jtharris3 Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 Any love for the Ugly Stick on this forum? It seems like a good starter rod for a young teen just getting into bass fishing. Or is there something better out there?
Bigbass37 Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 ugly sticks are great starter rods but there are better rods...check out berkly lightning rods 1
Super User Tywithay Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 I prefer a decent graphite rod for bass fishing, even for a starter rod. Ugly Sticks make ok crankbait rods, but are more suited for bait fishing and clumsy people.
Super User F14A-B Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 They work fine for many techniques, also very durable rod blank, weakness probably in guides or reel seat.... But you can live bait, dead bait, crankbait, spinnerbaits.... You can get by with it, but there are also a lot better choices for certain other tactics...
LMB KING Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 I have a few that i use for bass and saltwater. Great rods. I have one that is 20 years old. Bullet proof rods. Bend a $500 rod and bend this $50 ugly stik dollar rod and see which one breaks. 3
Super User Tywithay Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 I have a few that i use for bass and saltwater. Great rods. I have one that is 20 years old. Bullet proof rods. Bend a $500 rod and bend this $50 ugly stik dollar rod and see which one breaks. So if you mistreat an expensive rod it's more likely to break? That's good logic... 3
Super User Darren. Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 They work fine for starting rods, but IMO, better (if you stay with Ugly Stik) is the Ugly Stik Lite, or even the rods marketed for saltwater, the Ugly Stik Inshore Select rods. But for the same money, there are more sensitive rods out there, though not as durable (again, IMO). 1
crazyjoeclemens Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 So if you mistreat an expensive rod it's more likely to break? That's good logic... I think he was trying to say Ugly Stiks are built to be durable. Therefore, they'll take the kind of abuse you'd never subject a high end rod to. Unfortunately, the materials they use to make 'em bulletproof do not lend to sensitivity. Ugly Stiks are great live bait/catfishing rods, but they don't really allow you to feel the bait as it moves through the water or bounces off structure/cover. They also make it a little difficult to feel light or subtle hits on your bait. The new GX 2's are a lot better, in terms of sensitivity, than the originals - but they still leave a lot to be desired. I think the Berkeley Cherrywoods and Lightning Rods would make better budget bass rods. 1
TNBassin' Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 Ugly Stick, broom stick...same sensitivity. At least go with a Lightning Rod or a Berkley Cherrywood over the Stick.
timsford Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 I have an ugly stick spinning rod ive shut in car doors, droppes at least a hundred times on rocks and even fell om and broke 3 out of the 5 rods i was carrying bank fishing and i can still reel in a 25 pound flathead or 20 pound striper no problem with. If any rod is bulletproof its an ugly stick. Its definitely not the most sensitive rod but it works great for reaction baits and live bait. The only knock i have is that its hard for me to feel bites and set hooks if im using t rigs or jigs as it has a more moderate action like a cranking rod due to its fiberglass construction
Super User Tywithay Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 I think he was trying to say Ugly Stiks are built to be durable. Therefore, they'll take the kind of abuse you'd never subject a high end rod to. Unfortunately, the materials they use to make 'em bulletproof do not lend to sensitivity. Ugly Stiks are great live bait/catfishing rods, but they don't really allow you to feel the bait as it moves through the water or bounces off structure/cover. They also make it a little difficult to feel light or subtle hits on your bait. The new GX 2's are a lot better, in terms of sensitivity, than the originals - but they still leave a lot to be desired. I think the Berkeley Cherrywoods and Lightning Rods would make better budget bass rods.High end rods are every bit as durable, under normal conditions. If you're buying rods just to beat them up, an ugly stik may be the best route. If you buy a nice rod to fish with, it can last forever. 1
Super User FishTank Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 Never been a big fan of the Ugly Stick but a budy of mine (RIP DAVE) use to use them all the time. He loved them. He had the cash for a better rod but that was what he liked. He paired them with the old Green Curados. At that price point the BPS Tourney Special would be my pick or the old Pro Qualifier.
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted June 29, 2014 Global Moderator Posted June 29, 2014 The Ugly Stick Lite is a pretty decent rod really. I don't use them for bass but I have 2 MH spinning rods paired with small baitfeeders I use for channel cats and wipers, they're pretty bulletproof and you can feel pretty light bites the rare time either of those types of fish are biting lightly.
Super User SirSnookalot Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 On this site they will never be popular, they are not the best choice for bass fishing. Even though there are quite a few Florida bass fisherman on BR, Florida probably has more saltwater fisherman. Ugly Sticks may be the most used rod I see down here, with a Penn reel. I have a buddy that still uses his 30 year old ones, all with Penn 704's, without the bails, lol. They cast very far and have plenty of backbone for all species, the newer ones are not near as heavy as they used to be and I did a split grip one recently. I do believe there is a wide variety made these days, inshore, surf rods, offshore, etc. Not really a bad rod at all.
LMB KING Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 On this site they will never be popular, they are not the best choice for bass fishing. Even though there are quite a few Florida bass fisherman on BR, Florida probably has more saltwater fisherman. Ugly Sticks may be the most used rod I see down here, with a Penn reel. I have a buddy that still uses his 30 year old ones, all with Penn 704's, without the bails, lol. They cast very far and have plenty of backbone for all species, the newer ones are not near as heavy as they used to be and I did a split grip one recently. I do believe there is a wide variety made these days, inshore, surf rods, offshore, etc. Not really a bad rod at all. Correct!!! For $40 you get a bulletproof rod that will last you forever!!! You can't say that with any rod. The new GX2 is improved and added more graphite for more sensitivity. The new angler or budget fishermen will make a smart choice investing on a ugly stik GX2 rods. The inshore lite series rods that can be used for bass, has the most graphite than any other of their rods. Its has more graphite than fiberglass. Last but not least, these rods have warranty which is crazy because they don't break.
fisherrw Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 Ugly sticks are good for people who are beginning to learn how to fish.
Super User Montanaro Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 Marketing gimmick. Look, I can run it over and bend it but it won't break! Sounds just like an infomercial. None of that means jack when it comes to fishing. There are good rods in the entry market, just learn to take care of your own property and not smash tailgates on your rods.
Super User F14A-B Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 The rods are not a Gimmick, the rod and it's construction have been around for Decades.
LMB KING Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 True its not a gimmick, Ugly stik is proven for decades, like i said i have one for over 20 years and its still catching fish today. If that a gimmick, then i want gimmicks for all my gear LOL. (PROVEN AND GIMMICKS ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.) Gimmicks is what people say and talk about how good other rods are. Proven is the experience that we have with the product satisfaction and dependable.
Smallmouth Hunter Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 "PROVEN" is not even a thing LOL. Proven is an ADJECTIVE.. Adjectives can't be things.. Proven cant possibly be a thing. 1
LMB KING Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 "PROVEN" is not even a thing LOL. Proven is an ADJECTIVE.. Adjectives can't be things.. Proven cant possibly be a thing LMB ANGLER. LMB ANGLER? I guess you failed fifth grade. Any way, Stop hating or get something else to hate on.
Super User K_Mac Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 This is another one of those topics that never ends well. Fish have been caught for centuries using a cane pole. An Ugly Stik is much like a cane pole in my opinion-it's heavy and just about as able to transfer vibration. The Ugly Stik has the added advantage of being nearly indestructible, but that comes at a price in weight and performance that I am unwilling to pay. The OP asked if there was any love for the Ugly Stik here. I don't think there is much, but those who love them are passionate about it!
Super User Maxximus Redneckus Posted June 29, 2014 Super User Posted June 29, 2014 I love ugly stiks for what i use them for i love my 2 ounce pistol grips . They are tools nothing more nothing less.so yuup i love um i aint to proud to say it .
einscodek Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 ugly stiks are tough and durable but they are heavier.. for like $10 more you can get an im6 these days.. doubt youll go back to a heavier rod
crazyjoeclemens Posted June 29, 2014 Posted June 29, 2014 High end rods are every bit as durable, under normal conditions. If you're buying rods just to beat them up, an ugly stik may be the best route. If you buy a nice rod to fish with, it can last forever. Nobody buys rods with the intent to beat them up. Sometimes it just happens, depending on how you fish. Sometimes you gotta blaze a trail to get to a good spot. I'm not gonna bring a super nice bass rod with me, if I'm bushwhacking my way through timber or tall grass to get to some fish. There's also some places I've bank fished that have a steep dropoff, rather than a nice graded bank and I invariably end up lifting fish out of the water with my rod. When I think about my fishing rods, I think of them like golf clubs. Each of them has a fairly specific purpose and Ugly Stiks are what you want to use when you're playing though the rough. 1
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