Thread: 2500 for UL ?

I spent about four hours today throwing jigs down the driveway.
I grabbed up about ten or twelve rods , most of them with larger than usual stripper guides , four reels of different sizes and brands and a 1/80 jighead with a Bobby Garland Itty Bit Swim’r on it .
I spent a lot of time rigging up rods and tying on that jig .
It seems the size of the reel and the larger stripper guides add minimal distance to my casts .
With a few of my favorites, I tried a 1/64 TM jighead and body , and a 1/32 ball head collarless jig with a size 8 sickle style hook . Going by looks the 1/32 ball head jig weighs just a small amount more than the 1/64 TM head .
Going from 1/80 to 1/64 and 1/32 made more difference than did reel size , guide size and even rod length once I got past 5’6” .
One of the best performers was a 5’6” Daiwa Exceler UL rod . A cheap rod I picked up for less than $50 , but never fished .
The average cast with the 1/64 jighead was around 55’ , the Daiwa Exceler threw the light jig a consistent 60’ with one cast right at 63’ .
My 7’ Daiwa Procyon UL rod with a Daiwa Exceler LT 2500 with a 1/32 ball head jig and Trout Magnet only averaged 58’ . Where my 6’3” Abu Garcia Mass Beat 3 light action rod with a Shimano Nasci 500 tossed a 1/64 Trout Magnet head and body 68’ .
My 5’6” St Croix Premier UL paired with a Nasci 500 reel tossed a 1/32 ball head jig and Trout Magnet 66’ .
I had one reel , a KastKing spinning Finesse reel loaded with 6 pound test Daiwa X8 Grand braid . I tried it with 1/80 jig on 6’ St Croix Avid UL rod and I couldn’t believe it only cast 53’ . I put away that reel .
2# P-line Floroclear was used on all of the other reels .

It was fun trying out all the different combos .
I learned , rod build , not length makes a difference as does line test and type . But lure weight makes the biggest difference.
After all of my testing , I still love my little 500 size reels , especially the light weight.
I think 1000 reels are the best all around reels especially if they have shallow spools .
I returned a couple of my 2000 reels while I could and once I received my refund , I ordered a new , lightweight 1000 reel .
A Daiwa Presso LT 1000S-P.
Shipping says about 18 days .