[Gerry Zagorski]

A friend has a pair of 6500s and loves them. They are on the larger side for Stripers. He uses his for Tarpon which they are a bit better suited for.

I'd say the 4500 would be better. It's got 25 pounds of drag but is a bit light on the line capacity side. Too bad they don't make the 5500 in a live line.

The other reel to consider if your don't what to spend the money on a Thunnus is the Shimano 8000D. I've had one for several years now..I did have a few issues with the reel handle and over time the bearings got noisy. $30 and a trip to the Shimano factory it's back and performs like new.. It a very smooth reel and a big improvement over the 3500 and 4500.

Fisherman120 live liner reels and bait runners are synonymous. They have a 2nd lighter drag that is build in the back of the reels which allows you to control line out tension with the bail flipped over. Once you turn the reels handle your are fighting the fish on the preset main drag.