Hey guys. Looking for the good, bad, and the ugly. I'm mostly looking for thoughts on the IVCB braking system. I've been strictly Daiwa/Shimano 4 ever, but this new braking system has me intrigued. I don't mind the over sized gear box so we don't need to comment on that. I'm looking for a reel that can TRULY handle 3/16 to 3/4 with confidence, and no upgrades. Thanks

Well, I looked them over for awhile, and honestly.....I didn't feel they were better than the STX, nor did I think the Premier had a better braking system. It's lighter thanks to the carbon fiber handle, but I've heard a lot of feed back on the IVCB braking system and seems more people prefer what the STX has to offer. I can throw anything my STX. For lighter weight baits, I turn off the centrifugal brakes and go all magnetic. For heavier, ditch the mags and click on 2 brake blocks. For spinner baits in the wind, 2 brake blocks and fine tune the mags to prevent back lashes. There's literally nothing you can't throw on the STX, and it's $100 cheaper than the Premier. That's my 2 cents.

Up until the Gen3 the STX was quite a bit heavier than the Premier but that's no longer as much of an issue. As for brakes, I think they're a personal preference. I lean toward standard cent brakes like Curado or Revo S uses. Not that other designs are inherently worse, just my preference.