I'm looking for a light(in weight)reel that would balnce nicely on a medium light baitcast rod. It needs a nice drag but has to be within' the $100 range. It's going to be used for both trolling trout & some of the lighter crankn' techniques, any suggestion?

Shimano Curado 200;-)

Dockboy, I prefer round casting reels for trout trolling. Personally, I use the Shimano Calcutta CT50B(7.8 oz.)for light trolling with 6-8# line. I think this is the best light trout trolling reel avaiable. Although, this reel is twice as much as you would like to spend, I would consider it. A good medium size reel for $100, although a couple ounces heavier, would be a Okuma 150.

what do you consider lightweight ... 7oz, 9oz?

Curado 100 would be perfect for what you want the reel to do.

100 series calcutta. You can find them on ebay for reasonable price.

I consider a light reel for trout trolling or light bass applics. betwwen 7 or 8.5 ounces. I've looked at the Curado 200: their well priced & a good reel but a bit heavy. I've looked at the Calcutta 50 Series: they're great reels but a bit too pricey for my budget ;(
I'll look at the Curado 100. My thinking was about a low-profile reel is that I can get my hands aroung it with ease when I set the hook on a fish when trolling. And, because most reels of this style are meant to hold 100+ yards of 10lb. or more, they'd probably hold 200+ of 6lb., which is more than enough for most trolling applics.
By the way, has anybody tried out BassPro Shops new "finesse reel", the ProLite Finesse? I have an Extreme reel for one of my bass rods & love it, are these reels worth the money?