Welcome!
I'm actually in the same boat, so to speak. Just started fishing for salmon/steelhead this year, including buying all the gear. I did a lot of research/asked a bunch of people about size of rod, type of reel, what lb test, etc. The setup I went with is a 9'-6" Lamiglas X-11, with a Daiwa Lexa 300 series casting reel. The reel itself was double the cost of the rod, but I hope to make it last through many seasons. I absolutely love the reel. I just switched to the baitcasting reels, and I will never go back. You will have the occasional "spool-up" that takes some time and patience to undo. But, you can adjust the rate at which the lines spools out, which will decrease the down time spent messing around with your rats nest.
As for the rod; absolutely EVERYONE has a different point of view. In all honesty, you just need to go down to the store and feel multiple rods and see what you like. As for length, 9'-6" is more than enough for me. The X-11 specifically is an ok rod. I already had to replace it once (under warranty) because the part that you cinch down the reel broke free from the rod itself, and was freely spinning. However, I did get a brand new rod out of the deal, but I do run the risk of this happening again. I spoke to a woman at Sportsman's, and she said that problem specifically happens frequently with those rods. Last years model had a problem with breaking. It is the Chinese counterpart of the American-built Lamiglas. The next rod I purchase will MOST DEFINITELY be American Made. Good luck out there.