Find a nice used St. Croix Avid 7' Medium Fast. They can be found in your price range. You can throw a wide range of baits with this stick.

*Oops, just saw the previous 7'MF post. x2 then.

For plastics the rod is everything and I catch a lottttttttttttt of fish, 322 LMB so far this year and over 250 of them on plastics. I credit my very sensitive rods for my success.

You have stated on other threads that you fish every day, since we are 300+ days into the year, you are averaging but 1 fish a day, imo hardly a lot of fish. Seldom a day goes by I don't catch over 5( conservative as I fish salt and fresh daily) fish and I really don't considered that to be a lot, I know guys that out fish me, I'm a lousy fisherman. Lucky for me my fish are sizable enough where sensitivity is not issue but backbone is, I mostly use plastics, DOA being my go to. For fresh water one of my rods is clarus spinning, sensitive enough to detect any little dink.

I didnt start fishing this year until April so Ive only been fishing for 200 days this year and even though 320+ fish is not that much, since I only get to fish for maybe an hour most days, its a decent amount of fish caught for time spent fishing and I do not consider myself a very good fisherman.

For under $100 I would buy a St.Croix Mojo Medium fast rod

"MBC70MF / Plastics

A great rod for fishing soft plastics including Senko®-style baits. Ideal for tubes, grubs, small worms, light jigs, small spinnerbaits and buzzbaits."

It is lacking in power a little bit for power fishing but you will be able to throw a variety of lures and use different techniques from small baits to large.  They cost $89.00 and are available at most all major retailers.  I have one of their 6'8" MHXF spinning rods and I use it for nearly all my spinning applications.  I have caught fish with everything from a small 1/4" crankbait to a 1/2 oz jig skipped under docks.  I know you are looking for a casting rod for your citica and I have only used the spinning rod, but the MBC70MF would be the closest comparable rod they have in casting.  I would highly recommend their line of Mojo Bass rods.

Looks like everyone is chiming in with their favorites.  And that's to be expected with a question like "what's the best rod?".

I highly doubt any of this has been useful to the original poster.

....this thread could be endless.  :-/