Plain old fishing poles

[starmac]

Who makes the best, or at least not junk rods these days. I am not talking about high end rods, just some that have the potential to catch fish and last a season or three.

[possom813]

I like my 1 carrot stix, they're not high end, but they're pricey for me. About 90 per pole. I was given this one for my birthday last year.

I also have a handful of Berkley Cherrywood rods, they can be had around 30 each.

The berkley rods seem to hold up well, at least with what I throw at them(crappie and catfish)

I'm not a bass fisherman(ie, "stretcher of truths" ), but they've held up well.

[starmac]

Those berkelys sounds like the price range I'm interested in.

[rhbrink]

What kind of rod are you looking for? Pan fish? Carp? Catfish? Bass Pro and Cabelas offer a lot of choices from cheap (I mean frugal) to moderate to high end. Shakesphere makes a rod called Ugly Stick that is tough and durable as they come, not very sensitive. The more graphite in the blank the more money and more sensitive they become. You spend enough money you get a real good warranty. Bass Pro offers a 100% replacement warranty that you can buy on most rods I don't know about all of them. I have a fishing buddy that does that and it has worked out well for him.

RB

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Those Ugly sticks are pretty darn good. All of the ones (5) that I have are medium action with different grips or spinning and casting rods. I have been trying to find some that are medium heavy but no luck around here yet. I may have to order. I have 3 Diawa Samuri MH rods that are over 20 years old and keep on working although they sure look bad now.

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

+1 on the Uglystick. I have had nothing but great service from them. My latest Uglystick is their flyrod. It's a little heavy and a little slow, but I was able to manhandle silver salmon as good or better than my 10wt ECHO all season long.

[Wal']

Another vote for the Uglystick, bought my first just because of the name.......but after many years use I now have three of them.

[wch]

+1: Ugly sticks-they're not just for barflies anymore.

[starmac]

Thanks guys, ugly sticks are the ones I was trying to think of.

[popper]

ugly sticks - I think they are all 1 piece, hard to get in the car. I got the BassPro brand 2 piece 6' medium and it works well up to 15# fish, but the tip is not sensitive. It sits in the garage cause I just fly fish now.

[swheeler]

ugly sticks - I think they are all 1 piece, hard to get in the car. I got the BassPro brand 2 piece 6' medium and it works well up to 15# fish, but the tip is not sensitive. It sits in the garage cause I just fly fish now.

NO, I've got a couple and they are two piece rods, no complaints.

[fouronesix]

yet another vote for Ugly Stik

[olafhardt]

I have built a rod or two. There is more than a little bit of stuff you can do. The varibles include too many things to talk about.Oddly enough the place I stsrt is selecting the size line for fly, spinning, casting or whatever. There are literally volumes written about rods. I regard A.J. McClanes's books as the definitive fishing books. Don't let this scare you. I watched my father make perfectly serviceable rods out of native cane and hair pins. Just start making rods and make them like you want them and pay attention to how they work. It isn't all that complicated. Like making boolits.

[bart55]

I also have a love for the ugly sticks, have a couple over twenty years and still going strong .Fish for northern pike and bass mostly on the St Lawrence river in Ontario .

[AlaskanGuy]

St. Croix... But that is just me.... I like the fuguly sticks, but i need something a bit more sensitive.... And my fishing clients agree....

AG

[DeanWinchester]

The old man had a local tackle shop build a few on G. Loomis blanks. The Walmart turd I'm currently using ain't no where near what they were.

[LeftyDon]

I built a few fly rods from blanks found at the now closed Dale Clemens store, I believe they were Loomis seconds. Also, have a few bamboo rods made by bamboo rodmaking friends. Now there's a whole different thread to start!

[Minerat]

Another vote for the ugly stick for under $50. 1 medium light spin, 1 medium spin and 1 med bait casting all 2 piece. I cut the crappy handle off the bait caster that was dosed with sun tan lotion and put on a cork grip. Wish all ugly sticks came with cork. It's not slickery any more.

[Bo1]

Ducket...much rod for the money.
Bo

[dbosman]

For banging around, Ugly Sticks are great. Mine are two piece. With a classic Zebco or Shakespeare spin cast reel you don't have to worry about storing them in the trunk or behind a truck seat.