One addition I want to make, and that’s regarding weight. Most better rods are lightweight to very lightweight, which adds to the pleasure of having them in hand. While the muscles are more relaxed I think that we are able to feel the smaller, almost imperceptible taps from fish bothering our baits. When I look for a rod, one of the deciding factors is the muscle on the top of the forearm. When I flip the rod, how much does that muscle have to work to flip and stop the rod? I think we’ve all handled some rods that we liked until we flip it around a little, then we frown a little and put it back in the rack. Some of them had a stout price tag too. Good rods are almost effortless to hold and balanced.