I wanted to hear thoughts on rod brands in a budget structure. I've dropped some money on nicer rods in the past two years but still have some "cheap" rods in rotation. There are notable differences but not always in favor of expense. What is your recommendation per price range? What is a great general-purpose rod for each range? I've heard good stuff of the Shimano SLX but that is a lower budget.

$200 - $300
1) Kistler KLX and Helium rods. I like them a lot. My taste for jig, worm, bottom baits is MH and fast but in Kistler's lines, I'd step up to Heavy to get a fast rod in their KLX product line. I believe this changes per their product lines as the Helium seems faster. The Helium is over $300. I'm still a bit confused about the LMH power. I broke a used Kistler and they honored the replacement cost and delivered quickly. Great customer service! The power rating seems one grade lower than competitors.
2) Dobyns Champion XP. I have just one. Its glass and works very well. I can use this with heavy fluoro for a wide range of baits. It's a bit heavy to throw all day. I wish I had the split grip instead of whole cork.


$100 - $200
I think we lose a lot of sensitivity here and down.
1) BPS Signature Series rods. I have some <$100 BPS rods but they don't have the sensitivity of the Signature line. The spinning rod I have is a bit tip heavy as a 7' MF rod. This is my current drop shot rod. It lacks a good hook holder. Why can't BPS use double wire for hook holders like everyone else?
2) H2O TAC-40. Retail around $130 but often on sale in August for $50 or $60. I've had three of these and they perform well but the micro guides have to go. They don't work well with an Alberto knot. I lost one (overboard) and repaired another. The third is a XHF and sits unused as I don't throw big swimbaits often. Their HF rod feels more like a MF in other brands. Similar to Kistler, their power rating seems a grade lower than others.
3) Ark Tharp series. Tackle Warehouse (?) ran a BOGO offer. You got two for $120. My buddy and I split this. The magnum or HF is called the Guntersville. It's a bit stiff. I like a little more tip for casting. I compared it to a broom stick but he loves his enough to buy two more.
4) Dobyn's Fury series. I've only one and it's a spinning rod. It's a 7' MF and is a great general-purpose rod. I see a lot of guys using the frog rod in this series. The 735C baitcaster was on my list for a while but I declined to buy it yesterday and chose a cheaper All Star Classic Series rod. Is this rod as sensitive as a $200 rod? More? This is what drove me to post this. See the next segment.
5) Daiwa Tatula. I see this rod recommended a lot as a budget-performance rod. I only have a MF. I use it for squarebills and cranking. I don't think it has the muscle for anything else (worm, lipless, etc).
6) Abu Garcia Veritias PLX - I bought two because a broke the first one. It was a HF and I landed a 7+ on it. Later that day I broke the rod by backing into it. It is my current frog rod. Very light but very strong. I've never tested it's sensitivity.

$100 & below
This segment could be broken into two groups as $50+ and sub-$50 but I don't have that much experience to offer any value in both ranges. So, I made them one group.
1) Shimano SLX rods. I don't own one but included due to its popularity.
2) KastKing Perigee II. It's durable. Strong for it's power rating. I don't mean broomstick. Just a good backbone and tip. I have one. It's 7' MHF. It's a great general purpose rod. Largest fish is a 8.5lb LMB. Lots of 5+ LMB caught on it. Very much a workhorse. Similar to the BPS Bionic Blade in my opinion. I see it recommended for flipping. Similar to the Tatula HF.
3) BPS Bionic Blade. Strong and durable. Not very sensitive but not dull either. I love the grips on these. I have two and later cursed myself for even buying them when I was upgrading rods. However the MHF is my current chatter/spinner rod and I've reconsidered my initial thought. I hurt my arm and the Dobyn's XP was too much to throw all day. This is my substitute for the Dobyn's XP. I'd buy it again, especially if a good sale. However, the power rating seems very inconsistent. The MHF is spot on but the MF is more like a Medium Moderate. I keep it for cranking. It's not much for anything else.
4) 13 Fishing Fate Black. Sensitive but not well designed. The hook holder broke pretty early in use. The open grip in the foregrip flexes when setting the hook. You can feel the rod blank separate from the foregrip. I've landed a 6+ and a few 5lbs on it. It will hold a fish but the construction bothers me. Similar to the H2O.
5) All Star rods. I have a Nano and a Classic. The Nano is a HF and I use it for flipping. It has a double locking collar for the reel. I really like that. I caught my second Sharelunker on it this year, meaning it's strong. I was using it for A-rigs. Dri-tac grips are great. It's a workhorse but not the best sensitivity. I still love the rod. The Classic is new to me. This is where you're really going to cuss me and what made me post this. I bought it instead of the Dobyns Fury 735C. They seem to have the same action and feel. For that matter, its similar to the Kistler KLX MH power as well. It's only $50 compared to the $130 for the 735C. More for the KLX. I realize the cork is not as good. The reel seat seams the same. The eyes are double footed which I now prefer. The only technical draw back for the Classic is if the handle is not a blank through. I now understand that significance after owning a Berkley Lightning rod. The handle will tear in half where the blank ends.