What's your favorite brand of rod?

[Zachary]

I know that this can be broken down into different categories, but pick as many categories as you like.

For most bottom fishing, I really like the Shakespeare Ugly Sticks.  I have had some for years and they have held up well.  I used to really like the Penn Power Sticks too, but I don't think Penn Makes them anymore.

As for casting rods, my favorite used to be the Shakespeare graphite (not the newer Ugly stick graphite lite).  The original ones, of which I own a few, are VERY strong, light, and sensitive.

So what's your favorite brand of rod?

Zachary

[Patriot_1776]

I really can't make definite applications for all I would use them for, but all around, I'd say I'm a Penn fan all the way.  For salt water, I have a Seeker Series (not a Penn though) that I think goes up to 100lb test or close to it.  Can't remember off the top of my head right now; been a long time since I looked at my fishing gear.  Been pretty busy the past year or so absorbing in my free time reloading tips, tricks, and other things related to shooting. :lol:

 
-Patriot

[pastorp]

Zachary, I grew up on the gulf coast of florida. I can remember when I first discovered the ugly sticks. For fresh water bass fishing I used a ugly stick casting rod and a shimano bantam casting reel with 17lb strend line. That outfit actually worked good for light salt water fishing too, but I preferred a spinning outfit for that.

When I was a little kid my dad would take us bridge fishing around the St. Petersburg area. He never used a rod and reel only a heavy bamboo pole he called a calcutta pole. He would use what looked like clothes line twine with a wire leader about half of the length of the pole. Usually used shrimp or shiners for bait. One night at Johns pass he hooked something that could not be turned and lost the pole and all. My dad also went cast-netting once a week to keep the freezer full of mullet.

As a young man I started frequenting a tackle shop out near what is today the Skyway bridge. Back then we took a ferry across. It was named Betts tackle shop. They had a custom rod maker that worked there. I bought several spinning rods, and got interested in fly fishing due to the influence of their rod maker. He held a fly tying school in his home and taught any who were interested about salt and fresh water fly fishing.

I still fly fish and Alaska is a wonderful place for that hobby. I still like ugly sticks and have them on my boat for trolling for salmon and bottom fishing here in southeast alaska. My fly rods are still custom made but using graphite blanks. Regards, Byron

[Zachary]

Yea, I really love fishing from Bridges too ('cause I don't have to spend time cleaning a boat )

I fish various bridges in the keys but it seems that the winter months are the best months.  Still, I don't think that you can beat the Ugly sticks for bridge fishing because you can beat them up and let them get scratched and they still perform great and last a looooooong time.  (Granted, I take VERY good care of my equipment, but it's hard to not have a scratch here and there when fishing a concrete structure like a bridge).

Zachary

[Rem 3200]

Ugly Sticks for Redfish, A Penn Slammer and 850 SS for Cobia
and a Penn Power Stick that is death on Specs.