San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Pretty much title says it all, just got myself a new ultralight 7ft rod and was curious if anyone is having luck with Bass fishing on the Ultralight? Was thinking doing some Rapala Countdown 1/16 or some smaller/micro flukes

I’ve brought ul rod in the past to fish for the bruiser gills with crappie jigs to change it up for fun. Caught many bycatch bass on crappie jigs. Try a double fluke rig with the tiny lake forks or similar. You’ll probably crush

While I have fished small Swimbaits on 6 pound during the heat of the Summer, right now is Big Bass time. I’m throwing 30 Braid and 15 Fluorocarbon leader on a 2500 size Spinning Reel and a 7 foot 10-20 fast taper rod. Really lays it to them. The thing is the next fish you get there could be 8-10 pounds and you rarely land those monsters on light line. You can if you get a good hookset and get them out into deep water, you have a chance, but it is usually a recipe for disaster. Those Pigs will come up and mock you. You can fish the light stuff at the local Park Pond anytime. You only rarely get to fish Barrett. Just my two cents. Do whatever you like. Hope you whack ‘em.

What barb less hooks are you guys getting for Barret and in what size?

I have a 8' ultralight rod that I bought 20 years ago just for throwing baby sluggos, fin-s, and zoom tiny flukes at San V. The rod is more similar to my fly rods than a bass rod. When the fish are in the top of the water column, those baits can't be beat! I've landed fish up to 8lb on that combo, but those fish are normally out over deeper water. The rod is way to flimsy to pull a fish out of cover! It's a cheap rod that I bought as an experiment and it's still going 20 years later! It's by far my favorite way to get topwater fish! I'm not sure Barrett is a place you need to finesse the fish, but what the heck..it's fun! Good luck!

I used to occasionally take my Daiwa Minispin outfit to Barret and other lakes. I bought it in 1978 for $50, which was a lot for a high school student at that time. Fiberglass 4'6" two section rod. Reel screws into grip. With 2lb or 4lb test it will toss a 1/32 ounce lure quite a ways. Used correctly (pulling with the butt section) it has enough backbone to move bigger fish. I used it at Barrett to toss minijigs and marabou crappie jigs for bass, bluegill, and crappie. Spooled with 6lb line. Great fun. The reel still works flawlessly and the guide wraps are still solid.

I have another 5 ft 1 piece glass rod my brother built in the late 1970s that I use quite a bit for fishing small plastic baits. Enough flex to toss light baits and enough backbone to pull larger fish out of cover.

For the last 15 years I tend to take four fly rods, one baitcaster, and one spinning rig to Barret so the ultralights rods stay
home.

Really great info guys, I just got a cheapo Ugly Stik GX2 because I saw a video on its durability and thought it was really cool - guy had to tie his line to his kid on a damn gokart to break the rod. I gotta go practice with this ultralight gear and have some fun. Maybe somewhere other than barret is a better idea.

Haven't seen Barrett with my own two eyes this season, but if there is a lot of flooded cover, you may be under gunned fishing for bass with lighter gear. These Barrett fish tend to stick close to cover, and will dive for it. And as others have mentioned, setting the hook with the lighter, more parabolic rod may not provide you with good hook sets.

If the fish are blowing up bait in open water, it's worth a shot, especially with a small fluke and a lighter wire hook, which should penetrate a bit easier.

Or, you can target the big ole bluegill and crappie that live out there with that ultralight rig.

There's so much flooded brush I'm surprised with the landing of ANY bass I hook (30% get off, but that's due to being barbless), and I'm fishing braid and heavy floro.

What test and aught hook are you guys targeting on your barret setups? I wasn't planning on running anything more than 12lb flouro but should I be looking bigger?

12lb is pretty standard. I’ve never experienced line shy fish there. I fish 30lb mono on my swim bait rod, 20lb on my umbrella stuff, 15lb for heavy cover, 10-12 for 90% of everything else

Like stated above, I’ve brought a 2lb setup for the bruiser gills and crappie after I’ve hit the lake 5 times or so just to change it up. 3lb bass bycatch is pretty fun but those big gills still pull way harder

The 1/16 and 32nd hair jigs get bit really well on the tow. Also as a slip bobber rig.

My spinning setups are all 4, 6 or 8 pound test, those are for finesse, jigs and jerkbaits. Baitcasters are 10, 14 or 17 pound test. Those are for crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater. I agree with Camobass, I haven't seen that the fish are very line shy at Barrett. I also agree with Otaymichael on losing 30% of your fish because it's barbless, which is why my fishing name is Early Release.

4 Weight fly rod is about as ultralight as you can get...

This was for Hellavate:
Just take a small metal file with you and file down the barb of whatever hooks you normally use. Personally I use 4/0 EWG hooks for plastics and a 1/8 Jighead with a 2/0 hook for 5 inch Swimbaits.. It is quick and easy. The hookset is much easier with barbless and I have gone to using barbless wherever I fish for Bass. It makes it so easy to get the hook out with much less damage to the fish. I think I catch more fish because of it, especially Spotted Bay Bass and other bony mouthed fish, ie Tiger Muskys and Pike back East and Brown Trout and Stripers out here. Sailfish and Marlin in the Ocean too.