I don't have any experience with the Prodigy, but the hearsay testimonials that I have read in the past are all positive.

If your budget is an issue, why don't you check E-Bay? You can pick up brand spanking new or excellent used reels for much less than paying retail.

Just make sure you buy from reliable sellers, and that shipping charges don't raise the price over what you would pay retail.

Oh yeah, it may be better to wait until after Xmas on Ebay--too many folks are bidding right now for Xmas gifts.