May 17, 2012
By Matt Straw
Notice the headline doesn't read "ultralight." An ultralight reel is too small for most panfishing tasks — even when those tasks involve ultralight lines and lures. The spool is so small that line coming off during a cast interferes with itself, disrupting flow, causing tangles that would defy the best efforts of the best engineers on earth.
Ultralight reels are great for vertical fishing and especially nice for ice-fishing applications. But the spools are too small for casting or pitching, creating a high loops-per-yard ratio. Each loop of line coming off a reel causes friction, so more loops per yard equates to shorter casting distances.
A reader recently posted a question asking which panfish reels I use. In recent posts on bluegills and crappies, I often mentioned rods without discussing reels at all. Probably qualifies as an oversight, but honestly, reels have improved so much, across the board, it actually seemed unnecessary to suggest one over the other. Almost every reel manufacturer today is making a quality product. And, while I occasionally have an 11-inch bluegill take several feet of line, having a great drag isn't a big deal (until a bonus largemouth or walleye happens along, at least).
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The reels I use most of the time are pictured here. They include the Pflueger Patriarch 9525 (I also use the 9530 for panfish a lot), the Abu Garcia Cardinal C70ILX , the Shimano Symetre 750FI, the Shimano Stella 1000F, and the Eagle Claw Gun 10. I use a number of other reels, too, but these are the ones I've been taking out every day this year. And just because Quantum and Daiwa reels aren't pictured, don't think it's because their reels are somehow inferior. I just don't happen to own any in the right size for panfish. They all have nice, tight tolerances, allowing me to use 4-pound Berkley FireLine  Fused Original (my favorite for most panfishing tactics) without getting it wound into the gears, crimped into the roller bail, or wrapped under the drag-adjusting cap.
To say these reels are precisely equally nice would be misleading. Certainly you get what you pay for. But these have all been trouble-free units for me, with smooth drags capable of wearing down the occasional 5-pound interloper of the micropterus variety. Size and weight balance just fine with the ultralight 7- to 8-foot St. Croix Avid, G. Loomis, Shimano, and Fenwick Elite sticks I use most — and that's a big part of the enjoyment of fishing for me. I certainly hope that answers the question.
1 Clear Lake, California The largest lake in California (43,000 acres near Lakeport) is known for lunker largemouths, but houses overlooked giant 'gills, yielding the 3¾-pound state record last year, along with others over 3. The bite by docks and at the edge of tules is strong from mid-April into September. Nearby Collins Lake, renowned for trophy trout, also produces massive sunnies — 2 to 3 pounds. The best bite starts in April and lasts into the spawn in May and early June. Contact: Clear Lake Information, lakecounty.com; Clear Lake State Park, 800/444-7275,
parks.ca.gov ; Collins Lake, Â
collinslake.com .
6 Deep Creek Lake, Maryland This impoundment in the northwestern corner of Maryland yielded the state record 3-pound 7-ounce 'gill, giving evidence of its productivity. With a deep basin, the Prespawn and Spawn periods are protracted, with prime action from mid-April into early June. Contact: Fish Deep Creek, 240/460-8839,
fishdeepcreek.com ; Guide Ken Penrod, 301/937-0010,
penrodsguides.com .
7 Coastal Impoundments, Virginia Four reservoirs near Norfolk and Suffolk, Virginia, are regular producers of big bluegills and shellcrackers. Fertile lakes Cahoon, Western Branch, Prince, and Burnt Mills have a history of trophy fish production. Western Branch (1,265 acres) reopened to public fishing in 2010 and is known for outsize redear, with certified specimens approaching 3 pounds. Boating permits required. Contact: Burnt Mills Reservoir Manager, 757/441-5678; Chesapeake Bay Office, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 757/465-6812,
dgif.virginia.gov .
5 Kentucky & Barkley Lakes, Kentucky-Tennessee These massive impoundments — Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River and Barkley on the Cumberland — are joined by a canal and offer outstanding fishing for big redear sunfish, as well as bass and crappies. Contact: Jack Canady, Woods and Water Guide Service, 270/227-2443,
woodsandwaterguideservice.com .
2 Lake Havasu, Arizona-California Lake Havasu, impounding about 45 miles of the Colorado River, has become redear central after producing the all-tackle record 5-pound 7-ounce fish, along with many others over 2 pounds. The record was 16¾ inches long and boasted a 19-inch girth. Best action runs from April through June, when fish gather in coves to spawn. Locals fish livebait but small spinners and cranks catch some monsters. Contact: John Galbraith, Âbasstacklemaster.com; Captain Jerry's Guide Service, 760/447-5846,
havasufishingguide.com Â; Havasu Fishing,
havasufishing.com .
3 Pelican Lake, Nebraska Nestled in the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in the Sandhills region of Nebraska, Pelican Lake consistently produces the biggest 'gills in the region, many over a pound and occasional 2-pounders. Blessed with abundant and diverse large invertebrates, growth is fast in this shallow waterway. Abundant vegetation provides habitat for bugs and a sanctuary for big sunfish. Most giants are caught through the ice or in early spring. Contact: Valentine National Wildlife Refuge,
http://www.fws.gov/valentine/ .
4 Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee Labeled 'Earthquake Lake, ' a mighty tremor of the New Madrid Fault in 1811 diverted the Mississippi River, backing up this highly productive 11,000-acre waterway in northwestern Tennessee. Big bluegills and shellcrackers roam the shallow lake's cypress forests and lily pad fields, yielding prime pole-fishing opportunities all spring and summer. Contact: Bluebank Resort, 877/258-3226,
bluebankresort.com ; Eagle Nest Resort, 731/538-2143,
eaglenestresort.com .
9 Richmond Mill Lake, North Carolina Located near Laurel Hill, North Carolina, Richmond Mill likely offers the best shot at a 2-pound bluegill, truly a rare animal. This pay-to-play waterway, owned by the Kingfisher Society, is managed to ensure balance between bluegills and largemouth bass and habitat quality. After refilling in 2000, it's approaching prime productivity. Giants sometimes require finesse presentations, such as tiny jigs tipped with a bit of 'crawler. Contact: Kingfisher Society, 910/462-2324,
kingfishersociety.com .
10 Santee-Cooper, South Carolina This lowland jewel produced the former world record shellcracker and continues to yield amazing numbers of platter-sized bluegills as well as redears, not to mention big catfish, bass, and crappies. Spring comes early and a fine bedding bite starts in late March, lasting into May, but recurring on a monthly basis until September. Anglers also take jumbos in the Diversion Canal between the paired impoundments in fall and winter. Contact: Santee-ÂCooper Country, 803/854-2131,
santeecoopercountry.org Â.
8 Tidal Rivers, North Carolina Flowing into Arbemarle Sound in the northeastern part of the state are a series of blackwater rivers that represent the northernmost range of the coppernose bluegill, the southern subspecies known to attain large size. Panfish expert Jim Gronaw picks the Pasquotank, Yeopim, Perqimens, and Chowan rivers, with loads of 9- to 11-inch fish and some over 1½ pounds. Local expert Jeffrey Abney scores with hair jigs tied in a grass shrimp pattern. Contact:
bigbluegill.com ; Pembroke Fishing Center, 252/482-5343; Bethel Fishing ÂCenter, 252/426-5155.
