Penn Jigmaster question?

Can anyone telll me a little information on the Penn Jigmaster series reels. Are thesae reels used for trolling of surf casting. Do they work well or are they a piece of junk. Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Striperman

[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.

The one screw take-apart on the Jigmaster is a nice feature to keep the reel clean. I agree that it in't much of a casting reel- the squidder is better. All(?) of the squidders are "ball bearing" while I think the all the jigmasters have bushings instead of bearings. There are lots of models of jigmaster, including different spool materials, so have an idea what you need before purchasing - penn has a website so you can check out the differences. The retreive ratio on the jigmaster is nice if fishing deep.

[LINESIDES]

Striperman, I know this reel inside out. I need to know what the application is. casting, or trolling. If you sign in we can E mail. or post, your call.