Moveon had some good suggestions. You kinda have to gauge it by the kinds of fishing you do and the places you fish. I used to think I'd like a bunch of heavy action equipment figuring it would give me some kind of advantage. As I fished and learned some things, my preferences moved toward more toward medium-medium heavy. If you haven't, you might like reading the Abu vs. Shimano posting.

Another thought, if $$$ is a big consideration, look on craigslist and ebay as well as the place on New Circle, since you're near Lexington. They have some nice, used stuff. I found a reel on craigslist last fall in Frankfort for cheap but it didnt have a scratch on it. If you're not sure or settled on a reel, don't get in a hurry. The right reel deal will find you.

This is not meant to be an endorsement of any entity, just trying to help someone think outside the box.