If I had to rank the rods in my boat for throwing lures:
1. Phenix Black Diamond (custom made & carbon fiber blank and $$$$)
2. St Croix Avid or Star Plasma (about $200)
3. Falcon Coastal XG (about $90-100)
4. St Croix Premier
5. Star Stellar Lite (can't remember price but not much)
Never tried the St Croix Tidemaster and don't like the Mojo. I would think there a Tidemaster that would be a perfect match for a Penn BG 3000 reel though.
The Loomis Greenwaters are nice but about $200 and up. The E6X looks nice; never understood why GLoomis uses atleast 1-2 guides less than St Croix, Star, and others though.
My St Croix Avid is a 7'6" ML I bought to throw very small jigs to bonefish. Unfortunately, it gets held a lot more than it gets cast.
The most versatile rod I have is an old 7' 8-17lb GLoomis GL2 live bait rod ($165). It's my yellowtail rod but does great with everything from corks to topwaters, spoons, and soft plastics.
I no longer use the Star Stellar Lite since I have others. Star's warranty is no longer over-the-counter lifetime replacement. That ended a long time ago. Still good rods but that was a big selling point. Thier new rod above the Plasma looks nice but is $$$.
Stick with a 7' ML and Med action, fast action rod for throwing lures. My Falcon Bull Red Spin (7' Heavy) has handeled a 5' blacktip shark and a 6' bull shark but absolutely sucks for throwing the lures I typically throw. Falcon's 7' Medium split grip popping cork is among my favorite rods and costs $90. Balances great with a light 2500-3000 series reel and is easy to cast accurately when using very light lures or live shrimp. However, although it casts well and is good with the smaller mirrodines and small spoons with treble hooks, its not the best chocie for weedless soft baits and you lose a lot of action with larger sub-walk lures.
I love my high-dollar light action inshore rods but to tell you the truth it's an indulgence... a little lighter, a little more sensitive, and titanium guides won't rust but only you can decide if it's worth an extra $100-$250. If I wanted to pick up another $100 rod there is no doubt it would be a Falcon or maybe the TFO Signature.