Gotta ask yall about ugly stiks

[xjma99]

So, I've been fishing a long time but compared to most people on this board I'm still very very much an amateur fisherman......despite the fact that I'm relatively a professional compared with most of the people that I fish with!!

Anyways, it seems like people have some pretty fancy rods and reels. I've lurked and read about all these good ones, but never have I seen any pro type people even mentioning ugly stik type rods. I like to talk to people with more fishing skills than myself and try to take something from it. I guess I've never asked 'so yeah, you've got really expensive fishing gear and my stuff is cheap-o, how much does that matter?' My 'uneducated' assumption is that the amount that it actually matters is insignificant.

Does it really matter, or is it just like getting from point A to point B in a ford vs. a BMW???? Same end result, one just feels a little more comfortable.

I realize that I have a relatively very inexpensive rod, but to me it seems to be very sensitive, yet, I can throw it in the back of my jeep, throw a bunch of stuff on top of it, and not worry about it. I've got two ugly stiks, and two other rods that are hollow types, which are better than certain circumstances, but when I bring one rod I bring an ugly stik!! I definitely have way more money into tackle than I do into rod/reel. Probably way more tackle than I'll ever need, but just basic rods and reels.

If I was lucky enough to go fishing with one of you guys, would you make fun of my crappy(not crappie) equipment???

[daviscw]

I wouldn't. Although I have somewhat nicer rods and reels, I would never part with my UglyStick. I have the cheap $40 spinning combo, and you can't beat it for the money IMO.

[Jake P]

If you catch fish with it then you catch fish with it. We buy more expensive rods because they are made with higher grade materials which means more sensitivity, more power and more durability. Don't go buy a 300$ dollar rod because you see KVD fishing with. Go buy a rod that you feel comfortable with and a rod that helps you reach your ultimate goal of catching fish.

     

     Whats right for one person may not be right for the next. If someone laughs at you because of your fishing equipment dont pay them any attention, more than likely they are all about showing off how expensive of a rod they have, not catching fish.

[Micro]

A lot of people belittle the Ugly Stik - mainly because it isn't  a G Loomis.  It's somewhat heavy, unbalanced and whippy.  Nevertheless, some of the best fisherman I know, most much better than me, fish with Ugly Stiks.  

[Mike-in-WV]

When you see pros with all there fancy fishing goody's you have to keep in mind that it never cost them a cent in most cases. A guy who has 12-15 of the best rods and reels laying next to him on the boat is compliments of sponsors . That big fancy bass boat with all the ads on it are sponsors paying him for that service of showing the ads every time a camera is on him . Ever notice there cloths? Looks worse than a Nascar driver,Lol. There is no need for all those rods but because people see the pros with them they are "Want a be pros" they run out and spend there kids college tuition on rods and reels thinking they need a different one for every lure in there tackle box. When they pay $300.00 for a rod they are buying the name and not the quality in most cases.

Unless you plan on being a pro then stay with the proven and true Ugly stick or Cabela rods. They will catch and land any fish that the pros catch and land and do it a whole lot cheaper.

[Grey Wolf]

If that is your concept about tackle so be it. The BAIT MONKEY probably hates your guts though.

[Mike-in-WV]

;D

[riverfisher]

I have been fishing for years with Ugly Sticks!! Not that I cant afford bigger and better I just cant justify going out and buying 200 to 400 dollar setups. Within the past two years I started doing local tournament's bought myself a new Triton and all you'll see on my deck are ugly sticks and yes i have caught some flack for it, but its not the equipment that your using it is putting your self in a position to catch fish, sticking that lure in front of there face and landing them this is just my opion though. I have had this debate with guys I fish with and they have tried to make me crossover by loaning me there stuff but I never had a better success rate by using the more expencive stuff so Ill stick with the Ugly Stick catch the flack and still be in the money at the end of the day, well hopefully.

[hawgchaser]

Sensitivy is wwwwwwwaaaaayyyyy overstated IMO. There are weekend warriors that bank fish with gear better than the pros on here. Look at KVD, a lot of people on here talk about how bad his tackle is and say they wouldn't use it. He seems to manage just fine.

The high dollar rods offer you a lighter rod, usually the best warranty, and better action. These are the 3 reasons to buy them IMO. However, I have tried cheaper gear that really sucked. In fact most of it does. I discovered Extreme rod and reels and to me they are exactly what I need. I have a lakehouse and a bass boat, I take atleast 4 fishing trips per year, and fish some tournaments when I have time. Never have I been under equiped. I can feel the same fish with my rods that others feel with a loomis. The loomis certainly has some advantages but none that will land you more fish.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

Don't you find it interesting that no one who

fishes "better equipment" ever posts how much

they miss their old junk? Once you move up the

ladder, you will never go back.

Is there really that much difference?

The simple answer is a resounding, "YES".

Higher end gear makes fishing more fun, eliminates

many everyday hassels, results in detecting more

bites and landing more fish. What are you looking for,

more of the same or something to enhance your fishing

experience? The difference is night and day.

"Better equipment will not make a poor fisherman good,

but good equipment will make a good fisherman better."

8-)

[hawgchaser]

RW,

I agree with just about everything you said. But my point is that it isn't necessary to catch fish. To me the higher end stuff is a luxury and not a necessity. I choose to buy good proven mid priced gear. That allows me to buy more baits, the best tackle, and the best electronics.

I have 2 loomis rods, some all stars, falcons, and a few curados(older green ones) and actually 5 citicas(older) they were topnotch when I bought them. They are all nice but an insignificant part of catching fish.

However, I completely understand why some people buy only the best. Its fun and that's what fishing is all about.

Please excuse any errors I am on my iPhone :

[tyrius.]

I just got back into fishing last year and had an Ugly Stick baitcasting rod and a spinning rod.  Early in the year I replaced the baitcast Ugly Stick with a BPS Crankin Stick and even though the price isn't much different the rod is MUCH better than the Ugly Stick.  When fishing crankbaits with the Crankin Stick I can feel the lure wobbling.  If the lure picks up weeds I can tell because it doesn't feel the same.  Fishing with my ugly stick rod I couldn't feel those subtle differences.  This is a BIG difference in performance for little difference in price (you can find a crankin stick for $40 at BPS when they are on sale).

When worm fishing I with the Ugly Sticks I find it much more difficule to get an effective hook set.  The Ugly Stick is too "whippy" to stick the hook in all situations.  Sure I caught tons of fish with the Ugly Stick, but I KNOW that I missed some fish that I would've caught had I been fishing a technique specific worm rod.  Now I use a BPS extreme rod and the difference is incredible.  First you can feel what the lure is doing, particularly jigs.  With an Ugly Stick it's difficult to tell the difference between strikes and structure.  With my Extreme I can tell the difference.  Again, this is a BIG difference in performance for a relatively small increase in price (you can find the Extremes for $70 on sale at BPS).

I still have my Ugly Stick spinning rod and that's the last rod that I touch because the feel is just not there.  I'll only fish crankbaits smaller than 3/8 oz on it.  Anyways, that just my experience in using the Ugly Stick and moving up to the next class of rods.  That experience tells me that the small increase in cost is warranted.  I've never fished anything in the gLoomis/Croix/etc class.

My setups are now Extreme/Citica worm combo that I got for $160 before the $30 rebate.  Crankin Stick/Citica crankbait combo that I got for $100 ($90 for the citica reel before the $30 rebate and $40 for the rod).  Extreme/Symetre spinning worm combo that I got for $130 ($60 for the rod and $70 for the reel).  And an Ugly Stick/Supreme spinning crankbait combo.  I will be replacing the Ugly Stick with something else in the next month or two.  The rest of my combos are adequate for my needs and were purchased to get the most performance for the least possible cost.

[Dan:]

The difference between and ugly stik and say, a Loomis is that you will detect more bites with the loomis. It's an added advantage to catch fish, it DOES help you catch more fish, but the question is how many, and at what price? If you can answer those questions, you can determine if you can justify the purchase. It is not a necessity, it is a advantage.

[Davis]

Hmm...

Don't you find it interesting that no one who

fishes "better equipment" ever posts how much

they miss their old junk? Once you move up the

ladder, you will never go back.

Is there really that much difference?

The simple answer is a resounding, "YES".

Higher end gear makes fishing more fun, eliminates

many everyday hassels, results in detecting more

bites and landing more fish. What are you looking for,

more of the same or something to enhance your fishing

experience? The difference is night and day.

"Better equipment will not make a poor fisherman good,

but good equipment will make a good fisherman better."

8-)

Amen to that. I went fishing with one of my buddies last Saturday for smallies. I was fishing with my ST Croix Avid and he was fishing with a Mitchel Rod that I gave him a couple weeks back. Haven't fished that Mitchel for over a year since buying my Avid. Anyway, I asked him if he wanted to fish with my Avid and switchup. He did and he was floored at how great it felt. I was also floored lol when I started fishing with that Mitchel after fishing my Avid for about 8 months. The Mitchel felt very heavy and whippy. BIG DIFFERENCE.

I was lucky enough to get my Avid for a birthday present and didn't have to pay for it really. Like RW said.....if you move up than prepared to put your other rods away that are lower end. They just don't feel right at all once you cross over to the dark side. Everything feels better with a good quality rod. ;D  Even after you hook a fish...it just "feels" different. Hard to explain I guess. Word to the wise though....higher end stuff is addicting. Be prepared to find yourself selling stuff around the house to help with this craze.  :

[SimonSays]

I used to own two ugly sticks...my rod history has gone like this...

2x ugly sticks

2x st croix premier

Sold premiers due to space issues and...

purchased 2x BPS extreme travel rods before the had action ratings.

purchased 2x St croix Avid during Reeds sale

Upgrade one avid to st croix Legend Elite

The first thing I noticed with the upgrade from ugly's to the premiers was the sensitivity and stiffness of the rods (fast action).  My ugly's were extremely flimsy and I always had a hard time setting the hook deep enough, not an issue with my premiers.  Sensitivity was also an issue, i remember trying a C-rig with the uglys and had no clue what I was feeling, on the other hand you can tell the different feel of the taps when you hit rock vs the bottom, vs a fish.  

My downgrade from the premiers to the BPS extreme rods was another surprise, the feeling in the extremes were "muted". I could feel the same structure or bottom but the distinctions were more blurred.  However I did learn to love these rods and for the price I'd fish with them again.  

The upgrade to the avids was like a breath of fresh air or putting glasses on for the first time.  Once again I could distinctly feel the different structure or substrate I was on.  It was great until I broke it =(

The upgrade to the Legend elite to me hasn't been a huge step from the avids it's a great rod, very sleek and easy to handle, and just as sensitive but not by much (imho).  

The only rods I would spend less money on would be my cranking rods.  My friend andrew recently lent me a low-mid range quantum crank rod which seems to work just as well as my Avid crank at a fraction of the cost.  

[wareagle83]

I agree RoadWarrior.  I think that most people once they get into the high end equipment will never go back.  With that being said though, I also think it depends on how serious fishing is to you.  A once in awhile hobby,  a once a week type thing, an all weekend every weekend,  or a fish whenever humanly possible and think about fishing whenever not actually fishing, LOL!  Someone who will never dive into this sport that deep will probably never be able to justify a Loomis Rod and a Revo Premier.  But others I think slowly get more and more interested over the years and eventually do.  It also is nice when over those said years that it takes you to fully appreciate the finer things, you aquire one hell of a job to pay for them!!!!    ;D

[Masshole Mike]

i have a friend that just can not understand spending over $30 on a combo for fishing. he has an ugly stik combo he got at walmart that he uses for everything. on the other side, i've got 5 fenwick rods, ranging in price from $60-$200, and 5 reels (a president, a supreme, a revo s, a revo sx, and a shimano sahara) ranging in price from $40-$160. now, i fish a LOT more than my friend does, between 3 and 5 times a week, but even still he can't see how i can spend so much money on rods. i try to explain to him the various reasons but he just doesn't want to listen.

the other day i brought another friend fishing with me, a friend that hasn't bass fished since he was about 10. he just bought a $30 shakespeare combo at walmart and spooled it with 8lb yo-zuri hybrid. he kept complaining that he was getting twists in his line, and that the line sucks and this and that. i told him it most likely wasn't the line, but the reel causing the line twist. i handed him my eagle gt/pflueger president combo and told him to fish that for a little while. he took one cast and started dragging the trick stick across the bottom, and immediately said "wow..... i can't believe how much more you can feel with this rod!". "EXACTLY!" i said. then i handed him my hmg av/supreme combo and had him throw the same trick stick. "man, you can feel even more with this one. like, every weed and rock and stick the worm touches, you can feel it through the rod."

that right there said to me that my other friend just doesn't care to listen, because after one cast with a decent rod and reel i had a newbie detecting subtleties along the bottom of a lake he'd never fished before. that's what i feel is the difference between a cheap setup and a decent setup.

if you're like my one friend and an ugly stik will do it for you, then by all means, fish an ugly stik. i'll stick with my fenwicks though.  8-)

[btcprince]

ugly sticks are heavy, but i have one i use sometimes. its ok, but to me its all preference, and what you are willing to invest in your hobby.

my son plays baseball and is an outstanding player, excellent fielder and has had his share of homerun hits. he has a $50 bat that he likes, other team mates have $200 bats that have never gotten the ball past the baselines. the talent lies with the user, not always the equipment.

dont get something because its big bucks, get it because you like something about it, and if it costs some cash, thats the nature of the beast

[Davis]

ugly sticks are heavy, but i have one i use sometimes. its ok, but to me its all preference, and what you are willing to invest in your hobby.

my son plays baseball and is an outstanding player, excellent fielder and has had his share of homerun hits. he has a $50 bat that he likes, other team mates have $200 bats that have never gotten the ball past the baselines. the talent lies with the user, not always the equipment.

dont get something because its big bucks, get it because you like something about it, and if it costs some cash, thats the nature of the beast

Exactly....Denea spanked me the other day  :-? , he was using a shakespear rod and I was using my St. Croix. Although it could have been me not being able to concentrate with my boy climbing the shale left and right. Will go with that for an excuse.....  :  ;D

[flechero]

The first thing I noticed with the upgrade from ugly's to the premiers was the sensitivity and stiffness of the rods (fast action).  My ugly's were extremely flimsy and I always had a hard time setting the hook deep enough, not an issue with my premiers.  Sensitivity was also an issue, i remember trying a C-rig with the uglys and had no clue what I was feeling, on the other hand you can tell the different feel of the taps when you hit rock vs the bottom, vs a fish.  

My downgrade from the premiers to the BPS extreme rods was another surprise, the feeling in the extremes were "muted". I could feel the same structure or bottom but the distinctions were more blurred.  However I did learn to love these rods and for the price I'd fish with them again.  

The upgrade to the avids was like a breath of fresh air or putting glasses on for the first time.  Once again I could distinctly feel the different structure or substrate I was on.  It was great until I broke it =(

The upgrade to the Legend elite to me hasn't been a huge step from the avids it's a great rod, very sleek and easy to handle, and just as sensitive but not by much (imho).

Well said, honest and accurate.

[tyrius.]

but to me its all preference,

It is NOT "all preference".  There is a marked difference in performance even between an Ugly Stick and an Extreme.  The purchaser simply has to make the decision as to whether or not that performance difference is worth the cost difference.

[btcprince]

but to me its all preference, and what you are willing to invest in your hobby.

 

dont get something because its big bucks, get it because you like something about it, and if it costs some cash, thats the nature of the beast

[=Matt 5.0=]

Ever tried to fish a jig on an Ugly Stick?

:

[Red]

i started out about a year ago with berkley cherrywood rods and cardinal 100 series reels(spinning) and round abu(casting).  as far as the reels go i would use either one still.  but the rods is a different story.  i own two rods now.  one is a custom on a shikari blank that ronnie built for me, the other is on an allstar blank that i built with keiths help.  they are both way more sensitive and much more enjoyable to fish with.  has it helped me catch more fish? absolutely not, actually if i look back over the past year or so, i have NOT had as good of numbers this year as last.

Cliff

[bass wrangler569]

but to me its all preference,

It is NOT "all preference". There is a marked difference in performance even between an Ugly Stick and an Extreme. The purchaser simply has to make the decision as to whether or not that performance difference is worth the cost difference.

EXACTLY! People need to realize that higher priced equals higher level performance which usually equals more fish. The question is, like you said, whether or not the jump in performance is worth the jump in price. Its fine if you can't rationalize spending $200 on a rod, but don't think for one minute that that $200 rod won't be exponentially better than a $30 rod. Thats not an opnion thats a fact.