Worst rod ever!

[Ric Elwin]

I got through the door today following a debilitating night session on a top secret water to find a Fed ex card through the door, my new rod was with my next door neighbour!

I've recently bought a 10-30 gram casting weight travel spinning rod to take with me to Poland. I thought I'd add a lighter one, for Perch (if there are any left there

Anyway you know how you do, rip open the parcel with child-like excitement. My first thought was about the packaging. A flimsy plastic tube for a 'travel' rod? not to worry I thought, I have plenty of sturdy tubes already.

Then I looked at the rod. The handle was shorter than it should have been, by around 2 inches. Those 2 inches were taken up by a garish looking cross whipping. I put the thing together. The first thing that struck me was its weight. At 6 foot 6 and apparently 5-15 gram casting weight it was significantly heavier than my 7 foot 10-30. it was also stiffer than the 10-30. The action is all through, totally unsuitable for a spinning rod. The blank was as thick as any carp rod I've seen. I'd say the ideal casting weight for this heap of junk is 20 grams and not more than 1 or 2 grams either side. Not just heavy, it was very top heavy in the hand. I'm pretty sure, because of its limp action, that the rod was made from fibreglass.

The rod is a Shakespeare Ugly Stilk travel spin. I know Shakespeare aren't top end but I've used them before, they have always been honest products at fair prices.

I now need to contact the retailer to see if they'll take it back.

How can a reputable company sell such an utterley useless piece of junk??

 

[mol]

Aren't they supposed to be American catfish rods? I believe that glass is highly rated, more so than carbon, for catching catfish from a boat due to the action/rugged nature of the blank. Maybe one of the yanks that use this site can answer?

As the phrase goes, one man's meat is another man's poison

Oh, lure rods always seem to have problems with ratings, savage gear butch light was rated to 60g and would handle 100g+. I've got a dave lumb lure rod rated to 3oz and that'll cast 5oz with ease

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

All Ugly Stiks have a fibre glass component. Some are good, some not so.

I would have gone for a Yankee import off Ebay, a half decent Daiwa for example. This one for example looks good and the trader is A1+++ class. However, this Samurai also looks the business and I have an earlier model of this. Or a Procaster. However, final choice would be the Triforce, same as mine.

Sorry you're disappointed Ric. Have a nice time in Poland, which part?

 

[watatoad]

Easy even got it on my website where I sell nothing but stick tackle tests and comments up when I remember.

XL TECHNIQUE PELLET TWIN TIP 11’ 3.3m best thing you can do with this rod ignore its existence.

EDIT:
Oops! forgetful me...hehehe

http://www.watatoad.com

END EDIT:

 

[dezza]

The Shakespeare Ugly Stik range of freshwater and saltwater rods are extremely popular in Australia. They are carbon, glass fibre composites and are extremely tough.

I had a couple of the Ugly Stik baitcasting rods in SA which I used for bass fishing. You really couldn't go wrong for the price and you couldn't break them either.

 

[Ric Elwin]

All Ugly Stiks have a fibre glass component. Some are good, some not so.

I would have gone for a Yankee import off Ebay, a half decent Daiwa for example. This one for example looks good and the trader is A1+++ class. However, this Samurai also looks the business and I have an earlier model of this. Or a Procaster. However, final choice would be the Triforce, same as mine.

Sorry you're disappointed Ric. Have a nice time in Poland, which part?

Cheers Jeff the problem I have is that it needs to be a 4 piece, (or minimum 3) so I can transport it. The Ugly Stik is the only one I could find. I have a 6ft Shimano Catana here rated 3-15 which is excellent but being just 2 pieces, I can't take it with me.

I'm staying in a town south of Lodz. There's a huge reservoir nearby, looks about 8 miles long, would take a concerted fishing effort to empty that place!

 

[Bluenose]

Ric I have a shimano exage if you're stuck, it's 7 and 9 ft, 7pce.

 

[Ric Elwin]

The Shakespeare Ugly Stik range of freshwater and saltwater rods are extremely popular in Australia. They are carbon, glass fibre composites and are extremely tough.

I had a couple of the Ugly Stik baitcasting rods in SA which I used for bass fishing. You really couldn't go wrong for the price and you couldn't break them either.

I don't doubt what you say Ron. But in this country a rod described as being for spinning, with a stated casting weight that borders on ultralight, needs to have a certain action. That action being snappy, tippy to progressive. You can't punch out 1/8 oz jigs into the wind with a through action rod. It should also feel light in the hand and be well balanced. The Ugly Stik has none of these qualities.

---------- Post added at 12:33 ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 ----------

Ric I have a shimano exage if you're stuck, it's 7 and 9 ft, 7pce.

Cheers Eddie, very kind of you. I assume that a 7/9 foot rod might be medium action? I'm looking for something to cast tiny jigs, and enjoy catching even small fish.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

There's a Sonik on ebay in 4 pieces, casts to 20grams, but it comes with a reel which you probably don't want.

Or this Abu Diplomat looks promising .

Not much else of what you're looking for, but here's a suggestion - why not buy a chap crappy one over there, normal length etc. and when it's time to come home, just sling in their woods like they sling their rubbish in ours!

 

[Bluenose]

15-40g I think though so at a push it might do for tiny jigs!

 

[Ric Elwin]

Eddie I already have a 10-30g jobbie from Cortland, which is excellent. I think I'll just go with this for now and maybe take up Jeff's idea, without the littering when I come home! Thanks again.

By the way Jeff after about 2 hours of trawling google, translating etc I've found out that the nearby reservoir is actually 10 miles long, and produced the Polish record zander. Zander on lures hmmmm...

 

[Morespiders]

B l o o d y Hell Elwin, what with roadworks speedbumps, and speed limits, 30mph wind in your face, the slippy mud pushing the barrow arnt you fed up with moaning today

 

[Ric Elwin]

No. The salted peanuts I'm eating aren't salty enough.

 

[Morespiders]

Cant really give you advice mate, there is a way though

 

[uscarper]

shakespeare ugly stiks are basically the american utility rod. very popular here. alright for some things. there are many , many different models. some for bass, some for catfish, trolling rods, panfish rods, salmon rods, downrigging rods. the last ones i find are good carp rods, although heavy in weight. advertised as virtually unbreakable [ any rod can be broken]. made of fiberglass. 1980's technology. cheaply priced here. friend has a 12 ft heavy action surf rod coupled with a ambassaduer 7000c3. will cast a mile if you can heft this heavyweight. about as responsive as a oak tree. uses it at our catfish dayticket lakes. yes some of the lureweight ratings are not very correct on our rods here, neither are action types. much like tc ratings. there ultralight rods are like licorice whips. there is a ugly stik tiger rod, these are used in catfishing from boats here, alot of backbone with a light tip. used with circle hooks. i have a 7ft ugly stik catfish rod. its ok use it for river catfishing. cheap and tough. caught a 27lb bluecat on it no problems. are there better rods? yes!!!!!!

 

[uscarper]

There's a Sonik on ebay in 4 pieces, casts to 20grams, but it comes with a reel which you probably don't want.

Or this Abu Diplomat looks promising .

Not much else of what you're looking for, but here's a suggestion - why not buy a chap crappy one over there, normal length etc. and when it's time to come home, just sling in their woods like they sling their rubbish in ours!

this is what i did when i went to Bulgaria 2 yrs ago, went to a flea mkt. alot of tackle dealers alot of rods from pure junk to really good quality stuff. prices were fair to. bought a cheap 11ft telescopic rod and reel for 14levs about 11 american dollars. cheap? yes. cheap quality? yes. did it work? didnt catch there, but here at home it took probably 30carp up to 15lbs before i broke it. casted great, great action, i kind of miss it really, wish i had 3 like it just tougher and better quality.reel was even ok, really great drag, i like rear drags and this one was superb. unfortunately i dropped it on some rip-rap and broke the reel caseing.my advice, take jeffs advice and just buy one there. you might be surprised.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

hi mate,
take a look at the range of shimano exage rods in both take down and telescopic (yes, telescopic!) on billy clarkes website...Iv'e got a couple and they are the dogs wotsits!!

superb price too!!

mark

 

[Paul Morley]

So how was the session Ric and Derek??

 

[Ric Elwin]

Nothing special Paul. just small stuff. Derek had a 6lb tench on Tuesday. How was your breaming session?