Have a 10 ft St croix conventional need a good /economical reel for throw'n plugs .
Must be easy [idiot proof if possible] not a very smart thumb.
It will see sand and rocks
Many guys like Abu's but they make a zillion models

A bit more information would really help, like type and weight of the plugs you intend to use. Your budget, level wind or not, line your going to use, braid / mono any other informaition you think would be helpful.

Big Dave has valid questions and it really depends on your skill level, where and how you intend to fish, etc. However, since you are asking the question, I'm assuming you may note use conventional type reels now,so I'll give you my .02

Get your self (2) abu 6500 C3s, load them with Mono and fish them out of the box (no modifcation).

1) Abu 6500 C3s b/c they are affordable, readily available, and offer all you need

2)2 reels, b/c you'll probably get into many bird's nests starting out and changing reels is very simple to do.

3) Mono b/c it is easier to use on a conventional than braid, especially when starting out. Braid will "dig in" where the mono doesn't and you will avoid expensive line replacement when you start getting wind knots and breaking off plugs.

5) Use them out of the box, b/c Abus offer lots of opportunites to modify the reel. Maybe after a season or 2, you'll want to experiment with some. Just do a search on this forum or other sites and find loads of ideas. Caution, I don't think you'll benefit from those modification until you become a more profecient caster which is why I'm suggesting you use your reels out of the box for a season or two first.

Good luck

Big Dave has valid questions and it really depends on your skill level, where and how you intend to fish, etc. However, since you are asking the question, I'm assuming you may note use conventional type reels now,so I'll give you my .02

Get your self (2) abu 6500 C3s, load them with Mono and fish them out of the box (no modifcation).

1) Abu 6500 C3s b/c they are affordable, readily available, and offer all you need

2)2 reels, b/c you'll probably get into many bird's nests starting out and changing reels is very simple to do.

3) Mono b/c it is easier to use on a conventional than braid, especially when starting out. Braid will "dig in" where the mono doesn't and you will avoid expensive line replacement when you start getting wind knots and breaking off plugs.

5) Use them out of the box, b/c Abus offer lots of opportunites to modify the reel. Maybe after a season or 2, you'll want to experiment with some. Just do a search on this forum or other sites and find loads of ideas. Caution, I don't think you'll benefit from those modification until you become a more profecient caster which is why I'm suggesting you use your reels out of the box for a season or two first.

Good luck

Awesome advice!! I wish I read this when I picked up my first conventional reel for the surf.

Abus and Calcuttas are probably the two tamest level-winds out there.

The Daiwa Saltist is built like a tank, but it has no cetrifugal brakes in the level-wind models.

Buying two makes a lot of sense. I always have a spare reel in the car.