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Ugly Stik BWC 1100 12ft ???
#1
Ugly Stick is something that I do not understand.

For lovers of Ugly Stick...What feature do you enjoy? What size of fish you do target? What other rods have you used?

In Japan Ugly Stick is expensive because it is American companies product. After read so many people in this message boards love it, they say over and over "UGLY STIK!!!", I ordered one from mainland Japan mail order company to see why do many love this rod.

I am very Sad to review this rod the worst rod I have used. It feels to me like fishing blind. This rod gives me no feeling of bite or structure or type of hit or lure drag or motion. It is very very soft with a very slow and soft taper design this makes not cast long distance well, this is also the most heavy rod I have ever used. I can cast longer with 7ft Daiwa Techmaster rod. I feel this was a terrible purchase for me.

I have curiosity if other people do not like this rod.
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#2
[cool]As with most rods, reels, lures, lines and other elements of our fishing systems, the Ugly Sticks are both loved and hated. My observation is that they are favored more by those who do not have the fishing background and experience to appreciate the lightness, strength and sensitivity of a quality graphite rod. Instead, they want a rod that feels strong, and won't break easily when they abuse it on snags or big fish. That is the whole sales "pitch" for Ugly Sticks. They don't break easily.

Most serious fishermen I know share your feelings that the Ugly Stick is too heavy and has no sensitivity. Since it is a "composite" rod, with a lot of glass in the blank, it definitely is heavier than graphite. It is also far less sensitive to the lightest "ticks" of finicky fish. Like yourself, I prefer to be able to feel the action of a lure while I am retrieving it, and to be able to tell when something has interrupted that action...like a fish.

I have owned 2 Ugly Sticks. The first one I won, in a fishing contest. It was a 6 1/2 foot medium heavy action spinning rod. I fished with it only once, before putting it in my "spare rods" corner and eventually giving it to one of my sons. The other Ugly Stick was one I bought, in anticipation of relocating to a coastal location. It was a 10 foot heavy surf fishing rod, that I bought from a friend, at a price I could not resist. When my potential relocation did not happen, I sold the rod to someone else, without ever using it.

It is unfortunate that you did not have the opportunity to try the rod before purchasing it. In this country, we are fortunate to have large stores in most cities that have long racks of rods from which to choose. It is possible to put a reel on one and get a feel for the weight, balance and action, before spending your money and finding out you made a poor choice.

One potential solution is to make your own rods. As you will seen in some of my posts, I make most of my rods. It is not just because I can make them for less money, but because I can carefully select the exact length and action I want...and then choose my guides, handle and wrappings to suit my preferences. Just as importantly, I can be sure the placement of the guides is exactly where they should be, to match the action of the rod.

I'm sorry I could not be more encouraging. My best suggestion is to advertise your Ugly Stick at a fair price and try to find someone who does not have the same likes as you do...who wants only a strong heavy rod. It is better to cut your losses, and pay for your experience, than to blame yourself for making a bad decision for too many years.
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#3

Hey there myu,

Sorry to hear of the big problem with the Ugly Stix. There is a really different mind set concerning rod action between the way we fish in Japan and here on the West Coast and California, no matter what kind of fishing. Having fished in Honshu, Okinawa, Miyakojima and Amamiojima, those places reflect the closest conditions resembling fishing in California, Baja, or the Sea of Cortez. Yet still, many rods in Japan would not suit most anglers here. I wonder if your model of rod was offered as just something to match the local competitions specifications without much field testing.

In the US, I think, generally, anglers demand less sensitivity in their rods compared to Japanese anglers. There are certianly many, many more parabolic rods used in Japan than in the US. While lots of guys really work hard on finesse saltwater fishing techniques in Japan, we tend to be more heavy handed here. That's why I think the design/action of the 12 foot rod you mentioned sounds like it would be more for East Coast Striper or bluefish surf fishing than the coral and sand shallows of Okinawa.

I was spoiled in Japan with the having very lite and sensitive rods avaliable for just about any kind of fishing I wanted to do. Returning to the US, I had to us freshwater Heavy Duty freshwater rods (flipping and pitching sticks) to get the sensitivity I was familiar with in Japan. ha ha ha

As was mentioned, the main point of the Ugly Stix was it's ability to take rough treatment that would destroy a rod designed with a more finesse fishing method in mind. My fishing friends in Japan seemed to take much better care in maintaining rods than myself or many I see fishing here in the US. I would think the Ugly Stix's toughness would not be as important in trading for less sensitivity for you.

JapanRon
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#4
Thank You for your reply,

Yes, I have already asked my local shop if they want to trade my Ugly Stik for anything right after I went fishing for the first time with it, I was not able to complete a transaction after it was inspected by the shop owner, even when I told him I only fished with it for less then 1 hour.

He was kind enough to allow me to post a picture advertise on at his busines. Luckily a man from Kadena Air Force Base contacted me the next day, who says he is a big fan of Shakespeare brand product. I told him why I sell it for so much cheaper then it cost me and why it looks so new condition, I sold it to him for 50 USD, but I had to include 2 special 'samma' lures that I make to make my conscience feel good for selling this rod I did not like.

So I will be more careful when reading review of tackle equipment online, that is lesson that I learned from this experience.

Also not so negative is this man from Kadena wants to be fishing partner, he seems to be nice guy and we talked for hours about fishing and life on Okinawa. He is also avid kayaker who is wanting to change from standard ocean kayak into SOT type. Just like me! We both think that SOT will have good advantage for fishing. He say he will purchase new Kayak for me on miliary base. On military base he said he can get Cobra Tandem SOT kayak for only $1000 USD, that is almost half of cost from Japan retail. So overall I must say that this is good experience.
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#5
JapanRon!!!

That is great you have fished some good places in Okinawa and some of our other islands, many people who come miss viewing some of our more wonderful places. I love to speak with people who have been able to enjoy the wonderful natures that we have here. I have lived for short times in Australia and Canada and America. I did not appreciate how wonderful of place I came from without leaving it for some years. Now I am back, I am ocean maniac.

Yes after I buy this rod, I feel we have excellent rod choices in Japan. I have many favorite brands here like Tengu, Daiko, Saurus, Evergreen, Daiwa. I have addiction to collecting and using new rods. Because this is my addiction, I do take care of my rods very well, they even take shower with me when I get home from fishing and I also dry them with my bath towel and they hang inside my hallway of my house, my girlfriend is always jealous of my care of my rods. I just count, after I sell my Ugly Stik, I still have 24 rods. I think that taking care of rods makes them treat you nicer when you use them for fishing.

Do you have experience breaking rod in Japan? I have only broken 2 rods, 1 was fly-fishing with 9ft 5wt Gloomis I purchased in Vermont USA, I was using this in America to catch Speckled Trout from rivers. I was accustomed to holding tip very high after hookset for trout, when I caught big Crevale in Okinawa I hold tip up high after hookset, and Crevale made huge run and my tippet snap, so I tie on large flourocarbon hybrid line for leader, the next crevale snap my rod at 3 guide from top. This was hard fighter. I learned that I must use 10wt or more for these fishes. The other rod I broke when I was boat fishing with lures and I was using ultra light rod but equivalent to 25lb test, this rod broke where 2 piece rod mates together, this was very Sad to me, because this was expensive boron UFM Ueda. I was using ultra light because my lure was balsa and weigh only 9 grams. I was using 25lb test because I forgot my smaller reel with smaller line test strengths on this boat trip.

I learn from each time I make stupid choices.

Are you thinking to come to Okinawa again? If you would like a partner for scuba, fishing, kayaking or surfing I would enjoy showing you my secret places!!!
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#6

Hi there myu,

I was in a military hospital after being medivaced from South Viet Nam and did some rehab there which caused me to fall in love with Okinawa. Got out of the military and lived there as a civilian 6 years before reversion.

I was in Okinawa about 8 years ago and I was shocked at how MY ISLAND had changed from dusty streets and a laid back lifestyle to a shiny, hightec, slightly impersonal society.

I had a collection of about 3000 rods and around 400 reels before I returned to the US courtsey of the Japanese practice of SOUDAIGOMI. I sold them all. Even though I fish 6 days a week, I make it a point to only keep 3 fly, 2 spinning, 5 saltwater or freshwater for saltwater fishing conventional outfits. I give away or sell stuff to replace it with newer, more advanced stuff.

It sounds like you've found a good fishing buddy. Not only is it good to get stuff cheap but also......... you can get access to some military only areas (beachs, docks, piers, etc.) to fish that non-military civilians can't!!!! I believe the military recreation services still rent motorboats around the Ajana area.

I may visit Okinawa sometime in the future.

JapanRon
a.k.a. tsurikichi
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#7
Nippon Ron-

You may know, that some people in Okinawa do not prefer military persons.

I feel military persons really helps out Okinawa, and I think that any persons who is having courage to be in military, must have good moral. So I respect you. I try to communicate with anyone who has respect for our nature, usually native Okinawan doesnt have as much respect for nature as tourist or military persons.

Yes, this island is getting into looking like some place in Tokyo, My girlfriend wants to move to Naha, but I will kill myself If I have to live in Naha. It is nice for shopping and good restaraunts, but I love to be able to come home to Yomitan. This place still has some dirt roads and some wooden houses and open spaces. I think you are also correct about Okinawan becoming more like mainland Japanese. This is Sad, it seems many forget about our Okinawan word for 'Mensore'(welcome). I love Okinawa because it is not like mainland Japan, but so many of my younger generation and younger then me generation want to be just like people from Tokyo, this is Sad to me. Some young kids even try to talk with Tokyo accents and stop using Okinawan dialect. These things makes me feel like old man who wants to keep traditional ways.

3000? That is in book of world record? You must cry when you have to sell them, but I love to get 'trash' that is still working good!!! When I buy new rod or reel, my girlfriend says, if I buy one more she will leave me, this started about 15 rods before, so I think I am safe. Now I can say to her, this guy had 3000, so my collection can seem small!!! DOMO RON!!!

Yes, I hope to be able to visit some military recreational places, they are the only places that I have not discovered in Okinawa. I have diving friend who gets my diving tanks filled for very good price for me as good favors.

This maybe new rules, but for any boat with motor, Okinawan must get training and very expensive license for operation. Even for jetski operation I must have license and pay fee that is very expensive. This is why I use charter boat services and try to make my friends with boat try fishing, they are mostly divers. It is very fun to have motor boats, I hope in the future I can afford my own motor type boat.
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#8


Hi there myu,

Is the Pacific Ocean side of the island still less developed than the East China Sea side? Especially, up north?

Here's a funny story, one day I was fishing a little south of Yomitan where there are some areas near the beach that have large slabs of rock or lava or coral rock. I parked my 1965 subaru on those rocks and went fishing. By the time I got back to my car it was dark. I'm looking around the beach but can't find my car. Where did it go! Then I look out toward the ocean and there is my car with water almost covering the wheels!! about 30 feet from the water line. I pushed my car back up toward the dry land, let it set for 10 minutes then drive away!!! Yea Subaru!!!

I got my Yonkido Menkyo (small boat license) thru a connection in Ishikawa very easily. You should be able to get it automatically if you're in the gyogyokumiai (fishing co-op) It cost me around 180,000 Yen for the 'help' and the test. Problem is that now I think they make you renew your license and that cost real money too.

Becoming older and with the times changing so quickly is no fun huh!? ha ha ha That's one reason I returned to the states. Some things that I liked about Hondo (mainland) changed so radically that it just didn't hold the attraction it held for me for many, many years in the past.

Talk to ya later,

JapanRon
a.k.a. tsurikichi
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#9
I own a few Ugly stick rods, I used to be a huge fan!!! But as I expand my fish catching selection and learn about different type of rods for different types of fishing, I am leaving the ugly stick at home alot more. I even looked at a ultra light ugly stick the other day, and was majorly disappointed, I like a ultra light that will bend in a circle even if I have a 6 inch perch on, the ultra light ugly stick looked like you could have a great white on it and it wouldnt bend at all. I am finding rod made by Diawa, Quantum and other for less price and 2 X the rod!!!
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