snel6424

Thanks! Picked up 2 whopper ploppers. Wish they had more s-wavers though. Oh well!

Zako. Best there is.

I would go with a Dobyn's 692 sf or 702 sf. 703 if you want to be able to throw slightly larger plastics. Lews makes great reels, but I would pass on their rods. Another rod that I would recommend would be the Daiwa tatula xt series. But I think it would help if you chose what you wanted to do with it. A topwater rod is going to be very different than a dropshot rod. You'll get better suggestions if you narrow down your techniques.

Jigs

My local academy has several models of Dobyns Sierra casting rods on sale for $99 each.

Can you post/send me a pic of the receipt so I can try price matching the reel?

GrabAGun has the Curado K in 8.x.x for $135 with "Grab A Quote" option.

Regarding colors, when do you use what color?

T-Rig, senko, and jig

So for rods in that range, which have you found to be the most sensitive?

Falcon has the BuCoo SR 7'3" Med Hvy that might fit the bill. It is mod/fast and can handle lures ranging from 3/8-3/4oz Edit: and a 7'6" if you want a little bit longer rod for better casting distance.

Dobyn's Fury 703 would be a good one.