Well the first step in creating a balanced fishing rod is the reel. You can buy a cheapy reel for about 15-20 bucks and it wont last you very long maybe if your lucky a year then the handle breaks off or the drag stops working. The bearings wear out or the line gets tangled. Its worth buying a lil more expensive reel that will go the mile. The more expensive ones generally have better made gears and a better quality of bearings. The rod however can range from 30 bucks to 500 bucks depending on what type of fishing your fish for. There is some very good fishing rods out there for a good price. Take a reel good look at the expensive ones and then look closely at the cheapys.  Some cheap but well made rods are the Ugly Stick by Shakespeare and the Rhino Rod  by Zebco Quantum rods and reels are very good choice in fishing gear as well. So sometimes  the serious angler has to pay a lil more for performance and quality. You know in my years of angling Good line is very important and is the key to good casts and landing the big ones. I see alot of anglers trying to teach their kids how to fish with 20pound line made for Sea angling on a snoopy rod, No wonder they hate fishing you cant cast that you could throw that fishing rod farther than you could cast it,  So make sure when you buy the reel and rod you match the line size to the rod and reel , it will say on the box or reel spool on how much line it will take. And whats the maximum pound test line for it.

 With the right line you can make a cheapy reel perform but you cant make it last

Have fun and good luck to you out on the water,