i am building a 7' rod for the CT spring weakfish run. looking at either a smaller stradic or slammer. looking through old posts, it is a toss up. the only thing i like better about the stradic off the top is the free spair spool, as i want to have one with braid and one with mono. any further advice between the two?

The stradic is a much smoother reel and would be my choice if its not going to get dunked. Its what I have on my schoolie rod. The slammer is much easier to take apart and clean if it gets dunked. I'm afraid to take my stradic apart and get it professionally serviced.

i have an 8000 stradic that has never seen any use. it is a back-up, back-up reel. unfortunately it is way too big for the 7' rod. i do like it, though.

how about a VS 100 :humpty:

Originally posted by Eben
how about a VS 100 :humpty: i would kill that in about 10 minutes... :smash:

Toby-

I fished Stradics for several years and the guy above is right, they do not like to get wet inside. The gears melt & cease. My buddy had the same problems. Now, Shimano does have top notch service and great reels, but I just think the Stradic is better suited to freshwater. It doesn't even have the waterproof drag the Sustain, Stella, and Spheros have. It is a smooth reel though when working. I have 2 Stella's and they are great reels. The Spheros may be a better bet for an under $100 reel.

I owned a Slammer 360 for a while and sold it as I and several friends who fished them soon found out that they don't (nor do any other Penns for that matter) handle braid too well. Lots of wind knots. Maybe Penn will someday finally fix its winding system to handle braid. I think they just came out with "modern" SS series reels.

You may also want to consider a Daiwa Capricorn. I have a model 4000 as my back-up reel for use with my wife & kids, and like it. It is the same price range as the other 2 reels, holds much more line than similarly sized Shimano's & Penns, handles braid very well, and has an anti-snapback bail system to avoid bail closures. The only drawback is the handle is a bit weak looking, but I've had no trouble yet.

I have a 360 slammer and it handles braid like a champ- no windnots here :huh:

Why would you kill the VS 100. I have one on my schoolie rod, use if for albies in my kayak and caught a 12.5 weakfish this spring with it. Just as durable as the larger VS's.

I think tlapinski might run across very large stripers in the spring...

I have a 560 Slammer and it handles braid well. If you are not going to dunk it is a nice reel. After several dunkings it has never been the same.

i was kidding about the VS100 as i killed my 250 and 300 this year.

i don't need to spend a ton on this reel, i just need it to be braid friendly. most of the fishing for these weakies is done from dry land to shallow water. the reel will stay dry.

Eben, the weakfish spot is in a different area than my spring time striper spots. i'll take you there next year, too.

Originally posted by Eben
I have a 360 slammer and it handles braid like a champ- no windnots here :huh:

Eben - windnots are rare when you troll... :rotfl:

Originally posted by JohnR
Eben - windnots are rare when you troll... :rotfl: good thing, too. wire line wind knots must be tough to pick out.

toby gets one of these...... :D

and John gets a big fat :bshake:

i trolled yesterday in my canoe :hihi:

:smash:

Love my Stradics but have been hearing great things about the Shimano Spheros. Supposedly the same guts as a Thunnus without the baitrunner feature.

If you're not going to dunk it and you want braid friendly get the stradic.

Get a Spheros and order a spare spool. They usually have them ready to ship.

Even when we use them as guide reels in the boat they still noticeably outlast a Stradic.

The Stradic is a freshwater reel that works in saltwater. For a little while...

thanks Pete. i'm not used to looking into this light tackle stuff. :musc:

Toby,
I've got a penn liveliner that worked well for about a day; I take it apart like 4 times a year.
Strictly a boat reel now.
Later,
Rick

penn slammer- solid,braid frendly and low cost service

Fished a Spheros 8000 for a whole season.Fantastic reel.
Far better than a Slammer and unlike the Stradic has the waterproof drag.

I have used a slammer 560 for a few years and have had no problems with it as long as you keep it lubricated. I was going to pick up a spheros this winter for my 10 footer.

Daiwa Tournament SS (NOT the SS 2) 1600. Priced under 100 smackers and it's a tough reel.

Drawbacks are no instant anti-reverse and a smallish line roller. I had problems with a flat braid like Rip Cord Si, but it handled 30# Whiplash fine.

Shimano Sustain 4000 would be my pick if I weren't dunking the reels.

Right now, I think your needs would be met with a Slammer 460 (?).

For the money, I think Slammers are FINE. All-metal construction, drags OKAY as long as you don't dunk 'em too hard (use lube on the HT-100's).