Ensure the reel is appropriately sized for your rod and the line weight you plan to use
999ci HD SI Combo*
Youve seen them before, all over your TV screens
It's a little on the short side, so you'll want to make sure you not required to cast far distances , but for those who are just wanting to dip their feet in, so to speak, this could be a great place to start
After a few trips, you'll begin to establish an equilibrium between those variables that will determine the weight of your backpack for any given trip
On the plus side it's a very smooth reel (lack of roughness and mechanical noise), cheap, comes with a spare spool, quite solid for its class, and it's from a mainstream company that would provide support if needed