Panfish/Ultralight rods... any advantage?

[Tangler]

After a recent panfish outing where some of us were using lightweight rods and some were using stiffer rods with spring bobbers, I began to wonder... What is the actual advantage, if any, of a noodly rod?

I was using my panfish rod and it actually turned out to be a disadvantage.  The wind kept making it wobble which was wreaking havoc on my presentation.  The bites were so light that a spring bobber was still necessary even on a light rod.  My friend who was using a very stiff rod with a spring bobber did very well.

I'd like to hear the case for ultralight rods from those who prefer them.

[HuntHard]

Try the Frabil 27" Quicktip or the Angel hair from Cabelas both have great backbone and sensitivity but they arnt like the floppy rods you speak of

[Rebelss]

Lots more fun, IMO. 

[captain54]

I really don't like the noodle type rods,I have some but its hard to control jigging outside the shanty and as you said SOME DAYS A SPRING is the only thing that really works. Most of my rods are UL with some back bone and a fast tip. I'm still a big fan of ST CROIX Avids I have 4 and use them most of the time. After jigging gills and crappie for over 50 plus years I've got the right rods ( I have 20 some jig poles) I fish shallow most of the time under 20 fow, when fishing deeper a light action rod may have a little better hooking power. It's nice to have a rod that bends during the battle (for fun ) but not necessary. I put my new in-line reel on a stiffer rod the other day and caught a lot quality gills and slab crappies 11-13 inches on it,great setting power but not as much fun fighting the fish on my ST Croix's.

[toofuss]

I have both. They both have a time and place. One of my newest rods is a 32in frabill quicktip. It is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

[Kevin23]

Take a look at some of the ice fishing shows on TV from the last couple of years. How many do you see using a short, stiff, rod with a spring? Very few! Custom rods have come so far now there is no need. I can detect just as much with my TUCR noodle than you can with the heavy rod and spring. And past the first 6" it turns into a nice stiff backbone for fighting bigger fish, yet retains the soft tip so I don't pull the jig out. Best of both worlds and one AMAZING rod.

I tried out a legend ML rod (very stiff) with various springs on the end. I lost more fish with that rod than any rod I have ever used. It would literally rip the jig right out of the fish's mouth if I did not connect perfectly.

[Knoodles]

You need a rod that enables detection of the lightest bites and has the backbone for a good hook set.  I have found noodle rods detect bites but lack the backbone for setting hooks.  Stiffer rods can be difficult for detecting light biter, especially fishing crappies.  I have found the best of both worlds in the UL st Croix legend.  The spring detects all bites and the rod has a ton of backbone. 

I recently ordered a st Croix replica on ebay for 1/2 the price (30 bucks).  The rod is great, I have been fishing with it for 3 weeks now.  I truly cannot tell the difference between it and the st Croix aside from the handle.  I would strongly recommend this rod. 

[Itinerant]

After a recent panfish outing where some of us were using lightweight rods and some were using stiffer rods with spring bobbers, I began to wonder... What is the actual advantage, if any, of a noodly rod?

I was using my panfish rod and it actually turned out to be a disadvantage.  The wind kept making it wobble which was wreaking havoc on my presentation.  The bites were so light that a spring bobber was still necessary even on a light rod.  My friend who was using a very stiff rod with a spring bobber did very well.

I'd like to hear the case for ultralight rods from those who prefer them.

Use the right tool for the job. This entails first determining what the job is.

Nobody makes one rod that will do it all perfectly, different fishing conditions and presentations require different types of rods and if you only have one rod in your arsenal you should expect to be disappointed from time to time (and maybe a lot). And here we are only talking about one part of the whole equation; we're not even mentioning line, lures, depth etc. Your post doesn't mention how the fish responed to your presentation, what your presentation was, or if you were using electronics or a camera or anything else that would enable you to accurately perceive the mood of the fish and how they were reacting to your presentation in the first place. All of these factors should play into your selection of your rod/bait/presentation combo. Also, ultralight and noodley are not necessarily the same thing, I only mention this because you seem to use the terms interchangeably in your post. One might choose an ultralight rod with a stiffer tip for an active presentation and a different ultralight rod with a softer tip for a still presentation as conditions demand. Either might work where the other would be better suited but it's unreasonable to expect optimal results if you're not using the rod to do what it was designed for.

[Tangler]

Lots of good points that I hadn't considered.

Itinerant, I was comfortable with the other aspects of my rig and presentation but the rod was giving me trouble.
 

[Knoodles]

Take a look at some of the ice fishing shows on TV from the last couple of years. How many do you see using a short, stiff, rod with a spring? Very few! Custom rods have come so far now there is no need. I can detect just as much with my TUCR noodle than you can with the heavy rod and spring. And past the first 6" it turns into a nice stiff backbone for fighting bigger fish, yet retains the soft tip so I don't pull the jig out. Best of both worlds and one AMAZING rod.

I tried out a legend ML rod (very stiff) with various springs on the end. I lost more fish with that rod than any rod I have ever used. It would literally rip the jig right out of the fish's mouth if I did not connect perfectly.

I think you are not seeing St croixs on tv because they are not sponsoring the guys you are watching.  They probably sell enough rods without paying someone to use them.  Also, the ML action rod is far too stiff for panfish.  You need too match the action to the target.  That is why st. Croix makes the UL rod.  To each there own but to comment about a rod when you did not match the appropriate action to the targeted species does not seem fair. 

[eriksat1]

It's hard to beat a slightly stiffer tip than a noodle equipped with a adjustable Marmish spring bobber.

[1moslab]

I like fishing with a ultra light it helps me keep a bend in the rod so they don't get slack and spit the hook or break off.but I fish with 1ib-2lb test

[captain54]

Just remember not ALL RODS ARE CREATED THE SAME. Every rod maker UL,L. L.M. M. are not the same as for stiffness,backbone or fast tip. That's why you have to buy 15 or 20 till you find the right one .lol

[1moslab]

one of the stiffer ones I have seen for the rating have been the Stcroix legend