Scott, I think one of the first considerations that you need to keep in mind when buying a rod is whether you can handle the rod in the first instance. There is no point buying a rod that is going to break you. You are far better off getting a rod you can manage and doing the best you can on a big fish than on getting a rod you cannot manage and being brought to your knees within a few short minutes to the point where you cannot fight the fish.
i think you may find that the 79R is stronger than you think. The rod can handle up to PE10 and you will find that notwithstanding its forgiving nature, there is a fair bit of steel down low. You've probably got the right rod for 90% of people here. You've got to be confident that the rod you have in your hand is one you can handle under heavy load for fifteen minutes.
if you haven't done a lot of poppering before, perhaps the best thing you could do is go to Shoalwater with what you have and see how you go. You will find you have a much better idea on what suits you and the action you like after one trip. With Nomad, even if you break a rod, they have plenty that you can use. You will then be in a much better position to know what you want with more certainty. if you come back and tell us how you found the 79R and GT special, that will make it far easier to suggest a rod that just off the cuff.
You will find that popping rods are all a compromise. Shorter rods with a nice progrssive action like the Komodo Dragon are a dream to fight a fish with. On the other hand, you will find that you always wish it was just that bit longer when you're casting. Something like a WV is a dream to cast with due to its 8 foot length but when you have a big fish circling under the boat, it's a back- breaker. A SP78UHL is magic when you're popping huge chuggers but you won't think it's magic after five minutes on a huge fish.
As I think I've written before, I wish I had a rod that could cast like a Long Reef, work big chuggers like a UHL, work stickbaits like a TBL, weighed as much as a BC73 and as soon as I had hooked a fish, had the curvature of a Coral Viper or would shrink to the length of a jigging rod.
I've found my taste in popping rods has changed quite significantly over time and it obviously has something to do with getting older and not being in the shape I used to be in. I now like PE8 rods like the SP80M, CV79 and the Blue Lagoon TBL711 and I'm not ashamed to say it. These rods will also handle PE10 provided you now how to fish sensible angles. There are still places where I need the broomsticks like the UHL for big chuggers but I'll avoid using rods like these if I can!
There is always a danger is seeking views from people on rods without knowing anything about them. A rod I like may be completely unsuitable for you and vice versa.
