Fish-Filled Sturgeon Bay Weekend

I got behind on blogs this weekend. At the ends of long days on the water and late nights around dinner tables, the call for sleep won the battle for my time.

It sure wasn't a matter of nothing to tell. The weekend included a stupidly good day of smallmouth fishing, my first ever king salmon, a morning and an afternoon of doing types of fishing I'd never done before, plentiful great photo opportunities and the chance to give a seriously good test to Shakespeare's new Ugly Stik Elite rods.

It also included a pretty good sample of Wisconsin's famous fried cheese curds, some incredible smoked string cheese and a few really good steaks, but I suppose that's straying from fishing.

Today I'm traveling home. In fact, I'm riding to the Green Bay airport right now. I'll try to do some writing along the way because I only get two days at home before I repack a bag with lighter clothes and bigger lures and point the truck toward the airport once again. This time Mexico bound. Word has it there is wifi at the lodge now, so hopefully I'll do better keeping up with blogs!

Ugly Tour Pretty Cool

Pros and guides? Nope. Classic destinations? Sometimes. Big catches? The fish will get to decide that part, but the first couple of go-rounds have produced an 8-pound largemouth and a whole bunch of crappie.

To spread word about the new Ugly Stik GX2, the folks at Ugly Stik have launched the Ugly Tour, which is sending a single Ugly Stik rod, a 6-6, medium heavy spinning rod, all over the country to fish for everything that swims, with each trip documented with an Ugly Tour webisode. Fishing could be by boat, bank or pier and in fresh or salt water, and the folks doing the fishing are Ugly Stik users who have applied by telling about the waters they fish and a favorite Ugly Stik memory. You can watch learn about the tour, watch existing webisodes and even apply to be added to the tour on the Ugly Tour website.

The tour highlights everything anglers across the country love about Ugly Stiks because it takes seriously tough equipment to send the same rod all over the place and put it in so many hands. It also shows the rod's diversity because the tour will include trips for a huge variety of fish species in all different settings. The webisodes, which are only a few minutes long, highlight the stories of the anglers themselves and the waters those anglers most like to fish. Each also depicts a real day on the water, no matter what the fish decide to do.

In addition to the Ugly Tour website, you can keep up with the tour through various social media outlets: facebook, uglystikfishing; Twitter or Instagram, @uglystik; YouTube, uglystikTV.

I know I'll be following the tour, so when I see an especially cool episode I'll try to remember to mention it. For now, check out episodes 1 and 2 and see what you think. Ugly Tour.

Gear: Classic Meets Innovation in Ugly Stik GX2

Some things just can't wait.

The Shakespeare Ugly Stik changed the world of fishing when I was11 years old, and I got my first one soon after. So I've been fishing with Ugly Stiks (both my own and in other people's boats) from time to time for most of my fishing years. Therefore, when a new Ugly Stick GX2 arrived at my house yesterday, I knew I had to slip out to the beaver pond for at least one lap. I felt a need to cast the new Ugly Stik and hopefully feel it bent and wobbling. So I spooled the reel with Spiderwire Stealth Glo-Vis Braid (also new and very cool, but that's another story), tied on a Daiichi 2/O Catch and Release circle hook and grabbed a package of Berkley Havoc Subwoofers. Then Nathaniel and I headed out after dinner for a quick evening outing.

Time was short and the fish weren't going wacky, but I'm happy to report that a couple of fish did choose to cooperate, allowing me to feel the new rod more fully in action.

As billed, the GX2 looks and feels mostly like a classic Ugly Stik, and while no situation tested this part, word is that the new rods feature every bit of the toughness that has always been the signature of an Ugly Stik. New features include far improved guides, which are insert-free, a new construction Shakepeare is calling Ugly Tech and a blank-through-reel-seat design. The result of the latter two changes is a little lighter feel and a better balanced combination.

Like Classic Ugly Stiks, the new ones are black with a clear tip section and with the traditional gold markings near the handle. However, and embossed logo on the foam grip and some red accents give them a slightly newer and more dressed up look.

I've only got to try out the new Ugly Stik for about 45 minutes so far, but you can trust it will get used to catch a lot of different kinds of fish.