I posed the same question last year here on this forum. The answer that worked for me was a 9 foot 6 weight built on a matrix blank, lined with a 7 weight bass taper. The rod isn't too much to fight the little guys, plenty to fight the big ones, and the heavier line will launch even the heaviest clouser minnow, deceiver type, or deer hair diver. It truly is a cannon. I have fished this setup all season, it fits the bill for river fishing for smallmouth to a tee. Swap out the bass taper, for an intermediate 6 weight line for deeper water, or a 6 weight floater for big river trouting.