You'll get a lot of different answers on this one, but I love my St. Croix Legend Walleye Tournament Series rod and Shimano Stradic reel. A tough combo to beat. The rod is 6' 7", M action with an extra fast tip. Rated up to 5/8 oz. lures. Lifetime warranty. This is the lightest rod I've ever held in my hand.
-Hooch-

 

as hooch said,there are almost as many choices as anglers.
but along his line of thought,i like a 6 1/2-7 foot med. rod w/fast tip for casting jigs/spoons,or vertical jigging. i think a slower tip would be better for cranks,but since you're looking for a do-all combo,my personal choice wiould be the fast tip.
shorter jigging rod is nice for boat fishing,but for all around fishing(boat and bank/stream),my personal choice is still the longer one.
as for brands,there are several good ones to choose from.shimano reels are hard to beat.i,ve used them for years.i also have gone back to the mitchells in the last couple years,and for the money,find them hard to beat.
my personal favorite combos consist of either a shimano 2000 series or mitchell 300 coupled with a berkley rod.

 

You cannot fault the advice given in the previous posts. I like the 6.5 foot medium action St. Croix Avid series rod coupled with a Shimano front drag reel in the $100 range. For line, I like both Fireline and Power Pro in the 10 pound range depending on what works best for the water and species you pursue. Great combo for the $'s. I have cut down the extended handle on all my spinning rods except those used for steelhead and ocean fishing. In my opinion, the shorter butt makes it less cumbersome to jig or pump cast as the rod can be held closer to your body.
Many individuals will use a 1/2 or 5/8 ounce rated rod to cast and snap jig 3/4 and heavier lures which will eventually stress the rod and result in failure.
Quite often the rod manufacturer is blamed which is unfair. If you are going to occasionallyfish the heavier end of the lure spectrum, consider a second
less costly rod then simply transfer the reel and put on the spare spool with heavier line. The Berkley Ugly stick, though heavier, cannot be beat for the $'s and the abuse it will take. Ugly's are heavier than most rods of the same rating but that shouldn't make a lot of difference once you are in the 3/4 ounce lure range.
Whatever you do, put the reel on the rod and see how you like the feel prior to purchasing.

 

shortdrift are u saying to cut the butt end of the rod down, will help with jigging and casting?
it looks like i am gong to look in to the st. croix rod and the shimano reel what do u guys think i will have somewhere between $200 and $300 bucks in the rod and reel?
and where did u get your rod and reels?
thanks

 

I have their credit card, so I bought it from Cabela's. I do suggest you go to a shop that carries St. Croix, G Loomis, Berkley etc. rods and do a side by side comparison. You don't have to buy it there, just get an idea of what rod you definetly want. E-Bay can be a good place to find high dollar equipment for a lower price. If you go retail, you're looking at around $325 - 375 for the combo you describe. -Hooch-

 

Loomis rod 6-7 foot rod, the new penn reels live liner or slammer, they will last forever, rod will have a lifetime warrenty on it. I would say go to a sports show, cabelas, or bass pro and just try them out. To get a real good opinion go to Walleyecentral.com pro's might respond with there thoughts. All the suggestions below are good also, st croix is a tough rod to beat that's for sure. Rods really are based on personal preference. I am not saying Shimano reels are no good but I think they are garbage and will never own another one they break and the drag on them stink, the higher end ones (over $125) are probably better than the ones I have messed with but Penn are the best reels in my opinion that is all I will use. Don't overlook Diawas reels either my dad has a few tied to some St croix's and Fenwick rods I have used them for steelies and they worked good.

 

Lots of good suggestions here so far. IMO-spend the $ to get good equipment and take care of it and you won't regret it. It seems you are willing to spend the $. My personal favorite combo would be the St. Croix Avid series and a Shimano Stradic reel. About $150 for the rod and $125+ for the reel. Also, IMO if you can afford a second combo, a less expensive rod might suit your needs better for casting cranks. Most of the St Croix rods I've used have tips that are too fast for casting, especially if you are thinking of using braid or Fireline. I'd go with a good rod in a shorter version-say 6' or 6'2" w/fast or extra fast tip for vertical jigging/spoons. Much easier to hold a shorter, lighter rod all day while vertical jigging. A longer rod (6'6" or 7') with a slower action is more suited for casting/cranking. You can use one rod for all these different techniques, but not nearly as effectively as using rods with charicteristics suited for the specific use. In summary-longer, softer rod for casting/cranking, shorter, faster, more sensitive rod for vertical jigging.

Tim

 

One way you might consider going...

Cabela's sells "combos", some of which have nice Shimano spinning reels on them. The "combo" with a Cabela's-brand IM7 graphite rod is usually only $20 more than the reel by itself. Buy the combo with a little larger rod for cranks and heavier jigs. Then buy the St. Croix with an extra fast action for day-to-day jigging (like the AS63MXF).

If you wait until spring, Dick's Sporting Goods often has similar deals. At one point last year, they had a sale on reels and threw in their "Quest" brand of IM7 rod for free. I got bought one on this deal last year and while it's no St. Croix, it does make a very nice backup.