I accidentally dunked my FL 3000 when wading about a month and a half ago. I just rinsed it off good that night , it still runs like brand new. I've caught a lot of fish on that reel so far , it shows no sign of any wear. (knock on wood).
Not the best tarpon reel out there for the money.I trashed one in 3 days catching jacks in the bay. Get a BG 5000 and call it a day. If you're hellbent on spending $200+ get a Slammer or Spheros. Studying drag ratings is kinda silly in the first place.
I don't think Star rods are USA made anymore even the handcrafted..I also believe they were bought out by big rock sports in NC. At least that's where my email came from when I had a warranty issue about a month ago.