Ultralight gear

[8+bait]

I'm just getting into the panfishing scene and am looking for information on everything from rods reels line and lures

[Solitario Lupo]

Panfish you really don’t need nothing big in rod size. Anything from a 4ft to a 7ft rod lightweight will do. 4 to 6lb mono line. I would go with a 6lb as they do like to pull you under stuff. A 7ft can cast longer to keep in mind. As for lures anything small so they can fit their mouths on it. Small curly tail grubs, trout magnets. Reels size a class 3 or smaller but I would do a 3 for lake or bigger water fishing for them. Not for fight but for longer casts. This will also depend on boat or shore fishing.

[MattM37]

Along with what S.Lupo said, I like to use really small in-line spinners like 00 size Mepps and Joe's Spin Flies for sunfish and yellow perch, and small to mid-size floating Rapalas for crappie. If you have timber in the water, either standing or fallen stuff like around a beaver house, expect to find some crappie. Jigs are good there, too, but the floating lure will hang up a lot less often. I catch a lot of crappie on rainy and overcast days, in front of this big beaver-house, on a 2- inch silver floating Rapala. I'll cast right above a cluster of submerged tree-branches and just twitch the minnow every few seconds.

Mini fat-bodied crankbaits can be really good for crappie, too, and rock bass. Yo Zuri makes a really small crankbait, a little single-hook model, that's only about an inch long.