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Toby-
I fished Stradics for several years and the guy above is right, they do not like to get wet inside. The gears melt & cease. My buddy had the same problems. Now, Shimano does have top notch service and great reels, but I just think the Stradic is better suited to freshwater. It doesn't even have the waterproof drag the Sustain, Stella, and Spheros have. It is a smooth reel though when working. I have 2 Stella's and they are great reels. The Spheros may be a better bet for an under $100 reel.
I owned a Slammer 360 for a while and sold it as I and several friends who fished them soon found out that they don't (nor do any other Penns for that matter) handle braid too well. Lots of wind knots. Maybe Penn will someday finally fix its winding system to handle braid. I think they just came out with "modern" SS series reels.
You may also want to consider a Daiwa Capricorn. I have a model 4000 as my back-up reel for use with my wife & kids, and like it. It is the same price range as the other 2 reels, holds much more line than similarly sized Shimano's & Penns, handles braid very well, and has an anti-snapback bail system to avoid bail closures. The only drawback is the handle is a bit weak looking, but I've had no trouble yet.
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