Hey Chris. Spinning reels have come a long way in recent years and handle big fish pretty well. Fellas on our boats have Penn, Fin Nor and SHimano. I've no reason to think Daiwa and other big brands would not go well. I personally use a Shimano Baitrunner D 12000 on an ugly stick and it works pretty well. 50lb platypus braid and Schneider leader.