Ugly Stik?

[JonU]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[mase088]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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]

This might help:

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

8-)

[basser89]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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]

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.]

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]

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

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]

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]

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-)