Ugly Stik? 2024

JonU reply :

I've used a 5.6 ft, Medium Ugly Stik w/my old baitcaster for a while and have had my wife and kids using the various spinning versions for years and have never had a problem - they seem to be indestructable.

What's the thinking on these rods here on this forum? I've done a search and haven't found one thread on them.

Now that I've moved up to a Curado E7, I'd like to move to a MH 6 -7 foot rod and was curious if I was missing something w/the Ugly Stik brand and should move to something else. :-?

Thanks!

-Jon

roadwarrior reply :

Welcome aboard!

There are much better rods depending on your

pricing point. Tell us what you want to spend

and you will get several suggestions.

8-)

Grey Wolf reply :

For bass fishing definately no good. Too heavy , too wimpy. There is a reason you can't find any threads on the search you did.

They are better suited for cat's , carp. A good rod for kids.

Move up to a better rod for that curado.

Oh by the way , welcome.

JonU reply :

Thanks! Great Forum - I've learned a lot just reading the past two weeks.

Anything decent in the $75-$100 range for general So Cal. reservoir bass fishing?

-Jon

Cravin reply :

Welcome to the forum!

Like they said there too heavy for that nice of a reel, There good for catching a salmon and beating a bear half to death for trying to take it. You can also throw it in the back of your truck then toss in a few bags of concrete and 10 cinder blocks, pull it out a couple weeks later and not find a blemish on it.

If your use to slinging the Ugly Stik then your probably thinking Whats Heavy about it? Well it's not that the biggest guy on this site has 4 inch biceps! Once you get a nice light rod you'll see!

I think you should start with a 6 or 6 and a half foot rod.

Give us a price range and everyone will be more than happy to give you some of there top picks any where from IM6 to IM10 or HMG!

Grey Wolf reply :

What type of baits do you fish with ?

Crank baits , spinner baits , top water , plastics , jigs , or do you fish live bait ?

Do you want to fish deep or shallow . Do you fish from the bank or a boat ?

U.W BronzeBack Hunter reply :

I'll be honest and straightfoward from experience with the Ugly Stik when i was first starting out with fishing:

it SUCKS!!! >

it was made for people who shop too much at Walmart

If you're looking for a bargain with 50-100$ to spend, check out Bass Pro's XPS rods like the bionic blade or the extreme rod.

If you have more money on hand, look at some G Loomis rods. For a bit over 200$, you can get a nice rod for a nice price (especially if you consider the quality of these rods).

With even more money on hand, the Daiwa Steez at around 500$ is truly a dream rod.

but these are only my opinions. but a basically universal opinion with most of the members here is that the Ugly Stik sucks for bass fishing, but performs well with still-fishing tactics for carp/catfish. because frankly, rod sensitivity and performance don't matter crap with still-fishing. ;D

sorry if my post sounds aggressive or angry. it's just that i got so fed up with the whippiness of my ugly stik, that i managed to snap it after the last straw 6 years ago

U.W BronzeBack Hunter reply :

also, i would like to add you have a kick-a$$ reel

mase088 reply :

For your price range I recommend taking a peak at what St Croix has to offer. St Croix rods are probably my favorite for the price.

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

nothing wrong with a ugly stik i own quite a few catfish and saltwater rods they are rugged that being said you will see the diff if u go in a store and hold a shimano,loomis,st croix etc ..think of it this way would u carry 1 brick all day in one hand or a roll of tiolet paper you will see what i mean

freakyfish reply :

I like my 6'6" ugly stik light.It is light and sensitive.Sept do not shut it in a door mine broke. I took it back to the store and they gave me a new one.But I did'nt tell them what happend. They are selling kistler rods half price on ebay check them out.

Grey Wolf reply :

Quote
I like my 6'6" ugly stik light.It is light and sensitive.Sept do not shut it in a door mine broke. I took it back to the store and they gave me a new one.But I did'nt tell them what happend. They are selling kistler rods half price on ebay check them out.

LIGHT AND SENSITIVE??????????????????????????????????

JonU reply :

Thanks for all the help folks!

For now, looking for more of an all around rod. I fish from a 15ft Larson Bow Rider and use Crank baits, spinner baits, jigs and plastic worms - deep and shallow - in a So. CA reservoir (Lake Perris - I can have the boat on the water in less than 30 min. after leaving the house). Will eventually check out Lake Silverwood, etc. but would like to really learn this lake first.

From what I've read, a 6'6" or 7' MH, fast action rod will do 95% of what I want to do. I'll take a field trip to BPS this afternoon and bend some rods...

-Jon

Quote
What type of baits do you fish with ?
Crank baits , spinner baits , top water , plastics , jigs , or do you fish live bait ?

Do you want to fish deep or shallow . Do you fish from the bank or a boat ?

roadwarrior reply :

This might help:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1196114229

8-)

basser89 reply :

For the 75-100 range, the first 3 that come to mind are Bass Pro's Bionic Blade, Quantum Alliance and St Croix Triumph.

Good luck and Welcome aboard!

freakyfish reply :

Quote

Quote
I like my 6'6" ugly stik light.It is light and sensitive.Sept do not shut it in a door mine broke. I took it back to the store and they gave me a new one.But I did'nt tell them what happend. They are selling kistler rods half price on ebay check them out.

LIGHT AND SENSITIVE??????????????????????????????????

Yes!!! This one is the one im talking about http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_17945____SearchResults Not the regular ugly stik.

Matt 825 reply :

For about $100 you could get a Bass Pros Shops Pro Qualifer rod. I have one and its a good rod for the money. Go with a standard 6'6" MH and you will be all set. By the way the Curado is probably the most popular baitcaster reel ever made. Great choice for a reel.

U.W BronzeBack Hunter reply :

astonishingly enough, i landed a 40 pound carp at Lake Washington, WA with my BPS Bionic Blade (M power). and this rod is my designated bass baitcast rod, and i was not expecting to make it undergo such stress, but hey... it still performs like new so it tells you it's a great value on sale for 59.99 right now!

Stasher1 reply :

I'm not ashamed to admit that I've got a few Ugly Sticks on my rod rack right now. My two oldest boys (6 and 9) use 5'6" casting models for bream and catfish. I'll upgrade them when they're able to go fishing without stepping on their rods.

I've got a 6'6" Ugly Stick Lite paired with a Zebco Omega Z03 that works just fine for bream. I wouldn't use it for soft plastics or jigs, but it actually makes a half-way decent crankbait rod. It's a little more sensitive, slightly stiffer, and not quite as "whippy" as the regular Ugly Stick.

JonU reply :

Thanks again folks. Just picked up a 6'6" MH Bionic Blade at BPS on clearance for $49! At that price I can use this one and add another specialized rod later if I feel the need. Figure this one can always be a good part of an "arsenal" later.

I can't believe how lite and sensitive this thing is compared to my old Ugly Stik.

BTW, I'm not a beginner to Bass fishing. I used to be quite successful 25 years ago and got out of it to raise 4 kids. Oh, I taught them all to fish (trout, panfish, etc.), just sold off all the bass gear and retired from specializing in LM Bass. Now that we're "empty nesting" and have a boat, it's time to get caught back up. As I figured would happen - a lot has changed in bass fishing in the last 25 years (swim baits, drop shotting, etc.)

Thank you guys and the forum for helping me to get back up to speed!

-Jon

Quote
For the 75-100 range, the first 3 that come to mind are Bass Pro's Bionic Blade, Quantum Alliance and St Croix Triumph...!

The Rooster reply :

Aw wow, I can't believe no one suggested a Shimano Compre for $100 to go with the Shimano Curado you got. My brother in law has 5 of the D series Curados and he has them all on Compre rods. I'm getting 2 of them for Christmas as well. Good sensitive rods from what I've seen, and very light weight from feeling the one I already have here at the house leaning behind the Christmas tree (don't tell the wife I did that ). You got a good rod though, and for a lot less money than the Compre costs. Just for $75 to $100, I would have figured that one would have been mentioned since it's that price, a good rod, and also a Shimano. Oh well, hey, you just coming off of a 25 year hiatus away from bass fishing, you're gonna end up wanting more than one anyway so you can check them out later.

tyrius. reply :

Quote
Aw wow, I can't believe no one suggested a Shimano Compre for $100 to go with the Shimano Curado you got. My brother in law has 5 of the D series Curados and he has them all on Compre rods. I'm getting 2 of them for Christmas as well. Good sensitive rods from what I've seen, and very light weight from feeling the one I already have here at the house leaning behind the Christmas tree (don't tell the wife I did that ). You got a good rod though, and for a lot less money than the Compre costs. Just for $75 to $100, I would have figured that one would have been mentioned since it's that price, a good rod, and also a Shimano. Oh well, hey, you just coming off of a 25 year hiatus away from bass fishing, you're gonna end up wanting more than one anyway so you can check them out later.

After your Shimano conversion I think you need to take a look at updating your signature!!!

JonU reply :

Yeah, the Compre looked really nice - BPS just wasn't dealing on it though. Might get a 7 footer later this year if I see a deal . Boat is covered in snow right now anyway (in So Cal??!!)... :-?

-Jon

Quote
Aw wow, I can't believe no one suggested a Shimano Compre for $100 to go with the Shimano Curado you got. My brother in law has 5 of the D series Curados and he has them all on Compre rods. I'm getting 2 of them for Christmas as well. Good sensitive rods from what I've seen, and very light weight from feeling the one I already have...

The Rooster reply :

Quote

Quote
Aw wow, I can't believe no one suggested a Shimano Compre for $100 to go with the Shimano Curado you got. My brother in law has 5 of the D series Curados and he has them all on Compre rods. I'm getting 2 of them for Christmas as well. Good sensitive rods from what I've seen, and very light weight from feeling the one I already have here at the house leaning behind the Christmas tree (don't tell the wife I did that ). You got a good rod though, and for a lot less money than the Compre costs. Just for $75 to $100, I would have figured that one would have been mentioned since it's that price, a good rod, and also a Shimano. Oh well, hey, you just coming off of a 25 year hiatus away from bass fishing, you're gonna end up wanting more than one anyway so you can check them out later.

After your Shimano conversion I think you need to take a look at updating your signature!!!

Yeah, I probably do need to put something in there about Shimano. I love their rods. Even the Covergence is a nice rod at it's price compared to a lot of others in the same range. My signature before this reflected my love for Pflueger reels only though. In my opinion Shimano makes some really nice reels but they cost too much for what you get compared to my BPS Extreme (made by Pflueger). And nothing but nothing will ever get me to use any spinning reels besides a Pflueger, better price or not. That is unless Pflueger scraps their current design on them and then I might have to look around for a new love. ;D

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
In my opinion Shimano makes some really nice reels but they cost too much for what you get compared to my BPS Extreme (made by Pflueger).

So which Shimano are you comparing it to? Surely not the Citica.

Back on topic...The Ugly Stick will be fine for treble hook lures.

For jigs and soft plastics I think another brand is a better choice,

regardless of your pricing point. For these techniques I recommend

Medium Power/ Fast Action.

8-)

The Rooster reply :

Quote

Quote
In my opinion Shimano makes some really nice reels but they cost too much for what you get compared to my BPS Extreme (made by Pflueger).

So which Shimano are you comparing it to? Surely not the Symetre or Stradic.

No, those are spinning reels. I meant the Extreme baitcasting reel and I was comparing it to the Citica, and actually even the Curado too. Number of bearings wise, the Extreme beats the Citica and ties the Curado. I think the Extreme for $80 regular price, or $60 on sale is a much better buy and performs at the same level. Of course I can only compare it directly to the Curado D's the my brother in law has. We fished a lot together and side by side they were as near equal in ability as they could have been this year.

roadwarrior reply :

I edited my post while you were typing yours.

I'm glad you like your Extreme and hope it

serves you well.

-Kent

The Rooster reply :

Quote
I edited my post while you were typing yours.
I'm glad you like your Extreme and hope it

serves you well.

-Kent

Thank you. And I'm glad you like your Shimano reels. They seem to be excellent reels and I have nothing against them at all. If the Curado was more of the Citica's price then I probably would have had those instead. That's one sharp reel!!!

tyrius. reply :

Quote
Back on topic...The Ugly Stick will be fine for treble hook lures.

I don't even like them for that. You can't feel what the lure is doing. The BPS Crankin Stick is a much better rod for treble hook lures (that rod replaced my Ugly Stick) and for $40 you get it REALLY cheap.

tyrius. reply :

Quote
Number of bearings wise, the Extreme beats the Citica and ties the Curado.

The actual number of bearing in a reel are pretty much meaningless.

Quote
I think the Extreme for $80 regular price, or $60 on sale is a much better buy and performs at the same level. Of course I can only compare it directly to the Curado D's the my brother in law has. We fished a lot together and side by side they were as near equal in ability as they could have been this year.

There isn't a whole lot of performance increases as you go up the reel lineups. As long as the handle turns the spool, the line will be retrieved.

Durability, weight, finish, construction material, etc are other things that differentiate reels.

edited to add:

Extreme Citica

weight 8.6 oz 7.8

drag 10 lbs 11

line capacity 12/120 14/110

bearings 7 4

There are others, but these are just a few items that show other differences. I believe the Citica is a smaller profile too.

I.rar reply :

all ive owned , as far as rods go , are ugly sticks. bought them all as combos for less than $35 and they have cought many fish and last as long as i want them to. even my latest rod purchase was a ugly stick LITE. much lighter than the 'classic' , tiger , and thier other offerings.

and if something in the truck decides to slide over on to it and it breaks , i wont feel like im at a loss (at all) becuase it was cheap and does its job. also , a year ago , i didnt get to fish as much as i do now , so i couldnt justify spending more than the $35 on both rod and reel that will get used less than twice a month.

however , i will get something like a triumph as my next rod purchase just to see what the hype is about and im certain it will be worlds better. but that doesnt make me regret ever owning one.

my $0.02.

edit - also , i just got the gear bag in today (from their free offer) and it seems to be made very well. for the budget fisherman , i wouldnt knock ugly sticks.

SirSnookalot reply :

If I were a high school teacher I might use an ugly stick as pointer on a blackboard, other than that I'd toss in the garbage.

I've got one here you can have for free, used once.

So many good choices out there for the same kind of money.

Sam reply :

Ugly Sticks....great for kids and catfish.

Welcome to the forum.

Keep reading the posts and articles.

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