Spring Panfish Success Begins with the Right Rod, Reel and Line

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Panfish rods must bridge the gap between fast, responsive and forgiving. You can spend as much or as little as you want to meet the criteria.

The G-Loomis SR842-2 GLX Panfish Spinning Rod ($455; gloomis.com) is a premier panfish rod, with features serious panfish anglers look for. It has a fast taper suited for delivering 1/16- to 5/16-ounce lures, a 7-foot length to manipulate tiny jigs and floats and a light power to gently coax papermouths to the boat. But it’s pricey.

A good compromise is St. Croix’s Panfish Series spinning rods ($120-$190; stcroixrods.com). You’ll find everything from 5- to 9-foot models for every panfish situation. The 7-foot (PNS70LXF) and 7-foot 3-inch (PNS73MLXF) models are the most popular and practical.

Both have an extra-fast action and are fashioned using the company’s propriety Fortified Resin System technology and a premium cork handle.

• Related: Panfish Calendar—How to Crash Their Annual Spawning Run

Bass Pro Shops offers some more affordable panfish rods. I purchased the 7-foot 2-inch medium-light action BPS Panfish Elite Spinning Rod ($79.99; basspro.com) and fell in love with it. It’s a bargain, but perhaps an even better deal is the BPS Micro Lite Graphite Spinning Rod ($59.99). The rods have a fast action and are available in lengths from 4 1/2 to 9 1/2 feet in ultra-light to medium power. The 7 1/2-foot ultra-light model I bought is perfect for slinging bobbers.

There are dozens of spinning reels suitable for panfish, but my favorite is the Pflueger Supreme XT 25 ($169.95; purefishing.com). The reel is super smooth, lightweight, has a 5.2:1 gear ratio and holds plenty of 4- or 6-pound-test line. Early-spring panfishing demands a clear, subtle monofilament line like Sunline’s Super Natural ($11.49; sunlineamerica.com). It’s supple, has low memory and moderate stretch and resists line twist.

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