I do just as much Vertical jig fishing as anybody, and I can tell you that I enjoy fishing the 10 foot Ozark for it's lightness, just the right bend and backbone and it's give when setting the hook in shallow water. The 11 footer is too stiff in my opinion when fishing shallow or dipping shallow water cover, when setting the hook it tears too big of a hole and you will lose more big fish. For me in general it is just a funnier rod to catch and fight a crappie with. The 11 footer while heavier has a place in bigger boats and in open deeper water brush piles. If I was you I would buy two 10's and 2 11's and forget about a 12 footer. If you hold that arm out there all day your going to feel that 12 footer allot sooner as you get older. What ever you do get a small quality spinning reel to put on the end. The spinning reel is just a smoother reel to fight crappie with and to fish deep water more effectively by letting line coming off the spool more freely. The small level winds you see some people have on these poles is like cranking a jack in the box handle and don't take up line quick enuff especially in deep water. I guess they are alright in shallow water but would'nt you rather have an outfit that can function well both in deep and shallow water. My 2 cents.