A quick review of my new fishing gear

A long time ago I joined a club that offered *free* stuff that you could test and keep, as long as you reviewed the product and sent it back to the company for publication.  Since that time, the club has grown, the items I’ve received have continued to get better and just recently I received my best test yet.  The Cabela’s Prodigy MG40 spinning reel.  Granted that it’s been a few years since I’ve bought any new reels, let alone a spinning reel, but this reel is a beauty right out of the box.  Although it’s a bit larger than some others I’ve used, it’s bulkiness doesn’t take anything away from it.  So far it appears to be made out of quality materials, although time and continued use will tell.  The thing that surprised me the most was how smooth the reeling is on this thing!  I can honestly say that with the gear ratio and the ball bearings, this is one of the smoothest spinning reels I’ve ever used.  I really like the anti reverse mechanism as well.  The only downfall I found with this reel is it’s casting distance is not as far as some other reels I own.  It almost seems as though the line drags a little too much against the top of the reel and slows down the cast.  I switched from the braided line to a mono-filament and that didn’t help it either.  I’ve only had a short period of time to test this reel so far, and once we’ve made it through the striper season this winter, I’ll come back and update this review if I need too!  The only reason it didn’t get five stars is because I do have a reel that can outcast it, but overall the casting is still smooth and I think it’s a great reel, at a great price.
So if you see the 3 stars on Cabelas page – I just don’t see it.  I really do think it’s a good reel, but plan to put it to the real or reel test come this winter when the rock are running!  Can’t wait to snag one on my ugly stick with this thing!  Stay tuned to see if I change my mind!