JawjaBoy

My experience is with a Pflueger President, but I'd have to go with the Trion. My Pres is about 8 years old and while I have not abused it, it has cast and retrieved a LOT of line over the years and is still smooth and solid.

Still have a couple of 5'6" and 6' pistol grips that get used fairly regularly. I fish in some places that are just too tight for a long rod. I also fish from a small boat so a rod much over 6'6"-6'8" is more of a hindrance than a help. That said, my personal favorite is a 6'6" medium to medium heavy with a little give in the tip section. Just a good feel to me and I can work a lot of lures well with it.

Many, many moons ago Shimano and I had a bit of a disagreement over a reel that soured my feelings towards them. They may make wonderful reels, but I'm old and ornery and know how to hold a grudge very well, and I will not do business with them again.

I'm planning on buying an MB in the very near future. It'll be the first new reel I've bought in a long time (last nrw reel was a Quantum 1310CP)! I looked at all of my favorite brands and the MB just had all of the features I wanted and at a dang good price. Now I've just got to decide between the 6.8 or 7.5 gear ratio.

I'm probably going to picking up a Lew's MB very soon and I'm looking forward to trying the dual braking. I still have and fish with one of the first dual brake reels, a Quantum Pro 1. Almost 30 years old and still going! I also have an original Lew's BB-1NG with only centrifugal brakes and I love it. To me, centrifugal brakes are easier to use than most magnetic systems. And my personal experience is that they tend to cast farther, and backlash less.

How y'all are? New member from the Vidalia/Statesboro/Dublin area of Georgia. I've been fishing almost 40 years now. Bass are my main targets, but do sometimes fish for panfish, cats, and the occasional redfin or jack. Mainly fish ponds and smaller lakes, but I do fish local rivers from time to time. I've been making lures for a while, though they aren't professional looking by any stretch. Mostly topwater plugs and small spinners. I also tinker with fishing reels and have been repairing them as a hobby since my teens. Anyway, glad to be here and look forward to learning anything I can, and who knows I might even be able to help someone else!