Out of all my rod/reel set ups my favorite is a Pro Qualifier on a 6'6" MH/F Extreme Rod.  It just fishes very nicely and there ain't much I can't do with it.

There are many good option in the $150 range.  My advice to you would be to buy the best rod you can afford. When I was younger, I bought a lot of $60-100 rods and since then I have replaced them all with better rods.  Go ahead and get one quality rod rather than 2 or 3 budget rods. Then save up and buy another quality rod later on down the road.  Take good care of them and they will last you forever. For $150 I would look hard at a Poweel Max 3D or an Irod Genesis II. You can buy the Powell for $100 right now at sheltonsclothing.com. As for the Irod, look at e 7'4" H rod. It is sweet!