I got a rogue jr. swimbait rod off ebay for 50 bucks it is really nice for small to mid size baits, I cant really compare it to many other swimbait rods as I have not used too many but it is a great feeling rod it only weighs 4oz and is 7'9" so it is really light. Good luck let us know what you end up getting.
Hey let that Bass go I wanna catch her some day http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/tmcustoms/