I will qualify my response by stating that I have only a couple of years trolling under my belt so my assessment may not be as mature as some of the more seasoned folks who hang out here. As already suggested, spend your money on the reels and go with inexpensive rods (<$50). As opposed to other styles of fishing where you have rod in hand and need to feel subtle strikes and all of the action happening under the water, choosing trolling rods is more about having those rod tips and angles consistent, and being able to manage the rods (how easily I can deploy, stow and store them). I prefer the one-piece or telescoping vs. two-piece rods, so that filters out a lot of choices. I currently run the BassPro/Cabela's DepthMaster 9" telescoping rods for my outside boards/dipsies and then Ugly Stik GX2 7' for the inside. I will probably move to all Ugly Stik 7-1/2' M/ML next year for consistency. The Ugly Stiks seem to be just powerful enough to handle pulling boards and divers, yet sensitive enough to give you a nice fight with the fish. And you can pick them up for $40 so you won't be too sad when one breaks.