READER TEST
Verdicts on Ugly Stik and Daiwa SL30SH.
RRP: £49.99 & £150
Ugly Stik boat rods are rated as the toughest on the market. My 12-20lb-class version is 7ft 4in long and consists of a short butt and long blank with glass tip and rings rather than rollers.
I use it for general light-to-medium boat fishing, but it’s not suitable for spinning. Coupled with a Daiwa SL30SH reel and 30lb Powerpro braid, I use it for fishing with sabikis or feathers/flashers, along with shad/ boom and lure fishing on wrecks for pollack, bass and cod.
It’s good for fishing at anchor on clean ground for rays and bull huss in a medium-to-slow tide run – more for the lead weight required than the tide; anything up to 6oz is fine. When shallow-water fishing at anchor for mixed species, I’d use it down to 60ft maximum. If there is a likelihood of conger eels, I use a 20/30lb-class rod or even 30/50 Ugly Stik.
The SLOSH reel is a hand-sized, heavy shore/medium boat multiplier, which you can pick up for £85 compared to its RRP of £150.
Features include a graphite body, adjustable handle, star-drag, corrosion-resistant graphite frame and spool, four ball-bearings, centrifugal brakes, power handle, line-out alarm, line capacity of 300m of 20lb line and a 6.1:1 ratio.
Mine is used when anchor fishing on clean ground for rays and huss in a medium-to-slow tide, shallow-water fishing at anchor to 100ft maximum, and sometimes – coupled with a 20-30lb Ugly Stik – for conger eels. It’s good for shore fishing for congers too.
■ Web: www.shakespeare-fishing.co.uk
■ Web: www.daiwasports.co.uk