I'm definitely leaning towards giving a baitcaster a try.  Where I'm headed the fish get pretty big and my favorite baits are cranks which tend to be over 1/4 oz.  So a baitcaster will probably be perfect.  The one problem I'm having is finding a good 2 piece rod.  The only thing I've been able to find is the Shimano Compre at around $100 and the G Loomis Mag Bass at around $425.  Anyone know about anything in between?  I want to pair the rod with a Shimano Chronarch reel.  By the way, thanks for all the feedback so far.