Shimano

I spent weeks and weeks making a decision on this reel. In the end in comparing it to the Shimano Stradic and Penn Clash which are both excellent reels. I live in coastal Carolina and in this area most guides and my friends all have Shimano as do. I could not make the turn to buy a Penn simply based on my experiences. Focusing on the Stradic, both reels are very smooth. I have to give the edge to the Stradic based on the number of ball bearings in the Stradic. Both reels are light but in the 3000 size, I didn't let an ounce and half difference between the two make the decision for me. Line capacity, exact same. drag tension exactly the same, warranty, the same. Balance, I give to the Stradic again but only slightly. My issue with the Shimano line of $250 and below is they all corrode, pit and some parts turn green in saltwater usage. They may or may not still work at 100% but in a few short years they look like crap. My decision to buy this reel was based on this problem. I needed two reels so a difference in price of $160 for the Stradic, just could not justify the extra expense based on my observations of the two reels. To bring back a reel cosmetically with buying parts from Shimano, it will cost you half of what it originally cost if,,, and only if your bail mechanism still works properly which in most cases, it won’t. The point is, probably have to replace a reel every four to five years so, they are disposable. I paired this reel with a Teramar 7'6" medium light rod and it is a work of art. It is perfectly balanced, light and color coordinated. The dark blue metal flake on the reel matches the darker blue in the rods. Caught a bunch of sea trout this last weekend and the combination not only performed flawlessly, it was a blast reeling in (and releasing) 15 to 18 inch trout. Perfect combination for light inshore fishing in coastal Carolina. BTW, this replaces the Symetre line from Shimano

What I liked most is the smooth action, super strong and smooth drag! This reel is light and compact but able to handle larger fish in saltwater. Yes it has extra protection for use in saltwater.For me there really is nothing as yet to not like about this reel.Excellent quality for the price. This is now my second Nacsi because the first one was great. I have owned the cheapest Shimano spinning reel and have never been let down by any of my 6 Shimano spinning reels I now own. I fully recommend this reel!

Best Reel that I've owned! I finally had the opportunity to take the Stradic out fishing and I was extremely impressed. I was fishing on Lake Michigan for King Salmon and the Stradic performed flawlessly. Coming from a Pflueger Presidential, you certainly notice the difference in how smooth the reel cranks. The handle also is fantastic and feels very comfortable and natural to the fit of the hand. I have this attached to a MH St Croix rod. To be honest after having used this reel for a day's fishing, I'm very tempted to purchase another one for my backup rod.If you're considering purchasing this to upgrade to a more quality spinning reel, don't think twice!5/26 - I took the Stradic coupled with my St. Croix medium heavy rod up to Ontario fishing for lakers, northern, and walleye and it performed superbly. I didn’t lose a single fish and was able to land my biggest lake trout yet, which was a 30 inch. Definitely happy I purchased this reel.

I am an extremist when it comes to fishing- I.E I in the 5000 size reels I have a Stella 5000, A Twin Power 5000, as well as a Stradic FK 5000HG. It is obvious to me that the first two reels are superior to the FK........ but after three years of fishing them interchangeably, I find there is not enough difference in the three reels to warrant the much higher price tags on the Stella and the Twin Power. The Stradic FK is an extremely smooth reel with a super drag and a great balance for a medium heavy to heavy bass rod, and for light-medium saltwater rods. I fish 100+ days a year. If I had it to do all over again, I'd have purchased the FK in the first place, It is a terrific reel and a very reasonable price.

Shipping was flawless. Had to pick up at the post office to sign, but I was okay with that. Arrived much earlier than expected!As for the reel it is the highest quality I've ever owned. I had an Okuma Inspira 30 that was actually smoother in rotation, but that was probably due to having so many ball bearings. This stradic is so ideal for fishing for bass, trout, and other reds. The drag is super strong and smooth and I feel the weight of the reel is perfect on my 7' Star Rods Stellar lite.This is a guaranteed winner of a reel.

Like any previous Stradic that I've owned(FI and FJ), this is another solid product by Shimano that works well for either fishing light tackle for trout or big freshwater game fish like catfish. However, I was a bit disappointed as the "Hagane" was a bit misleading. I was expecting the reel to be made completely out of metal, but that's not the case as the body(in my case the 1000 model) still used some graphite. Other than that, it's performed well for largemouth fishing and striped bass as the drag is buttery smooth and the reel has good cranking power.Great to buy off of Amazon as the price is cheaper than Bass Pro or some other chain store. One thing I wish Shimano would do again is include spare spools for reels of this caliber.

This reel has been great to me. I've had a bunch of reels over the years, and now I own 7 stradics. Some Ci4+, FJ, FK.I have 30 lb power pro on it. I use this reel for bottom fishing for sheepshead, trigger fish, flounder, and other stuff in the winter. I've caught cobia on this. I also use this for spanish as well. One time I fought a big stingray for a long time, and got him up to the top, and once I saw what it was, broke it off. This reel has held up, and still going strong. I like the reel not having a anti-reverse switch. Who needs that, and that is one less thing to break. Also one less entryway for salt. I would buy this for heavy stuff like bottom fishing and the Ci4 for light stuff like trout and redfish.