The jigmaster will work well for you and last a life time if you take care of it. You can't beat it for the price however I would recommend a 332 Newell. It's a great reel and it will also last a life time. I recommend the 332 over the 338. The 338 is basically the same size as Penn 500. The difference in the 332 is that it's slightly narrower than the 338. It was modeled after the Penn 99. The original version was a Newell 300C in the 99 size. Carl Newell also made a conversion kit to narrow out penn 500's to the 99 size as well. He called the "Albacore Special". That kit hasn't been on the market for about 15 years. I really like those reels. I like them so much I that I have 7 of them. Not for sale. Sorry! But the 332 is just as good and slight in size makes the 332 just a little lighter. If you don't take my word for it go ahead and take a few trips on the Sport Boats and pay close attention to what the skippers and crew fish on thier personal jig sticks. Better yet just ask them and I bet they will say "I use a Newell 332". These guys are on the water all the time and more than a jog fishing for a lot of these guys their way of life. They demand a lot from their tackle. Good luck and Congrads on the rod.