I'm planning to buy two rod's for the next season a 11' for bait fishing and 8' for lures. I checked the site on St. Croix and it's kinda expensive. I just need your input guys on Ugly Stick if it's negative then I'll go with St. Croix. Thanks.

Spend a few extra bucks and buy a Tica/Tsunami/Okuma before you get an Ugly Stick. If you're looking to conserve money and want a two piece this is probably the best bang for the buck option.

-spence

JB - I have a Tica 9' 2-6 oz that I never used and a Okuma Solaris surf 9' 1-4 oz that I was going to put on Ebay. Both are good rods for the money IMO. Let me know if you are interested.

FWIW - I will never buy another Ugly Stick. Way to heavy for me.

I sold that Okuma to a friend this year. Great value in a plug rod...

-spence

That St. Croix may be expensive, but she'll last you the rest of your life. I have a 6 1/2 foot modle that I use for albies and bonito, and my dad has a 10 footer for bass/blues, both cast like a dream and handle fish well. Although I do have an 8' Ugly Stik I use for casting lures, which is fine as long as you're targeting fish under 15 lbs. Any fish bigger than that and the rod becomes just to whippy.

Which St Croix model and how much is it? Ugly sticks are good rods for loaners. I have only one and if someone who I don't know to be good wants to borrow a rod , they get the Ugly Stick. I would never use it myself.

Ugly stick is good for "learning", St Croix 8' Ben Doerr model is the balls, for a smaller stick, i've had mine for years and have caught hundreds of fish on it....Grab one if you can find it, heard Ben Doerr and St Croix have parted ways. johnny

The 6'6' was an avid AS66MHF spinning rod(difficult to find in stores, had to buy it through Cabela's online), $120, and the surf rod was an Avid Surf ARSM1002, $260, if memory serves correctly. The St. Croix website has additional info(butt sizes, length, strength, etc.) on the different models.

I have an Ugly Stick and a Tica 9' spinning rod. No comparison. Tica hands down... Ugly Stick too heavy and whippy by comparison.

St croix.Hmmmmmmmmm if you take care of-em they just might last you a life time.......
I bought 2 Avid Surf Seires got them both on line a 10' and a 9' LOVE-EM both as if they were my own Brood:D


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Money-wise the Tica is the only way to go.

I have a 8' St Croix spinning and 11' casting St. Croix. They are both from the Avid line and are very stiff. Any particular reason for that?

I have a 7' and a 8 1/2 foot st croix. Cant imagine using anything else. Both are great rods and you would def be happy with a St. Croix. Just dont leave them on top of your truck unettended or they will get stolen!:smash: :af:

When it comes to equipment, as with most things, extra $$ spent will typically pay pretty big dividends in the end. I fish a 7 ft St. Croix (medium action) and love it.

* To throw some larger plugs, I picked up a 9 ft Tica this year. For the $$ you just can't beat it.

For $260 you can do a lot better than a St Croix.

Originally posted by Saltheart
For $260 you can do a lot better than a St Croix.

I paid $220.00 total for the 10' & $190.00 for the 9'

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I might go with a St. Croix 7' or 8' for medium action and Tica 9' for bigger plugs. Thanks a lot guys for all your input on this.

-- Saltheart

what do you mean by that do you have an idea in mind?

I have experince with all the rods that have been mentioned. I own the 7', 8' & 10' Ben Doerr rods, 3 ugly sticks in various sizes. The Tica 11' and 9' rods and a few Tsunami rods. I also have a few Lamiglas rods. I use all these rods except the ugly sticks (good loner rods) to heavy and the tip is to flexable. I am currently in the market for another 7' rod and am looking at the Tica or Tsunami. Great rods for the price and I haven't really seen any performance differences comparing them with the high end rods.

The ugly's are great entry level, I fish 1 night a month rods
The tica's etc.. no experience
The St. Croix.. loved the doerrs, dont like the premiers, good mid level rods

But gotta say I cant/wont go back to these rods after fishing a 1209 or lami 1201m... Even my Batson's dont feel right, even though I still love those rods....

my 2cents spend what you can afford, dont chince out, I'd rather have 1 good rod and reel and 10 good plugs instead of 100 good plugs and 2 bad rods....

For example , for your 8 footer you can get a no frills rod built on a Sabre 967 with all Fuji components that will handle 1 to 3 OZ for about $160. By no frills I mean minimal decorative wraps no compromise on anything fishing related. .

Originally posted by jbapinoy
I might go with a St. Croix 7' or 8' for medium action and Tica 9' for bigger plugs. Thanks a lot guys for all your input on this.

good choice-

Originally posted by Saltheart
For example , for your 8 footer you can get a no frills rod built on a Sabre 967 with all Fuji components that will handle 1 to 3 OZ for about $160.

Read that again and do not buy st. croix.

I believe all st. croix rods have pac. bay guides and they are clearly not the best choice.

Whatever rod you choose make sure it has fuji components. I picked up a batson 1087 last year for under 40 bucks. I bet you could find someone to wrap one for you for way under the cost of the st. croix stuff....

good luck

stroth

Originally posted by Stroth
Read that again and do not buy st. croix.
I believe all st. croix rods have pac. bay guides and they are clearly not the best choice.
stroth
Ahhhhh I don't think so Stroth.
I did a lil research before I bought mine,I went to there Web site I copied and pasted the Spec's on the Avid line,here check it out.............


Avid Series® Surf rods for instance. Built on our unique SCIII graphite and SCIIW woven graphite blanks and featuring Fuji's new "tangle-free" Alconite® ring tip top that prevents the line from catching on the frame base of the tip top, these rods are the standard by which surf rods are judged.
I hate 2 be a "Told you so" but before I spend my hard earned $$ I'll spend some time researching & comparing first.Then I'll pry open my mattress,& then spend it.

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The rod I mentioned , all the guides would be Fuji , not just the tip top.
Also , that rod, like all I make , would have a Fuji Sic Tip Top.


I don't want to hurt anyones feelings about their favorite rod . If a St croix feels right for you , that's what you should get.

I will say that 'thoroughly" researching a rod means building and trying several , not reading someones product literature.

I listed a rod that for about 60% of the cost is comparable and custom made to fit you. At 100% of the cost of the St Croix factory , you can get into some outstanding custom rods.

I'd agree with everything saltheart is saying. There are many builders that can made a great rod for about the same or less than a high-end factory stick.

There is simply no way to know what you really want without fishing several rods where you like to fish and with what lures you like to use. Perhaps that's extremely anal, and some people don't really care. If so, good for them. One less thing to worry about.

-spence

Yup you both are very correct,I can't agree with you more Saltheart ,If it feels right then go w/it.I live by them words........

All that IM stating is the facts of price & componants, that's it guys.



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Originally posted by 5/0
Ahhhhh I don't think so Stroth.
new "tangle-free" Alconite® ring tip top
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That is just the kind of thing I am talking about with st. croix. If they know fuji guides are better than why not put them on every guide.

Look if you like the rod fine.

I just think there are much better choices out there for shorter money.

Stroth

I'll take look @ both of-em when I get home.


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All right here goes I got home went to the garage I checked out both rods not one mark on any of the guides indicating what MFG. there from. So I got on the St.Croix web site got a # called & asked if the All of the guides on my 2 rods are Fuji. Her Reply was Yes they are "they are all Fuji guides and they have the tangle free tip top w/ an aconite insert m"Also a New Fuji feature."




5/0

I doubt she is lying to you. Maybe different st. croix rods built at different times have the fuji guides.

If the guides are fuji you will be able to see a small number on the guide foot somewhere. It will be very small and you might need a mag. glass to see it, but it is there

I should've posted earlier. I have an 8.5 foot st. croix that I stripped and rebuilt with fuji guides. It is a stiff rod, but I really like it.

Rods are like golf clubs. You need all sorts of them and different people like different feels.

I have a batson 1087 that I built with fuji guides. I paid 40 dollars for the blank and less than 40 dollars for the components. Sure, not everyone will wrap their own, but I don't think you will find anyone out there who would take a st. croix over a batson?

Great thread----Nice Discussion!!

Stroth