200 Size Reels/Ex Heavy rod

[tHeINFamoUS]

Line capacity and drag aren’t really the issue for me, it’s more of the amount of flex in the reel when it’s torqued and the madman t-Rex style reeling you gotta do to waterski a fish in.  
 

I fish a lot of heavy weed, wood and man made cover, sometimes combos of all three.  When they get buried, or I’m really pulling on em, you can feel the reel frame flexing and the side plates will separate a bit while it’s in your hand. I haven’t had any catastrophic breakage, but it can’t be good for the reel long term.  

This one is probably more of a personal preference but when you’re pulling a bass with several pounds of grass and 6 oz bait hanging off it’s face, the ergonomics of the smaller reel pulling all that weight can be awkward.  I liken it to a clown riding one of those little miniature bicycles, furiously pedaling to go nowhere.  I just like to drop the hammer and power em in, a winch seems like the better tool for the job….you know, the whole knife to a gun fight thing.  

If you have smaller hands, I’d look at some of the low profiles built for saltwater, the tranx and Komodo are bit heavier built.

[NGrim15]

Thats a great thought & makes a ton of sense..can definitely see that being a problem in heavy cover/vegetation filled lakes. I’ve been looking at a couple of the Daiwa reels as well as the Abu beast 40 for that in between not so bulky 300 size feel

[basskickinrednick]

Abu beast are so overlooked I have a older chrome one and a 40 both are great

[BrettRay81]

Get a Silver Daiwa Ryoga 2020 or Luna 256. I can assure those reels won’t flex any and they aren’t huge and awkward to hold like I think the 300 size low profiles are. Those reels will hold plenty of mono and are machined aluminum frames. It doesn’t get any tougher than those two.