What is really wrong with Ugly Sticks?

[TSCTSC]

I know there are some posts which alluded to the fact that some people absolutely, terribly, do not like Ugly Stick. What is wrong with them and what is it about getting a St Croix that is so great? Any enlightenment would be appreciated. Thanks

[brian6715]

I absolutly love my ugly stick... great rod for many situations... sure it may not be as sensitive as the st croix, but hey its 1/4 the price, so I cant complain... Not to mention they are practically unbreakable, and if you do break one, send it in and you will get a new one pronto...

[lunker651]

I love my ugly stick. I got my son one and he loves his. They are great rods for a cheap price. They are very rugged, mine has taken alot of beating and hasn't break yet. If it was my Shimamos and Fenwicks rod that took the beaten that my ugly stick has taken, I would of went through alot of rods already, but again shimano's got lifetime warranty on their rods and fenwicks got 2 year warranty and lifetime on some. My buddy uses ugly stick and sometime out fishes me.

I think there is absolutly nothing wrong with ugly stick. It's just your preference and what you like.

[croixeyes]

Its all personal preference as far as rods go.I know guys who use ugly sticks for trolling leadcore and cat fishing.Its hard to beat fiberglass for those applications.St Croixs are mostly graphite rods and are more sensitive than glass,though St Croix does carry a glass rod in their lineup.Ugly sticks have been around a long time so I guess someone likes them...

[gunflint]

I think it all depends on what you're doing with them. You must be referring to the post about guide rules. The reason that I don't care for them in my boat is that about 75% of the time I'm out I'm either rigging or jigging for walleyes. Clients are spending alot of money to both catch and learn to catch walleyes. For many applications Ugly Sticks are fine, as are many other rods. However, when presenting live bait to finicky walleyes, sensitivity is essential. I want to give my clients every edge possible.

For the record. I don't know much about St Croix rods. For all I know they might just be expensive Ugly Sticks. I like GLOOMIS

[TSCTSC]

Well, I am actually an ugly stick user. I do not like graphite as they tend to be more brittle and break. I have found ugly sticks to be more durable. As to feel and sensitivity, I do not know if any other rods are going to give me more of that. If I wanted to, I would get ugly stick lite. I just wanted to know since I do fish quite a bit, if I am missing something very important here by not using other rods.

[croixeyes]

Tsctsc..........If you like your equipment then thats good enough.If your friends use something different,ask if you can try it out to see if there is a difference.You dont need to spend hundreds of dollars on a rod to be successful in fishing.Rod, reel, hook,line and sinker Go Getem!!!!!!!!!oh yea bait to

[Slyster]

I have 5 setups for summer fishing.. all on Ugly Sticks! They are the great! (And I certainly could not afford five $100+ rods)

[traveler]

TSC, without a doubt, you're missing something. Like gunflint said, it all depends on your fishng. Any good graphite rod, be it Loomis, St Croix or whatever, is going to be much more sensitive than glass, period. Also more expensive, more brittle, and the tips atract car doors:) If you don't do the types of fishing that benifit from increased sensitivity, then by all means stick with Ugly sticks, they are a very good value and have a loyal following, as shown here by the vocal support from thier users. But do some live bait rigging for eyes and theres no question a lighter, more sensiive rod is going to put more fish in your boat.

[Gus]

I don't think there is anything wrong with an ugly stick. There are just better tools out there. (there is always a better tool for anything, it's an endless loop) Ugly sticks compromise sensitivity and precision with toughness and price. I have an ugly stick. I use it every year, but I use it for shore fishing off the rocks in Ely. It takes a beating and is sensitive enough and the action is slow enough to make it a good live bait bobber fishing rod. That isn't to say you can't use it for any and all types of fishing. But there are better tools for other styles of fishing. Since I've started buying better quality rods my "in tuneness" to what is going on below the water has increased dramatically. I can feel bites that I never would have with my good ole ugly stick. Haveing a rod matched to a technique can only bring out the best of the technique and the fisherman.

[JohnMickish]

I have used fiberglass rods for 20 years, then a few years ago my wonderful wife gave me a cheap (?) entry level G Lommis rod. I'll tell you what that rod gave me. I can now FEEL the fireline go thru the guides. I FEEL the fish before the rod moves. I can now FEEL exactly when the blade on my spinner get fouled with weeds. I can now FEEL exactly when the crankbait trebles get foulded with weeds. I spend more time fishing with baits that will catch fish, which equals more fish. The only fiberglass rod I now own is an old 7' St Croix Salmon trolling rod I use for Muskie.

I feel that a quality rod/reel combo is worth it's weight in gold, or fish for that matter. You just have to decide if it's worth it to you. If your happy with what you have and you catch fish then stick with what works.

[Northlander]

Im a jig fisherman 1st and foremost. Jigging is all about feel and sensitivity. A quality rod is needed to get that feel and fiberglass doesnt give you that feel. The ugly stick has a great trolling rod and a great catfish rod. For my $ though the best jigging rod I have used is a sensive rod I had made by Midwest Rod and Reel. The blank is exposed and rests on your hand with no cork to absorb the feel. Its amazing what I feel with this rod.

When your rods not in your hand and feel isnt a issue a ugly stick/fibergalss should be ok for some but if you have never used a higher end rod you owe it to yourself to try one and see/feel the difference.

[walleye_guy18]

the way I see it, if I am going through all of the work to find fish that are biting, I might as well be able to feel them bite....thats why I use a St. Croix instead of an ugly stick

[Dave B]

Dont forget one thing, a sensative rod makes reeling in a fish more fun too.

[metrojoe]

I've never owned one, but I'd imagine it would be a great rod for kids.

[gspman]

The beauty of an Ugly Stick is that if the fishing is lousy you can whup someone silly with one. Can't believe nobody brought that up yet.

[metrojoe]

LOL..I almost choked on my pretzel when I read that.

[Guest]

Ugly's are pretty good trolling rods. They have a soft tip, almost a little too soft. Trolling cranks they work fine.

When it comes to light biting walleyes you can't beat a higher end graphite rod.

Once you use a St croix or Loomis you'll understand.

It all depends haw you fish and how much your willing to spend.

[katoguy]

Think of a rod that bends in half without breaking as a piece of rubber. It WILL also absorb the tell-tale taps of walleyes, rocks (and other structure), etc... They are an entry level rod and priced accordingly. I would use them only as an ultralite for panfish.

[caseymcq]

Quote:

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The beauty of an Ugly Stick is that if the fishing is lousy you can whup someone silly with one.

Can't believe nobody brought that up yet.

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I don't care who you are, now that's funny right there.

[OnTheWater]

If you can catch'em, that’s great. But if you are interested in elevating your fishing experience, you should definitely make a step towards a quality graphite rod. If $$$ is a concern, don't worry, you can still get a quality rod for a comparable price. Any of the three major sporting good retailers have their own line of rods. In some cases, I would even argue that some of these rods are just as good, if not better, than some bottom line Croix's or GL's. You can start with an IM6 or IM7 for around $20-40, depending on the current sales and rod specs. These are much lighter, more sensitive, and allow for more precise casts. Now, an IM6 is never going to give you the same feel as a Loomis; but it is a good start.

[Fish On! Guide Service]

Ugly Stick = Creative marketing and advertising to sell what I consider a lackluster product. I've owned several and caught many many fish using them so I can't bash them too hard. Then I found Loomis and St.Croix. An entry level St.Croix Premier may cost 3 fold that of an Ugly Stick, but they're worth every cent. If you're going to spend the $30 on an Ugly Stick, you may as well get your money worth and consider a Lightning Rod. IMO, a Lightning Rod is easily twice the value of an Ugly Stick.

[gspman]

All kidding aside there are certainly much better alternatives at that price point. When you can see the rod tip jump when a fish bites but you can't feel it, that's a problem. There are plenty of "budget" rods out there that are much more sensitive than the Ugly Stick. Berkley was mentioned above and that's an option.

[Fishin Beast]

I think uglys are the way to go with kids. Any other rod is going to break sometime.

I purchased a st. croix ice fishing rod this year, and before the thing could last a few trips it broke at the tip. All I was trying to do was get the ice off the guides and lightly at that. If any of the stores had carried the ugly stick ice fishing rods I would have gone with them.

Summer fishing I wouldn't use Ugly's unless kids are with. There is a difference in jig fishing in the summer.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've seen Ugly Ice Sticks. Fleet Farm I think carries them.