thereeldeal (12/15/2007)gator blanks which are low quality....
....go with the ugly stick rods found at most tackle stores
did you know?....
gators andugly sticksare built to almost exactly the same specs. and in fact, there have been times when shakespeare (ugly stick manufacturer) got so backed up, the subbed out work to crowder rods (gator manufacturer). ever noticed the similarity of the actions in a gator and an ugly stick? and how they are made with the ridges left on the glass?
now to answer the original post, you can probably get a custom rod built around here for about the same (or maybe even less) than what you would spend on that key largo. mudhole has a pretty informative website for looking up specs on rods. but, key largo does build a good rod, thats one reason theyve been doing what they do for so many years now.
theres plenty of builders around this area, a few really good ones on here. just ask around! good luck in your search!