A few days ago I stopped by a tackle shop that had a complete full line supply of fresh from the factory Shimano spinning reels. Some of you might remember that I have been pounding Shimano for it's horrendous bail trip on otherwise great reels for a few years now, and have been recommending other reels. Every one of these new reels have the newly designed bail trip they introduced in the Ci4 Stradic, and it is one of the best bail trips I have used. In fact, every reel I handled from as low as $30 felt better than any Shimano I have ever held. In short - Shimano is BACK!! The years of technological advancements and mature designs have finally really come together. I was amazed at the perfection of every reel I handled. I haven't used and abused any of them yet, but my first impression really have me interested in them again. Woohoo!