to me, the 79R is useable but not ideal for stickbaits. That said, we're talking probably 150g onwards and probably more sinking/sub-surface than pure surface stickbait. Mind you, we're talking a PE10 rod here and at this stage, the only specialised PE10 stickbait rods on the market are the Ripple offerings in the Ultimo H range (79 and 83)
If you want PE8, the Coral Viper is as good a rod as you will find for this purpose.
Dan, if you want a rod specifically for stickbaits only, then I'd be looking at a stickbait rod like a TBL711 or a Ripple 79MH. The EP85 will be fine but I think the stickbait rods import just that little bit more action. The most amazing rod for working stickbaits I have come upon is the Blue Chaser 83/40 but its a kingfish rod. I'm not sure how it will stand up to GTs, but I will test this out sometime!