[Mike P]

The Jigmaster is a good, sturdy reel. Most guys use them for boat fishing--they can be used from the surf, but they are just a tad on the heavy side, and that big spool doesn't cast very well. If you need that kind of line capacity for heavy line--it'll hold up to 50# mono--and don't have to cast very far, it'll do the job and hold up well. However, for most surfcasting in this area, if you want a good, durable, inexpensive conventional, the Penn Squidder is the better choice, even with the slower retrieve.