I'm slowly going all lever drag. I really like the Penn Fathom Lever Drags, specifically the two speed but the single speed is great too. You can get the 25N singles for $40-60 more than a Sealine (also a great reel) from Amazon or don't forget your "Local guy".
I like the lever drag because you can always make drag adjustments that are super dangerous to do with a star drag. You can back the drag off if needed and return it to full knowing you won't over set your drag.
Go on a party boat and need to fix a rail disaster a.k.a. tangle, back it off, fix the tangle, and go back to fighting. I had an instance where I noticed the insert of the eye at the tip of my rod popped out and the guide was fraying my line, backed it off without over doing it, landed the fish. Want to use a donkey sized mac for bait, slightly engage the lever drag to keep the bait from running but just enough to let a fish take the bait and run. You can't beat the versatility of 30+ lbs. of drag either.
On the flip side, I know guys who have been fishing for over 25yrs as well and they hate lever drags.
As far as rods go, kayaking beats all your gear up and I am switching everything to stainless steel (SS) without inserts. The SS guides are difficult to bend and can get stuffed into rod tubes and smack the side of your kayak without popping inserts. Also, I am weaning off the graphite as well.
Sorry for the tutorial guys, I'm trying to justify my expenditures. And my stock portfolio will appreciate your Amazon purchases
