I currently have a Penn Slammer on a Tica 9' for my surf setup but it is a little light for the rocks/breachways. So I was thinking of picking up another rod for the rocks/breachways and putting the slammer on that rod. I am looking into the spheros and stradics for my surf setup and I am not sure which is better equipped to handle the conditions. The spheros has a waterproof drag but the stradic comes with anti rust bearings. I am not sure why they don't make the stradic with a waterproof drag also? Which one would you recommend?

Penn 704 owns those Shimanos, but if I had to pick a Shimano, it would be the Stradic 5000 or 6000.

I've got a 4000 and 5000 stradic---good reels that throw braid well. One thing I don't like about them, and maybe it's a shimano thing, is that the reels are put together with too many tiny screws and micro allen heads, which make breakdown time consuming.

SAME body on the Stradic 4000 & 5000. Spool depth is the main difference. Well slight larger diameter on the 5000, but its less than 1/16" of an inch. ;)

I swapped a spool w/ another guy and found this out. :P

I use the 8000 Spheros on my 9' rod, but the 5000, or 6000 would work as well. It is more the weight to balance the outfit rather than the physical size for me. I went w/ the Spheros because of the waterproof drag.

Both are good reels. The Stradic is SMOOOTHER for sure & comes w/ 2 spools. Can't go wrong w/ either reel.

Which Slammer are you using the 460, or 560?

I am using a 560 Slammer. I like the reel but I am a little hesitant about getting another one because I already have a wooble in it and only started using it in May. Hopefully I fixed the wooble, I will find out this weekend.

I have a 4000 and 6000 Stradic, love these reels, in the Rhode Island surf (if you and yer gear get wet when you fish) you may want to pick up a Waterproof Mitchell Nautil (if you can find one).The Shimano's are great but the Mitchell handles the water better.But if you only get yer ankles wet while fishing then absolutely go for the Shimano.Hope this helps...:) johnny "tRB"

For saltwater the Spheros is the answer.

While it works in the salt, the Stradic is not built for saltwater. The Spheros is.

The Spheros also has the same drag stack as the Sustain and Stella, and the drag is water resistant. The Stradic shares its stack with lower end Shimano spin reels.

We've had both reels on the guide boats at the shop and the Spheros outlasts a current Stradic probably 2 to 1. Older Stradics were a different story. Those were pretty good reels.

The insides just seem to fail very quickly on the new style Stradic. Obviously daily use by clients artificially ages gear, but usually it's a pretty good indication of a product's lifespan.

I agree with DaveS though, especially if the rod you buy is a 10 footer: Penn 704Z

Not to get off subject but Pete are you saying the older Stradic's were better built than the current models?


I own both a 5000 and 8000FH Stradic's with anti-rust bearings and so far so good but I am extremely careful not to dunk them!
Plus they get a good hosing down after every trip!

I cant for the life of me figure out why Shimano didnt think and put the waterproof drag on the Stradic's?

I am not a fan of the 704 that Dave mentioned but not because it isnt a quality reel. I just dont like non skirted spool reels that weigh a ton! Plus the darn click click click!!(sure you can fill it full of grease to get rid of that).
I just recently obtained a Daiwa Capricorn and while I dont plan on using it in the saltwater I am wondering how they might fare in the salt?

I guess "better built" can mean a lot of things.

The newer Stradic might be more precise, smooth, etc. but it seems to fail (usually the anti-reverse) more quickly then the old Stradic.

The Penn may be clunky, has poor tolerances, etc. BUT you can really beat it up and it keeps on going.

I cant for the life of me figure out why Shimano didnt think and put the waterproof drag on the Stradic's?

That is exactly my thoughts, why would it be on a lower end model and not the higher priced one?

I have thought about a 704Z but I use a 9 foot medium action rod and I think that reel is too heavy for the rod.

I've been fishing a Spheros 8000 on a Tica 8ft all season 3 times a week.Absolutely the finest reel you can buy in its price range.I'll never ever fish a Penn SS reel again,they're junk compared to the Shimanos.The Slammers are nice but I think the Spheros is better plus its about $30 less in price.

The 704 is not a light reel and wouldn't be a good choice to stick it on a Tica rod.That would be an extremely unbalanced setup.

I like to fish light and my setup is absolutely perfect for the type of fishing I like to do.I've taken several "smaller" keepers with the biggest being a 38" 24lber.The reel performed wonderfully as did the rod.

how about the shimano sedona

Just don't fish braid on a 704Z or spheros. While the spheros is a "sw" reel...it is made for mono. I have several of the thunnus sw spin reels (just in a quality sw baitrunner series) as well as a few regular baitrunners which are in the same sw series as the spheros. It is a good reel but does not handle braid nearly as well as the reels that offer the "super slow ossilation". IMO this is the key to reels that work and reels that don't work with braid. I have done my onw testing with different spools of braid back to back...it is NOT the line it is the REEL...Reels that had the super slow ossilation cast braid amazingly...those that don't exibit different degrees of problems but all has some braid issues.
This super slow osil. packs the line like rope on a spool and allows for trouble free casting. I have *never* had a problem with a wind know or sluffing off in two hard years of using braid with superslow ossil reels...the others I have.

If you plan to fish braid, the stradic is better (it has super slow osil) but I would step it up a notch and get the sustain. This is a stella with 6 ball bearings instead of 15(stella). Personally I fish with stella's but I know several guys that fish the heck out of sustains and they seem to hold up great. (and are nearly half the cost of a stella) IMO this is a great value reel for braid that will hold up.

Can you close the bail on a spheros manually?

Yup, you can close the bail manually on the Spheros, or Stradic.

I have to disagree Mr Sandman. From the first day I've owned the Spheros 8000 (2 yrs) I have had 50 lb PowerPro on it. It winds it on PERFECTLY and flawlessly. The old Baitrunners 'A' wind on braid fine as well - line guide gets bet to up and grooved, but doable.

I've always told folks about the Spheros from the time I owned it and how well it works, BUT every one wants the pretty white Stradic. :P

The Sustain is nice and so is the Stella, however, not everyone has over $230 or $600 to blow on a reel. ;)

The Shimano Sedona w/ the new ARB would be fine as well. :) I know folks had bearing problems w/ the older Symetre in salt.

A lot of big fish have been caught on monofilament using the "out dated" old hvy Penns spinners and squidders. :D

Buy what you can afford - if u take care of your gear it will last your lifetime.

Thanks guys - I am going to go with a spheros or another slammer.

I have been debating spheros or stradic as well...I think I'm going with the spheros.