Putting together your own ultralight fishing combo is a great way to get more enjoyment out of the gear that you purchase. Rather than depending on the manufacturer to put together the rod, reel, and line, you can choose the parts yourself to build the perfect combo for the type of fishing you’re going to be doing. If you have access to fishing shops or department stores in your area, you will want to go over some of my recommendations on how to select the perfect rod, reel, and line for your next ultralight combo.
Reel Selection
When it comes to selecting the reel, you are going to want to keep the size and weight in mind. Smaller reels are usually better as long as they are able to hold a sufficient amount of line, and contain enough ball bearings to allow them to operate smoothly without any jerkiness in the drag or spool that could cause the line to snap. Lighter weight reels are easy to balance to an ultralight rod, which makes it easier to cast and keeps your fingers or wrist from hurting by forcing you to overpower your casting stroke.
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Rod Selection
If it is possible, you will want to try to fit the reel onto the rods you are thinking about buying. This will help give you a feel for which rod is balanced best to the reel that you’ve chosen. Aside from having the weight balanced properly, you will want to find a rod that suits your casting style, and the areas where you will be fishing. If you are going to be fishing in tighter quarters, a shorter rod will usually work better. However, if you are going to be able to make much longer casts, a longer rod will help accommodate your style much better.
You are also going to want to make sure that the rod has a smooth, parabolic bend, meaning that it bends evenly from the rod tip down into the butt. This will help tremendously when it comes to setting the hook and fighting the fish into the shore, or boat, without having to worry about jerks and twitches in the rod creating extra force on the line.
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Line Selection
The line selection can make or break your ultralight fishing trips. You will want to take the time to find a high quality line to spool onto your reel. Most anglers still use monofilament fishing line, but as technology has advanced over the last few years, there are a few high end fluorocarbon lines that are designed to work perfectly with ultralight fishing reels. Fluorocarbon line provides you with a higher level of sensitivity, higher abrasion resistance, and, because they are invisible underwater, make it easier to catch spookier fish in smaller fishing holes. No matter what type of line you choose, make sure it’s a high quality brand.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of putting together your own ultralight combo, you can look through the list of the top ultralight combos for ultralight fishing that I put together. All of these rods and reels are matched together expertly by the their manufacturer, and best of all, they are all under $60, some cost much less. Here is the link:
