Oh yeah, as far as your tackle is concerned, don't take a cheapy reel down there . Whether you choose a baitcaster or spinner you want a reel that's in it for the long haul. I learned a long time ago the hard way, I've had bearings go out in an hour of fishing down there. Your reel takes a beating. The anti reverse gets put to the test on spinning reels. I like the baitcaster because I can use high gear ratio to keep from drifting into the guys downstream if the river is movin that fast.