On December 4, 2015 at 9:51 AM, Cgrinder said:

The XX Flatside Special is what I use for 1.5's. Versatile rod, does a lot of things right. If you went for the Levante model, you'd have $150 left over to snag a gently used Shimano 50 or close to enough for a new Alphas SV. There's currently nothing USDM (reel-wise) in your price range that I'd personally buy new.

Curado I is available for $130ish if you look around. The Citica I retails at $150 and is a beast of a reel.

I truly enjoy my two combos kvd tour 7ft4 with Abu Garcia orra winch 5:4:1 for lipless and shallow cranks and on an occasion on the shore but mostly boat fishing my kvd tour 7ft11 paired with another winch for deep divers and yes these are both crankin series rods

Daiwa Tatula Medium Light,  TAT701MLRB. Perfect full handle grip, perfect taper for squarebills and other shallow cranks, & perfect parabolic blank. I like it better than my XX Flat Side Special and it costs half the price. FSS looks prettier but the TAT feels crisper in hand and can cast with further distance using the same reel.

It costs $150. With the remaining $200 you can get a pretty sweet reel of your choice! I personally prefer 7 gear ratio reels for squarebills though but it's personal preference so get what you want.