This rod is great. It is strong enough for a big catfish, yet versatile enough for small bass or trout. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the reel isn't great, but not bad. For the price you can't beat it. Shakespeare Two-Piece Medium Heavy Action Ugly Cat Spinning Combo 7-Feet
great action, great bang for your buck. I brought this as my back up rod for my vacation, it quickly transitioned to my primary rod. You fancy fishermen out there may need more, but for someone casual this had great action and was pretty solid.
These are some really good rods for catfishing. We now have 13 rods and have never had any issues with them at all, weather catching smaller fish or the 40 and 45 lb catfish we frequent. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a very good fishing rod. The reels are decent enough for a short time to use, but if you are looking to catch larger fish, I would suggest changing the reels out to a better type that suits your fishing habbits. But for the price and reliability, you can't beat them!!!!
First off, beginner level fisher here with experience from fishing using two other fishing rod/reel combos from Shakespeare; both light duty poles.
I gave the Ugly Stick Catfish Rod/Reel combo 4-stars because the specific pole I received has the reel on kind of crooked with respect to the first wire guide where the fishing line goes thru. I did some adjusting loosening the twist locks and moving the reel a little bit in line with the eyelet but I'm not so sure if the reel will stay in its correct position permanently. Time will tell.
Other than that, I'm glad I bought this rod as I think it will hold up to the type of bass and catfish I intend to fish for at the pier near me(freshwater/inland) while still allowing me to get a feel for when the fish are there.
As for the reel, I think it's just okay, not good but not bad. It feels just like any other of Shakespeare's entry level combo reel offerings. But the only thing I don't like on this one is that I can't find the switch to let the reel spin in reverse to let the line loose sometimes, either that or this function is just not offered on this reel.
Anyways, this combo would've still garnered 5-stars had I received one with the reel seated properly straight from the manufacturer. But for the price and value I received, I'm really quite happy with this purchase.
p.s. I bought mines directly from Amazon and I was kind of worried my package would come in damaged since the guides seem fragile enough to easily get bent but today I open the door shocked to see this item come in a box meant for a 42" flat panel tv. Yup, a standard box for a tv, not a flimsy piece of cardboard taped up in the shape of nylon rifle case. Amazon, you rock!!!
I was looking for a bass rod. This is as close as I could find on Amazon. A lot of rod and reel combo sets had no real description as to the type of rod set it was. This catfish combo is working out great for bass fishing. About the right "weight" combination. The reel and rod are both good quality. I put some 8 lb test line on it and it is doing the job. I could have put a heavier test line, probably up to 12 lb but I did not what that heavy a line. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a good medium weight rod and reel.
Okay, so I am new to the sport of fishing but that doesn't mean that I cant like the equipment I purchase. Yeah, its not the best of the best, but it is great for a newbie that is trying to find what type of fishing is best for him/her.
I had read the reviews and will agree this pole is worth the price and very happy to have it but the only complaint I have is the reel doesn't have the anti-reverse switch which is handy but other than that it's a great product and worth the money.'
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