I had the same rod and liked it a lot. For bass fishing and shorter casts I would go up not down in line weight. A short bass bug 8 wt. might work well for poppers and heavier bugs. For FW trout I would go 7 wt. and maybe even a double taper. But as others have said try several if you can. People have different styles and preferences. A soft rod can be more forgiving and it telegraphs the feel to the handle better than a fast rod. I enjoy getting out the old fiberglass rods sometimes for the same reasons.

If you like fast rods you may want to go down to even a 5 wt. for a test, I bet you can throw the entire line with a five wt.

"When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence, and both of these opinions generate hatred." Niccolo Machiavelli