You, can do either one. I would recommend getting the stretched cap. When he thumperize it, he opens up the front hole the line comes out, and beef's up the drag, adds steel pick up pins. The stock pins are ceremic so they will not wear, but are very subject to breaking when used for bowfishing. As you know when you shoot and some of us do miss. When the arrow sticks in roots our hard clay, we have a tendecy to just try and yank the arrow out with the reel. This will eventually break the stock pins. Where the steel ones have less tendency to break, but after lots and lots of use they will show some wear.