The yellow eagle claw 8' rod is my rod of choice. Dont get me wrong, there are much better rods out there. As many people that i take fishing and they like to walk on them, it makes it cheaper on me to replace them . They are a great rod for the money. I use 15-20lbs base on my real, and just enough to cover the spool one time. Use the 50lbs mono for a leader 3' at the end of the 80lbs main line. this will let you break it when hung up. it breaks easier than you think because there is no stretch. the TC line seems to want to float more than p-line. This is an advantage when fishing standing timber, as it does not sink and get hung up on the way back in. either line is great.