Hey STLHDR, Something else to take into consideration is the warranties on all rods. I know some of the Cabela rods do & don't have warranties. Some of the expensive fly rods have a 25 year warranty. Not sure about the casting rods. I fish Loomis & Lamiglass for this reason. I bought a Loomis seconds blank in central Oregon 6 years ago & the factory has replaced it with a new rod twice. (& like I said, it was a 2nd) So like Eric said "you get what you pay for" is so true. Save your money for a couple months. In the long run you'll be glad you did. Good luck. Ric