Doc, I'd still say go with the islander. I have a freind who fishes a baitcaster when he steelhead fishes with me, upon his last visit he was commenting on how I was able to get more fish with the center pin for one big reason. I can use a small float and cast it very far and still get a killer drift. Whereas he has to use a much bigger float and a lot more weight to accomplish the same thing. Some times on the tribs you are fishing we are using as small as 2gram floats sometimes I can't even imagine casting a float that small with any distance, however I know there is probably someone out there who will prove me wrong but thats good. However rivers like the saugeen, maitland, Niagara, etc... would be fine with a bait caster. They are big rivers and the use of a big float is necessary.