yes a stripping basket is really needed. it makes beach fishing so much more pleasurable.

i dont have one and my buddie let me use his one day. and it was nice. im just to lazy to make my own. but i will before next silver season for sure.

thats a nice looking basket you got there stonedfish

Sorry i didnt get back to this sooner....
I really didnt like the 40+ as it was not nearly as smooth to cast as the outbound. I think it partly had to do with the rods it is on as well, but it doesnt cast nearly as nicely IMO as the outbound does.

as for stripping baskets... i find them more hassel than i think they are worth, but i a lot guys swear by them. Seems to me that they cause more tangles than they prevent.