I would lean towards a 7wt 9' because it will do everything. If you want to bass or saltwater fish, it will work for smallies, largemouth, night trout, bonefish, small stripers, hybrids, whites, almost anything that the run of the mill 5wt cannot do. Brand, I like either St. Croix or TFO for this task. The Pro (TFO) or the Reign (ST Croix) are both in the $130-150 range, leaving plenty of operating capital for a nice reel and line. Just my .02.