We fish downriggers and it is very important to monitor the tip of the rod as we get lots of shakers or soft strikes, which strip bait and thus terminate fishing. Some rods are very soft in the tip and the last two feet they seem to be straight, making it difficult to notice a strike or shaker. Trying to keep the belly out of the line, we keep a fair amount of stress on the rod. If I use a stiffer rod it takes away the fun and you still can't see a light strike. I'm hoping the xcf 903 is the rod, can you confirm. I fish 25# topper on 40# braided. 20# or 25# leader. Diawa Saltist 20 HA. A 9' rod fits the celing of my cabin. I tried the CG 86 MHC, which I like, but it broke. Any other suggestions? Corky