Ugly Stick lives up to its name

[Spiel]

Ugly Stick lives up to its name

 

June 8th, 2008

Ray Sasser - DALLAS MORNING NEWS

 

 

 

DALLAS — Southwick Associates released survey results recently on preferred brands of fishing tackle. The survey tabulated the preferences of 16,258 people who logged onto AnglerSurvey.com in 2007.

 

What does it mean? I’m not sure. I own more than half of the products mentioned as favorites but only four are products I’d list as my personal favorites.

 

Take the Shakespeare Ugly Stick, for example. It was named as the favorite rod by 16.7 percent of the Internet survey. As far as I’m concerned, the Ugly Stick has three things going for it. It has the most appropriate name ever given a fishing product. The Ugly Stick is seriously ugly. It’s tougher than the stainless steel fishing rods of my father’s era, and it doesn’t cost much, as fishing rods go.

 

To tell the truth, I haven’t handled an Ugly Stick in many years. The last one I tried had the action of a hickory stave without the sensitivity. Everything else has changed so maybe the Ugly Stick has, too, but I’m betting Ugly Sticks are popular because they sell for $29.95 in most models and few are ever broken.

 

Ugly Stick also has the top television ad for a fishing rod. Maybe you’ve seen it. A frustrated housewife finds her husband eating breakfast with his fishing rod propped in the corner. She tells him he’s not going fishing today and proceeds to whack his fishing rod (an Ugly Stick) against the tile floor.

 

There’s something to be said for a tough fishing rod, but I’m not that hard on tackle, and I much prefer a rod that has a superb action, extreme sensitivity, pinpoint casting ability and doesn’t look like it should be called an Ugly Stick.

 

Fishermen are a funny bunch, however. They build up confidence in a product, then stick with that product. Ask my wife to name her favorite topwater lure and she won’t pause long before she names a Smithwick Devil’s Horse.

 

Emilie has caught a lot of good bass on a Devil’s Horse (she prefers yellow with black stripes) but that’s partly because she reaches for that lure whenever she thinks bass may hit a topwater plug. I seem to catch more topwater fish on a Pop-R or a Woodchopper, probably because I fish those lures more often.

 

Does a Pop-R catch more fish for me because it’s a better lure than other chuggers, or does it catch more fish because my confidence in the Pop-R prompts me to use it more often? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first, confidence or performance?

 

I know people who never go fishing without consulting the solunar tables, a peak feeding period prediction based on moon phase. I don’t study solunar tables myself, because there are too many other variables that affect fish activity.

 

Fishing with confidence is a big factor in fishing success, however. If it makes you feel more confident, read your horoscope, research the solunar tables, then use your Ugly Stick to stir up some tea leaves.

[Bernie]

I'd say he pretty much told it as I see it.

[Spiel]

I'd say he pretty much told it as I see it.

 

Ditto

[1northerner]

*shrug* I dunno... I personally don't have a certain bait that I use everytime. I use what's necessary for the conditions. Variety is the spice of life... so they say.

 

And I don't check the horoscopes or solunar phases. I drop my line whenever the mood strikes, and that all depends on when others feel like heading out in the boat.

 

Also don't worry too much about what kind of rod I'm using... as long as it casts, right?

 

Confidence? I dunno. I've guided some boys who were very confident that they could outfish me, some silly little girl. They got over-confident and I ended up making them eat their own worms (which always makes me feel a little bad). I find that it's when you aren't too confident, and aren't too needy that the nice fish start to bite.