We’ve mentioned it before, but we feel ultralight rods and reels are some of the most versatile fishing combinations an angler can have for multiple species. And a good ultralight rod paired with the best ultralight reel you can afford will give you a combo that works for a wide variety of fish and can throw lures your other rod and reel combos cannot throw. And most of that is due to the action and power on an ultralight rod. But having an appropriate sized ultralight spinning reel that handles light line well with a very smooth drag makes your ultralight combo a formidable challenge even for big fish.
We talked about all the reasons you should have an ultralight combo in a previous article so we will focus on just the reels in this article. We all love to ultralight fish because we love a good fight. From trout, panfish, crappie and even up to bass, an ultralight reel can have a ton of uses. We’ve been using a bunch of the best and newer ones for 2024 and 2025 already and want to share our picks for this coming fishing season.
OUR PICKS FOR BEST ULTRALIGHT SPINNING REELS FOR 2025
- BEST OVERALL: Shimano Vanford FA 500 – Buy from Bass Pro Shops
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Piscifun Viper X 500 – Buy from Amazon
- BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK: Lew’s Speed Spin CRX 750 – Buy from Bass Pro Shops
- LIGHTEST OPTION: Bass Pro Micro Light Elite 5 – Buy from Bass Pro Shops
- BEST ULTRALIGHT REEL: Abu Garcia Revo Max SX – Buy from Tackle Warehouse
SHIMANO VANFORD FA 500
The Shimano Vanford spinning reels came to the market a couple years ago and in the summer of 2024 they announced the updated version of one of their most popular releases of spinning reels with the Vanford FA series (review). The 500 size reel offers one of the smoothest operations you will find in an ultralight reel with an impressive 7 ball bearings, silky smooth drag, 5.6:1 gear ratio and 27 inches of line pickup on each handle turn.
I have been using this reel for months and it has easily been my favorite ultralight reel. I have used it trout fishing with 8 foot ultralight rods and 1/32 and 1/64 ounce jigs with ease. I have caught numerous panfish, big crappie and trout as well as several smallmouth bass, white bass and other fish as well. It is so effortless to turn the handle and the drag starts easily and runs smoothly for worry-free fights with good fish. It’s at the upper end on price at $249.
PISCIFUN VIPER X 500
This is an older reel, but we have yet to find a better bargain for an ultralight reel. I personally own 7 of these reels for trout, crappie and bluegill/red ear fishing. They are very smooth and you can often find them on sale on Amazon for like $24-$29. Making them one of the best steals in ultralight reels in our opinion. So until a better value reel comes along, we just have to keep recommending it. I have literally landed thousands of fish on these reels. They just work. I have some going on 5 seasons now.
The 500 size weighs 5.4 ounces, has 10 ball bearings with a 5.2:1 gear ratio and can hold 87 yards of 4 pound line. So it’s one of the smaller ultralight reels which is nice for balancing those short combos.
Read the full Piscifun Viper X review
LEW’S SPEED SPIN CRX 100
This is a newer offering for Lew’s with the CRX. The 100 size reel features a 5.2:1 gear ratio, 6.6-ounce weight, and can hold 90 yards of 6 pound line. It fishes very smooth with its 9 ball bearings, has a good drag and is braid ready out of the box. It’s a graphite reel built on a C40 carbon rotor with a 1-piece aluminum bail wire.
This is a solid little reel at $79. This has been a good reel with braid. It casts well and has the nicest styling we’ve seen on a Lew’s spinning reel. They have really been cranking out some good spinning reels the last few years and we love that since they have always been great at making bait casters.
BASS PRO SHOPS MICRO LITE ELITE 5
This is another longtime performer that just works and it’s such a light reel it’s hard to leave off the list. If you’re looking for a lightweight reel this is probably the one you want to look at 5.2 ounces. It balances so nicely on an ultralight rod with smooth retrieve and smooth drag. It has 7 bearings, features a 5.2:1 gear ratio and 6-pounds of drag. It’s been another solid performer for trout, panfish and crappie as well as white bass. And it offers anglers a great value at $49.
ABU GARCIA REVO MAX SX 750
The newer ultralight reel from Abu Garcia is the Max SX 750. This reel features 5:1 gear ratio, 6.1 ounce weight, a capacity of 100 yards of 4-pound line 7 ball bearings. It’s a tall narrow profile compared to other ultralight reels but produces a smooth operation both on the retrieve and the drag on a fight.
I’ve been fishing it with light braid for trout and panfish and feel like the line comes off the reel very well thanks to its Rocket spool and line management design. And it takes no pressure to turn the reel handle thanks to its V-Rotor system. It’s another solid performer at $59.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE BEST ULTRALIGHT REELS
When you fish ultralight combos, you are usually using very light lures. This means you will be using light lines and you will need the reel to do certain things very well to avoid breaking off fish or not being able to feel your lures action very well or detecting baits.
The first thing is you need a very low startup inertia on the handle when you turn it. Because the lures are so light you need the handle to turn effortlessly without sticking and without any added pressure. Because that reel handle is how you feel the weight of your lure and detect a lot of feedback. So if the reel handle interferes with your retrieve you will have issues.
The other thing you will require with a good ultralight reel is a quick starting, smooth drag system. You don’t want your drag to stick or take too much pressure to start letting line out or you could suffer a break off when a fish decides to surge at the last second. You need the drag to start quick and be smooth throughout with out and stutters and catches.
The last thing you want is good line management. Using light lines, I often joke, can be much akin to fishing with spider web. If the wind gets up it can be a nightmare to contend with. But a good reel with a good spool design and good lip design on the spool makes for better casting and less hassles with your fishing.
