re: Why are Shakespeare Ugly Stik rods looked down on

They're fantastic if all of your friends are fat and drunk and have no clue how to act in a boat.

I do not buy nice fishing rods. I buy them fully expecting them to die an untimely death beneath the foot of a fatass or slammed in a tailgate or jammed into a crab trap or smashed against the side of the boat in anger or thrown overboard. I buy ugly sticks if they're the cheapest thing on the rack. If not, I'm getting whatever is cheaper.