if I am in the boat with my dad or my papaw. I think 6ft (for me) is perfect.

I use a 6 foot 1 in field & stream rod two piece with Abu x10 reel split handle it seems to be more balanced it is a lot like the FENWICK except for handle !!!!!!!!!

5’6 is my absolute go to for all occasions ofc on the water id prefer some more length to cover more water and some added leverage when i get those bigger fish

"I enjoy talking to a camera about fishing stuff" ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

i am about to get a 2000 vanford for xmas, thinking it might be a decent balance... but it is the C version, which is "compact" i haven't considered a shorter rod... but i might....

i was at cabela's and bought a bass pro shops crappie maxx signature series spinning rod and real combo. also its a 6'6'' power med. light, action fast and line 2 to 8 pound test. also it only cost me $ 45.00 for the combo.

I just picked up a quantum strategy ultralight, 5’ combo and I love it

What length should I get for both bass and trout? Or should I have two separate rods? I already have one 6’6 medium abu Garcia. Should I just get an ultralight for trout?

I use a 5ft UL with shimano 1000 size as well. Used to use the 500 size but seemed too small to me. I fish in PA walking through heavy brush and along beaver dams. short rods a must.

What reel speeds do you prefer. I'm seeing more spinning reels w 6:3 to 1 ratio

i’m gonna end up getting either a 6 or 6’6 probably

Just bought a 7’4 UL rod waiting for the ice to clear up now

Another great video, lots of information keep up the great work!!! 🤠

I literally am watching all these vids after askin you about it lol

I have an UL problem.I own over 30 UL's if I feel a good one I buy it.I fish 4'6" to 8' UL. The one I use most is a Charlie Brewer Slider rod 4'9"it just feels best and I enjoy fishing it the most.I like a short stiff rod,I can cast best and just as far with this type of rod.I just love fishing UL's.

I think it depends on the situation, and where you are going to be fishing, on what length rod to use. In the kayak shorter rods aren't a bad choice, as you can get close to fishable cover quietly, and the rods take up less space. I like to have at least one 4'6", 5'0, or longer setup with me in the kayak. If I'm fishing from a bank, a 7 foot rod will help me cast around bushes and cover, and reach out further, even though it can be annoying to transport a 1 piece 7 foot rod. These past 2 years I haven't been using spinning setups much at all because I've got into BFS(UL baitcasting) gear. Funny thing is, I have been using the really cheap Shakespeare micro series 4'6" UL spinning rods, for years, and now since I got into UL baitcasters, I got 2 of the spincast versions of those same rods. It's the same tried and true rod blank as the spinning version. The 2nd Shakespeare micro series 4'6" UL spincast combo, I got less than 6$,on sale before christmas. To get these Shakespeare micro series 4'6" UL rods, I buy the spincast combo, and ditch the spincast reel.

i use a 9 foot ultra light with 4 lb test for steelhead / salmon . I use a 7 foot ultra light for bass . I use a 6 foot ultra light for crappy and trout . All are lamiglas . Most have been used for over 10 years .

I really enjoy your vids and always look forward to them. Keep up the great work! I think that in the future your subscription volume is going to increase exponentially and in a short time once more people discover your wonderful talents. You may want to consider a name change for your channel. Online Outdoorsman may be dated especially the Online part. Since your focus seems to be Midwest Finesse fishing you may try to work that into the name. Just an idea. You are definitely one of my go to youtube sites. Great editing. Thank you! Best regards!

I just ordered a 6 foot ultra light rod with a 1000 reel! I'm existed to sure it with the trout magnet.

I am a saltwater fisher which size will better for me ? 6.6 or 5.5 want to try some ultra light lately

Does a 36 inch rod with 10 lb line count as UL?

I Like 5'6" - 6 ' For all around but sometimes 7'

I use a 5'2" ugly stick that I've had since 1993 it still works great. I do have a GX2 but my old ugly seems to be better.

i bought a 5ft Ultra light ugly stick at walmart for about 39 bucks and man is it sweet!

I wish I could like this more than once for the impromptu Karma appearance. 🐶 I wish I could find any combo for $20. I picked up a Daiwa travel rod and Daiwa Legalis reel for those days when I feel like casting and blasting on my lunch break or after work.

What line weight do you prefer on your UL rig? I have 4 pound, but have thought about moving to 6 pound.

I have a 5 ft ugly stick ultra light, my favorite rod of all. My 4ft 6" is what I use for stream fishing. Ugly stick is the way to go no Matt what the length.

I have 5/6 and 6/6 and 7/2 love all of them

The little 5footer can fit inside a regular suitcase for flying!

I know what u can do with the sign lol. Send it to me please? I sport it in my man cave. In the other case love the video as usual great job!

Merry christmas. Good content

I see everyone say 5’6 and 6. I just picked up a 10 footer 👍🏻

I have decided to challenge myself by getting an Ultra Light setup to catch big fishes with them. It would be insane if I can land it. LOL