Ryan,
I would NOT buy the stock 800L or 800XL. If you are going to buy a factory made rod I would look at a Graphtec, Shimano, or Allstar rod. Maybe a Wade Rod or any 8' rod that felt right, but the factory Calstars are designed for fishing in the ocean, not for the big plugs. The fact that the blanks are great for it doesn't mean that they are great when wrapped with chrome guides and under wraps on the guides.

I have the 800L, not the 800XL, but I always recommend people to get the 800XL because it is a better all around rod than the 800L. The 800L is way too much rod for the 7" plug. It shines with the 12" plugs and it's just fine for the 9". I have been using my Rainshadow SW976 for the 7" lures and it's fine for the 9" as well, but it's not the greatest with a 12" lure or a heavy bait like an osprey. I could probably use an all around rod, but what I'm actually going to do is try to get another SW967 so I can have a light plug rod and a 5" swimbait rod rigged up at the same time.

You should ask Mike Shaw how many 8 foot plug rods he has :-) I think at least a dozen last time I was at his house!