Many of the lower cost rods tend to be weak in the butt section - the area where you want some muscle for fighing large fish. Five to seven piece rods tend to be suspect in this area. You might look a the Redington CPS and RS3 models, Bass Pro Gold Cup and Cabelas XST as well as the TFO Professional and TiCr models. You also might find a discontinued Winston Ibis or St. Croix Avid for a good price.