SAW A POST ON OTHER SITE THAT WENT 7 PAGES ON WHAT EVERYONE IS USING FOR SPINNONG REELS.I FISH LITE AND SMALL AND HAVE'NT BEEN EELING OR CHUNKING.I FISH 7'' GRAPHITE ROD WITH PENN PRION 2400 EARLY SEASON AND LATELY WITH 7'' M/H GRAPHITE CATCHING SCHOOLIES UP TO KEEPER SIZE AND SOME 6 LBS BLUEFISH USING SHIMANO STRATIC 4000FG.HAD A 4000FE BUT BLEW IT UP AFTER 3 TIMES,THE 4000FG IS SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER BUT THE BOOK IS STILL OUT.LOOKED AT VS150 WHICH WOULD SOLVE ALL MY PROBLEMS.BUT $500,$40 EVERY YEAR FOR MAINTANCE AND THEY DO NOT WIND EAISLY LIKE MY OTHER REELS.I HAD NO PROBLEN WITH BAILESS WHEN I TRIED ONE.I HAVE THE PENN SS SERIES-ANTI RENERSE AND BAIL CLOSING PROBLEMS MAKE ME NOT WANT TO USE THESE REELS.THE BEST REEL HAVE IS MY GREEN 704 PACKED WITH WATERPROOF WHEEL BEARING GREASE.WHY COULD'NT PENN MAKE A VS TYPE REEL WITH A 3 SCREW REMOVABLE SIDE PLATE,VS TYPE HANDLE AND BAIL LESS PICK,SAME WEIGHT AS SAY THE VS 150 ABOUT 12OZ 450 YDS LINE AND CHARGE US $ 200-300 DOLLARS.I FIND THE SLAMMERS TOO HEAVY.WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS AND GALS.

Yellow Nautil 6500. :D

The Daiwa 2600SS. Under $100. As smooth a drag as you will find.

Just my $.02

Bernzy

Bill B. and I have the black Nautil 6500 GV. The first reel had some drag problems but I received a new one from them with no questions asked within 4 days. Great service, judgment is still out on the reel. I hope they fixed the problem because I really like the reel.

Only 2 spinning reels in use now is a rarely used 6500SS Penn - solid, dependable reel (haven't cleaned it in 3+ years) and a much more frequently used Shimano Stradic 4000 *sweet* reel for light stuff... Pretty stinkning good reel for a little over a hundred and not getting into the stratospheric range of the Stellas & VS reels....

Other than that, all conventional baby :D

Hello all, I am new to this site, though I have read through some of the forums before and gotten some very good advice. It is a great site! My question concerns a Stradic 4000 that I recently was given. I would like to pair it up with a rod to cast plastics and other lures, but I was hoping I could get some advice regarding rod length, etc... I appreciate any help you can give!

Matt

Matt - welcome to S-B... I have my Stradic on an 8' St Croix SCIII (I beleive it's a 3S83M) that I built. Pretty beefy rod and a little heavy for light plastics but plenty of backbone too. The St Croix Tidemaster would be decent with that reel for an off-the-shelf rod as it is not as still and will load up better with lighter weight - but there are probably better options out there... My Loomis SU965 that I have built conventional would be excellent setup for spinning with the Stradic...

Are you fishin shore or boat? What weight range do you want to throw...

John

Thanks for the welcome and the quick reply. I will be fishing primarily from the shore though I might expand my current freshwater kayak fishing to some inshore salt activity next year. I will not be throwing anything over two ounces, I would think. I have a heavy surf rod and I am really looking to go lighter, Since the reel was given to me, I thought it would be a good oportunity to do so without spending a fortune. I have a Stradic 1000 that I use for fresh water and absolutely love the reel. I'd like to give its big brother a salt water workout. Thanks again!

Matt

The Stardics are nice reels but what I have heard from some people who own them is that they do not liked to be dunked.

I have 2 Penn 6500SS & 1 Penn 4500SS, looking for a deal on another 4500SS. My fly reel is a Reddington 9/10 gold large arbor but really wish I bought the 7/8 instead!

HESH2,

The Stradic series is technically a fresh water reel and requires thorough rinsing and re-lubing after each saltwater use, to avoid potential problems.
If you “blew it up” after just three outings however and can’t get satisfaction from the dealer, I’d send it to directly back to Shimano in California, (about five bucks, parcel post) they’ll probably fix or replace it for zip.

You still might be a little “outgunned” with the Stradic, for the size fish you’re catching (or hoping to catch) though.

Check out the BaitRunner 3500 series.
I’ve used several of these for three years now in my medium/light tackle arsenal, with fish into the mid- thirties and I have had zero problems.
Light, saltwater resistant graphite body, typically smooth drag and even if you don’t fish bait, the free spool feature is very handy for fiddling with terminal tackle or feeding line, without having to open the bail.

The latest model now features an infinite anti-reverse which eliminates handle slap, but I believe, adds an ounce or two to the overall weight.
Hard to beat, at under a hundred bucks.

Dave

I've got a Shimano Baitrunner 4500 that I like quite a bit. We'll see how it holds up as I've only had it a few months, but it's a versatile reel for sure. It casts fairly well, the drag's smooth for the most part, and I love the baitrunner feature. I use the baitrunner mode all of the time, and not just for sitting baits on the bottom with a sinker. The best example is eeling. You don't need to freespool; you set the baitrunner drag as low as possible, cast out reel in slowly, and when you feel the hit, you can flip the baitrunner switch to let the fish run with the bait. Great reel for around a hundred bucks.
I also have a Penn 4500 SS that I like for throwing bombers and plastic. Good drag, and the reel is as tough as nails. I'd recommend it as well.
Lastly, I just won an Okuma in the MSBA tournament, and will be giving it a little test drive over the next couple weeks. Looks alright to me, but it also screams durability issues.
I think I'll be steeping into the conventional arena come Christmas time.

Shimano baitrunners 6500, they do it all !!!!!:D
I got 4 of em' and after many years of use, only 1 is in need of minor repair. (winter project #38)...

TYHE STRATIC 4000FE I BLEW UP HAS AGRAPHIT BODY,DIFFERENT GEARING AND ANTI REVERSE THAN THE NEW STYLE 4000FG SERIES.THE FG'S HAVE ALUMINUM BODY,NEW GEARING AND ANTI-REVERSE.I TRADED THE FE IN FOR $50 FOR THE 4000FG.SO FISHING LITE I HAVE BEEN CATCHING-BUT AS I MENTIONED NO LARGE BASS OR GATOR BLUES YET.