I had a pleasure of fishing with Ron Arra at the Canal this summer and watched him throwing a plug miles away with his 11' one piece rod and just as the popper landed on the water a striper jumped out of the water took the popper.
It is more than just throwing a plug with a conventional reel. It is an art when you watch a pro like Ron casting with smoothness and control of the reel.
Ron used two non level wind reels.
