combo help

I'm still learning a lot about fishing tackle and i have another question. I was wondering what would be a good size all around fishing rod and reel to use on rivers and small streams for catching mostly smallmouth and the occasional largemouth(or whatever bites my lure.) Lately i've been using a 4'6 ultralight combo and its really fun to hook into smallmouths but it seems a little light for some of the lures i like to throw or when i hook into a big freshwater drum or carp. the lures i like are small crank baits and topwaters and inline spinners and sometimes i use live bait so i dont want anything too big. my next lightest combo is medium action 5'10" ugly stick and it doesnt seem sensitive enough for the smaller streams/ smaller fish and it doesnt cast my lighter lures far enough. I was thinking about getting a light action rod or a medium light action since i have an ultralight and a medium action combo What would you guys recommend? I'm on a budget so i am not really looking for brands i am just looking for sizes. I'm thinking something that i can use 6lb test and still throw a roostertail.
Thanks for any help.

Uglystick pro lite combo. I own a few. From monster carp to perch it's my goto. Costs under 50 bucks.

I agree on the ugly sticks. Go with a light or a light-medium and if you want to make sure you can cast a spinner, get a lightweight braided line and run a short leader of mono on it. you will be able to cast light spinners much much further with an 8lb braided line than you can with 6lb mono.

The line is a little expensive, so I run a leader to keep from cutting the end of my line to change lures and for the improved invisibility of the mono/fluoro leader to get more bites.

the guy is fishing for trout and smallmouth bass, not muskies and catfish. Why would you recommend a medium heavy action?

NIghtwolf, I fish almost exclusively for smallmouth bass in a small river and for trout in streams. A medium is the heaviest I would ever go. I used a light action this year and It was a blast, although it felt a little light with a 19" smallie on. I would go with a medium Light. Ugly Stick or Guide series by gander mt are both good. You will be hard pressed to break any rod when fighting a smallie or a trout, so go with the brand you want. The braided line will give you all the sensitivity you could ever want. Just keep a finger on the line and you will feel every pebble.

thanks for the replies everyone. like hiclasshilbilly said i am a little bit confused for the medium heavy rod action recommendations unless there is something i am missing. that just seems like i would hydroplane any fish i caught right to me and take out any of the sport to me. i have never used braided line before, so i know nothing about it. do you guys thing it would make that big of a difference? I think i am going to go with a medium light rod. the only thing that concerns me about ugly stick's are the medium action one i own isnt that sensitive and the reel it came with is a hunk of junk, but i like that they are supposedly indestructible. I kind of want a 2 piece rod for transportation purposes but i hear that decreases the sensitivity greatly.does anybody know if any of the pre put together combos are worth it from cabela's or gander mtn. A lot of them are on sale now online.

ORIGINAL: pghmarty
Match the rod to the weight of the lure.

That's great advice.

The label "Medium Heavy" is very misleading and has a lot less to do with the strength of the rod for fighting of fish, and a lot more to do with what styles / presentations and weights the baits are that work best with the rod.

Ultra lights are made for light line, light baits. They're not an ultralight because you're only supposed to fish for bluegills with them. And because you can fight and land a 4# small mouth with one, it doesn't mean that it's the best approach - unless that's a challenge that you prefer. And of course it doesn't mean that Medium Heavies must then be made for Musky. I caught my biggest fish ever - 150 pound reef shark, without a rod or reel. Hand line, wrapped around a wood paddle. Very primitive, it was a blast, and I had a lot less working for me than an 5' ultralight and large capacity reel with 10 pounds of maximum drag pressure.

Anyway, when you get up to rods that are normally considered MH, you're likely getting into rods that are dealing with 1/4 oz. bare minimum, up to 3/4 oz. or an ounce lures. Even that shouldn't be considered black and white. One manufacturer's MH on a 6'6" rod might have a very similar action to another manufacturer's Medium on a 7' rod. The tapers can vary greatly. You could get excellent fighting power on the lower half of the blank of a 7' "Medium" or "Medium Light" cranking stick. But that tip is extremely forgiving, sometimes a great parabolic action for fighting a fish on a crank - not wanting to rip the treble hooks - while also attaining a great action for casting moderately light crank baits.

Line ratings and weight ranges are what matter most, so the experts say. I'm probably still an amateur when it comes to this stuff, but I've really tried to match my rods to my intended fishing presentations recently. There are probably much more knowledgeable folks who could add a great deal.

ORIGINAL: pghmarty
If I plan on using 3/8 to 1/2oz buzz baits for bass- 7' med heavy rods fit into that weight range 

I agree, I was using a 6'8" MH Shimano Cumara for buzz baits, among many other things. It's great for weights up to 1 ounce.

ORIGINAL: hiclassHilbilly

the guy is fishing for trout and smallmouth bass, not muskies and catfish. Why would you recommend a medium heavy action?

NIghtwolf, I fish almost exclusively for smallmouth bass in a small river and for trout in streams. A medium is the heaviest I would ever go. I used a light action this year and It was a blast, although it felt a little light with a 19" smallie on. I would go with a medium Light. Ugly Stick or Guide series by gander mt are both good. You will be hard pressed to break any rod when fighting a smallie or a trout, so go with the brand you want. The braided line will give you all the sensitivity you could ever want. Just keep a finger on the line and you will feel every pebble.

 
Read the question!  "Fishing RIVERS and streams" "ALL ROUND rod".  I don't generally take my medium heavy to "creeks" like Oil creek but I have LOTS of times and it is just fine.  Never been in a situation where my Medium heavy lost me a fish.  I like a little stiffer rod than most but it's my opinion.  Then you can use it in erie "perchin"  I see guys all the time with too light of rods and I'm out fishing them 5 to 1 because I feel the strikes.

sounds like a great deal, i was actually looking at that rod bc i want a cork handle. I was going to order a combo online but i've decided to wait and check some models out in person when i get the time.

ORIGINAL: pghmarty

I bought a 5' 6" light Ugly Stick with a Phluger reel Saturday at an estate sale.
It has is the better version with the cork handle and looks as new
The price was right $12.50
It was $25 but half off at end of day
I never really liked a light action or a rod that short but will add it to my other 50-60 rods
I picked it up then put it back about 3 times trying to decide if I wanted it.

Did the same thing with a glass fly rod that I did not buy because label did not give weight-I probably should of splurged and spent the 5 bucks.
I should of bought it to sell on ebay but when I plan on selling fishing stuff it just ends up being hoarded instead.

What reel?

http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/albums/mitchell/Mitchell_Avocet_G500UL.pdf

Did not see any capacity chart but 6 lb should be ok.

you can put 40lb line on that reel, but you wont get much on. The weight and yardage numbers on the reel are just a guide for the typical line used on the reel and the length you will get on.

Braided line has a much higher pound per diameter ratio. Example: 8 lb braid is the diameter of 2 pound mono, so you can get alot more on a reel