The famed Ugly Stik rod series from Shakespeare is still going strong after nearly 50 years. This ad was from 1978.

It’s hard to walk down a dock or spend an afternoon on a pier without seeing an Ugly Stik or two along the rail. Synonymous with bulletproof toughness, budget-friendly pricing, and go-anywhere capability, the Ugly Stik has become one of the most recognized names in fishing gear. But how did this blue-collar rod earn its reputation?

The Ugly Stik story began in 1976 when the Shakespeare Company—already an established name in the tackle business with roots dating back to 1897—introduced a rod line aimed at combining affordability with extreme durability. The name “Ugly Stik” was, in the words of early company insiders, almost a joke at first. 

Compared to the sleek, glossy graphite rods of the day, the new rods were, in fact, ugly. They had a rough, opaque finish and a distinctive clear fiberglass tip. But the team at Shakespeare had something more important in mind than appearance: they wanted a rod that you could bend double without snapping—and they succeeded.

A proprietary construction called "Howald Process" that blended graphite and fiberglass into a single blank was the secret sauce. The Ugly Stik featured a slow-to-moderate action, a flexible tip, and an uncanny ability to take punishment—whether from fish or fishermen. (More recent versions have a solid graphite tip—better sensitivity, less weight, but still retaining strength, per the company.)

The concept worked. Weekend warriors, saltwater surfcasters, catfish chasers, and pier hounds all found they could beat the heck out of these rods—and they just kept on fishing.

Fast-forward nearly five decades, and Ugly Stik has become one of the most widely used fishing rod brands on the planet. Now owned by Pure Fishing, Ugly Stik is sold in over 50 countries and continues to expand in both fresh and saltwater markets.

While they started with a few all-purpose spinning and casting rods, the lineup has grown dramatically. Today’s Ugly Stiks include rods for everything from ice fishing to tuna trolling. There are species-specific models for bass, catfish, crappie, striper, and salmon. There’s even a premium “GX2” series that adds a touch of refinement to the legendary toughness, and an "Elite" series that boosts graphite content for better sensitivity.

In recent years, Ugly Stik has also launched branded reels and combos, allowing beginners and budget-conscious anglers to get on the water with reliable gear for prices far below the competition.

Ugly Stik combos include reels matched to the tackle, suitable for anything from freshwater panfish to surf and pier fishing for big saltwater species.

Unbreakable? Almost

Ask any tackle shop employee or longtime guide, and they’ll probably have a few “Ugly Stik survived this” stories, including being slammed in a car door and—allegedly—used to whack a pushy Alaskan grizzly in the nose.

Then there's the test that Shakespeare once used to promote the rods: a video of lifting a full size concrete block with an Ugly Stik rod bent almost in a full circle. The block moved. The rod didn’t snap.

These stories have become part of the folklore around the brand—half advertisement, half angling gospel.

In this day of YouTube, however, there are some examples of persistence that do, in fact, result in a broken Ugly Stik—in one case, by hooking it up to a go cart accelerating away at full throttle!

Still Improving

Despite all the flashier, lighter, faster rods on the market, the Ugly Stik continues to hold ground because it fills a crucial niche: reliability over refinement. It’s not the most sensitive rod, or the lightest, or the prettiest—but it works, and it lives forever. The company has steadily refined its best features over the decades.

The brand also speaks to budget-conscious anglers. Most are priced at a fraction of comparable rods from more elite brands, for rods that will outlast your reel—and maybe outlast you, as well.

Here are the latest offerings: 

Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Pursuit IV Spinning Combos ($159.95-$179.95)

The Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Combo pairs a 100% graphite Ugly Stik rod with a Penn Pursuit IV reel. Featuring a solid graphite tip, durable one-piece stainless-steel guides, the rods in this series are mated with Penn spinning reels matched in size—the medium light gets a 25 or 30 size reel, the medium a 40 and the medium heavy a 50. Depending on which rod you chose, the combo is ready to handle a wide range of inshore species from trout and reds to stripers and snook, maybe even tarpon to 100 pounds. It has a cork foregrip, easy on the hands, and is backed by a 10-year rod warranty.

Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Jigging Rods ($129.95)

Built for jigging, the Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Jigging Rod, available in 6’ or 6’4” lengths, features 100% 24-ton graphite construction, a solid graphite tip for heightened sensitivity, and one-piece stainless-steel guides with a rust-resistant coating. A rugged EVA handle and a 10-year warranty round out a rod built to take a beating—could function as a pier stick or for winching up grouper and red snapper offshore. 

The Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Surf Rods are available in 9’,10’, 11 and 12’ lengths.

Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Surf Rods ($129.95-$149.95)

Engineered with 100% 24-ton graphite for lightweight strength and crisp action, the Ugly Stik Carbon Inshore Surf Rod delivers sensitivity without sacrificing Ugly Stik durability. With one-piece stainless-steel guides, a solid graphite tip, and a tough EVA handle, extra long to fit into a sand spike, it’s built to withstand the beating surf rods deal with. It’s available in 9’, 10’ 11’ and 12’ lengths. All are two piece, which makes them much easier to haul in anything but an open pickup; www.uglystik.com. 

— Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com