Shakespeare Ugly Stik?

I am looking to purchase my first two crappie rods.

I have always been a fan of the Ugly Stik, as the ones I own (for other species) have out lasted everything else I have used, but I don't know if they are the best tool for this job.
Anybody have experience with the Ugly Stik Ultralights? or something in the same $ range?

The two that I am looking at are:
7' UL (2 piece) "ugly stik lite" spinning model# SP11702UL for slip bobber & live minnows.

5' UL (1 piece) "ugly stik lite" spinning model# SP11502UL for dock shooting/misc plastics.

I am looking for a brand/rod to stick with and build upon........Thanks!

i have three Ugly Sticks. No complaints here. Not a bad rod to have. Two 5' ugly Stick lite spinning setups i use mostly in stock tanks and one 7' i use with ABU Garcia catfish setup. My current crappie rods are 7' Okuma and 12' 2 piece BnM jig pole. Would like to get another Okuma.

-danny

The 5 and 7 foot U/S will work fine for casting but if you want to drop a jig or minnow down in brush and be able to feel it when he just let the jig or min float into his mouth. You will need an 8 to 10 foot BnM. This time of year a crappie can have the hook in his mouth and you will not even know it till you feel him spit it back out. That is way you need a good pole made just for crappie fishing.

No boat so I am just fishing boat slips & bridge pilings that I can cast to. I am looking at getting a good setup but don't want to dump alot of $ untill I figure out what works. So far I figured the 5' UL ugly stick + a pflueger president #6920 reel + 4lb mono + Bobby Garland slab slay-r. Ain't figured out what size jig head/ jig body color to use yet for my merky water though. On the 7' I was looking at the same setup, just with Mr. Crappie slip bobbers, split shots & a light size hook for live minnows. That being said, I did look at the b&M's today & I am not ready for the HUGE rod lengths yet...anybody use the cherrywoods from Walmart? (Just caught a 30 second glimpse of one today on the rack & it looked nice.)

I have the Ugly stick ProLite 2 piece 7ft and also the same rod in 6'6" length. I have Shimano reels on both and they work really well, if something happens to them they get replaced. I didn't like the feel of the 5 footer, plus it's only 1 piece not 2.

All I use for fishing is Ugly Stiks , I have them in lengths from 4'10" up to 7" for various types of fishing. They are the only rods that I have never accidentally broken, I've had a couple of them for well over 10 years.

If it were me, I'd use the 7 footer to shoot docks.
also,
A friend of mine bought a bunch of ugly sticks, the GX2 models. Looks nice, he says they do a fine job.

Ugly stick is a good inexpensive rod.

The short ultra lights are great......I have some longer ones I use as loaner rods.

I too own FIVE ugly stick rods from 5' to 7'. You can't beat the action of the tip and it's durability and strength. The UL really lets you feel the "thump" where the longer rods get you into harder to reach spots to vertical jig.

I use several different rods by shakespear, the 5'r with a small reel like the smaller crappie max reel from BPS would make a good dock shooting rod, or pillar shooting rod for when you can't cast to the bridge pillar. Learn how to shoot docks and you can save some steps around the docks, and not scare the fish off either by not walking around as much. Can cover more docks and slips quicker and quieter.

I had a 30 year old 5'6" lite that I loved. I was showing someone how limber it was and it snapped in half. Fiberglass must have gotten brittle. I got my moneys worth out of that rod.

I replaced it with a new one of the same model.

Buddy had the little ultralight and it was too lite with no backbone at all.

I called Shakespeare and they are fazing out the old Ugly Stik for the new GX model. The good news was that the old style were 30% off, bad news waas that the selection was very limited, I did manage 4 rods though. They are going to the GX model because it has the stainless guides instead of the aluminum oxide ceramic inserts which tended to pop out. I was told that this is the only difference.

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Originally Posted by OpiemusRex

I called Shakespeare and they are fazing out the old Ugly Stik for the new GX model.

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Interesting.

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-...s-out-at-icast

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Originally Posted by billferd48

I am looking to purchase my first two crappie rods.

I have always been a fan of the Ugly Stik, as the ones I own (for other species) have out lasted everything else I have used, but I don't know if they are the best tool for this job.
Anybody have experience with the Ugly Stik Ultralights? or something in the same $ range?

The two that I am looking at are:
7' UL (2 piece) "ugly stik lite" spinning model# SP11702UL for slip bobber & live minnows.

5' UL (1 piece) "ugly stik lite" spinning model# SP11502UL for dock shooting/misc plastics.

I am looking for a brand/rod to stick with and build upon........Thanks!

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Welcome from Alabama. I have had two seven foot Ugly Sticks (Lite) in my life. They are great for all sorts of panfish. I have used those same rods for over 11 years without a bit of trouble. I match them with a Shakespear open face reel and go catch me some dinner.

I am looking for people who fish lake norman north carolina
new to crappie and new to lake norman

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Originally Posted by driver24

I am looking for people who fish lake norman north carolina
new to crappie and new to lake norman

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head over to the north carolina forum....they'll help ya out

I too have a couple of Ugly Stiks and like them.

Cabelas sells Whuppin' Sticks that look very similar to the Ugly Stiks and I wonder if they aren't made at the same factory.
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/searc...h-All+Products

I have had a 9' crappie rod for a couple of years and really like it. Last year I bought a 7' medium action spinning rod (2 piece) to take on business trips. It has a very light tip that is very good for casting crappie jigs. I used it in south Florida canals to catch small peacock bass on the small jigs. I also caught a 30" tarpon on topwater.

Those rods are a little cheaper than Ugly Stiks too. I got the 7' on sale for $15.

Great choice ugly sticks 7' med and 6'-6" med lite!!! Shimano reels 1000!! Great rods!! Lot of rod companys coming out with med-lite for crappie/panfish!!

I am very happy with the light action of the regular US (not the lite one)

5'6" and 6'6" are both excellent.

Your on the right track for where you fish. I like all my Ugly Stiks and fish all kinds of waters. One of each is a very good start.

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Originally Posted by RetiredRR

Your on the right track for where you fish. I like all my Ugly Stiks and fish all kinds of waters. One of each is a very good start.

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If I had an Ugly Stick for all the waters I have fished over these 68 years, I could go into business and sell them all in a day and retire again. LOL As I said before, they are the best ugly things I have ever fished with. I love them and I love my B-n-M rods. No other rods will do for me. When I find a good thing I tend to stick with it.

New to crappie fishing. So what I'm hearing is that I need a particular rod to go crappie fishing? A regular rod is not as good as a crappie rod?

I have two 8 footers I long line with sometimes. Have had them for twenty years

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Originally Posted by Surf Walker

So what I'm hearing is that I need a particular rod to go crappie fishing? A regular rod is not as good as a crappie rod?

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You can catch crappie on anything you want, from a $5 cane pole to a $700 fly rod. Certain rods are made for certain methods, however. If you want to troll, trolling rods are best.

I was at bass pro yesterday and they had 9 ft ugly sticks that looked like would be a great crappie rod.

I have all 5' 6" ugly stick two piece medium action rods that work great for jigging and bobber. I have a total of 8 ugly sticks! Any length and action YOU are most comfortable with is always best. The fish don't know what kind of rod you use...