Waterloo
First let me say....I am not bashing anyone, and the others are high quality rods, sooooo.......I would have to say that they are, by far, the best rod I have ever thrown. I have fished with the Laguna's, Kistler, Rodsmith's, and All Star Ti's (all solid). The Waterloo line is the lightest and most comfortable hands down. You can throw these rods ALL DAY with a large topwater and never get fatigued. The HP Slam is an excellent all around rod that you can throw anything from spoons to Super Spooks. The new HP Slam Mag is a little more for the bigger baits like the Spooks. It has a heavier action, but wieghs the same as the lighter action HP Slam. I can't say enough about these rods. I am sure the others have good customer service, but I am not sure if you could get much better than the service that you will get from Jimmy and his crew. Just pick one up, you don't even have to cast it. You will be amazed how light it is. Good Luck, give the guys over there a call 361-573-0300.