I still have my mitchell 300 that my mom gave me for my 13th birthday ( a very long time ago). Made in France, no plastic. I lived in Shenorock, NY then and i went down to the lake after the party and caught a good sized largemouh. I brought it home and my grandmother cooked it for us. The reel is priceless to me since my mom passed 2 months later. I have caught a ton of fish with that reel and often think back to how much that reel means to me.
I'm looking for a bait runner as I fish mostly live/dead bait and carp. They are a little pricey unless you go foriegn/no-name. Not sure about those. A little hesitant, lol.