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I use Ugly Stik rods for the three that I take.

I like the Ugly Stik as well. I think for a reasonably priced rod, they're pretty hard to beat. Not equal to the high-end rods, but will take a beating and if you should manage to break or lose one, it's no big deal.

I take a 7' medium action, and 2- light action 7' rods.
I take 2 reels, each with spare spools with a different weight line.
This allows me to utilize all the rods for any species in the event I damage my rod of choice. The more flexible your gear selection is, the better you can deal with whatever comes your way.

I also take some spare rod tip guides for each size rod along with some rod tip glue/super glue and little emery paper in zip-lock repair kit.
I'd bet broken rod tips are probably at the top of the list of rod mis-haps ;)