Jack's Fork Trip

[TroutRinger]

I really think 6lb test is plenty. 6lb Vanish (which is what I caught that fish on) was strong enough to break the hook off of a crappie jig. I've never felt I needed anything stronger.

[eric1978]

It's all about choosing the right tool for the job. If we're talking about smallies on small streams, it ain't an UL with 4 pound test, and it ain't a heavy flippin' stick with 17 pound test. They both have their jobs, but this isn't one of them.

[jdmidwest]

I fish all the time with an UL Berkley AMP rod, Shimano 1000 with 4lb green Trilene or a Light Berkley Amp rod, Shimano 2000 and 6 lb Green Trilene. Unless I am trolling or tossing larger plugs I don't carry anything more. I have caught 16 lb channel cat, 5-6 lb Bass, and 10 lb Trout on the UL setup with a 4 lb test without problems breaking off fish.

[TroutRinger]

It's hard to beat a 6'-6'6" medium light action with 6lb line. Heavier line would be nice for snags and such but you have to keep it light for casting distance and clear water. I think 8lb Vanish (or similar fluerocarbon line) would be ok but nothing higher. There is a significant difference in diameter and casting distance between 6lb and 10lb (and even 6 and 8) line.

[Al Agnew]

There is also the possible problem of lactic acid buildup when a large fish is fought too long. Hook an 18 inch plus smallie on UL and 4 pound line, and that is a definite possibility. The fish swims off apparently okay but dies later.

Personally, though, I don't use ultralight simply because it doesn't fit the lures I use. No lure I use is light enough to NEED very light tackle to cast, and most of the lures are simply too heavy for UL. If you use most soft plastics, you'll also have the problem of setting hooks through the plastic, extremely problematical with UL. About the only time I use UL is when crappie fishing with marabou jigs--the exposed hook causes no problems with hooksets.

Sure, you CAN land big stream smallies on UL and 4 pound line, but your margin for error is pretty thin. I'd rather not take any more chances than I have to of leaving a lure in the fish.

In my opinion, for most stream smallie fishing, 6 pound line is minimum requirement, and 10 pound is pretty much maximum. I use nothing but 8 pound co-poly on light to medium casting rods and either 2 pound diameter/10 pound test or 4/15 braid on light to medium spinning rods. I fish some of the clearest streams with such tackle, and don't have any trouble catching fish..."needing" very light line to fool the fish in very clear water is pretty much a myth, in my opinion. You gotta match line, rod, and lure.

Yesterday I was fishing a very small, very clear creek. I was using a light baitcasting outfit with my usual 8 pound line. Hooked a smallie of about 14 inches. That fish swam sideways about 10 feet, attempting to get into a big rootwad. I BARELY stopped it, right on the edge of the roots. With UL that fish would have definitely been in the roots. If a 14 incher can do that, guess how easily a 20 incher could.

[eric1978]

Smallmouth are not trout...they're not line shy. There's no need to use 4 or 6 pound test...8 or 10 works fine. If you guys say you don't break fish off with your UL outfits, okay, I'm glad to hear it's working for you. That stuff is just heartbreak city for me, so I'm sticking with a line that better suits the situation.

[FishinCricket]

Smallmouth are not trout...they're not line shy. There's no need to use 4 or 6 pound test...8 or 10 works fine. If you guys say you don't break fish off with your UL outfits, okay, I'm glad to hear it's working for you. That stuff is just heartbreak city for me, so I'm sticking with a line that better suits the situation.

So a 20 inch smallie is equivalent to a 10 lb trout in terms of break-ability?

If your just worried about losing the fish, you could always just use dynamite instead...

Me, I like a fight... But I can't say I've ever spent over 5 minutes fighting a smallie in..

[eric1978]

Me, I like a fight... But I can't say I've ever spent over 5 minutes fighting a smallie in..

5 minutes? I'm not so sure I've ever spent more than one minute. Or maybe it just feels that fast. You fight a smallmouth for five minutes, he's dead.

[FishinCricket]

5 minutes? I'm not so sure I've ever spent more than one minute. Or maybe it just feels that fast. You fight a smallmouth for five minutes, he's dead.

Oh, hogwash.. I've sat n my boat at the spring hole and tossed minnows to 2-3 lb smallies who not only put up a good fight once, but come back for seconds and are still there the next day, chasing my minnows and peelin off my drag.. These fish don't live so long by being pansies, Eric..

Now what about my other question?

"So a 20 inch smallie is equivalent to a 10 lb trout in terms of break-ability? "

[eric1978]

Now what about my other question?

"So a 20 inch smallie is equivalent to a 10 lb trout in terms of break-ability? "

I've never caught a 10 pound trout, so I couldn't answer that. But I would contend that a 20 inch smallie caught on UL gear could just as easily head straight into a tangled root wad as a 10 pound trout, and just sit there, leaving you helpless.