The Shimano Baitrunner series is one of my favorite spinning reels for both fresh and saltwater. The reel has a very solid and sturdy construction. In other words it has body and feels like it can withstand some serious fishing pressure. The antireverse spool feature is firm and stops on a dime. This is a real valuable feature when fighting a striped bass or big blue catfish. The defining feature of the Shimano Baitrunner is the secondary drag system. This is basically a tension/drag controlled free spooling feature that allows the fisherman to feed line to the fish. Surf fisherman love this feature. When fishing the surf you can turn up the tension and enable the baitrunner and then place the rod in the sand spike. This is one of the few spinning reels that can be fished in this way. Freshwater fisherman can do the same thing when bottom fishing for catfish or carp. You can also free line live bait out to surface feeding fish like largemouth and striped bass.
The Daiwa Sealine series has long been a favorite for surf fishing and trolling in saltwater. The very inexpensive price is a major component in the popularity of this fishing reel. The price may be very competitive but quality components were not sacrificed. At the core of the reel are three stainless steel bearings that are very corrosion resistant. The Daiwa Sealine series is also favored because of the free floating spool feature. The spool is capable of disengaging completely from the shaft allowing for much longer cast. The spool has a large line capacity that can handle enough line to target very large fish like striper and red drum. Two available gear ratios are available for speed and power.
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