I love how you break down the products and compare them to each other. Not a whole lot of TH-camr in the fishing community put out as much helpful information as you.
Loved your points through out this video! I do agree that the spool is key for ultralight fishing, but I never considered that weight of the reel doesn't always have to be the lightest, but more importantly how it balances the combo, so I appreciated that.
This is a GREAT video. I have been trying to find the perfect light reel, I bought a Plflueger and it was just too small. Then I bought a Penn Fierce 2000 and it's just overkill. So I sent that back. Now I'm going to buy a Daiwa Regal 1000 LT , it's just right for the way I fish. I use 6 lb test all the time. And the Daiwa holds 160 yards of it. Perfect !!!! So the point I'm trying to make is this guy hit the nail on the head when he said look for a decent spool diameter. I'm 52 years old and have some older Penn reels from my childhood and the old ( and I mean old ) 716 Z series ultra light reels were the perfect size. Unfortunately I need to replace the bearings in one. Stay away from the really small reels as he said. They are sometimes referred to as Ice fishing reels. They are not good for casting and they tend to always have line issues.
Always providing great information. I now have a few 500 reels I will change to 1000 after all the little line “pigtails” forming. Thanks again Ethan appreciate your content.
Great advice! I am a balance fanatic and have learned a few tricks from either holding the rod with three fingers forward of the reel stem to adding simple rubber furniture led end caps to the rod but, with or without thick washers in them, to provide the optimum balance. And what I use depends on the reel seat, handle design, and for grip.
I was always taught the "balance point" is where the blank meets the grip, I'm not entirely sure if this is correct, but based of of that your combos shown in the beginning of the video seem very reel heavy, but I guess ultimately it's all personal opinion/preference I use an okuma covert-x 6'6 graphite rod with split eva grips, and a 500 size okuma odt-ceymar reel(110 yard capacity) with 2lb braid and 4-8lb leader depending on the conditions I'm fishing in, balancing my combo at the point I mentioned it lays perfectly horizontal...all in all is about 200-250 grams / roughly 8 oz Anyways, enough of my rambling, love your vids, keep up the good work :) ❤
I’m late to watching you’re video but I couldn’t agree more with what you’re saying. I recently bought a high end St Croix Avid Panfish 6’9 UL rod and originally had it paired up with a 500 sized Shimano Vanford. Though it was balanced right where the rod meets the cork with the reel on it I wanted something with a little more weight to the butt so I recently bought a 1000 sized Shimano Nasci (New Model) and it balanced out better for me where the butt is much heavier and allows me cast effortlessly when fishing. Less fatigue in my opinion. I use 4lbs P-Line floro and it’s more than enough to pull in multi species fish. Great video man!
I’ve been upgrading my “learning gear” and gifting my Walmart gear out to buddies I’ve converted into anglers. Waiting on my new rods and reels to come in. Thanks for the great products and advice
For reels with more line capacity than what you need, back fill with mono! I get my 4lb mono from Walmart, the zebco line, doesn’t matter what brand you go for really though, now I can afford (and should for saltwater) to put full braid on my reels but for those that can’t, just fill the reel with cheap mono, until you get to the braid line cap you need!
I was inspired, decided to treat myself for all the work I’ve been doing this summer and ordered a TFO TPS 6ft 2 piece (wish they had a 5’6” in a 2 piece since I creek fish). And a really pretty JDM reel to match (Shimano 18 Cardiff CI4+ 1000S). Now I’ll have a backup so I can talk some friends into coming along.
To combat TSS (Tiny Spool Syndrome), use braid on it. My most used ultralight reel is a KastKing Summer size 500. I've caught hundreds of fish on it. Small reel. Small diameter. I use 6lb braid on it (2lb leader), and even on a 5.5ft rod, I can cast plenty far.
Nice! Had that one bookmarked and for $20, it seems like an easy decision. What rod would you pair with it? I'm kind of new to this as I've always just bought combos.
@@HomeStudioBasics For the Centron, I'd actually get the Kastking Royale Legend rod UL mod fast. For the Zephyr, I'd go with the Kastking Resolute UL rod.
I've used ul setup to catch barramundi once. the fight was legendary. that fish was a runner. caught 8kg n a few 3kg barramundi. totally the best fishing trip ever
awesome video right here, for sure it is. Cabela's is at least a 45-minute drive from where I live, Well depending on traffic too. When it comes to trout rod and reel combos i pretty much pay $30-45 for one and they back theirs up with a two or three year warranty as well. Cabela's do have a lot of sales up there. If you never been to Cabela's please visit one and if you can't find what you're looking for ask one of the employees they will show you and explain everything to you.
As far as reel to rod balancing, I use a 9ft custom ultralight for saltwater. The builder put some lead in the butt of the rod to help and I put a 2500 diawa saltist on it, it’s not completely balanced but it certainly could be if I wanted it to. To help sort out the balancing for rods it’s kinda spotty, if you’re picking out a rod, try to see if you can mount your reel on it before buying it. If your selected a reel and it’s not quite balancing you can buy aftermarket butt caps that fit over the existing butt and add weight there, throw some lead and epoxy in the butt, or buy weights that kind of wrap around the butt section of the rod that you can take off and adjust the positioning of.
When it comes to ultralight fishing, I use all shallow spools for my reels- no ifs or buts! Also I predominantly use good quality braid line and tie on a fluorocarbon leader- 3-5 lb. line.
So the daiwa laguna 1000 Hass all the key points you want!! Shallow spool like the jdm reel still bigger diameter but on the heavier side. I use it on my 6'1 daiwa procyon like the one I got for you. Retail is around $34.99
Enjoy your energy in your videos. Nice to see you catch some slabs! Wanted to share an old school option to help balance your reel and rod combo. Most rods you can add rubber or silicone chair leg end caps and add weight with coins or lead inside the cap as needed to balance your set up. Simple solution and may help protect the cork on the ends of your rods…
Exactly my issue with Daiwa reels in North America. The deep spools are killing me (I use braid on all my reels) Good thing the Revros is a normal spool and Tatula also comes with a normal spool model. I recently just ordered a 2000 size Daiwa Gekkabijin X LT from Japan which comes with a shallow spool. Can't wait to put 100 yards of thin braid to fill it up! Daiwa USA needs to produce more normal and shallow spool models cuz there are lots of ultralight fishermen in NA. Great video man! keep it up!
I have two 2000 size spinning reels- with about the same line capacity and gear ratio- but one has a larger diameter spool, so you pick up more line per turn at the same crank speed so its real easy to horse in an angry bass on the larger spool, but its easier to work a lure slow on the smaller spool. Each has its place, but i can learn to work the bigger spool slowly with a little practice, but i cant make the snall spool crank in line faster without working the crank faster.
Was a diehard daiwa spinning reel guy. Bought a vanford and think it’s better at its price point than the Tatula. Now I’m up to 4 vanfords to compliment my 7 tatulas. At under $100 I think daiwa wins the bang for buck award. Also really like the jdm options with the shallow spools.
I agree with this. I think Shimano probably has superior reels in the $200+ range but Daiwa is fantastic about offering great innovative reels at all budgets.
If the spool has too much capacity I use a cheap mono backing. I sometimes use it on shallow spools too so I don't put on too much expensive line on. The trick is to use a similar diameter because the thinner one can dig into and bury in the thicker one.
I have a St. Croix Panfish 7'0" Light that I originally put a Piscifun Carbon X 1000 (5.7 oz) on. That combo ended up very tip heavy. I later did some reel swapping and realized that it needed an 8.5 oz. reel to balance properly. I didn't want a big 3000 - 4000 size reel, so I did some research and found the Diawa BG series of reels. Since they were originally marketed towards saltwater they focus on durability versus lightweight. The combo balanced perfectly with a Diawa BG 2000 (8.5 oz.).
whaaaaat, i love the pflujer president size 20, it's my go too for ultra light but i guess it's as you said, everyone has their own preference and what they're use too
Haha yeah I am not dogging on it but it just doesn't achieve the same distance as my wider spooled options. I do think it has a time and a place though!
@@FishAnything I have paired it with a fendwick eagle 7'0" medium and i'm able to cast pretty far with it doing a underhand swing as long as i don't cast towards the wind and keep the bait as low as possible i can cast pretty far, I should also mention I live in Miami florida so, alot of days in the summer we counter high winds where i live especially if you're fishing canals. So ultra light light lures require alot of practice to get out there.
If you do not have a shallow spool, make one. put some old line on the spool then put some tape over it (electric isolation tape works for me. :)) and then put the new line on - 50 meters is more than enough for ultralight. So at the end of the day you buy 300m of line and you can use almost 100% of it. :)
Have you gotten the chance to try Daiwa Crossfire and Daiwa Laguna Daiwa Fuego? I've been super impressed w all 3 reels. The bang for the buck to me is the Daiwa crossfire but as far as line capacity and castabilities as far as distance the Fuego tops all reels of different brands size for size. Penn and Shimano dont come close as far as price and quality for that price range of ultra lite to light fishing reels. I will say this though the Daiwa Crossfire is the best budget and cost friendly thats super under rated. Hopefully you'll make a video about all e reels one day
I hear a ton of good things about all three of these. I use a lot of Daiwa and like them all, so there is no doubt I would enjoy these models as well. The Laguna & Crossfire are a bit heavier than my LT models but I might have to give them a shot.
I ended up retiring my Nasci 500 for these very same reasons. I moved my Tatula LT 1000 down from my light rod to my ultralight and ordered another Tatula LT 2500 to replace it. No regrets. Maybe I'll use the Nasci on an ice rod or something, but it's just too small for what I was using it for.
@@smp5343 I ordered the Nasci 500 and the Vanford 500 on the same day. The next day I returned them. Even if I was Ice fishing I would use at least a 1000.
Super well explained! I’ve got a 8’0” Rod that I use for shore casting for small pelagics. I pair it with 2000 size reels. These are always shallow spooled and HG. As you mentioned in the video, the shallow spool helps to reduce the amount of line. I use HG because I’m going for pelagics that mostly prefer a faster retrieve. I wouldn’t get that retrieval rate if I were using a PG reel. I’d say on top of having a balanced setup, it’s also important to match your reel to the target species
👍🏻😎 I love my Shimano Sedona 1000 paired up with my Sakana 6'6" Ultralight. It has perfect balance and is as light as a feather. I also love my Daiwa Revros spinning reels. These are great budget priced spinning reels that have smooth drags and perform great. You can't go wrong with either brand. Shimano, for some reason eliminated the anti-reverse lever off of the new Sedona 1000 so you can't back reel with it anymore. That's the only gripe I have with it and it hasn't been a problem yet, but not having that option might be a deal breaker for some. These are just my favorites. Everyone should find the brand that suits them no matter what it is.
Exactly! Sounds like you have some great setups, J.T! I feel like back-reeling is much less necessary these days, now that reels have such smoother drag systems. Maybe I should test this out...
For ultralight reels I've got a mash up of older and newer ones, smaller diameter spools and larger diameter. At the end of the day they each have advantageous situations that play to their strengths. I can vertically jig with the old Abu Garcia Gold Max or 500 Shimano and cast a country mile with the 1000 series reels. Some braid some mono. Tons of fun there
@4:24 Check the companies parts catalog, spools on most spinners can be swapped out on the fly. Some companies offer spool variations in the catalog for customization. You just don't see shallow spools reel in retail all that much in the states because its a matter of sells, not as much demand on them in a store front.
If the spool has too much line capacity just buy some cheap mono and use as backing. After that spool up your favorite 100 yards of line or braid. You will never need to change the backing, just the 100 yards or less of your favorite. Daiwa is my favorite brand of spinning reel. Smooth, great ball bearings, and I like their heavy bail wire. I really like their Ballistic MQ which can be purchased at American Legacy and they will work with you on price. Just my 2 cents
I use mono backing all the time - I agree that is the best work-around. That being said, I just wish we had reel spools available that didn't require that. It adds weight and another step. Good callout!
Quality mono still works for general purpose fishing also. Especially for creek fishing. No leaders is a big plus. If you know what you are doing you won't get loops, wind knots etc...
I love your channel :)))) And I always ask myself why you say "this rod is tip heavy", and not triyng it with heavy reel. I see now you finally realized it. In my country spool size or reel size does not matter so much, we buy the rod that we like, and then balance it with reel. Some buy cheaper reel, wich is heavy, so that the rod is balaned with smaller size reel, if the reel is expensive it is tipicaly lighter and the rod is balanced with bigger size. And one more thing, if you have deep spool you always can put cheap or old mono or flouro under the main braided line, that way you can use less braid in verry deep spool. If you want to fill the spool perfect, than you start reeling the braid first, then knot it at the end with mono, finish reeling to the proper edge of the spool, then you move the braid and the mono together to the secont spool, then again to the third spool, and finally reel it again to the reel you want to use, and that way you have perfectly reeled to the edge braid with mono underline. Mono underline also help if the braid is sliding on the spool. And we use our braid two time. reel it, when it is crap, then we switch, crapy side go under, good side go on top.
I just wish the rod manufacturers would build their rods to pair with a smaller reel. There are zero times where I need 500 yards of 2 or 4lb test on an ultralight rod. It would be nice to have a 7' UL built to pair with a 6.5oz 1000 size reel!
To balance those longer ultralihht rods, diawa fuego 2000 size. Fill up most of the spool with 4lb mono (because its what is easily avaialbe in my area) and then top off with braid
the Daiwa crossfire 2500 has a good size spool but doesn't hold a lot of line , the spool is shallow but still the regular size round but i use it on a 7 ft medium fast rod for wacky rig , shakey head small and small swimbait fishing for bass , i also have the Revros 4000 on a 7 ft medium heavy for texas rig fluke and or swimbait fishing for bass , the 4000 is ok with me but ut has a deep spool i have to use a lot of filler line on it , but you are so very right on all those points about the small reels
@@FishAnything i like the crossfire it's a Diawa you know but doesn't feel heavy quality but light weight is good , i think the revros is a better reel but $25 for a new reel i couldn't turn it down , mine is the 2500 , try it out you might like it
I have a few really nice rods that are slightly more tip heavy than I wanted them to be in the 7-foot range... I will take a but cap and throw a sinker in it and experiment with the wait to counterbalance the rod. it will add total weight to the rod but if it's an already fairly light rod that just needs a little bit of balancing I don't find it to be an issue I've done it with the dobyns I've done it with a Loomis. they just kind of bothered me that they were slightly tip heavy but the actions of the rods and sensitivities were very nice. They are bottom feel rods drop-shotting light Texas rigs. Where I could pendulum the rod tip with my fingertips without using too much for arm. . they actually sell but caps for rod building that have removable weights
I’ll admit I do need to upgrade my reel at some point or at least put some mono backing on the reel to make it work more like a shallow spooled one. I use a Daiwa crossfire 2500 sized reel and I LOVE the drag. It’s buttery smooth and just overall a fantanstic budget reel. I like the bigger spool because I seem to get more distance on casts
@@FishAnything it really is a great reel and after watching this I checked it and it actually has a pretty shallow spool. It’s rated for 6lb mono but I have braid on it right now with a leader and it casts just fine.
Thanks for the breakdown. I don’t have a true UL setup and am making due with some old gear, but I have discovered the spool on my current reel is too small and causing the very issues you talked about…great to know I’m not crazy 😝.
Haha yeah it is frustrating when you can't get the distance you want (or you have a lot of line memory). The size 1000 has been really good to me, far better than the smaller reels.
I like capacity. I use 4 pound on most all my reels now but used to use 2. Most of the time I don't need 200 yards of line, but on a few occasions I've hooked large pike and walleye in the river that tear line off. Large fish are one thing, but rivers have a lot of debris that wears my line prematurely as well. As such I don't crank my drag too tight. I'd prefer to have large fish take me to the bottom of the spool than risk breaking off.
All my UL to med rods are 7’ and paired with 3000 series Shimano reels. They feel fine to me. I bought an UL TFO 6’ rod. I debated between a 1000 and 500 Sahara. I bought the 500 and the combo is slightly tip heavy. I don’t think it matters as the rod so light to start with. The small diameter spool does seem to cause memory to the 4 pound leader. I use braid so I don’t think twist will be a problem. I think the casting distance is much more limited by the lure weight than the difference in spool diameter. The reel is so small it feels odd. The 1000 is probably a better choice.
The Fish don’t care what we use 😂 Great video and fantastic points on quality of all reels . I sold thousands in my time as an Fishing tackle dealer . Shimano was a huge seller . Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪
I am looking for an ULTRALIGHT ( 3 oz or so) ultra small Fishing reel. It will be going on my ultra super light weight 30" telescopic carbon fiber. fishing pole 48grs. of total weight. ( Yes, it's durable ) TESTED It's for backpacking. I'm putting together an ultralight kit. My current reel weighs 5.8grs. It's feels quite heavy on this little rod. I'd like to try to balance out the weight a LITTLE closer. Plus it will help lighten my pack overall. After all, weight is weight regardless.
@@FishAnything Yeah it wasn't in stock then. I'll be on the look out for them. The UL reels I have don't feel great at all to me and I really want to have one that I like without just buying another daiwa.
Agree with most points but would add having a couple of spare spools is sure handy,,as to line capacity my dad used cork to wrap the spool do decrease line needs,,I just use backing. Great video,,not an info mercial Thanks
How about drag on a reel? No one talks about that. What is it? How do you set it and how do you look for that when buying? Make a video on line drag. - Thxs 😊🙏
just saw this video thank you for your input., i've always loved 13 fishings defy rods and i just preordered the gold defy rod. i also just ordered a procyon lt for only 120 bucks on tackle warehouse and cant wait to try it.
To help balance the 7 foot, maybe a weighted butt end like euro nymph fly rods are doing. My first setup is a vintage renegade 5'6 with vintage Shimano custom 1000. Just last weekend I picked up a tactical green ceymar 1000 bait feeder to pair with a 7 foot spinmatic . I insist my wife feels the balance of rods....
I’ve recently found your channel and it has introduced me to the world of ultralight fishing. Been loving the videos and was looking to get a combo myself! I think I’ve decided on getting a 6ft TFO rod but I’m still undecided on the reel. I found some old bass pro gift cards with money on them and was thinking of either getting a Shimano nasci or Diawa legalis in a 1000 size. Is there either one you would recommend over the other? Either way love the videos and keep on making great content!
So sorry I just got back to this. Life has been busy! Honestly both of those reels are solid so I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Thanks so much for the support!
Hey man been watching several of your videos lately. Congrats on the 10" gill. I just wanted to offer my .02 cents on something you've mentioned in a couple videos. In this video and a few of the rod reviews you mentioned that the longer rods felt tip heavy. I completely agree, and I think the reason for this is because most UL rods over about 6'6 are 2 piece rods. I think the joint and the extra length of the tip make it heavier than the same tip section of a 1 piece rod. I won't use a 2 piece UL over about 5'6 because of this, and don't use rods over 6'6 because I can't find a 1 piece rod. Honestly I'm happy with 6- 6'6" rods.
Hey there Ken thank you very much! I agree that 2pc rods likely have an even worse balance, but to tell you the truth, I have tried numerous 6'6+ rods that are one piece and I think that rod companies genuinely make them to balance with a size 2500 or 3000 reel (which is absurd for ultralight fishing). I would love to see a rod company put out their shorter rods with split grip and their longer rods with a full butt. I think that would solve the problem for numerous manufacturers.
@@FishAnything yes the longer st croix panfish series comes to mind as a tip heavy 1 piece. My 6'4 rod is. Try the 6' rod in that series. A true UL that balances very well, and may even be butt heavy with the right reel.
Great video only thing I would add is hand sized some of the smaller reels if you have a bigger hands may not work as well for you but other than that awesome video
That is true. Same goes for the grip. The Lew's grip I have is definitely a much larger handle which I like. The reel itself doesn't feel as nice as the Daiwas and Shimanos but I really enjoy that large power handle.
I have been starting to try that. I still feel the longer rods have room to improve with regards to balancing. I would love to see rod companies make a full rod butt on their longer UL models to compensate for the balance issues.
I have a JDM Shimano 2000 bio master and a 1000 Stradic the bio master is a lot smaller, shimano and diawa sell shallow spool models here in Australia but only in the higher price ranges because of our bream tournaments. I have a shallow spool diawa Cretate 2506H. Diawa sizes also vary a lot between different models in their range my BG3000 is bigger than my TDblack 4000
Back in the days of the Garcia Mitchell 300 reels they did include both a deep and shallow spool. I imagine in these days its a price issue. I am a die hard Shimano fan, love my Vanford's, Stradic's and Stella's. For my ultralites, I like the 2500's
Nice advise Ethan, have the same Daiwa Tatula. They seem to balance nicely and you can always get a JDM version with the shallower spool. Waiting to see if Daiwa is going to come out with new Tatula Lt next year!
I sure hope they bring a shallow spool market to the domestic market. It makes way too much sense! The only theory I have as to why these reel companies don't do shallow spooled models is because they all sell line and want us to waste it and buy more lol
Have you tried the Daiwa Fuego 1000 and 2500? Also Have you tried daiwa crossfire 1000, 2000, and 2500? By far the best real on a market hold a lot of line capacity for a small reel and a spool diameter makes you cast way further than any other real. Best bang for your bucks type of reel
@@FishAnything shimano new sienna for $30 is another good reel and shimano FX for $20 is good to. But the daiwa fuego w good waterproofing seals holds the most line and best $$$ for $80 its no joke w its drag power and spool diameter. You'll be surprised w the power and line capacity w the daiwa fuego 1000...smooth as silk and light w enough power to pull in 10 pounders. To me its under rated
This is such a great video and I love your channel! Getting into UL for the first time, and trying to decide between a Sedona or Revros. Good sale on Sedona for $60 going right now. My question is…Is there anything OBJECTIVELY that makes it better than a Revros? Been trying to research and on the contrary It seems that the drag and bail system are nicer on the Revros…but you’ve used them both extensively, so would be curious your thoughts! For what it’s worth, I do like the color scheme on the revros better. Can’t wait to order some Mule gear!
I would probably opt for the Sedona just because I trust the Shimano to hold up a little bit more... That being said, I would consider them pretty dang close in quality so if you like the looks of the Revros more, you can't really go wrong.
I use a 3000 size reel on an 8'6" UL rod. I use 6 pound mono. This set up rules. You can cast 1/4 ounce lures like youre driving a golf ball. hell yes.
That sounds like a great setup for bank fishing trout in lakes. Seems like a lot of the west coast guys use really long ultralight rods with larger reels. I have been meaning to try this here too.
I know its a couple of weeks later, but I would check out the piscifun carbon x spinning reel, it is a very light weight and smooth operating reel, they also sell shallow spools for it as well
I've personally had a lot of success with Digitaka. I purchased several reels when the YEN was very low vs. the U.S. dollar. They have a large selection of Daiwa and Shimano's with shallow spools. Just trying to help.
I will keep this in mind. For now, I would just say that you should keep an eye on how much line capacity your reel has. Then you can simply add some cheap line on your spool first. Once you feel you have covered down on the unnecessary line capacity, tie a simple leader knot to your mainline and start spooling it on. You want to spool it up to the lip of the reel spool, but not over the top. A full reel is a happy reel, but an overfilled or underfilled reel will be very sad XD
Nice video. I fell in love with the vanford. Hyper smooth drag and easy start-up. The castability is 10/10, something about how Shimano gives the lip a slight curve and their long stroke spool increases distance. Also the line lay is Perfect. However at a lower price point, the zephyr SFS is my next go to: super light and shallow spool so easy to cast
Thanks for the video. I am in South Africa so we mostly get Daiwa Shimano and Okuma here. I am looking at the Shimano Clarus 7'6 ultra light rod. Would you say a 2000 size reel would be better? I plan on spooling it with 6 or 8lb braid. I will be using it to fish gulleys and rocks around the surf for small fish 2lbs and below and some estuary and river fishing. I love Shimano but from experience the Daiwa spinning reels run a little bit larger
I believe I shared as best I could, but essentially the spool increases line memory because the line is wrapped in smaller loops. This typically reduces casting distance and causes greater memory issues.
@@FishAnything Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean diameter. You show a spool that is short in length. I was wondering if there are any disadvantages is using short spools. Thanks!
@@letun3481 Oh that makes sense. Honestly, most spools aren't very short these days so I don't necessarily know if there is much of a disadvantage or not. I imagine it could cause issues with how the line lays on a spool so I would just stick to a standard model if I was you. If I get a chance to experiment with that more in the future, I will try to learn more.
That is what KastKing wants you to think. Kastking is a Chinese company with a "front" in the United States. The parent company is EPOSEIDON which is based in SHENZHEN, CHINA. Piscifun is also a Chinese company. They try to pass themselves off as American companies but they are owned by shady Chinese conglomerates.
Hey, could you make a video on the cheapest UL combo? I just bought a daiwa d-shock light action 5'6. (Specs and the action of the rod felt more like a UL than light, the UL is action 5'0 and felt similar so i opted for the 5'6" So im curious what are your thoughts on it and how well could i hold up, it was only $30 bucks! Aha
![2023 Ultralight Gear Recap [Rods, Reels, & Line]](/img/n.gif)
I used to leave half my old line on the reel and tie the new line on from there. Worked great for a cheap guy like me.
I love how you break down the products and compare them to each other. Not a whole lot of TH-camr in the fishing community put out as much helpful information as you.
Happy to hear you are enjoying the videos :)
Thank you for your time spent on your informational videos. I just retired, haven't fished for 15 years, but used to love ultra light fishing.
Happy to help! Let me know if you ever have any questions or feedback.
Loved your points through out this video! I do agree that the spool is key for ultralight fishing, but I never considered that weight of the reel doesn't always have to be the lightest, but more importantly how it balances the combo, so I appreciated that.
Happy you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching :)
Thanks for sharing this video. I have just got into ' micro ' fishing, and all ' tips' are welcome 🙏 🤗
Thank you Greg! Tight lines!
This is a GREAT video. I have been trying to find the perfect light reel, I bought a Plflueger and it was just too small. Then I bought a Penn Fierce 2000 and it's just overkill. So I sent that back. Now I'm going to buy a Daiwa Regal 1000 LT , it's just right for the way I fish. I use 6 lb test all the time. And the Daiwa holds 160 yards of it. Perfect !!!! So the point I'm trying to make is this guy hit the nail on the head when he said look for a decent spool diameter. I'm 52 years old and have some older Penn reels from my childhood and the old ( and I mean old ) 716 Z series ultra light reels were the perfect size. Unfortunately I need to replace the bearings in one. Stay away from the really small reels as he said. They are sometimes referred to as Ice fishing reels. They are not good for casting and they tend to always have line issues.
Tight lines Chad! I’m glad to hear we have similar preferences 👊🏽🤠👊🏽
I've been testing out a few different UL reels myself and it's crazy how much it varies even within the same price point.
Yeah, I just don't think you can go wrong with Daiwa or Shimano. I have never fished a reel I hated from either of them.
Daiwa BG 1500 best one I’ve used so far. 6lb Berkeley fire line crystal and it casts so smooth you won’t believe it.
Impressed. You nailed the less intuitive parts, like larger spool size and balance being so impt. Fuego LT 3000 with an SLP shallow spool is my fav.
Nice! I wish we had more shallow spools available here in the states!
@@FishAnything You can order stuff for your reels here: www.hedgehog-studio.co.jp/
Always providing great information. I now have a few 500 reels I will change to 1000 after all the little line “pigtails” forming. Thanks again Ethan appreciate your content.
I think you will notice a big difference between the 500 and 1000!
Great advice! I am a balance fanatic and have learned a few tricks from either holding the rod with three fingers forward of the reel stem to adding simple rubber furniture led end caps to the rod but, with or without thick washers in them, to provide the optimum balance. And what I use depends on the reel seat, handle design, and for grip.
Definitely! I have been meaning to pick up some of those rubber furniture caps too. Thanks Frank
I was always taught the "balance point" is where the blank meets the grip, I'm not entirely sure if this is correct, but based of of that your combos shown in the beginning of the video seem very reel heavy, but I guess ultimately it's all personal opinion/preference
I use an okuma covert-x 6'6 graphite rod with split eva grips, and a 500 size okuma odt-ceymar reel(110 yard capacity) with 2lb braid and 4-8lb leader depending on the conditions I'm fishing in, balancing my combo at the point I mentioned it lays perfectly horizontal...all in all is about 200-250 grams / roughly 8 oz
Anyways, enough of my rambling, love your vids, keep up the good work :) ❤
I’m late to watching you’re video but I couldn’t agree more with what you’re saying. I recently bought a high end St Croix Avid Panfish 6’9 UL rod and originally had it paired up with a 500 sized Shimano Vanford. Though it was balanced right where the rod meets the cork with the reel on it I wanted something with a little more weight to the butt so I recently bought a 1000 sized Shimano Nasci (New Model) and it balanced out better for me where the butt is much heavier and allows me cast effortlessly when fishing. Less fatigue in my opinion. I use 4lbs P-Line floro and it’s more than enough to pull in multi species fish. Great video man!
Awesome! Sounds like a really nice setup. I have that same Nasci 1000 and that thing is a great reel for the $100 price.
I’ve been upgrading my “learning gear” and gifting my Walmart gear out to buddies I’ve converted into anglers. Waiting on my new rods and reels to come in. Thanks for the great products and advice
Awesome! Good on you for sharing the sport with your friends too.
well said.. that's is why i usually go in and get a feel of how the rod and reel will feel if i pair it together
Always good to do if you have the option.
For reels with more line capacity than what you need, back fill with mono!
I get my 4lb mono from Walmart, the zebco line, doesn’t matter what brand you go for really though, now I can afford (and should for saltwater) to put full braid on my reels but for those that can’t, just fill the reel with cheap mono, until you get to the braid line cap you need!
Yeah I do the same thing!
Have you ever tried backing? I do and it works great! Also use braid on small diameter spool's.thanks for your view's!
I usually spool some cheap backing before running braid to save on cost. Thanks John!
I was inspired, decided to treat myself for all the work I’ve been doing this summer and ordered a TFO TPS 6ft 2 piece (wish they had a 5’6” in a 2 piece since I creek fish). And a really pretty JDM reel to match (Shimano 18 Cardiff CI4+ 1000S).
Now I’ll have a backup so I can talk some friends into coming along.
Old setup is a Celilo 5’ 2 piece with a Sedona Fl 1000. Still a great setup.
You will love that TFO! Great stick :) Have fun man!
To combat TSS (Tiny Spool Syndrome), use braid on it. My most used ultralight reel is a KastKing Summer size 500. I've caught hundreds of fish on it. Small reel. Small diameter. I use 6lb braid on it (2lb leader), and even on a 5.5ft rod, I can cast plenty far.
I use the Zephyr 2k for my Ul fishing. Bigger spool, same weight.
Those Centron/Summer reel's are excellent.
Good to know! Might have to try it out!
@@FishAnything Please do. It flat out embarrasses the President by Pflueger. I've got 500 hours on my Zephyr. Still brand new feeling.
Nice! Had that one bookmarked and for $20, it seems like an easy decision. What rod would you pair with it? I'm kind of new to this as I've always just bought combos.
@@HomeStudioBasics For the Centron, I'd actually get the Kastking Royale Legend rod UL mod fast.
For the Zephyr, I'd go with the Kastking Resolute UL rod.
I've used ul setup to catch barramundi once. the fight was legendary. that fish was a runner. caught 8kg n a few 3kg barramundi. totally the best fishing trip ever
That sounds like pure madness!
awesome video right here, for sure it is.
Cabela's is at least a 45-minute drive from where I live, Well depending on traffic too.
When it comes to trout rod and reel combos i pretty much pay $30-45 for one and they back theirs up with a two or three year warranty as well. Cabela's do have a lot of sales up there. If you never been to Cabela's please visit one and if you can't find what you're looking for ask one of the employees they will show you and explain everything to you.
Right on! Can't go wrong with a fun trip to Cabelas :)
@@FishAnything
👍👍
As far as reel to rod balancing, I use a 9ft custom ultralight for saltwater.
The builder put some lead in the butt of the rod to help and I put a 2500 diawa saltist on it, it’s not completely balanced but it certainly could be if I wanted it to.
To help sort out the balancing for rods it’s kinda spotty, if you’re picking out a rod, try to see if you can mount your reel on it before buying it.
If your selected a reel and it’s not quite balancing you can buy aftermarket butt caps that fit over the existing butt and add weight there, throw some lead and epoxy in the butt, or buy weights that kind of wrap around the butt section of the rod that you can take off and adjust the positioning of.
I have been planning to start butt-weighting my longer UL's. Good tip!
When it comes to ultralight fishing, I use all shallow spools for my reels- no ifs or buts! Also I predominantly use good quality braid line and tie on a fluorocarbon leader- 3-5 lb. line.
I wish I had more access to shallow spools without having to import them!
@Fish Anything same here! I usually buy JDM reels only.
I have the SHIMANO SEDONA 1000 reel with 4lb Fluorocarbon... Panfish slayer for sure. Hooked up on the 6'6 SENSELITE rod of course. 🎣
Excellent setup!
So the daiwa laguna 1000 Hass all the key points you want!! Shallow spool like the jdm reel still bigger diameter but on the heavier side. I use it on my 6'1 daiwa procyon like the one I got for you. Retail is around $34.99
Hmmmm I will have to look into the Laguna!
Enjoy your energy in your videos. Nice to see you catch some slabs! Wanted to share an old school option to help balance your reel and rod combo. Most rods you can add rubber or silicone chair leg end caps and add weight with coins or lead inside the cap as needed to balance your set up. Simple solution and may help protect the cork on the ends of your rods…
Great feedback - I have actually been thinking about doing that exact thing haha
I like to use rubber rod butt caps and quarters for balancing
.
Wow..such an awesome job of explaining some things I did not understand! Thanks!
Happy you enjoyed it! Tight lines :)
Exactly my issue with Daiwa reels in North America. The deep spools are killing me (I use braid on all my reels) Good thing the Revros is a normal spool and Tatula also comes with a normal spool model. I recently just ordered a 2000 size Daiwa Gekkabijin X LT from Japan which comes with a shallow spool. Can't wait to put 100 yards of thin braid to fill it up! Daiwa USA needs to produce more normal and shallow spool models cuz there are lots of ultralight fishermen in NA. Great video man! keep it up!
I bet shallow spools will eventually be available domestically. Just gotta keep spreading the word and Daiwa will realize there is an opportunity!
I have two 2000 size spinning reels- with about the same line capacity and gear ratio- but one has a larger diameter spool, so you pick up more line per turn at the same crank speed so its real easy to horse in an angry bass on the larger spool, but its easier to work a lure slow on the smaller spool. Each has its place, but i can learn to work the bigger spool slowly with a little practice, but i cant make the snall spool crank in line faster without working the crank faster.
I definitely prefer a wider spool too. Pros and cons, but that is more my style.
Was a diehard daiwa spinning reel guy. Bought a vanford and think it’s better at its price point than the Tatula. Now I’m up to 4 vanfords to compliment my 7 tatulas. At under $100 I think daiwa wins the bang for buck award. Also really like the jdm options with the shallow spools.
I agree with this. I think Shimano probably has superior reels in the $200+ range but Daiwa is fantastic about offering great innovative reels at all budgets.
If the spool has too much capacity I use a cheap mono backing. I sometimes use it on shallow spools too so I don't put on too much expensive line on. The trick is to use a similar diameter because the thinner one can dig into and bury in the thicker one.
Good point! I use mono backing all the time. I would prefer to simply have the right size spool but there is always a work-around.
@@FishAnything Yeah the bigger spools would be my first choice.
Bingo surgical tape works also
I have a St. Croix Panfish 7'0" Light that I originally put a Piscifun Carbon X 1000 (5.7 oz) on. That combo ended up very tip heavy. I later did some reel swapping and realized that it needed an 8.5 oz. reel to balance properly. I didn't want a big 3000 - 4000 size reel, so I did some research and found the Diawa BG series of reels. Since they were originally marketed towards saltwater they focus on durability versus lightweight. The combo balanced perfectly with a Diawa BG 2000 (8.5 oz.).
Awesome! That is good intel - I might have to consider that line of reels.
I have the daiwa BG 2000 and it’s my favorite spinning reel. Just got a debris to match with my TFO 6 ft. It should balance well.
such a great video for new and experienced fishermen!!
thank you!!
Wow great breakdown! Awesome information! Thank you
Thanks Nicholas!
whaaaaat, i love the pflujer president size 20, it's my go too for ultra light but i guess it's as you said, everyone has their own preference and what they're use too
Haha yeah I am not dogging on it but it just doesn't achieve the same distance as my wider spooled options. I do think it has a time and a place though!
@@FishAnything I have paired it with
a fendwick eagle 7'0" medium and i'm able to cast pretty far with it doing a underhand swing as long as i don't cast towards the wind and keep the bait as low as possible i can cast pretty far, I should also mention I live in Miami florida so, alot of days in the summer we counter high winds where i live especially if you're fishing canals. So ultra light light lures require alot of practice to get out there.
If you do not have a shallow spool, make one. put some old line on the spool then put some tape over it (electric isolation tape works for me. :)) and then put the new line on - 50 meters is more than enough for ultralight.
So at the end of the day you buy 300m of line and you can use almost 100% of it. :)
I use backing on a lot of my reels! Good suggestion :)
Have you gotten the chance to try Daiwa Crossfire and Daiwa Laguna Daiwa Fuego? I've been super impressed w all 3 reels. The bang for the buck to me is the Daiwa crossfire but as far as line capacity and castabilities as far as distance the Fuego tops all reels of different brands size for size. Penn and Shimano dont come close as far as price and quality for that price range of ultra lite to light fishing reels. I will say this though the Daiwa Crossfire is the best budget and cost friendly thats super under rated. Hopefully you'll make a video about all e reels one day
I hear a ton of good things about all three of these. I use a lot of Daiwa and like them all, so there is no doubt I would enjoy these models as well. The Laguna & Crossfire are a bit heavier than my LT models but I might have to give them a shot.
Bought my first light fishing rod Lew's hypersonic some if the most fun fish fights I ever had
Glad you are liking it!
I ended up retiring my Nasci 500 for these very same reasons. I moved my Tatula LT 1000 down from my light rod to my ultralight and ordered another Tatula LT 2500 to replace it. No regrets. Maybe I'll use the Nasci on an ice rod or something, but it's just too small for what I was using it for.
Yeah it sounds like we have similar taste. I think a 500 will work just fine for ice fishing or vertical jigging.
@@smp5343 I ordered the Nasci 500 and the Vanford 500 on the same day. The next day I returned them. Even if I was Ice fishing I would use at least a 1000.
Amazing advice! Thanks! I love fishing ultra light
Thank you! Tight lines my friend :)
A Daiwa 2000 is the same as a 1000 with a bigger spool diameter. I love the 2000 shallow spool reels.
A SS 2000 is money. I wish they were more available domestically.
@@FishAnything Have you ever tried the 19' Vanquish C2000S or the C2000SHG. Amazing reels for UL but expensive.
Super well explained! I’ve got a 8’0” Rod that I use for shore casting for small pelagics. I pair it with 2000 size reels. These are always shallow spooled and HG. As you mentioned in the video, the shallow spool helps to reduce the amount of line. I use HG because I’m going for pelagics that mostly prefer a faster retrieve. I wouldn’t get that retrieval rate if I were using a PG reel. I’d say on top of having a balanced setup, it’s also important to match your reel to the target species
Totally agree! Man, I would love to go fish with you. That sounds like a hoot!
how to see if it shallow spool on reels?
👍🏻😎 I love my Shimano Sedona 1000 paired up with my Sakana 6'6" Ultralight. It has perfect balance and is as light as a feather. I also love my Daiwa Revros spinning reels. These are great budget priced spinning reels that have smooth drags and perform great. You can't go wrong with either brand. Shimano, for some reason eliminated the anti-reverse lever off of the new Sedona 1000 so you can't back reel with it anymore. That's the only gripe I have with it and it hasn't been a problem yet, but not having that option might be a deal breaker for some. These are just my favorites. Everyone should find the brand that suits them no matter what it is.
Exactly! Sounds like you have some great setups, J.T! I feel like back-reeling is much less necessary these days, now that reels have such smoother drag systems. Maybe I should test this out...
For ultralight reels I've got a mash up of older and newer ones, smaller diameter spools and larger diameter. At the end of the day they each have advantageous situations that play to their strengths. I can vertically jig with the old Abu Garcia Gold Max or 500 Shimano and cast a country mile with the 1000 series reels. Some braid some mono. Tons of fun there
Pros and cons is the name of the game. Pick something that fits your style and that’s what’s most important.
Amen
@4:24 Check the companies parts catalog, spools on most spinners can be swapped out on the fly. Some companies offer spool variations in the catalog for customization. You just don't see shallow spools reel in retail all that much in the states because its a matter of sells, not as much demand on them in a store front.
I will have to look into the catalogs - thanks!
balancing a 7 foot rod with a light real by maybe adding some lead weight in the very bottom of the handle?
Yeah that’s an option!
1000 series daiwa regal! Best bang for the dollar and go toe to toe with the expensive reels
I still need to try the Regal!
If the spool has too much line capacity just buy some cheap mono and use as backing. After that spool up your favorite 100 yards of line or braid. You will never need to change the backing, just the 100 yards or less of your favorite. Daiwa is my favorite brand of spinning reel. Smooth, great ball bearings, and I like their heavy bail wire. I really like their Ballistic MQ which can be purchased at American Legacy and they will work with you on price. Just my 2 cents
I use mono backing all the time - I agree that is the best work-around. That being said, I just wish we had reel spools available that didn't require that. It adds weight and another step. Good callout!
Quality mono still works for general purpose fishing also. Especially for creek fishing. No leaders is a big plus. If you know what you are doing you won't get loops, wind knots etc...
Currently running a fenwick eagle 8ft UL with a daiwa revros lt1000 and it balances perfectly in my opinion 👌🏼
Interesting - I will keep my eyes out for that rod
I love your channel :)))) And I always ask myself why you say "this rod is tip heavy", and not triyng it with heavy reel. I see now you finally realized it. In my country spool size or reel size does not matter so much, we buy the rod that we like, and then balance it with reel. Some buy cheaper reel, wich is heavy, so that the rod is balaned with smaller size reel, if the reel is expensive it is tipicaly lighter and the rod is balanced with bigger size. And one more thing, if you have deep spool you always can put cheap or old mono or flouro under the main braided line, that way you can use less braid in verry deep spool. If you want to fill the spool perfect, than you start reeling the braid first, then knot it at the end with mono, finish reeling to the proper edge of the spool, then you move the braid and the mono together to the secont spool, then again to the third spool, and finally reel it again to the reel you want to use, and that way you have perfectly reeled to the edge braid with mono underline. Mono underline also help if the braid is sliding on the spool. And we use our braid two time. reel it, when it is crap, then we switch, crapy side go under, good side go on top.
I just wish the rod manufacturers would build their rods to pair with a smaller reel. There are zero times where I need 500 yards of 2 or 4lb test on an ultralight rod. It would be nice to have a 7' UL built to pair with a 6.5oz 1000 size reel!
To balance those longer ultralihht rods, diawa fuego 2000 size. Fill up most of the spool with 4lb mono (because its what is easily avaialbe in my area) and then top off with braid
The 2000 size is definitely a good solution for some setups. Some of them even have a hard time balancing with them sadly.
the Daiwa crossfire 2500 has a good size spool but doesn't hold a lot of line , the spool is shallow but still the regular size round but i use it on a 7 ft medium fast rod for wacky rig , shakey head small and small swimbait fishing for bass , i also have the Revros 4000 on a 7 ft medium heavy for texas rig fluke and or swimbait fishing for bass , the 4000 is ok with me but ut has a deep spool i have to use a lot of filler line on it , but you are so very right on all those points about the small reels
I have been very curious about the Crossfires. My buddy keeps recommending them!
@@FishAnything i like the crossfire it's a Diawa you know but doesn't feel heavy quality but light weight is good , i think the revros is a better reel but $25 for a new reel i couldn't turn it down , mine is the 2500 , try it out you might like it
I have a few really nice rods that are slightly more tip heavy than I wanted them to be in the 7-foot range... I will take a but cap and throw a sinker in it and experiment with the wait to counterbalance the rod. it will add total weight to the rod but if it's an already fairly light rod that just needs a little bit of balancing I don't find it to be an issue I've done it with the dobyns I've done it with a Loomis. they just kind of bothered me that they were slightly tip heavy but the actions of the rods and sensitivities were very nice. They are bottom feel rods drop-shotting light Texas rigs. Where I could pendulum the rod tip with my fingertips without using too much for arm. . they actually sell but caps for rod building that have removable weights
I’ve thought about doing this too. Definitely a good callout!
Sgs 5 mated with a vanford 4000 .perfect for bass fishing in the uk ,!
Awesome! Sounds like a nice setup.
Nice vid, my friend! Congrats on the 20k!
Thank you Barry! Very thankful :)
I'm using Shimano symetre 500fl and i love it
Heck yeah! I will have to check that one out.
I’ll admit I do need to upgrade my reel at some point or at least put some mono backing on the reel to make it work more like a shallow spooled one. I use a Daiwa crossfire 2500 sized reel and I LOVE the drag. It’s buttery smooth and just overall a fantanstic budget reel. I like the bigger spool because I seem to get more distance on casts
If you like it, that’s all that matters!
@@FishAnything it really is a great reel and after watching this I checked it and it actually has a pretty shallow spool. It’s rated for 6lb mono but I have braid on it right now with a leader and it casts just fine.
I love how light and smooth my 2000 Shimano Stradic Ci4+ is.
Stradic Ci4+ is a dynamite reel
@FishAnything
Don't you think a stradic is waaay overkill for an UL setup ????
@FishAnything
Don't you think a stradic is waaay overkill for an UL setup ????
@FishAnything
Don't you think a stradic is waaay overkill for an UL setup ????
@FishAnything
Don't you think a stradic is waaay overkill for an UL setup ????
Thanks for the breakdown. I don’t have a true UL setup and am making due with some old gear, but I have discovered the spool on my current reel is too small and causing the very issues you talked about…great to know I’m not crazy 😝.
Haha yeah it is frustrating when you can't get the distance you want (or you have a lot of line memory). The size 1000 has been really good to me, far better than the smaller reels.
Love the video. You helped me pick pflueger size about a year ago 💙
Heck yeah, hope it has been working well for you!
I’ve used a Piscifun Carbon X in 1000 size for few years now with zero issues. If you can find them on sale buy it you’ll like it.
I will have to look into that! Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
I like capacity. I use 4 pound on most all my reels now but used to use 2. Most of the time I don't need 200 yards of line, but on a few occasions I've hooked large pike and walleye in the river that tear line off. Large fish are one thing, but rivers have a lot of debris that wears my line prematurely as well. As such I don't crank my drag too tight. I'd prefer to have large fish take me to the bottom of the spool than risk breaking off.
It is definitely a system you have to personalize to your own fishing situations. Sounds to me like you have dialed in your setups!
All my UL to med rods are 7’ and paired with 3000 series Shimano reels. They feel fine to me. I bought an UL TFO 6’ rod. I debated between a 1000 and 500 Sahara. I bought the 500 and the combo is slightly tip heavy. I don’t think it matters as the rod so light to start with. The small diameter spool does seem to cause memory to the 4 pound leader. I use braid so I don’t think twist will be a problem. I think the casting distance is much more limited by the lure weight than the difference in spool diameter. The reel is so small it feels odd. The 1000 is probably a better choice.
The Fish don’t care what we use 😂 Great video and fantastic points on quality of all reels . I sold thousands in my time as an Fishing tackle dealer . Shimano was a huge seller . Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪
Right on, thanks man! Hope the fishing is good out your way
@@FishAnything it is , tight lines 👌👌🇮🇪
I am looking for an ULTRALIGHT ( 3 oz or so) ultra small Fishing reel. It will be going on my ultra super light weight 30" telescopic carbon fiber. fishing pole 48grs. of total weight. ( Yes, it's durable ) TESTED
It's for backpacking. I'm putting together an ultralight kit. My current reel weighs 5.8grs. It's feels quite heavy on this little rod. I'd like to try to balance out the weight a LITTLE closer. Plus it will help lighten my pack overall. After all, weight is weight regardless.
Daiwa Tournament SS 700. Great spool. Heavy duty drag. Practically indestructible. Timeless design. Hands down best UL, IMO. But each to their own…
I’ll have to look out for one.
thanks bro i was just looking for that info about pflueger i did not know that 20 != 2000 ill upsize now thanks a lot
Those little Pflueger 20's are not my favorite. The 25 is much better in my personal opinion.
@@FishAnything Yeah it wasn't in stock then. I'll be on the look out for them. The UL reels I have don't feel great at all to me and I really want to have one that I like without just buying another daiwa.
Great video. I never thought about this stuff.
Happy you liked it!
Great breakdown of spinning reels Ethan! Now I want to buy a new reel :(
Lol I promise that wasn't my goal!
Agree with most points but would add having a couple of spare spools is sure handy,,as to line capacity my dad used cork to wrap the spool do decrease line needs,,I just use backing. Great video,,not an info mercial Thanks
I’d love to get some extra spools! Good points.
How about drag on a reel? No one talks about that. What is it? How do you set it and how do you look for that when buying? Make a video on line drag. - Thxs 😊🙏
Great suggestion! Extremely important for UL fishing
just saw this video thank you for your input., i've always loved 13 fishings defy rods and i just preordered the gold defy rod. i also just ordered a procyon lt for only 120 bucks on tackle warehouse and cant wait to try it.
Oh wow you got the Procyon LT for $120? That is a solid price for that reel!
@@FishAnything ya check out tackle warehouse's sales right now there really good!
Yes I needed this
Thanks for watching :)
Great video love the ultralight content that's all I use I have the Shimano 500 series Vanford,Soare & Nasci they are all awesome!
You have some nice reels!!
To help balance the 7 foot, maybe a weighted butt end like euro nymph fly rods are doing. My first setup is a vintage renegade 5'6 with vintage Shimano custom 1000. Just last weekend I picked up a tactical green ceymar 1000 bait feeder to pair with a 7 foot spinmatic . I insist my wife feels the balance of rods....
Second time I have heard the weighted butt suggestion. I think I will be trying that! Thanks John :)
I’ve recently found your channel and it has introduced me to the world of ultralight fishing. Been loving the videos and was looking to get a combo myself! I think I’ve decided on getting a 6ft TFO rod but I’m still undecided on the reel. I found some old bass pro gift cards with money on them and was thinking of either getting a Shimano nasci or Diawa legalis in a 1000 size. Is there either one you would recommend over the other? Either way love the videos and keep on making great content!
So sorry I just got back to this. Life has been busy! Honestly both of those reels are solid so I don’t think you can go wrong either way.
Thanks so much for the support!
Awesome video! I learned a lot from this video! Thank you so much for the info!!!
So happy to hear it! Tight lines :)
Hey man been watching several of your videos lately. Congrats on the 10" gill. I just wanted to offer my .02 cents on something you've mentioned in a couple videos. In this video and a few of the rod reviews you mentioned that the longer rods felt tip heavy. I completely agree, and I think the reason for this is because most UL rods over about 6'6 are 2 piece rods. I think the joint and the extra length of the tip make it heavier than the same tip section of a 1 piece rod. I won't use a 2 piece UL over about 5'6 because of this, and don't use rods over 6'6 because I can't find a 1 piece rod. Honestly I'm happy with 6- 6'6" rods.
Hey there Ken thank you very much! I agree that 2pc rods likely have an even worse balance, but to tell you the truth, I have tried numerous 6'6+ rods that are one piece and I think that rod companies genuinely make them to balance with a size 2500 or 3000 reel (which is absurd for ultralight fishing). I would love to see a rod company put out their shorter rods with split grip and their longer rods with a full butt. I think that would solve the problem for numerous manufacturers.
@@FishAnything yes the longer st croix panfish series comes to mind as a tip heavy 1 piece. My 6'4 rod is. Try the 6' rod in that series. A true UL that balances very well, and may even be butt heavy with the right reel.
Great video only thing I would add is hand sized some of the smaller reels if you have a bigger hands may not work as well for you but other than that awesome video
That is true. Same goes for the grip. The Lew's grip I have is definitely a much larger handle which I like. The reel itself doesn't feel as nice as the Daiwas and Shimanos but I really enjoy that large power handle.
I would suggest for your 7+' rods go with a "2000" size reel. I personally like the KastKing Zephyr reels (the all black model)
I have been starting to try that. I still feel the longer rods have room to improve with regards to balancing. I would love to see rod companies make a full rod butt on their longer UL models to compensate for the balance issues.
I have a JDM Shimano 2000 bio master and a 1000 Stradic the bio master is a lot smaller, shimano and diawa sell shallow spool models here in Australia but only in the higher price ranges because of our bream tournaments. I have a shallow spool diawa Cretate 2506H. Diawa sizes also vary a lot between different models in their range my BG3000 is bigger than my TDblack 4000
Sounds like you have some nice gear!
@@FishAnything yeah too much
Back in the days of the Garcia Mitchell 300 reels they did include both a deep and shallow spool. I imagine in these days its a price issue. I am a die hard Shimano fan, love my Vanford's, Stradic's and Stella's. For my ultralites, I like the 2500's
I think the domestic market will eventually see shallow spools again!
Nice advise Ethan, have the same Daiwa Tatula. They seem to balance nicely and you can always get a JDM version with the shallower spool. Waiting to see if Daiwa is going to come out with new Tatula Lt next year!
I sure hope they bring a shallow spool market to the domestic market. It makes way too much sense!
The only theory I have as to why these reel companies don't do shallow spooled models is because they all sell line and want us to waste it and buy more lol
Have you tried the Daiwa Fuego 1000 and 2500? Also Have you tried daiwa crossfire 1000, 2000, and 2500? By far the best real on a market hold a lot of line capacity for a small reel and a spool diameter makes you cast way further than any other real. Best bang for your bucks type of reel
I haven't used those models yet but will have to check them out! Have loved all my other Daiwa setups.
@@FishAnything shimano new sienna for $30 is another good reel and shimano FX for $20 is good to. But the daiwa fuego w good waterproofing seals holds the most line and best $$$ for $80 its no joke w its drag power and spool diameter. You'll be surprised w the power and line capacity w the daiwa fuego 1000...smooth as silk and light w enough power to pull in 10 pounders. To me its under rated
This is such a great video and I love your channel! Getting into UL for the first time, and trying to decide between a Sedona or Revros. Good sale on Sedona for $60 going right now.
My question is…Is there anything OBJECTIVELY that makes it better than a Revros? Been trying to research and on the contrary It seems that the drag and bail system are nicer on the Revros…but you’ve used them both extensively, so would be curious your thoughts!
For what it’s worth, I do like the color scheme on the revros better.
Can’t wait to order some Mule gear!
And I ordered a 6’ two piece TFO TPS bc of your vids…can’t wait!
I would probably opt for the Sedona just because I trust the Shimano to hold up a little bit more... That being said, I would consider them pretty dang close in quality so if you like the looks of the Revros more, you can't really go wrong.
I use a 3000 size reel on an 8'6" UL rod. I use 6 pound mono. This set up rules. You can cast 1/4 ounce lures like youre driving a golf ball. hell yes.
That sounds like a great setup for bank fishing trout in lakes. Seems like a lot of the west coast guys use really long ultralight rods with larger reels. I have been meaning to try this here too.
The Piscifun Carbon X reels have shallow spools for an additional $18.00 .
Good intel!!
I know its a couple of weeks later, but I would check out the piscifun carbon x spinning reel, it is a very light weight and smooth operating reel, they also sell shallow spools for it as well
I will have to check it out. Thank you Sean :)
@@FishAnything no problem. You're a fellow michigander angler. Glad to help
And I even have a discount code if you want it too
Another super informative video - I’ve learned so much from you! Thank you! 🎣
Thanks Bridget glad you liked it :)
For 7ft plus ul rod you can find shimano or daiwa 2500 shallow spool.. it's make for eging and ajing fishing which is using 7ft and above ul to ml rod
Yeah, that makes sense! I wish we had more SS reels available domestically though.
I've personally had a lot of success with Digitaka. I purchased several reels when the YEN was very low vs. the U.S. dollar. They have a large selection of Daiwa and Shimano's with shallow spools. Just trying to help.
Always get excited when I get a notification of a new video
You da man Noah!
@@FishAnything no you da man haha
Great video Ethan. Lots of great information.
Thank you :)
Great points and info. Thank you .
Hope it helps! Thanks Wayne :)
Can you do a video on backing line? I always have an issue with wasting line and when it gets down I have issues with casting.
I will keep this in mind. For now, I would just say that you should keep an eye on how much line capacity your reel has. Then you can simply add some cheap line on your spool first. Once you feel you have covered down on the unnecessary line capacity, tie a simple leader knot to your mainline and start spooling it on. You want to spool it up to the lip of the reel spool, but not over the top. A full reel is a happy reel, but an overfilled or underfilled reel will be very sad XD
Nice video. I fell in love with the vanford. Hyper smooth drag and easy start-up. The castability is 10/10, something about how Shimano gives the lip a slight curve and their long stroke spool increases distance. Also the line lay is Perfect. However at a lower price point, the zephyr SFS is my next go to: super light and shallow spool so easy to cast
I have been wanting a Vanford 1000. Definitely a reel I am considering. I always trust your opinion Matt. You clearly have good taste in gear :)
@@FishAnything it’s a real treat man. Super light. They say it’s the same reel as the Stradic but I beg to differ. It’s better line lay and casting.
I have the Vanford 2000 and I love that reel. If you get a shallow spare spool, you can double down as a Trout/Bass/Panfish reel.
My go to is 2000 size reel, it's just a 1000 with more line capacity
Yep, definitely a good option depending on your style!
To perfectly balance ur rod behinds on what you casting , weight of ur lure will depends if it's front heavy !
Thanks for the video. I am in South Africa so we mostly get Daiwa Shimano and Okuma here. I am looking at the Shimano Clarus 7'6 ultra light rod. Would you say a 2000 size reel would be better? I plan on spooling it with 6 or 8lb braid. I will be using it to fish gulleys and rocks around the surf for small fish 2lbs and below and some estuary and river fishing. I love Shimano but from experience the Daiwa spinning reels run a little bit larger
Yeah a 2000 would probably make more sense for that longer rod.
6:00 Ethan, could you please explain why you don't like narrow spools? thank you!
I believe I shared as best I could, but essentially the spool increases line memory because the line is wrapped in smaller loops. This typically reduces casting distance and causes greater memory issues.
@@FishAnything Oh, I am sorry, I did not mean diameter. You show a spool that is short in length. I was wondering if there are any disadvantages is using short spools. Thanks!
@@letun3481 Oh that makes sense. Honestly, most spools aren't very short these days so I don't necessarily know if there is much of a disadvantage or not. I imagine it could cause issues with how the line lays on a spool so I would just stick to a standard model if I was you. If I get a chance to experiment with that more in the future, I will try to learn more.
@@FishAnything Thank you for quick reply!
Kastking Zephyr has a shallow spool option . Till recently I didn’t know they were a US based company
I have seen that. I am not a huge Kastking fan but maybe I will consider giving it a try!
That is what KastKing wants you to think. Kastking is a Chinese company with a "front" in the United States. The parent company is EPOSEIDON which is based in SHENZHEN, CHINA. Piscifun is also a Chinese company. They try to pass themselves off as American companies but they are owned by shady Chinese conglomerates.
Hey, could you make a video on the cheapest UL combo? I just bought a daiwa d-shock light action 5'6. (Specs and the action of the rod felt more like a UL than light, the UL is action 5'0 and felt similar so i opted for the 5'6"
So im curious what are your thoughts on it and how well could i hold up, it was only $30 bucks! Aha
The cheapest rod I’ve reviewed yet is the Shakespeare micro series. I’ll keep an eye out for more budget options.