I had the same problem. berry has 12 foot ugly stiks I think, but the 12 foot heavy model is only rated 40 pound test, which is not that big of a deal, as long you have the proper reel. the only thing was, the lure rating was only 12 oz. so I opted for the extra heavy model. 12 foot ugly stik. its rated 50 pounds and the lure rating is 24 oz. so you can chuck a sheit load of lead across the river. i had to shorten the butt end about half a foot, cause i like to brace the rod end against my hips. before that the end of the rod was between my legs. not a very pleasant feeling. this rod is almost unbreakable and casts quiet far. that's the model nr. BWC 1102 12 foot. it took the tackle store about one week to order it in for me.