3 replies to this topic

[Bassman45]

It's like $100... Reviews are decent and it would be my first Baitcast setup. Any alternatives in this range? I've found crank bait/ spinner bait lures lucrative this summer and my little ugly stick spinner is giving me tennis elbow.

Recommendation pls!

Thanks a ton

[fishfight]

Getting a tennis or golf elbow problem has nothing to do with equipment.  Casting with wrong techniques creates  golf or tennis elbow, Google youtube on tennis or golf elbow cure through proper stretching exercise, and resting. If you do not try to follow strict disciplined guidelines to fix your casting technique and cure that injury, the tennis elbow problem will never disappear, and will just get worse and permanent. 

 

I know anglers, tennis and golf player, who have elbow problems in years and ruining their fun sports day. When the injury is not yet permanent, this is the right time to fix the issue, to not allow the elbow to get worse. The injury will not just go away by continuing to fish the same way.

 

Ugly stick rod tip is way too flexible for retrieving any lure, especially fishing on a moving water river system. You need a quick action stiffer rod tip for better control in retrieving a crank-bait. Instead of you controlling the crank bait  with the right rod  in real time, the Ugly stick  rod tip is unnecessarily flexing too much , resulting in less control and fighting with the crank bait action for no reason. In all sports equipment, the stiffer lighter material used, the more control and real time action we get. If the rod and line used were stiff and light, then all we have to focus on will be the feel on the lure action. But I still used Mono line for specific application, mono is less visible then Braided line, and the needed stretch sometimes put less strain on the fish during fighting the fish.  

 

IMO, Ugly stick rod is good for coarse fishing or for using a bobber, or for float fishing. The tip is sensitive to flex, to detect light action, and unlikely for fish to spit out the bait due to too much tension on the line. 

 

I own a black max bait-casting reel, a good intermediate reel for the money, I bought it for roughly $50. I would rather buy a rod separately, and find a stiffest rod for money you can afford.  Le barons has good priced stiff rod for under $35. I noticed many good priced rod and reel combo has rod tip that are just too flexible.  

[Bassman45]

Thanks for the advice on the reel!  I'm exercising the arm to work out the kinks, I know my spincast wasn't the "cause" but a stronger, longer rod and baitcast reel should help - I'm clearly trying to cast too far with a setup meant for finesse fishing (as you mentioned).  Its a great pole for the river where I live where I do lots of jigs and dropshot setups, but I've invested in a little boat and enjoy success with crankbaits lately.  I think I'll pick at least the reel up and take your advice on a stiffer rod!  Thanks again...

[Prov87]

I just purchased the black max as well and was using it all weekend with minor backlash issues, once i dialed it in, no issues at all!  all I need now is a rod haha