I’ve reached that special stage in my fishing journey where I own more rods than I have excuses for coming home empty-handed. My latest adventure involved a drone, a very confused whale, and enough fishing gear to sink a small boat—including my beloved 1 piece ugly stik that I swear by, even when it fails me.
It all started innocently enough. I’d been scrolling through fishing forums and decided it was time to go big—like, 10ft carp rod and reel combo big. I figured if I was going to embarrass myself, I might as well do it with the longest rod possible. So I picked up a 10ft fishing rod and reel, a 12 foot ugly stik casting rod for those “I think I see Europe from here” casts, and a 15 ft ugly stik surf rod that’s basically a fishing-themed javelin.
But why stop there? I also snagged a 6 foot ugly stik gx2 for “precision” fishing (which, in my case, means wildly flailing near water). I paired it with a 6.2 1 spinning reel that promised smooth drag and instead delivered existential dread. And because I have no self-control, I dove into the world of 2nd hand carp gear that smelled like it had been stored in a pond.
My collection didn’t stop at traditional tackle. Oh no. I embraced the future with 3d printed ice fishing gear that looked cool but performed like a tech demo gone wrong. I even got my hands on some 3d roach savage gear, because nothing says “I’m a serious angler” like fishing with plastic fish designed by someone with a 3D printer and too much free time.
The day of the big outing arrived. I loaded up my car with rods of every size, my drone buzzing overhead like an overeager mosquito. I started with the 1 piece ugly stik, casting with the grace of a startled giraffe. Nothing. I switched to the 10ft carp rod and reel combo, heaving it into the water with all my might. Still nothing.
That’s when I noticed it: a dark shape moving just below the surface. My drone dipped lower, and I held my breath. Was it a shark? A whale? A submarine full of judgmental marine biologists? Turns out, it was a whale—and it seemed deeply unimpressed with my 12 foot ugly stik casting rod.
For the next hour, my drone captured what can only be described as a marine mammal roast session. The whale circled my 15 ft ugly stik surf rod like it was evaluating its life choices. It even nudged my 6.2 1 spinning reel with its nose, as if to say, “Really? This is what you spent your money on?”
I tried everything. I cast my 6 foot ugly stik gx2 until my arms felt like noodles. I even broke out the 3d printed ice fishing gear, which the whale seemed to find especially amusing. At one point, I’m pretty sure it laughed at my 2nd hand carp gear.
I didn’t catch a single fish that day. But I did learn a few things:
Whales have no respect for 3d roach savage gear.
A 15 ft ugly stik surf rod is excellent for waving dramatically at marine life.
Sometimes, the fish aren’t biting—but the drones are filming, and the whales are judging.
So if you’re ever feeling down about your fishing skills, just remember: somewhere out there, a guy with a 1 piece ugly stik is being silently mocked by a whale. And that guy is absolutely me.