Heres an important bit of info. When you bring your rod to the Post office, they will tell you the cheapest is retail ground, and it is, until they add on the "balloon" charge based on the rods height, often bumping a $17 charge to $37. Ask them to send it priority 2 day, it is often the same $17, with no balloon charge. They will not tell you this, as retail always comes up as the cheapest, never factoring in the balloon charge.
Have you tried pony express?