Learn on a Penn 500 and every reel you will ever own after will be effortless. I like my Daiwa Sealine 30 with my CalStar 800M Graphighter for here in San Diego boats it's perfect. Good luck, lots of good points here and it comes down to personal preference for sure. Casting is an art that takes lots of practice like anything.
Rob
www.sportfishsandiego.com