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Personally I'd rather hook one on a newell 235 with 30# mono but that's just me.
I'd guess that most 50-60# fish caught from shore have been taken on a 706 and 20# mono. A VS or ZB is, I think, a substantially stronger reel than a 706. Whether a VS150 or Shimano 5000 is as strong as a 706 is arguable. Probably not given the weight difference, but since a 706 with 20# line would be fished with about 7 lbs of drag, a VS 150 and Stella 5000 are certainly strong enough to match that. If that worked for most guys landing 50-60 lb fish it is probably good enough for me.
Also, the limiting factor fighting large fish in my albeit limited experience is not so much the reel. It is much more the rod and, in rocks, leader length or line abrasion resistance. I've taken fish into the mid 40's with the stella 5000 and never been over matched, but I have had maybe larger fish I couldn't get in quickly enough because the rod (a 1201L) wasn't up to it.
Is it worth it to fish heavier tackle in case you hook the fish of a lifetime? I'm no longer so sure. Becoming a slave to the fear of losing a trophy has its costs. We all go through this phase, but most who fish long enough end up measuring success by how much fun they have out there, rather than the size of what they land or lose. Lightening up a bit adds a lot of fun if you can accept that sometimes the fish will beat you. Accepting that adds even more fun.
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