I purchased this combo from Bass Pro Shops about a month ago and have taken it out fishing a few times on a small pond and a lake. I have been very thrilled with how smooth it casts, I've been able to cast out nearly an additional 30ft on average. The tip of the rod tends to bend and catapult my line and bait a little farther with same amount of energy I use on my other combos. The retrieval is quite smooth as well and the rod doesn't bounce around as much as my older rods which I've owned for three years now.
I don't think I will use this in small creeks due to the 7ft length and getting caught up in overhangs and trees. For kayak and bank fishing this is an excellent combo and the price is right. This past weekend I had several fishermen ask me if I was using an Ugly Stick because the white tip.
If you are looking for a good rod & reel combo for freshwater fishing and don't want to spend a ton of money I highly recommend the BPS Brawler.