I have been an ugly stik fan all forever. I bought a new gx2 medium action 6 1/2 ft rod recently. I dont use braided line. Some guys like mono or braid for different reasons. Even the mono sawed into the inferior metal of Shakespeare's new eyes. Especially the top 2. I removed all the guides and tip and replaced them with ceramic insert guides. I know it was a lot of work, but I wanted the strengh of the gx2 composite. I now have a semi custom rod. 😆🎣👍
Nice, I thought about having my Ugly Stik and Duckett redone. I don't have the knowledge for that to do it myself. I love my older Tiger rods and my 12 footer. I have heard that monofilament will do that as well. I wish more catfish rods had the aluminum oxide or titanium oxide inserts. They are way better if you know how to take care of them. Thank you for watching, and I hope to see you back!
I have 5 ugly stiks that are 5 years old. They have stainless steel guides. I fish 120--160 hours yearly by trolling and use leadcore, braid, and copper lines and they are like new, no wear at all. The stripers I catch are good size and fight like crazy trying to pull the pole out of your hands. Friends of mine have older rods again without problems.
I had the same thing happen to my Duckett rod as well. I'm very disappointed about it. I'm not familiar with copper lines. I had 20lb Fireline on the Ugly Stik and Sufix 830 silk 20lb. I do have muddy water where I live. I just noticed my lines fraying bad, so I pulled the line off to fresh line, and it the line was still fraying. I'm glad you are having good luck with your eyes, and thank you for watching!
I have an Ugly Stik Tiger rod from 1999, and the eyes are still good. However, when Ugly Stik stopped using Fuji eyes, the quality went down. Yes, the old Ugly Stiks are amazing rods.
@@nativewildman9335Love your videos what should I put into my elite 6’6 mid ext fast action. Mono or broad. I’ll be fishing for mainly carp, tilapia and luckily a bass. Thank you
@orejonable It depends on the eyes. If it has the Ugly Tuff eyes, I would go with the monofilament line. If it has the Fuji eyes, I would go with a braided line. My favorite monofilament fishing line is Strien or Trileen. Fluorocarbon would be a good choice as well. I recommend a quality line and not the inexpensive lines. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@nativewildman9335I have an ugly stick catfish special I'm in the process of getting replaced through ugly sticks 7-year warranty. I have multiple grooves on the top two or three guides. Especially on the tip. And I'm not even using braid. I'm just using Berkeley trilene XT monofilament. I've only had this rod 6 months. I only go out maybe a couple times a month if that. Yet they claim that their rods are supposed to be able to handle both monofilament and braided line with these new so-called "improved" line guides. The grooves are bad enough that it already made a clean cut in my line and I lost the entire rig. I wasn't even fighting a fish. That was just pulling in my line to check my bait. What's up with that?
This is my experience with braided lines and stainless steel guides. I'm glad you are having good luck with them on your rods. I only noticed it when my line kept fraying even after I cut a portion off to fresher line. My advice is to keep an eye on it. I hope your Ugly Stiks keeps going strong! Sorry it took so long to reply. Thank you for watching!
That wear on the tip of metal guides is normal, the wear on an old trolling rod (running the original braided line "Dacron") that my dad had when I was growing up in Hawaii would blow your mind, it had a deep groove in the middle of it. That tip was the old school brass guide that was chrome plated. I would not worry about that wear until you completely wear that tip out. It's like the tires on your car, all of us would like our tires to never wear out but that's not reality.
I'm glad you are having luck with your newer Ugly Stiks. I have some old ones with the Fuji eyes, and they are amazing rods. I have hear 50 50 on the new ones.
Nice video! Its so strange 50% of people say ugly tuff guides are fine with braid, the other 50% say there is grooving maybe somehow both are right idk. I wish i was resourceful enough to set up a controlled experiment. Thank you for the content
Thank you for watching my video I still haven't replaced that rod ,I'm thinking about getting new eyes put on it. Ugly Stiks are hard to beat in durability. May you have a wonderful day!
Almost all steel guides will wear out. I even had mono do damage over time. There is a reason why almost all manufacturers use insert guides with hardened materials such as sic or aluminum oxide. Don’t fall for these manufacturers claims that these new no-insert steel guides are great or better; it’s only to cut manufacturing cost. Fuji rod component have been a benchmark for most rod makers. As soon as I saw Shakespeare change guide and reel seats on their rods from Fuji to cheap in house substitute, I knew it would be a problem. Also notice, they have not raised prices like they should over the years would of they have kept Fuji for their components. I own 30+ old school ugly stiks and they’re great! Nice video!!!
The only reason they use these guides is that they know they wear out. The bug problem is if you regularly fish murky water the abrasiveness of the residue on the line wears the guides. The manufacturers know this. It’s only used for product failure so you have to buy another rod. These guys are know what they are doing. Thereby defrauding the general public with inaccurate statements.
I had 20 or 30 lb Sufix on mine. After a year, it was starting to fray badly. I took a good 40 foot off of the reel, and it still frayed on me. I have a Duckett rod that did the same thing. I'm glad to hear that your rod is holding up. Thank you for your input!
i purches uglystick gx2 medium action 7 feet recently. For spinnee spoon fishing and after viewing your vidio i am worry about it because it impossible without using brided line. If I put braided lin whose lb (weight) under wt mention on rod then it makes groove on eye or not?
Get the 8 stranded briads and it will last longer. I also have a Duckett that has the same issue and it's a $100 rod. I used the Sufix super 8 on it. Good luck out fishing.
I used to use Stren mono line, and I never had any problems with it. Then I tried fireline, and the longer cast sold me. Line type is a personal preference. The important thing is to set your drag properly. Thank you for watching!
I have been an ugly stik fan all forever. I bought a new gx2 medium action 6 1/2 ft rod recently. I dont use braided line. Some guys like mono or braid for different reasons. Even the mono sawed into the inferior metal of Shakespeare's new eyes. Especially the top 2. I removed all the guides and tip and replaced them with ceramic insert guides. I know it was a lot of work, but I wanted the strengh of the gx2 composite. I now have a semi custom rod. 😆🎣👍
Nice, I thought about having my Ugly Stik and Duckett redone. I don't have the knowledge for that to do it myself. I love my older Tiger rods and my 12 footer. I have heard that monofilament will do that as well. I wish more catfish rods had the aluminum oxide or titanium oxide inserts. They are way better if you know how to take care of them. Thank you for watching, and I hope to see you back!
I have 5 ugly stiks that are 5 years old. They have stainless steel guides. I fish 120--160 hours yearly by trolling and use leadcore, braid, and copper lines and they are like new, no wear at all. The stripers I catch are good size and fight like crazy trying to pull the pole out of your hands. Friends of mine have older rods again without problems.
I had the same thing happen to my Duckett rod as well. I'm very disappointed about it. I'm not familiar with copper lines. I had 20lb Fireline on the Ugly Stik and Sufix 830 silk 20lb. I do have muddy water where I live. I just noticed my lines fraying bad, so I pulled the line off to fresh line, and it the line was still fraying. I'm glad you are having good luck with your eyes, and thank you for watching!
I have ugly sticks with braid for 20 years and no problem with eyes
I have an Ugly Stik Tiger rod from 1999, and the eyes are still good. However, when Ugly Stik stopped using Fuji eyes, the quality went down. Yes, the old Ugly Stiks are amazing rods.
@@nativewildman9335Love your videos what should I put into my elite 6’6 mid ext fast action. Mono or broad. I’ll be fishing for mainly carp, tilapia and luckily a bass.
Thank you
@orejonable It depends on the eyes. If it has the Ugly Tuff eyes, I would go with the monofilament line. If it has the Fuji eyes, I would go with a braided line. My favorite monofilament fishing line is Strien or Trileen. Fluorocarbon would be a good choice as well. I recommend a quality line and not the inexpensive lines. Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@nativewildman9335I have an ugly stick catfish special I'm in the process of getting replaced through ugly sticks 7-year warranty. I have multiple grooves on the top two or three guides. Especially on the tip. And I'm not even using braid. I'm just using Berkeley trilene XT monofilament. I've only had this rod 6 months. I only go out maybe a couple times a month if that. Yet they claim that their rods are supposed to be able to handle both monofilament and braided line with these new so-called "improved" line guides.
The grooves are bad enough that it already made a clean cut in my line and I lost the entire rig. I wasn't even fighting a fish. That was just pulling in my line to check my bait. What's up with that?
I got 6 different types of UGLY stick and never had a problem with the guides so far but it looks polished from the lines bubing.
This is my experience with braided lines and stainless steel guides. I'm glad you are having good luck with them on your rods. I only noticed it when my line kept fraying even after I cut a portion off to fresher line. My advice is to keep an eye on it. I hope your Ugly Stiks keeps going strong! Sorry it took so long to reply. Thank you for watching!
That wear on the tip of metal guides is normal, the wear on an old trolling rod (running the original braided line "Dacron") that my dad had when I was growing up in Hawaii would blow your mind, it had a deep groove in the middle of it. That tip was the old school brass guide that was chrome plated. I would not worry about that wear until you completely wear that tip out. It's like the tires on your car, all of us would like our tires to never wear out but that's not reality.
I'm glad you are having luck with your newer Ugly Stiks. I have some old ones with the Fuji eyes, and they are amazing rods. I have hear 50 50 on the new ones.
It's a good thing they have a 7-year warranty make sure you snap some pictures of that grooving and send it to Shakespeare
True
Nice video! Its so strange 50% of people say ugly tuff guides are fine with braid, the other 50% say there is grooving maybe somehow both are right idk. I wish i was resourceful enough to set up a controlled experiment. Thank you for the content
Thank you for watching my video I still haven't replaced that rod ,I'm thinking about getting new eyes put on it. Ugly Stiks are hard to beat in durability. May you have a wonderful day!
Almost all steel guides will wear out. I even had mono do damage over time. There is a reason why almost all manufacturers use insert guides with hardened materials such as sic or aluminum oxide. Don’t fall for these manufacturers claims that these new no-insert steel guides are great or better; it’s only to cut manufacturing cost. Fuji rod component have been a benchmark for most rod makers. As soon as I saw Shakespeare change guide and reel seats on their rods from Fuji to cheap in house substitute, I knew it would be a problem. Also notice, they have not raised prices like they should over the years would of they have kept Fuji for their components. I own 30+ old school ugly stiks and they’re great! Nice video!!!
Fuji eyes are definitely the way to go. I don't like just stainless steel guides. Thank you for watching and the comment!
The only reason they use these guides is that they know they wear out. The bug problem is if you regularly fish murky water the abrasiveness of the residue on the line wears the guides. The manufacturers know this. It’s only used for product failure so you have to buy another rod. These guys are know what they are doing. Thereby defrauding the general public with inaccurate statements.
My ugly stik carbon is going on 4 years with 10 lb braid still going strong no issues
I had 20 or 30 lb Sufix on mine. After a year, it was starting to fray badly. I took a good 40 foot off of the reel, and it still frayed on me. I have a Duckett rod that did the same thing. I'm glad to hear that your rod is holding up. Thank you for your input!
Wow that sucks sorry to hear that
I heard spider wire was putting grooves in many different eyes a long time ago
i purches uglystick gx2 medium action 7 feet recently. For spinnee spoon fishing and after viewing your vidio i am worry about it because it impossible without using brided line. If I put braided lin whose lb (weight) under wt mention on rod then it makes groove on eye or not?
Get the 8 stranded briads and it will last longer. I also have a Duckett that has the same issue and it's a $100 rod. I used the Sufix super 8 on it. Good luck out fishing.
@@nativewildman9335 thanks
You're welcome
i'm using mon on my ugly stik elite Seaguar and that mono is AMAZING
I used to use Stren mono line, and I never had any problems with it. Then I tried fireline, and the longer cast sold me. Line type is a personal preference. The important thing is to set your drag properly. Thank you for watching!