On the topic of tactics and tips, here's one that you may or may not like. Take it or leave it.

As we all know quality center pin reels are precision tools which can be very expensive. They are also designed to last a lifetime with minimal maintenance and proper care. They can also be highly addictive to collectors, hoarders and serious afficianados, as some here might attest. Thus they maintain very high resale value in good condition.
The problem isn't that good center pin reels don't hold up to abuse, but due to their form factor and size they are generally more exposed to bumps, scrapes and bruises as you can see here.



I bought my first Hardy Silex over 30 yrs ago and although it's pretty beat now, I still use it to this day. Later though as I began to "invest" in more reels, I became more conscientious hoping to avoid taking a bath as I "traded" out different reels. Like many, I would try to keep a neoprene pouch or towel near me to set the reel on when handling a fish. But we all know how well that works and conscientious I'm NOT. Even tried sticking rod in belt, over my neck or in mouth and every other Kama Sutra position you can imagine to protect the reel. Nothing seemed to work on the rocky or brushy banks I usually fished, especially with rods extending over 10'. Anyways I finally realized, if I could just set the rod down with the back plate protected, the reel would be fine for the most part.
So, I gaffed up the back side of the reel and voila.



Now this may not work as well for heavily ported back plates, but it has worked out well on Milner, Kingpin, JW Young, Is Steelheader and Hardy reels. The key is to use only high quality GAFFER's TAPE, which is not only tough, strong and made of fabric, but more importantly it doesn't peel when wet or leave any residue whatsoever when removed.
Oh yeah, it ain't cheap, it can be difficult to find (most professional photo stores or studio supply houses have it) and it ain't attractive either, but it will maintain a higher resale value on your reels.
Another advantage I found especially in the cold, was that it made the reel more comfortable to hold, which is nice because more often than not when I'm fishing I support the rod with reel on my open palm with handles facing upwards.

Here's a closer look at my center pin condom.



Hope this helps.