Hey! "Status" was the word I was looking for, like in status symbol! Thank you T. Lapinski! Oh by the way, I drive an SUV also. It's a 2001 ZR71 two door black s-10 blazer, you know, the high rider model, made for off road use and thats what I do with it. Now for the challenge of the CT River, I fished there for shad and bass before. Is the challenge getting through Holyoke safely to the river and having your car or "SUV" still there when you get back and if it is there, is the thing stripped down and on blocks cause someone stole the tires and ripped off the sound system and the airbags? I can see there is a challenge there and you definetly need a well built reel to survive that! Sorry but I couldn't resist. BTW, the "challenge" thing is sooooo.......whatever.
Now before you blow another gasket because you own a VS or a couple of VS's or maybe a herd of them, and you are offended there is a modicum of truth in what I am saying. You know, I have been at this fishing thing for the better part of 40 plus years now so I think I can comment on reels and tackle somewhat. I used to fish to make a living. I put myself through college catching bass for the market, I started doing that at 17. Paid cash for my first truck. A brandy ass new 3/4 ton chevy pick-up with a 350 4 barrel crb, stripped with 4 wheel drive and hit the beach. I have guided, worked charter boats, commercial codfished for years off shore and now spend the better part of 60 nights a season on the beach driving the sands of the outer Cape looking for Striped Bass. I have two Penn 704's that my Dad bought me in 1969. The drags are as smooth as they day I opened the boxes and they work like charms. Penn F-----d up the ss series reels in thier recent redesigns. But my older 750's and my older 650 ( which has recently been repainted because I wore the finish right off through years of 5 nights a week Striper fishing) still runs like a charm as well as do my Daiwa BG-30'S AND 20'S and my two Shimano Spheros and my old reliable Alcedo's. Proper care will let any reel perform well and you definetly do not have to spend a ton of dough to have a reel that performs well under the most adverse conditions. It's a myth.
