hi florito, welcome to the forum. i'm quite new here too and i'm loving it! the guys here are just so knowledgeable and friendly! i've learnt alot and will continue to learn from them here..
allow me to share my 0.0002 cents worth with you.
based on your target species and weight, and not forgetting how much you're willing to invest, below are some of the rods I've paired with the DF with quite good results. Not all belongs to me though, how I wish they were
I'd also like to add, perhaps if your budget allows and with all due respect to the DF, you might like to consider the Stella 18000SW HG as one of your go-to-reel as well. Both reels have (and will continue to have) a perpetual comparison of who's better. In my opinion, there's really no one outstanding reel as both reels, in my opinion, has its pros and cons but both performs quite outstandingly (except the first generation of the DF where the drag was absolute crap. by the way, I own one and had the drag upgraded to carbontex)
In terms of pairing the perfect rod with your reel of choice, it too involves other factors for consideration; like your fitness level, how comfortable you are with the set-up. Remember you'd need to be as comfortable as possible and choosing a rod that fits you and your style specifically is of paramount importance. The weight of the reel fully loaded, rod with a heavy popper/stickbait can add up to quite a hefty weight when you're casting and chugging/popping. To top it off, when you've a monster of a fish hooked, the pulls and runs of the fish plus all your equipments' weight will most definitely take its toll on even the most experienced angler. And, there will be times when you're casting all day long without even a sniff from the finned species. So all these you'd have to take into consideration.
These are the rods that I've personally used with the DF and Stella, and for me, I personally love the Monster Hunter, Wild Violence, HOTS Gipang, El Toros and the JM. The rest were not really my cup of tea but it doesn't mean they're not good. (one man's meat another's poison)
1) CARPENTER Discovery Journey DJ-83MH
2) CARPENTER LGM SUPER POPPING SP78EXH (this rod is quite difficult to locate now. a check with your preferred local tackle store may help)
3) CARPENTER Monster Hunter 79HX or the 80H
4) CARPENTER Wild Violence WV83XH
5) HOTS Gipang 77 XXXH or XXH
6) SMITH GTK-77BG Keyolhu (a tad too soft for me)
7) SMITH WRC-Komodo Dragon
PATRIOT DESIGN World combat GTZ Diamond 77 (i call this rod The Punisher aka the Broomstick)
9) JIGGING MASTER GT Monster 78
10) KAISER El Toro 150GT & 180GT (korean made, not too heavy on the wallet and most importantly, performs like its more famous cousins)
