I wrapped two 9 foot seekers in the last year. One was the fiberglass 690J and the other the composite CSJ90. The composite makes the rod a lot lighter and easier to cast if you're not a big guy. Either one is a great 20# jig stick for tossing med. sized surface irons.

If you're on a tight budget, I wouldn't spend the extra cash on a calstar. I've got a bunch of seekers and just love 'em. For the reel, you might check out the shimano TLD star 15/30. Bigfishtackle.com has it on sale for $80 right now. Not a bad deal. They've got the Daiwa Sealine-X 30SHV for $110 as well. Those things freespool very nicely and I'm sure cast just as well.

TL,
Adam