Travis-
I would seriously look towards a 9'6" but 9' will work...

Old Man-
Hard to say what is going on...if I ever run into you up on the Stilly, I will be more then happy to lend you a hand...ever make it down to Bellevue?...because if you do, I would be more then happy to give you a few casting pointers and troubleshoot your cast.
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Ryan S. Petzold
aka Sparkey and/or Special