The 300 size reels are great. I wish I had a couple. The Cardiff and the Catala are very comprable and make great 25lb reels. If you want the deluxe, the Calcutta 300TE is the dream reel. I had a chance to use one a few weeks ago and it was a beautiful thing.

Rods are pretty much the same story. The Calstar 800XL is a great rod. I use an 800L for the big stuff but it's a bit much for all around use. There are a number of other 8' blanks from Calstar and Seeker that make nice plug rods. I've been using a Rainshadow SW967 for my small swimbaits and smaller plugs and like it a great deal. I haven't seen any new commercially made rods that really caught my eye. Maybe they'll be some at the ISE shows coming up in Nor-cal. I'll post if I see anything particularly cool.