The Best Ultralight Spinning Reels – 2024‘s Top 5 Picks

It is wise to consider what constitutes this reel. There is no fixed definition of an “ultralight” spinning reel. And to make matters more confusing, different manufacturers have different sizings (see here for a full rundown on spinning reel sizes). For our purposes, though, a spinning reel qualifies as ultralight if it weighs less than 10oz (xxx g). This usually means sizes 1000, 2000, and 2500 in most common brands.

To put it simply – to catch more fish! These reels will balance beautifully with a light 4-6lb rated rod and particularly when spooled with 4lb or 6lb braid will cast light lures long distances with wonderful accuracy. This means you’re putting your lure in the strike zone more often and for more time and using a setup that’s not going to spook the fish. There are some great ultralight baitcasting reels, too, but they tend to be very expensive and aren’t as popular.

The first thing to consider is what rod the reel will be paired with. Personally, I use a 6 foot 2-4 lb rated rod with my ultralight reels, as this gives the best feel. But you could easily pair an ultralight reel with a 2-6lb rated ultralight rod or similar lightweight spinning reel. Another option is to buy an ultralight spinning combo where the rod is already matched to the reel.

Modern spinning reels use a range of materials from high-grade aluminum to carbon fiber and silicon carbide, zaion, and titanium.
The purpose of using these space-age materials usually comes down to three things – strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.
Some of these materials are important in reel design, although they obviously add to the cost.

All ultralight reels have a conventional front drag system adjustable by turning the rotor on the front of the spool. The drag’s maximum rating is the maximum weight at which it can still “lock” – ie, release no line. All these reels have the conventional anti-reverse switch, with the exception of the Sedona, which uses an anti-reverse clutch instead.

An important consideration for ultralight fishing, particularly if using straight mono instead of braid with a mono leader, is the capacity of the spool. If you need 150 yards or more of line, make sure that it will fit on the spool. Reel spools come rated with a storage capacity for both braid and mono.

More the better up to a point. In today’s world, the bare minimum for ball bearings in an ultralight reel is three, but higher-end models will have six or even eight ball bearings. More doesn’t always mean better, as the quality of the ball-bearing used is also a factor, particularly once a reel gets some use and a few immersions in salt water. Manufacturers tend to list the number of ball bearings as 3+1 or 6+1. So what does that mean? It means three ball bearings (or six) and one roller bearing. A roller bearing uses cylindrical rolls in place of spherical balls and usually supports the pinion gear in a spinning reel. This great video explains this. 

We tend to favor a high gear ratio for ultralight reels. There are a couple of reasons for this – it gives you the ability to crank fast for certain retrieves, and it can help you scoot your lure out of harm’s way if you are casting into structure and you overshoot or the current flow is pulling it towards a tree or jetty pylon or other hazards. This is more common than you might imagine, as the beauty of ultralight spinning tackle is it allows you to get up close and personal with the very kind of structure where big fish live! The other reason we err on the high side is that the kind of fish we are targeting with ultralight spinning gear aren’t big enough to warrant the extra cranking power of a lower gear ratio. All these reels have a 5:1 gear ratio with the exception of the Abu Garcia, which has a slightly higher 6.2:1 gear ratio.

Of course, price is a factor – it’s why we chose a good spread of pricing for the reels in our review. Rather than discuss price in detail, we’ve opted to provide five reels here across a range of price points that we know will perform for our readers and give them years of good use.

The more corrosion-resistant the materials used in your ultralight reel, the greater its longevity. The most advanced reels on this list use some truly space-age materials drawn from the aviation industry for both their lightness and their corrosion-resistant designs. Stainless steel and brass components are standard for their resistance to rust. All these reels – as you’d expect feature stainless steel ball bearings, for example. This video explains the crucial role that maintenance plays in keeping your reel running smoothly. See here for our tips on fixing spinning reels.

Crappie can weigh between 1/2 to 4 pounds, making them an ideal target for ultralight gear.
The Shimano Stradic Ci4+ in 1000 size is a great choice for crappie fishing. Paired with an ultralight rod, it will provide great sport, provided you don’t need to throw heavy jigs for crappie in your area.

These reels are perfect for trout. You often need to cast light lures and use very light lines in targeting this sometimes spooky fish. Trout can get up to 10lb or more, of course, so it is best not to go in undergunned. We’d recommend the Stradic Ci4+ (like my one pictured here!) as one of the best ultralight reels for targeting trout.

Ultralight bass fishing is becoming popular, and it is a fun way to target America’s favorite sport fish, especially when you are using small lures. If the bass you are targeting are large or live in heavy structure, then conventional baitcasting or spinning gear is probably a better bet. But if you are chasing smallmouth bass or largemouth in an area where you can let them run a bit, then ultralight gear will work. Having a good drag is paramount – again, we’d recommend the Shimano Stradic Ci4+.