Welcome aboard!
I highly suggest a wacky rig, as well!
Buy some green pumpkin, or watermelon, or junebug color
stick worms - you can find them at Walmart, or Bass Pro,
Dick's Sporting Goods, etc. I prefer 4" size, but 5" is great.
For hooks, I recommend Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot
in size 1, or Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap, also in size 1.
Learn to tie them on with a Palomar knot.
As far as rods, your sisters' rods are fine, but your Ugly
Stik is on the light side - by that I mean it is soft, noodly,
and doesn't have a lot of hook-setting power. At least in
my estimation. I've owned Ugly Stiks, particularly the Lite
version. BUT, I'm not saying don't use it. If you have braid
on your spinning reel, that will help out. I recommend
Power Pro, for that rod, probably 15lb test.
When you cast a wacky rig, you want to throw it near docks,
or structure like an overhanging tree, a downed tree, a drain
(if in a drainage pond), and so forth.
Key with wacky rig is patience. You let the worm do its shimmy
as it sinks in the water column. Deeper the water, the more
patient you need to be. You can lift it, then let it sink again. You
can even give it some shake from time to time.
To rig it, simply bend the worm in half and hook through the bend
perpendicular with the hook. That's it. Simple, very effective.
Good luck!
