Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod Review For 2023 | Expert Guide

Today we discuss Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod Review. The first thing that caught my mind when checking out the fishing rod from this brand was the brand name itself. Who, in their right mind, starts their brand name with Ugly? Turns out that there is a really good reason behind the name and it fascinated me while also proving one of the life philosophies.

You learn best from your mistakes but only when you acknowledge them. Apparently, when Ugly Stik first started, they were only successful in making really ugly fishing rods. There would be parts of the fishing rods protruding out. In other words, nothing about the rods was elegant and nothing about the finish was smooth.

They acknowledge their con and no, guess what? Their fishing rods are not ugly at all. Alongside performing really well, and gaining much popularity, the Ugly Stik fishing rods are elegant to look at.

Among the many Ugly Stik Fishing rods available, one popular one is the GX2 spinning rod. So, what makes the Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod so good? Even if it is good, is it good for you? You will only find out when you know what it can do. So, let’s find out!

Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod Review: The Features

1. The Materials Building The Rod 

A spinning rod mainly deals with lighter lures like live bait and plastics. However, the super-fast fish with their not-so-negligible strength does not go easy on the rods. This is why you need a rod that you know will be strong enough to handle the strong fish when they put up a fight. Because the water is their home ground, not yours or your rod’s.

What assures you that the spinning rod will give its best is the material and the quality of the build. In this case, the GX2 is top-notch. Apparently, it has a build that combines fiberglass and graphite. The question is, how can these materials help?

Let us check out the property of each. Firstly, fiberglass is a strong durable material used in fishing rods- you already know the two things it will provide you with- durability and strength. On the other hand, graphite, although strong, is also quite responsive.

In fishing, there is no point in being strong if you are not sensitive to the bites or nibbles by the fish and responsive enough to do what is required right at that moment. Therefore, the combination of graphite and fiberglass gives you a really good start. You start with strength, durability, and, sensitivity.

​2. A Medium Action 7-Feet Rod

As you may already know, a long rod will let you cast very far and reach quite deep. So, the fishes hiding far and deep in the water have a higher chance of falling prey to you. If you have been looking for a long-enough rod to accompany you in this case then the GX2 with its majestic length of 7 feet may be able to help you.

Why the GX2? because it does not only provide you with the length but also with the assurance that it will really perform well. Because it has its strong build to back you up.

As you know, longer rods are not as good at fighting fish as shorter ones. Therefore. The length has to be backed up by some strength, which this GX2 rod provides quite well.

Other than that, this rod has a medium power or action. This means that when fishing, it will bend in the top half of the rod. You will get some flexibility when you are using this rod to fish.

The fish will think it has escaped at times and the rod will pull it right back. Also, the force with which the fish pulls will be somewhat reduced in the upper part of the rod because of the bend at the top.

Therefore, this rod does quite a good job for a 7 feet long medium-action spinning rod.

3. The Stainless Steel Guides

With a 7-feet long, medium-action spinning rod, you will surely be casting quite far and reaching quite deep. The number of problems that can occur when you do this is countable but quite often unexpected. You do not want your reel to suddenly freeze while you get the nibble on the bait or line, right?

Furthermore, you do not want the line to break in the middle of a fight with a fish because of a not-so-smooth operation by the rod. So, in order to avoid such problems, you need a rod that helps you perform smoothly.

Quite often, how smoothly you get to cast your line depends on the reel you use in the rod and how much the rod fits your reel. Now, the material of the guides and the reel seat matters a lot in this case. You really do not want such an important part to rust.

Because with rust in the rod, you will lose a smooth cast. Luckily, the GX2 has stainless steel guides that are very durable and do not easily rust or corrode. It will keep you going smoothly for many days, months, and even years to come.

Furthermore, there aren’t parts in the reel seat or the guides that tend to fall off. Apparently, this happens to many other rods. But, with the GX2 you seem to be safe in this case.

4. Two-Piece Construction 

Sometimes you are not lucky enough to be residing very close to the lake where you fish. You have to ride a truck or your car to reach the place and then get all your gear ready to fish. The challenge here is not getting all your gear ready but it is getting them transported to the fishing spot.

Well, there are also cases where you just keep the gears in a store near the lake. Even in that case, you have to consider how easily you can store it. If you want a compact rod that will not take up much space then you can try this GX2 spinning rod out. The question is how does it make transporting it easier?

In fact, this rod is a two-piece rod. You have to attach two different pieces, one longer than the other to use this rod. If you wish, you can keep it like that for the rest of eternity to come. However, if you have to fit it in a car or a storeroom, you can disassemble it and do so easily.

One of the concerns that come with a two-piece rod is whether the joining point will be able to take the strain put on the rod or not. Apparently, the GX2 has been able to handle the strain for quite a long time now and it is still doing well.

If you still have doubts, you can try to make the joining point stronger by gluing it harder as well. There will be no harm done by that. The main takeaway here is that this spinning rod is very convenient to use.

5. The Handle That You Will Be Holding

When fishing, you will have to consider your comfort to some extent even if you consider yourself too strong to even care. This concern is for better performance. Fishing needs you to be patient and active.

An uncomfortable handle can ruin your comfort. And a ruined comfort will put you in a cranky mood putting your patience at risk, also your energy. This is why the rods come with padded handles to keep your hands as comfortable as possible.

Luckily, the GX2 spinning rod has an EVA handle that keeps your hands quite comfortable. They are soft on your hands and contour to your needs of it. Apart from that, this is quite important because you do not get comfort in another aspect.

Despite, the weight being reduced and distributed evenly throughout the rod, the GX2 rod is a bit heavy. Therefore, it can make your hands ache after you keep holding them for quite some time. This is why the comfortable EVA handle acts like an angel and saves you from some of the strain.

6. The Warranty

A good brand stands behind its products no matter what the state of it. With our introduction, you already know that Ugly Stik is quite a good brand and it proves it further with its warranty of 7 years for the GX2 spinning rod.

No, the rod is not very cheap but neither is it extremely expensive. There are more expensive rods out there doing much worse than what this rod does for you. So, the money you spent on it may be a lot relatively but it is still money well spent.

Furthermore, the rod performs so well and has so few defects that you may never even have to use the 7-year warranty. However, just in case you do, you know that you can. It is better to buy with such assurance than to buy without it.

Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod: Pros & Cons:

Pros

• ​​​The GX2 spinning rod is extremely well and cleverly built with the two main materials in it- graphite and fiberglass.
• ​​​You can completely rely on the rod to provide you with strength, durability, and sensitivity.
• ​​​The clear tip also helps you to be more responsive to a fish’s presence.
• ​​​​The rod despite having a name with ugly in it is very elegant to look at with a very beautiful finish.
• ​​​​With its action and length, it helps you cast very far and quite deep.
• ​​​​​The EVA handle is quite comfortable to hold.
• ​​​​​The two-piece construction makes it easy to transport when necessary without creating any kind of problems in its performance.
• It comes with a 7-year warranty.
• ​​​​​​Excellent value for the price you pay.

Cons

• ​​​Despite the reduction in weight and the use of great materials- it is a bit heavy and can tire you out.

faqs for Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod Review:

​Final Notes:

If you look at this GX2 spinning rod from an objective point of view, you will realize that there is nothing much to complain about. You can tell this simply by looking at the weight of the pros and cons. The con was quite hard to find but the pros, were quite apparent when you even touch this rod.

Furthermore, it is a brand that does not ignore its mistakes but grows from it that we are talking about. So, you cannot only rely on the rod but the brand as well. But, is the rod suitable for you?

It is if you fish in both salt and freshwater. Then, it can handle various types of fish for you too, and also lines. However, it also has a limit.

It can cast far and deep but you have to check its line and weight limit as well. If you cross that, or if your needs are greater than what it can provide then this may not be the rod for you. However, what matters is that this rod can provide you with what it promises to provide in the best possible way. The brand keeps its word too.