New Baitrunner / Baitfeeder / Bait Teaser .... reels

Forgive me if someone has already posted in this as I must have missed it......
I noticed a new trend in spinning reels on the market by Shimano, Quantum, Okuma... that incorporate a "freespool / bait feeding" feature.     As a paddler,  I found it less that ideal when trying to spool out line to let my trolling gear drift back with a spinning reel.   These new reels seem to counter all of the issues I was having.   
They provide a back lever / switch which essentially puts the spool in free spool to let line out.  There is a dedicated drag adjustment to allow the exact amount of free spool resistance desired.    This allows setting the perfect mount of resistance desired to slowly let your gear drift back.  Once set,  letting line out is just a flick of a switch for the rest of the day.   Another quick flick and the the lever puts it back in normal mode.
Much nicer than when I disengaged the anti-reverse switch which often would not let my gear out.
You still have the conventional drag adjustment for fighting the fish.  It is completely independent from the free spool drag adjuster back. 

I first saw this feature on some larger Shimano models at an even larger price starting around $130.  Okuma and Cabelas have models starting around $50 and $60     

Shimano has been producing the baitrunner for years. I own one that I would use while fishing live bait for tarpon, snook, sailfish, and mahi back in FL. They work pretty fantastically. You can either flip the bait running switch back over manually, or just start cranking and it will trip automatically. Made fishing with circle hooks a breeze.

Are those Cabela's Salt Striker reels any good?  I read thru the more recent reviews on the Salt Strikers, but the opinions and stories varied so much that I was still left clueless as to whether or not its a decent reel, even for the price.
I contemplated getting a baitrunner, but the only live bait I might fish would be a Greenling for Ling Cod, and I have a rig-up for that that doesn't need a baitrunner reel. I use a sinker to get it down, and a big bobber between the sinker and the Greenling, to keep the Greenling from holing up.

 I ended up buying a Penn Sargus 4000, as nearly all of the reviews sounded much more positive. Its mainly going to be my surf casting reel. Redtails max out at about 15" and a couple of pounds. I'm looking at rods around 9' that have medium action and are rated for 1/2 oz  to  3 oz lures.   Should be fine for casting jigheaded plastics along the Jetty, too. Next size up on that reel jumped to 8 oz heavier and would be overkill for my purposes.

I used to have an Okuma Epixor 65 on my surf rod.  It was a good reel for plunking and live lining for stripers on the east coast.  It is a bit big for use on a kayak but it made a great sturgeon reel.  I would cast my bait out and then turn on the bait runner.  When a fish took the bait it could run for a bit before feeling much pressure.  Over the years the spool began to wiggle and some of the gears wore down a bit so it is now pretty sloppy, but still functional. 

I have not used a Cabela's Salt striker reel but I know Craig loves them. 

My dad passed in 1990, and he had two Shimano reels with the baitrunner feature, so they have been around for a long time. 

My Cabela's Saltstriker works really well and it's smooth.  It's a bit on the heavy side though.  For the price, you probably can't beat it.

Well then ..... Did you guys hear about these new telephones that don't need wires attached      

Color me Clueless ...   I am sure I have seen these types of reels on display before and only thought the rear lever was just an oversized anti reverse lever.     I think I need to start shopping for a late "to me, from me" Christmas Present.