I love the Shimano's....I have both reels on my casting rods and abu's on my plug pullers...for repeated casting, especially if you are anal about accuracy like myself, you will appreciate the Shimano's smoothness.

As far as fighting 'the bigger ones', the smoother drags on the Shimano's made the two fifty plus kings i landed a couple years back no problem at all.

The abu's are better for plugs because its easier to let the same amount of line each time you let the plugs out...