Chad, that's a great break-in post! Speak up. I happen to agree 100% with what you wrote, too. A good glass rod like that one is fine. I wouldn't go any lower than that. This is much like buying any tool. I can buy a $2 screwdriver, or get a Craftsman and not have to buy another.
Since 1959 I've had plenty of choices in rods long before graphite was used. I've owned a couple of 5' bamboo casting rods, several steel rods, and of course mostly glass casting and spinning rods.
I've watched the crankbait experts like Fritts since they first made headlines, studied what they do, at first convinced they were just marketing stuff. But over the years I've fished right behind several top pros and attended 11 Bassmaster U's. I've learned both glass and graphite have their places. Mark Davis promoted a graphite Falcon rod, while Fritts promoted the American rodsmith glass, but emphasized long length to cast as far as possible, and do most other pros. Cast way out to keep a crankbait in a strike zone as long as possible per cast.
The problem with graphite is to get one with backbone you can't really have a good long distance casting tip. It takes a limber tip to get distance, especially using light lures. Graphite won't load up like glass rods. But graphite is more responsive. When digging a long-billed crankbait on a shallow bottom it's nice to feel every little pebble and feel true bites.
Mark Davis is another pro pretty good with crankbaits. He uses graphite, a heavy G Loomis around weeds, a Falcon LowRider in open water. When using graphite it's best to diversify rod types to meet different conditions. One 7'6" or 7'11" quality glass rod will handle a wider range of conditions. Glass rods don't have "action" classes like graphite. The whole rod bends evenly from handle to tip (parabolic bend), yet has backbone to hoist impressive loads without breaking.
We also see the middle of the road rods, composites. Fiberglass blended with graphite. It takes a lot of shopping, but I've used a few that were really good rods, having responsiveness like a graphite rod, but forgiveness like a glass rod. Which way to go? If your bass often tear loose, you might benefit from more glass in a rod. If you can't seem to feel bites in time to catch a bass consistently, more graphite.
So what to do if you have to go with IM8 graphite to feel a bite, but it's very stiff, difficult to cast light lures? Switch to a spinning rig for the light lures, and use sensitive line on the stiff rod that's a little stretchy to add forgiveness.
Jim