So I spent on a day on Narragansett Bay (RI) with my favorite Captain and after an hour with a Sage RPL+ 9'6" 8wt and a RIO OUtbound line, the arm/shoulder said enough! I moved to the Sage Xi2 9wt with the same line. Of course that rod is lighter but te difference was significant. The 9 foor is the way to go for me. Thanks all for your comments.
DAve