I really like the Cert. Pro X96 JC. Its a sensitive rod and works great for casting on rivers. I have used this rod on steelhead, chum, silvers and even pinks without any issues. I do a lot of float fishing so the extra length makes controlling your float quite easier. As for line, I would say line it up with Power-pro 65lbs test which is about 12 lbs equivalent for line dim. I like power-pro for the line floats making controlling a float just that much easier