Hey Homie,
I'll NEVER spend big money on a rod again! It's just not necessary and I would rather put that money into reels or electronics.
To your question, I'll run Daiwa 1062 M's in the winter and 1062 H's in the summer and down at Buoy 10 on the lower Columbia.
Great feel, excellent quality,but the real deal: I've been running them for over three years now and have NEVER BROKEN A SINGLE ONE!!!
The Daiwa DXS is a $100 price point rod and if you do a little shopping...