I am rather rough on my fishing rods and have learned the hard way to avoid the graphite rods. Bang the tip against the gunnel and next time it goes into the downrigger (well maybe not the next time--but soon), snap. I now use cheap fibreglass rods, for downrigging. I use 9ft Diawa wilderness, and have had no problems with them. If I know that I won't be using a flasher then I will use better rods, but for all practical purposes IMO you do not need an expensive rod when playing a salmon when using a flasher. Of course if I win the lottery my opinion may differ, but right now I have better uses for my money.