I fell on my Van Staal 2 weeks ago. Got some nasty rock rash on the bottom but none the worse for wear.
I have used bailess 704s all my life. I fish very hard...harder than most guys on the board as I will end up at around 110 to 125 nights in the surf. I am in the water a lot and I use to clean my 704 drag washers every 2nd trip due to salt buildup. I started in April with my VS 250 and I have NOT done anything but rinse it with fresh water all year. Still performing like brand new...although it certainly looks like a used reel now.
Me, I'll never go back to Penn for the surf. The VS250 is just a superior piece of equipment.
