Ugly Stick- I just don't get it. 2024

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

ok, they are indestructible, granted. So is an army tank but it's no good for fishing.

Why would anyone want a rod who's tip can touch the butt ?????

I've used a noodle or 2 in my day but.......that's a bit much.

How can a decent hookset possibly be achieved with the absence of any back bone?

RecMar8541 reply :

well in the case of the ugly stick....it cant....Ive tried several. they are heavier, and have no back at all. I usually refer folks to the berkley lightening rod as an alternative to the mushy stick!

Hot n Tot reply :

They sell a lot of them. It makes you realize the power of advertising. Other low quality rods only sell a fraction of the number of ugly sticks sold by Shakespeare. It's all in the advertising.

Solo reply :

Whoa guys. It depends on the model of rod. Granted the Ugly stick is not going to make a jig rod AND it's not a rod I would personally use for my Bass fishing.

But I know some guys who swear by them (most use braid) for:

Muskie trolling

Salt water fishing

Catfish

Cranking

It really does depend on the rod model, the fish, and the application.

RecMar8541 reply :

ok ok.....i give....ill use the heavy action ugly stick for bluegills........er.......maybe

guest reply :

UGLY STICk>THATS WHAT MY EX- MOTHER IN LAW GOT HIT WITH she sure nuf did get UGLY

Hot n Tot reply :

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UGLY STICk>THATS WHAT MY EX- MOTHER IN LAW GOT HIT WITH she sure nuf did get UGLY

Muddy, that's great! ;D

Hop reply :

I think it is a good affordable rod for those who are first getting into fishing or those who fish once or twice a year while on vacation. I see alot being bought up when the tourist come around.

It was my first rod when I was a little guy. Believe me I needed something indestructable as hard as I was on it. It double as a sword for some battles with my buddies. The only Shakespeare product I use now is their TigerStiks. The are great for saltwater and catfishing.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

I have coastal UglySiks i use for striper fishing they have enough back bone for anything and i have pistol grips with power pro even the med action ones with PP have enough backbone to set a hook a good distance granted i only use uglystiks for spinner baits and crankbaits.Either you love um or you hate um.I can say this if it was a survival situation and i needed one rod to put food in my belly it would be a ugly stik 5-6 pistol grip with a ABU 4600,c3 and 12/50 PP

.ghoti. reply :

If you want to buy your little guy, or gal, a tough rod, that's the one. Good rods for kids to learn on. Otherwise, I agree, there's not much to recommend them.

Cheers,

Raul reply :

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UGLY STICk>THATS WHAT MY EX- MOTHER IN LAW GOT HIT WITH she sure nuf did get UGLY

I 'll be danged, now I have to clean the dang screen. :-X

HPBB reply :

laugh all you want guys. but I fish one all the time. At tournaments guys will say" you really fish with that?" then I start yo catch fish on it. I have caught to many fish to count on it over the 15 years I have had it. I love to fish torpedo's, I use them alot, and have over 100 of them. and I use a 7' med heavy Ugly. I have tried many other rods, very expensive rods and I can not get the right action out of the torpedo that I like with them.

My Torpedo rig. this is all I use it for. has it written on it.

7' m/h ugly stick

shimano 100mg chronarch

20lb trilene XL or XT

I know what your saying, big $$ reel ,cheep rod. I would not use any other rod for this type of topwater bait. I think its the give of the rod and strech of the line, but I rearly lose fish. and when a nice bass hits that torp. that little bit of give help keep them hooked up. There is some good back bone in my Ugly, but the tip is very flexable. Now i fish all kind of other topwater. but I only fish topredos on that set-up and no other baits.

ww2farmer reply :

Hmmmmm.........why is a thread like this even necessary? I don't fish with or own, or have ever owned an Ugly Stick, and I wouldn't recomend it to any one who wanted to seriously fish for bass. But some people do use and like them, people like my father-in-law, who goes down to his pond maybe a 1/2 dozen times a year, tosses out a bobber and night crawler for bass or panfish,and might once in a blue moon use a lure like a rapala or mepps, then tosses it in the corner of his garage. Makes sense to me.........no wait..........he should have a $450 Steez reel, and a GLX for that.........c'mon. You don't see how Ugly sticks have a place for people who could care less about every little move a bass makes........out of touch to say the least. I thought you would be above starting nonsense like this LBH.

cart7t reply :

I would never consider one for Bass fishing but OTOH, as for SW bottom fishing, I've used a few Ugly sticks as boat rods and they worked out great.

KYbass1276 reply :

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Why is an opionon about a fishing rod in the Fishing Rods,Reels,Line and Leaders Board NONSENSE???? I thought sharing experience and product quality was OK here . I still don know why anyone would call it nonsense. I really love Pflueger Equipment and Some like Shimano, we make a joke about our differences but wouldn't call anothers mans opinion based on his experience Nonsense
PS NOR DID HE RECCOMEND REALLY EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT GEEEEZZZZZ!

I'll second that, Anyway I also have to agree with what a few have stated already, It's all in advertising. There target buyers aren't the loomis crowd. I highly doubt it's as sensitive as they say it is. I wouldn't use one but thats just me

BucketmouthAngler13 reply :

Just my .02:

The ungly sticks in the adds (the ones bent all the way over) are the ultra light ones. A Medium power ugly stick will not do this. (My friend tried this in a store and broke the rod. He then shoved it under the counter and hi-tailed out of there. Idiot. :)

As far as the pros for the Ugly Stik, they will never break when fighting a fish in. As for the cons, they are heavy, have hardly any back bone compaired to other brand's simular powered rods, have cheap guides, are NOT america's most sensitive rod, and the foam grips wear much quicker than cork. The cons outweigh the pros by far, seeing as I have never, ever had even the worst rods break when fighting a fish.

As do most things, ugly stiks have their place.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

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Just my .02:
The ungly sticks in the adds (the ones bent all the way over) are the ultra light ones. A Medium power ugly stick will not do this. (My friend tried this in a store and broke the rod. He then shoved it under the counter and hi-tailed out of there. Idiot. :)

As far as the pros for the Ugly Stik, they will never break when fighting a fish in. As for the cons, they are heavy, have hardly any back bone compaired to other brand's simular powered rods, have cheap guides, are NOT america's most sensitive rod, and the foam grips wear much quicker than cork. The cons outweigh the pros by far, seeing as I have never, ever had even the worst rods break when fighting a fish.

As do most things, ugly stiks have their place.

I dont like the new guides they have now But the ones i have have fuji guides on them.And id put my 30 dollar pistol grip ROD up agaisnt any rod, any price range, for throwing 1/4oz to 1/2 oz spinnerbaits with accuracy and speed!!!

burleytog reply :

They're not the best, but they aren't bad rods for the money.

I've got an US Lite that has landed a ton of fish over the last couple of years. The cork is downright darn nasty and you can't feel a thing with it. But it does it's job.

If nothing else, they're perfect river rods. I have no qualms about losing a $30 rod when the canoe flips. I can't say the same about an Premier or Avid.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

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Hmmmmm.........why is a thread like this even necessary? I thought you would be above starting nonsense like this LBH.

I'm allowed to be curious too. I understand the newbie or tough children take on it but was wondering if anyone ELSE used them and what the appeal was. Do they work, what models and why type of thing. Sorry if it offended you but I'm not "starting" anything except for a thread about a line of rods that I am confused about.

Many of you have answered my question. I notice some have a specific model for a specific application, makes sense. Some use them for other species, makes sense. SOME AGREE WITH ME, makes sense.

What I don't understand is if a rod can bend from tip to tail, why bother rating them other than length?

=Matt 5.0= reply :

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They're not the best, but they aren't bad rods for the money.
I've got an US Lite that has landed a ton of fish over the last couple of years.

Maybe I'm just feeble, but I use an Ugly Stick lite for spinners and cranks. Brought it to the CAST tourney and caught two fish with it.

Ahh, to be able to upgrade... :-/

moby bass reply :

I got back into fishing last year after many absent years. My old equipment was antiquated and useless.

The first rod I purchased was an ugly stick, 5'10" med power. I caught fish with it and started to really

enjoy fishing again. I used it all last year and purchased some (alot) of new equipment along the way, each time, I think, upgrading the quality. The ugly stick got me started, again, for not too large an investment. I do like the rod, and do still use it, although not as much. I also purchased a MH Ugly Stick

that I thought I might like for heavier fishing, larger baits, etc. I don't like that rod! The tip is too flexible, the rod is to heavy, it does not cast well. I will either sell it or keep it for something like bottom fishing for

cats, if I should get the notion. I purchased a St. Croix premier this spring, but due to adverse weather, haven't had the opportunity to use it. I am anxious to compare it to the Ugly Stick, and find out, if in fact,

a rod costing even 3 times as much is really worth the investment.

hi_steel_basser reply :

Ugly sticks are great catfishing rods. They are worthless for anything else IMO.

Bud reply :

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And id put my 30 dollar pistol grip ROD up agaisnt any rod, any price range, for throwing 1/4oz to 1/2 oz spinnerbaits with accuracy and speed

You have got to be kidding

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

Quote

Quote
And id put my 30 dollar pistol grip ROD up agaisnt any rod, any price range, for throwing 1/4oz to 1/2 oz spinnerbaits with accuracy and speed

You have got to be kidding

LOL im seriuos i have a pistol grip 5'6" with a 4600,c3 and power pro 12 /50 on it i have been using at least 10 yrs prob 150 days a yr that i can cast left or right handed, backwards, up trees, laying down, broken arm, broken thumb you name it i have done it with this setup !!! The rod and the reel weigh 13 oz total i have perfected the art of baitcasting with this set up !!

Long Mike reply :

Just like Moby Bass, I got back into fishing fairly recently ago. Not knowing any better, I purchased a medium action Ugly Stick and I did fine with it. i.e. I caught bass. I could go into how much I have spent since then in upgrading my equipment, but that is a given.

What I want to say is that I find the comments of ww2farmer to be totally uncalled for, and, for that matter, downright offensive to those members of this site who do not have the financial resources to afford more expensive equipment. Despite the fact that the majority of my rods now cost at least five times more, I still have my Ugly Stick and I still often use it when bass fishing. ww2farmer, I have noted your opinion, but that is all it is - your opinion. Since opinions are just like navels (everybody has one), there is no reason to become judgemental in your postings.

LAURASDAD reply :

I own a Loomis IMX and other expensive tackle.

However, I also sometimes use a Light Ugly Stick for cranking. For most cranking situations, sensitivity is not a primary issue; a soft tip is.

Most pros have gone to either a fiiberglass rod for cranking, or a graphite/fiberglass combo. Some people never learn expensive equipment doesn't catch fish.

The best fisherman I know have very average equipment. But they know where and how to catch fish. So many people on these boards talk about spending $$$ on equipment thinking it will make them a better fisherman. It absolutely won't.

Some might say "why do you own a Loomis?" The answer is when worming or c rigging, I like the sensitivity. But for cranking, it is not important.

To each his own

Larry

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

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What I want to say is that I find the comments of ww2farmer to be totally uncalled for, and, for that matter, downright offensive to those members of this site who do not have the financial resources to afford more expensive equipment. Despite the fact that the majority of my rods now cost at least five times more, I still have my Ugly Stick and I still often use it when bass fishing. ww2farmer, I have noted your opinion, but that is all it is - your opinion. Since opinions are just like navels (everybody has one), there is no reason to become judgemental in your postings.

I think I missed something here. I don't see where ww2 was offensive, he actually thought I was, if anything.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

This is suppose to be fun like fishing ,But anyway i too have expensive rods yes i love there lightness and sensitivity I also like a durable and easy too use rod at times when im catching fish thats all that matters .My point was if they are biting on worms or jigs i know for a fact im not goin to be using my ugly stiks but when those fish are aggressive and showing off i can use my uglystik with much more hookups .I find the light tip very good at makin pinpoint cast and i max my rod out making casts with it what more do i need. A 200 dollar crankin rod isnt gonna make me catch more fish if anything im goin to be pulling my cast as not to have to deal with a broken tip and a lax warrenty a ugly stik to me is a workhorse rod not a finnesse rod >i might be bitin off more then i can chew but i can bet a pretty penny that rod and reel combo i have had has seen more strikes then a lot of the 4 5 or 6 hundred dollar combos have caught fish!!!

Hawgin reply :

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i might be bitin off more then i can chew but i can bet a pretty penny that rod and reel combo i have had has seen more strikes then a lot of the 4 5 or 6 hundred dollar combos have caught fish!!!

I'll take that bet against a couple of my combos.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

AHHH....

I WALKED INTO THIS FORUM AND GOT SOME TESTOSTERONE ON MY NEW SHOES!!!!!! ITS FLOWING ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!

senile1 reply :

Quote

Quote
What I want to say is that I find the comments of ww2farmer to be totally uncalled for, and, for that matter, downright offensive to those members of this site who do not have the financial resources to afford more expensive equipment. Despite the fact that the majority of my rods now cost at least five times more, I still have my Ugly Stick and I still often use it when bass fishing. ww2farmer, I have noted your opinion, but that is all it is - your opinion. Since opinions are just like navels (everybody has one), there is no reason to become judgemental in your postings.

I think I missed something here. I don't see where ww2 was offensive, he actually thought I was, if anything.

I've been following this thread but I've been laying low. I see lots of good points on both sides. Long Mike, rather than denigrating users of the Ugly Stick, ww2farmer was defending them. You might want to read his post again.

=Matt 5.0= reply :

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I've been following this thread but I've been laying low. I see lots of good points on both sides. Long Mike, rather than denigrating users of the Ugly Stick, ww2farmer was defending them. You might want to read his post again.

I re-read it three times, I found it to be a little on the arrogant side. But, whatever. I have one, I use it, I catch fish with it without "a bobber and a nightcrawler"

moby bass reply :

I didn't find ww2farmer's comments to be arrogant or offensive. I see the point he was making, regarding

the occasional fisherman who just wants to get his line wet every now and again. In fact, my daughter

wanted to fish some last year, and of course, I had to buy her her own rod and reel. I didn't even spring for an ugly stick for her. Cheapest combo I could find. Works for her and she's thrilled to have her own rod. (She's 10 BTW) There's a market for these inexpensive rods, and while they don't appeal to a lot of people, they definitely fill a niche. I have another combo here that I bought starting out, a Rhino rod and a Zebco 33 spincast reel. I don't use it any more but it's still here when my kids friends come over and everybody wants to go fishing. That's the rod they use. If they break it, no big deal.

Cephkiller reply :

I used an Ugly Stick as a cranking rod for a couple years until I could upgrade and it worked fine if you could get past the fatigue caused by the 2 lb weight. I have handled the Ugly Stick Lite at the store and they seem like a good rod for the money, but they are obviously not the same indestructible rod as the original. They are more reminiscent of a Lightning Rod or similar inexpensive rods.

fishingchef80 reply :

The ugly stick has served its purpose for me for nearly 4 years. Ive got an ultra lite that i use for trout and has been the only thing ive caught bass on. Until a week ago when ive finally decided to take my hobby to another level purchasing a baitcast combo... which i still havent used > But they do serve their purpose. Besides its the excuse im using to get my girlfriend out there with me now that i have an extra pole and they're reasonably priced

ww2farmer reply :

Yeah..was trying to defend the Ugly stick.......lol see what that got me. If any one should be offended by what I said it should be LBH, I did call his post nonsense after all.

Here is how I see it:

We gots 3 guys sitting on a park bench, we'll call them ww2farmer, LBH, and Ugly Stick.

A women with a beard walks by, LBH say's "look at that!......who would want to be with a women with a beard"

ww2farmer elbows LBH in the side and wispers " cool it man.........Ugly stick over there is married to a women with a beard, I don't get it either, but lets not starts a fight"

LBH replys "I was just wondering was all......"

conversation ended.

I didn't know...from the way he started the topic....... which way he was trying to go with this, and I just seen a rousing bout on another forum on the SAME TOPIC, in which names were called, and nasty stuff.

Thats it.

3474

Ugly Stick- I just don't get it. 2024

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