Try the new echo pin rod, looks very nice and has lots of back bone. If that's out of your price range I highly suggest the shimano clarus 13' 8-12 for winter and the shimano 11'#l 6-10 for summer, 99$ with a lifetime warranty, havnt had a single problem with them only downside is there a lil on the heavy side compared to the loomis 13' glx. Not shure about the wieght of the echo but all I've heard about it is good things

And okuma reels work fine mine almost 2 years old and still works great, I fish it 5 days a week and like it better than my raven matrix xl because its lighter