I'm a real strong believer in using the right tools for the right job.
Unless you've ever had to fish a reel under the harsh immersive conditions that make the Van Staal reels SHINE, you'll never appreciate the features that many have been willing to pay extra $$$ for. Fish on a rockpile? VS. Going wetsuiting on sand or rocks? VS. Are you a born klutz and drop your reels in the suds from time to time? VS. Do you not want to bother maintaining your reels yourself during the year? VS.
As far as the $100+ price increase goes, it's my understanding that much of this is going into the pockets of retailers, which is fine as far as I'm concerned. The low gross margin has been one of the impediments to dealers stocking the product.
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