For anything that requires feel I will use Kistler rods. If I am not touching the rods and my boys are using them I hand them Bass Pro stuff, they seem to like it, and I don't cringe when they do what boys do. The BPS rods are durable.

Mostly off the rack BPS rods and Garcia 4600C reels for me and I seem to do pretty well with them. Never owned a $300 rod so can't compare them but I've never had one of mine break or eyes come loose and they cast just fine so I'm happy.

Dobyns Extreme for me. The dobyns is just a very sensitive, very strong well built rod and they have different models for price and different ways of fishing. I had a 743 Extreme Dobyns down red fishing a while back. I caught a 27# red fish that I had been fighting for a while he started towards the boat, and it looked like he was giving up. When the fish got to the boat he headed straight toward the trolling motor and before we could get it up he wrap the line around the shaft so I hit the button and let the fish take a little run while we where getting the trolling motor up and I was thumbing the reel to try and keep the fish on while getting the line off. I hit the spool a little to hard once as the red was just taking off on another long run he wrap the rod around the shaft for just a second a complete wrap till I could get off the spool. we unwrapped the rod and line got the trolling motor up and I landed the fish. I caught about twenty more big reds over the next couple days and no problems with the rod. The guide was so amazed he is buying dobyns for him and his clients said he has been red fish guiding for 17 years and never seen anything like that rod for strength and durability.

For the money, I use Abu Garcia Veritas Rods and never had an issue with them at all.

Dobyns all the way!
they are very durable rods. I use the SA/SS 735 and SS/SA 766 flip 95% of the time. I like throwing big worms and big jigs. these models are so light and sensitive you almost forget you're holding them and you can literally almost feel the fish breathing on them LOL. and customer service is top notch if you ever find yourself having to get one replaced. plus they have a wide price line ranging from 79$ to 359$ that targets different fishing styles and levels.

All Falcons, from the Originals to the Cara's. I probably have 75% of the Cara series

G-Rods International ( not G Loomis )
Megabass
Falcon

St Croix rods, Mojo and legend tournament.
Legend rods for soft/light bites
Mojo for moving baits.

Power Tackle Rods

Kistler

Dobyns champion and Duckett for cranking, t rigs, & other plastics. Megabass for dropshot.

NRX, GLX and CRB series loomis.....

Dobyns or G.Loomis if you have no budget

Sorry for the late reaction Danny ,
Im not so active on tff but i would be glad to test firs some of your rods before i make any decissions.
Kind Regards Stijn

Thank you for the advice i will make some contact with Ernie he is a friend of my.