I enjoy fishing for just about anything—from river chubs to bluefin tuna. If it swims, I want to catch it. This diverse angling passion exposes me to a wide variety of tackle and fishing equipment. As I have steadily immersed myself in panfish and trout fishing, my collection of ultralight rods has grown substantially. This article will review the tops picks for the best ultralight fishing rods.
Before purchasing and steadily using ultralight rods, I was operating under the false assumption that since these rods were light and designed with ultra finesse in mind, they likely lacked much of the technology and detail found in my heavy flipping sticks of prized glass cranking rods. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many companies produce advanced, high-quality ultralight options. Below are a few of my top picks:
- BEST HIGH-END: St. Croix Legend Elite Panfish
- BEST MULTI-PURPOSE: Shimano Sensilite A
- BEST FOR TRAVEL: Fenwick HMG
- BEST VALUE: Bass Pro Shops Micro Lite
- BEST MULTI-SPECIES: Quantum Bill Dance Special-Edition Spinning Rod Series
- BEST TWO-PIECE: Shakespeare Ugly Stik Elite
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN ULTRALIGHT ROD:
In my opinion, ultralight rods are most often used in four distinct scenarios. Understanding your specific case is going to be critical in selecting a rod that best matches your needs.
SCENARIO 1: PANFISH
For most anglers, the ultralight gear gets pulled out of the tackle room when panfish are in the quarry. As we all know, species like crappie, bluegills and perch require sensitive presentations. For panfish applications, a longer rod might come in handy if a long cast is needed with a very light line. Additionally, a crispy fast action is always a plus as the best panfish anglers rely heavily on their gear to detect subtle bites.
SCENARIO 2: TROUT
As a proud New Englander, much of our trout fishing is done in super tight mountain streams or brush-choked beaver ponds. This means that anglers don’t have a lot of room to cast and often, corrupted pitch and flip techniques are used. By and large, ultralight rods are going to be the only option to fish in these cramped quarters successfully. This idea also comes into play when fishing for smallmouth bass throughout the mountains of the Appalachia Region.
SCENARIO 3: PURE SPORT
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve downsized my tackle to make catching powerful fish even more fun. If you’ve never wrestled with a carp, channel catfish, or sucker on ultralight tackle, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Please note that this is not a good idea during warm water conditions or with truly large fish as severe exhaustion can lead to post-release mortality. However, if the conditions are right, you are going to want a rod with as much backbone as possible fit into an ultralight package.
SCENARIO 4: INTRODUCING YOUTH TO FISHING
When I started fishing, I wasn’t strong enough to handle anything but an ultralight rod. I also wasn’t coordinated enough to cast without dropping my rod in the water a few times each trip. While I still drop gear overboard, the rod usually stays in my hands these days. When introducing kids to fishing, keep things light and affordable.
BEST HIGH-END ULTRALIGHT ROD: ST. CROIX LEGEND ELITE PANFISH
I chose the St. Croix Legend Elite Panfish rod as the best high-end option because it touts a premium price point but backs it up with an exceptional design and feel. Among the various ultralight options, I tested the 5-foot 6-inch model. A standout feature is the tip-top guide with a silicon ring, which protects the line from wear and tear. This is especially useful when fishing in weedy areas that can quickly damage ultralight fluorocarbon leaders. The silicon ring consistently reduced the need for frequent retying throughout testing. Priced at $385, this rod is perfect for those obsessively targeting the biggest bluegill or redear sunfish in the lake.
- LENGTH: 5-feet, 6-inches
- POWER: Ultralight
- ACTION: Fast
- LINE WEIGHT: 2 to 6 pound test
- LURE WEIGHT: 1/32 to 3/16 ounce
- PIECES: 1
BEST MULTI-PURPOSE ULTRALIGHT ROD: SHIMANO SENSILITE A
When I think of a multi-purpose ultralight rod, my thoughts immediately turn to the rod that never leaves the back of the truck and is always on hand to probe a juicy backwater or top-secret pond. The Shimano Sensilite A is up for the job and then some as it has the power to handle a wide variety of common gamefish. I have always found the rod blank to be incredibly sensitive and the 6-foot model has become a mainstay for me when throwing light spinners, spoons, and jigs to trout and smallmouth bass. Coming in at $50, this rod is very aesthetically pleasing with high-end features such as full cork grips and a custom reel seat.
- LENGTH: 6-feet
- POWER: Light
- ACTION: Fast
- LINE WEIGHT: 4 to 8 pound test
- LURE WEIGHT: 1/16 to 1/14 ounces
- PIECES: 1
BEST TRAVEL ULTRALIGHT ROD: FENWICK HMG
Just about any trip can become a fishing adventure with a quality two-piece rod. The 5-foot 6-inch Ultralight Fenwick HMG is an excellent option, breaking down into two easy-to-stow sections. This rod is perfect for camping, backpacking, or as an excuse to step away from a family gathering by the lake. Despite its compact size it boasts features like a moderately fast action, ideal for twitching soft plastics or running micro CrankBaits and jerk baits. The contoured rod butt rests comfortably against the body and the cork handle feels great in hand. Valued at $139.95, this rod is a bargain compared to other travel-specific options.
- LENGTH: 5-feet, 6-inches
- POWER: Ultralight
- ACTION: Moderate Fast
- LINE WEIGHT: 2 to 6 pound test
- LURE WEIGHT: 1/32 to 1/4 ounce
- PIECES: 2
BEST VALUE ULTRALIGHT ROD: BASS PRO SHOPS MICRO LITE
I fell in love with the 5-foot 6-inch Bass Pro Shops Micro Lite rod after spending a blissful spring afternoon trying to track down a stringer of bluegills for the grease. As a rule, I am a fan of any rod with a split-grip as the style is intended to cut down on rod weight. This rod is no exception as it is shockingly light and balanced in the hand, which is normally not a way to describe a rod that is priced at $60.00. The value does not stop there, super light stainless steel guides and titanium rings also do their part to keep the overall weight of the rod to a minimum. Lastly, the graphite reel seat helps anglers keep a firm hold in damp conditions.
- LENGTH: 5-feet, 6-inches
- POWER: Ultralight
- ACTION: Fast
- LINE WEIGHT: 1 to 6 pound test
- LURE WEIGHT: 1/32 to 1/4 ounces
- PIECES: 2
BEST MULTI-SPECIES ULTRALIGHT ROD: QUANTUM BILL DANCE SPECIAL-EDITION SPINNING ROD SERIES
Remember when I mentioned that catching powerful fish on super light gear is a blast? Well, this is the rod for the job. I was not initially prepared for the amount of backbone that was squeezed into the 6-foot 3-inch blank however, after prying a few channel cats away from some heavy wood cover, I quickly got the picture. I was also pleasantly surprised to feel the overall strength of the rod did not have any effect on the action as the tip was lightning-quick and sensitive. Modestly priced at $90.00 and as tough as they come, the Quantum Bill Dance Special Edition Spinning rod in the ultralight class is up for just about anything.
- LENGTH: 6-feet, 3-inches
- POWER: Light
- ACTION: Fast
- LINE WEIGHT: 6 to 12 pound test
- LURE WEIGHT: 1/6 to 1/4 ounce
- PIECES: 1
BEST TWO-PIECE ULTRALIGHT ROD: SHAKESPEARE UGLY STIK ELITE
I grew up fishing Ugly Stik’s as I bet you did too. They are amazingly rugged and can withstand the pure torture that young and curious anglers tend to unleash on gear. The common gripe with two-piece rods is that they lack sensitivity and can become disconnected during the cast. This is not the case with the 7-foot Shakespeare Ugly Stik Elite as the carbon blank is very light and responsive. Additionally, the deep connection at the split of the blank rules out any worry of loosening or complete separation throughout the course of the outing. Of course, the $70.00 price point also includes the tailgate-slam-proof Ugly Stik clear tip design which can give Elite Series-obsessed youngsters the confidence to boat flip away!
- LENGTH: 7-feet
- POWER: Ultralight
- ACTION: Medium Fast
- LINE WEIGHT: 4 to 10 pound test
- LURE WEIGHT: 1/32 to 1/8 ounce
- PIECES: 2
PAIRING A REEL WITH AN ULTRALIGHT ROD
Pairing a reel with an ultralight rod could not be any simpler, look for sizes in the 500-1000 range. Any larger reel will be cumbersome and likely not cast well as the rod is not designed to handle the size. More often than not, I am using ultralight rods for finesse applications where blazing-fast gear ratios are not needed. Therefore, my go-to gear ratios are going to be from 5.2:1 to 6.2:1.
When it comes to line capacity, most of my ultralight combos will never see anything larger than 6-pound test, and even that might be a stretch. With that in mind, pay more attention to gear ratios and overall reel size than line capacity when making a selection.
For more information, check out the Best Ultralight Spinning Reels for 2024.
Kade Gewanter
Kade Gewanter is an avid angler current living in North Carolina who travels all over to fish for various species. He works for an agency that supports iconic brands in the fishing industry like Shimano, Old Town and more. He's fished for trout in Alaska, stripers in New England, walleyes up north, bass all over the south and now finds himself exploring the fishing in the Carolinas.
