I pay more attention to the weight of the reel than the number designation. I want the reel to balance the length/weight of the rod, if I'm going to be holding it in hand & casting with it. I put the reel on & then lay the outfit on my outstretched finger at the front end of the rod handle. If it balances or slowly dips on the handle end, I consider that as "balanced". If it dips slowly towards the rod tip, I consider that as "usable". But if it falls quickly towards the rod tip, the reel is too light and the outfit will wear on your wrist/forearm over any length of time usage. If it falls quickly towards the handle, the reel is too heavy, but still usable ... it's just going to feel heavy in your hand, which may or may not be a factor in how often you use it.