Ontario Shore Fishing Forum

Id save UL for panfish.

If you targeting bigger fish, even smaller pike etc you end up killing more fish on that elongated fight.

Id stick with 6'6 or 6'7 med heavy. Its just the best all round size and power for various species.

UL can be used for so much more than panfish. A UL rod isn't outclassed by small pike. Pike up to 3lb don't fight too much anyways. Walleye in the usual eater size is great with a UL. Bass up to 2lbs as long as you're not fishing heavy weed cover, is great with the UL too.

Depend on the area you are fishing, and more importantly the lure you need to use, a medium rod will handle a lot. I've caught Channel Cat up to 8lb, Chinook Salmon up to 25lbs in the creek, Steelheads up to 8lbs, Northern Pike up to 32", Walleye up to 27", Common Carp up to 20lb+, Bowfin up to 29" pushing 8-9lbs, one Grass Carp that was 30lbs, a 33" Common Snook, over a dozen Great Barracuda to 28"...all on medium rods. It depends really on where you are fishing and what you are throwing. Pike and muskie are not very different, and a medium rod will handle muskies to 40". I know because my buddy caught a 36" and a 41" muskies on the same day on a medium rod...the 36" in a fast flowing river and the 41" from a reed bed.

Geez man you fishing for the tiniest fish ever? 3lb pike??? If thats your thing no worries. But anything bigger with UL anď you risk killing the fish(depending on species of course).

Just my opinion

UL can be good and reliable for fish up to 7 pounds I have found. Caught bass upto 3 lbs and carp upto 6 lbs with a little patience on UL gear for 5.5" to 7ft. The fish must be played though, and you can't just horse it out of the water, use a net.

I agree with MB you will ave difficulty pulling fish out of weeds. You really need to make sure you use line of the appropriate strength to make sure the line breaks before the rod :0 Knots and checking your line gets infintately for nicks because support important.

To get more out of my fishing experience I just picked up my first ML rod (9'6"). I have some specific spots I want to try it at. Looking forward to getting some carp.

(01-28-2015 12:47 AM)manitoubass2 Wrote: [ -> ]Geez man you fishing for the tiniest fish ever? 3lb pike??? If thats your thing no worries. But anything bigger with UL anď you risk killing the fish(depending on species of course).

Just my opinion

In fact, I do.



There's something wrong with 3lb pike? On a UL, it is sporting fun...but if a 3lb pike cannot be brought in within a minute on the UL, better technique is needed. A 1 minute fight doesn't kill a fish. In fact, people call it sporting when they hang a salmon on noodle rods for 10-15min. What do you gotta say about that.

How about catching a big laker on an icefishing rod and fighting that fish for over 10 minutes through the hole? Would it kill the fish too? Even with heavier gear and 15lb braid, you will still fight that laker for a good 5min before it can get to the hole. There must be a lot of dead lakers because it happens on Simcoe every weekend.

The fact is Fossil Fish already has a medium rod. He's looking for options for another rod. My argument is that a medium rod can handle a lot as it is. A medium heavy rod has its place, but unless it is truly big fish, the medium rod can handle a lot more than most people realize.

Examples...

21" Chain Pickerel - 6'6" ultralight rod on 6lb mono and 6lb fluoro leader...1 minute fight.



24-25" Bowfin - 7' medium (6-12lb) rod on 8lb mono (15 year old version of the Pflueger Trion combo that Fossil Fish has already)...1min fight...it's all on video. I've caught lots of Bowfin on the same rod and reel up to 29" (around 8-9lb)...all of them were quick fight - the longest no more than 2min and usually it's due to one man operation trying to net the fish on my own.





27" Common Carp - 7' medium (6-12lb) rod on 8lb mono and 8lb fluoro leader (15 year old version of the Pflueger Trion combo that Fossil Fish has already)...2min fight. I routinely landed lots of Common Carp between 27-32" on the same rod and reel with 8lb mono and 8lb fluoro leader. Sometimes I use hooks as small as #12 octopus. Most of the time I have the carp landed within 5min, fishing from shore, one man operation fighting and netting the fish on my own.



33" Northern Pike - 7' medium telescopic rod on 8lb mono...less than 2min fight from shore, in the dark.



27" Walleye - 7' medium telescopic rod on 8lb mono...less than 1min fight from shore, in the dark.



29.5" Brown Trout - 7' medium rod on 8lb mono and 8lb fluoro leader (15 year old version of the Pflueger Trion combo that Fossil Fish has already)...less than 5min fight from shore, in the dark.



30lb Grass Carp - 7' medium rod on 8lb mono (15 year old version of the Pflueger Trion combo that Fossil Fish has already)...less than 5min fight from shore.



Underpowered and killing fish? Hardly. Medium rod can handle a lot if you fight a fish properly.

.............. and then there's the odd time you use too stiff and powerful rod - and badly rip/tear a small fish's mouth or throat on a heavy hook set.......

........... or troll about long after a a small fish had hooked up............ killing it.........

.... or miss the very light bites of certain species (redhorse, etc)

bottom line - Each class of rod has been designed for certain purposes and proper use ranges.

Howah you took that to heart lol

I have no issues with a medium rod for varies species.

But ultralite has no business in waters with big fish IMO.

Some fish like lakers or surgeon are exceptions as theye are very very tough fish. Walleyes or pike are not.

And landing a pike from shore in one minute means one or two things. You hooked the fish next to shore and shallow, or your reeling in very fast. Or both.

Drag plays a big role here as well.

And if any of us have experience huge hooksets are rarely necessary. If your rippen lips your doing something wrong

(01-30-2015 01:37 PM)manitoubass2 Wrote: [ -> ]And if any of us have experience huge hooksets are rarely necessary. If your rippen lips your doing something wrong

I've found such depends on the waters, the line used, rod tip action, and the species.

In the salt - or at great depths/lengths - multiple violent hook sets are not uncommon for any chance of success.

But as always.......... opinions vary.

Cheers,

OldTimer

(01-30-2015 01:37 PM)manitoubass2 Wrote: [ -> ]And if any of us have experience huge hooksets are rarely necessary. If your rippen lips your doing something wrong

Tell that to the bass anglers. They think that anything less than swinging for the fence isn't going to hook a fish...

(01-30-2015 01:37 PM)manitoubass2 Wrote: [ -> ]Howah you took that to heart lol

I'm not taking any of it to heart because I've fished long enough, fished in various areas around the world, fished for enough species, experienced all kinds of techniques and learned from many people from novice to old salts that I know what's possible...and I've done what's possible. But some forum members here are novice and they may take advice for face value without realizing that sometimes advices may not be exactly true...that a second opinion is useful and possibly helpful. I'm just providing that second opinion (and using real examples to illustrate my point).

(01-30-2015 01:37 PM)manitoubass2 Wrote: [ -> ]But ultralite has no business in waters with big fish IMO.

I completely disagree. Your statement implies there are only big fish in big fish waters and if you fish in big fish water you will only catch big fish, thus, it is harmful to fish to use anything less than heavy gear..which we know is absolutely false. Your statement also assumes that an angler fishing in big fish waters are only interested in catching nothing else but big fish...which is also false.

Hey, people fish in the ocean. There are 1000lb Bluefin Tuna, Marlin, Great White Shark, 250lb Tarpon...etc. If we go by your statement, no one should EVER fish in the ocean with anything less than 130lb class gear. No one should EVER fish in the ocean without a wire leader. Which we know is completely false. It all depends on what you wish to catch as your target. Not everyone is after that 1000lb Bluefin Tuna...and even if you are after that fish, you know that these trophies are rare. Most of the time, you may only catch 200-500lb Bluefin Tuna...and you may not even need all that heavy gear.

Honestly, at any GTA locations, how often do people catch 40" class Northern Pike from shore? How many people catch 8lb bass from shore? Your gear should reflect the most common catches...not the rare trophies that come by once every few years to the one lucky angler out of hundreds that fished the same water.

(01-30-2015 01:37 PM)manitoubass2 Wrote: [ -> ]And landing a pike from shore in one minute means one or two things. You hooked the fish next to shore and shallow, or your reeling in very fast. Or both.

Again, you are assuming too much. That pike was caught from the middle of a fairly fast flowing river, at the back of current where it was just starting to tail out. It hit almost two cranks into the retrieve from a very long cast (70 feet or so). With a 33" pike in a good current fishing 8lb test and a 20lb steel leader, I could not reel fast. It is about how to get the fish out of the current first, and then lead the fish to shore, tiring it out at the end in the calmer water closer to shore, and be ready with the net to get the fish on the first scoop. If you are fishing on a boat, it makes the landing process even easier because you can actually follow the fish a bit. This is why people can achieve IFGA line class records such as a 50+lb snapper on 2lb line...because they have the ability to follow the fish on a boat, cushion the line with the rod and get a leader touch on the first opportunity. Trying to get the same 2lb line record from shore with a 50lb snapper is next to impossible. So the argument that shore fishing facilitates landing bigger fish in shorter time is not true at all. The fact that an angler is limited in mobility and obstructed by dense weed or snags close to shore actually makes landing a big fish much more difficult from shore.

One minute is actually a long time. Most people often say they fought a fish for so and so minutes...but the perception on the passage of time is often longer than actual passage of time, especially when you are excited playing a fish.