Rod line ratings

Hi all,
I've read the "My gear picks" thread and noted what kinds of rods/reels people use, but was wondering about some specifics. Hoping some one can give feedback on the following questions...

1) What's the line rating of the poles you're using for say, 1/2 oz lures? (ie... 10 to 17lb line, 12 - 30lb line)
2) Who's the manufacture of the Hawaiian Gold rod that I hear mention of? Is it still available as I can't find much info on the web?

I want to build a rod that can handle Mark's 1/2 - 1 oz lures but don't want to build it too light that it can't handle the fish that might hit the lures, or too heavy that I can't whip with it for an extended amount of time. Any feedback is appreciated!

Thanks,
nahau

I went "on the cheap" and got a Shimano Scimitar 8'6" fr. K/WalMart - line rating 8-17, lure rating 1/4-1 oz. and a Sienna 4000 reel (8/240, 10/200, 12/160) and filled it with 20lb power pro to a 25lb fluro leader.

I can cast the 1/2 all day in the 150-215' distance (60-80 cranks). Switching to the 1 oz w/ this setup gets heavy fast without much additional distance.

I'm also interested in what other guys setups/distances are....as for maxing out the setup, urm...next question.