[Patrick]

Well, I found the other conventional reel I have. A Penn Long Beach 68. The whole thing is made out of bakelite. Spooled it up with 20 lb test and made a few casts with it. Man, I'm hooked already. This reel isn't much. It doesn't have a drag system and no anti-reverse. It does have a clicker though. I love the reel. I'm not much on really trying to cast a conventional but even I, with light lobs, was sending a sinker all the way across the lawn. I can't believe I've held off so long!

Just a few questions.

Any surfcasters use conventionals for plugging? What reels do you use?

Here's another question. When I was casting, I noticed some times, my sinker got snagged. When I pulled hard and popped it out of the ground, the sinker came flying towards me. The problem was the line had slack in it. How can I keep a tight line? (I know the sinker in the ground won't happen in the surf but what if a wave pushes your plug in?) Then the line was really loose.

When do you prefer conventional over spinning gear?