Spinning Reel 2025
NavyVet reply :
Looking for a quality mid-size spinning reel. Will be used for dropshotting and shakey heads primarily. Will also get used some for jig fishing walleyes on occasion. I have looked at the Shimano line and particularly Stradic C14 seris. Open to any and all suggestions and opinions.
Flywatersmallie reply :
Assuming your budget is $200 going by the Ci4 you are considering, I'd say look at the Daiwa Ballistic. A lot of reel for the same price, comparable weight but a smoother reel as far as I can tell. If weight isn't a huge issue, the regular model Stradic is a better reel in my opinion. Or save some money and look at the Daiwa Lexa or Pflueger Supreme XT. Lots of good spinning reels under $200. Personally I'm not that impressed with the Ci4 though a lot of folks love them
roadwarrior reply :
The CI4 would be an excellent choice.
00 mod reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 10:02 AM, roadwarrior said:The CI4 would be an excellent choice.
x2! I love my Ci4 2500
Jeff
thehooligan reply :
Id also recommend the ci4 or stradic fj. Im curious about the daiwa ballistic, i havent got a chance to handle one yet, but for the price it seems like a good choice. I like daiwa reels alot as well, especially my fuego 1000a... Also, the new okumas are coming out and are supposed to be alot of reel for the money....
kickerfish1 reply :
If you want a reel that is "feature packed" look at the stradic FJ. Personally you may find the 1000 size to be prefect if you are wanting to use 6-8 # line . Also I would say the 1000 size may also be a a better choice for walleye. The 2500 series will give you more line capacity and more lbs of drag. The main advantage of the 1000 series to me would be weight of the reel.
The stradic CI4 is also a great reel and super lightweight. However it lacks "x-ship" and a few other features the FJ has.
You can't go wrong with either...
BenB54 reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 10:50 AM, 00 mod said:x2! I love my Ci4 2500
Jeff
X3
Bluebasser86 reply :
I just bought a CI4 last month and have really been impressed with it so far.
SirSnookalot reply :
I've been fondling some as of late, not that an in store turning of the crank handle is going to tell you whether it's a winner or loser. That said I wouldn't want the ci4 for free, but the regular stradic is a superb reel. If I limited myself to Shimano I'd buy a symetre long before the c14. As far as my in store fondling goes, the quantum smoke is the most impressive I've seen, but can't say under fishing conditions how it will be. Any $100+ reel should be fine, I'd be paying attention to what feels best on my rod and if my eye likes it or not.
roadwarrior reply :
Pretty harsh for someone who has only briefly handled an in-store demo.
I have fished 00 Mod's reel a little and a CI4 I helped a friend buy in Alabama.
Just playing with the reel below Wilson Dam I "accidentally" caught a small
striper, +/- 12 lbs. I thought the reel performed as well as my Stella. I was (am)
very impressed with the CI4.
J Francho reply :
I have three CI4 reels. They are plenty smooth, lightweight, and strong enough to handle fish much larger than bass.
Diggy reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 6:41 PM, SirSnookalot said:I've been fondling some as of late, not that an in store turning of the crank handle is going to tell you whether it's a winner or loser. That said I wouldn't want the ci4 for free, but the regular stradic is a superb reel. If I limited myself to Shimano I'd buy a symetre long before the c14. As far as my in store fondling goes, the quantum smoke is the most impressive I've seen, but can't say under fishing conditions how it will be. Any $100+ reel should be fine, I'd be paying attention to what feels best on my rod and if my eye likes it or not.
If someone gives you one, Ill take it
I know far too little about spinning reels to give advice on them, but Ill soak the advice up from others.
rubba bubba reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 9:07 PM, roadwarrior said:Pretty harsh for someone who has only briefly handled an in-store demo.
You mean like when Lgmouthgam fondled an in-store Lews and then proceeded to write a 5 paragraph "review" of the reel and how it couldn't be better than his Shimano? Oddly enough I didn't see the Posse slap him around for that buffoonery.
Flywatersmallie reply :
Well... I have fished a couple of Ci4's pretty extensively and I honestly felt there was something missing. I can't put my finger on what it was but one shouldn't feel that way with a $200 spinning reel. Lots of people are big fans of them and there is something to that, just not for me. I'll stick by my original statement that if I was going to pick up a Shimano reel, I'd save the few bucks and get one of the original Stradics. They are workhorse reels that just last forever. That said, almost all my spinning reels are Daiwa now and I'm very impressed with the new models out
J Francho reply :
What's missing? Extra mass. 
Flywatersmallie reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 11:12 PM, J Francho said:What's missing? Extra mass.
I don't know what it is bud... It isn't the light weight. I own a Ballistic that weighs roughly the same and like it a lot. I don't like the round knob but that's a minor fix and wouldn't be a deal killer. I'm not sure what it is
upnorthbassin reply :
I think the supreme xt is a great reel for the money. You could even get the patriarch for under $200. The Stradic is a good choice too of course as is the regular Stradic fj.
SirSnookalot reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 9:07 PM, roadwarrior said:Pretty harsh for someone who has only briefly handled an in-store demo.
I have fished 00 Mod's reel a little and a CI4 I helped a friend buy in Alabama.
Just playing with the reel below Wilson Dam I "accidentally" caught a small
striper, +/- 12 lbs. I thought the reel performed as well as my Stella. I was (am)
very impressed with the CI4.
More than once have I played with the ci4 reel and each time I was turned off. Just something about that reel just doesn't feel right, that isn't being harsh. Not only did the smoke feel much better but bubble wrapped $30 reels with the handle sticking out felt better too.
Probably be no problem in landing that striper on one of those 30 or $40 reels.
When ever I see something over rated or over priced I just think of what P.T. Barnum said.
Diggy if I get a ci4 for free it's all yours..........I promise.
roadwarrior reply :
"Not only did the smoke feel much better but bubble wrapped $30 reels with the handle sticking out felt better too."
Okay, that puts it in perspective and a smile on my face. That's pretty funny. Touche!
Back to the OP, "some" guys really like the reel. You might, too.
Bankbeater reply :
I got a Pflueger President 2 years ago and I love it.
J Francho reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 11:43 PM, Flywatersmallie said:I don't know what it is bud... It isn't the light weight. I own a Ballistic that weighs roughly the same and like it a lot. I don't like the round knob but that's a minor fix and wouldn't be a deal killer. I'm not sure what it is
I don't like the knobs either, so I have Scott Hovanec make two sweet cork knobs:
MCS reply :
Pflueger is the way to go, best reels for the money. Just picked up a President XT to got with my President 20 and Templar 35. Try to hunt an President XT down, they stopped making them in 2012 and I got mine for 44.99 that is half off for the 40 size. That thing is soooo smooth. If you can't find one of those there is the President, Purist, and Supreme that hit your 50, 80 and 100 price points and are worht every penny.
Flywatersmallie reply :
On 1/22/2013 at 2:38 AM, MCS said:Pflueger is the way to go, best reels for the money. Just picked up a President XT to got with my President 20 and Templar 35. Try to hunt an President XT down, they stopped making them in 2012 and I got mine for 44.99 that is half off for the 40 size. That thing is soooo smooth. If you can't find one of those there is the President, Purist, and Supreme that hit your 50, 80 and 100 price points and are worht every penny.
The Purist is the new President XT. On paper, they are identical, price point is the same and in hand they feel the same. Same reel, different name/paint job.
J Francho, those are good looking knobs! What's the price point on those?
MCS reply :
Yes, yes that is my point find an XT new in box now as they are discounted and it is basically the same as a purist but seen the XT as much as half off. But with the purist they shaved an once outta the weight 35 and 40 size reels if that matters. Plus they don't come with a spare spool this yr. I like spare spools one with mono and one with braid.On 1/22/2013 at 4:07 AM, Flywatersmallie said:The Purist is the new President XT. On paper, they are identical, price point is the same and in hand they feel the same. Same reel, different name/paint job.J Francho, those are good looking knobs! What's the price point on those?
J Francho reply :
I honestly don't remember. Scott is a member here, you could try to PM him, he's on daily.
Flywatersmallie reply :
Thanks! I just may do that! Got a couple reels that I'm not real fond of the knobs, those look pretty promising
iabass8 reply :
Ci4 of the FJ. Either one is a great choice.
NavyVet reply :
Thanks for the input and keep it coming. The only reason I am looking at a new spinning reel is that for the past 25-30 plus years, I am still fishing with the original Zebco Cardinal 3's and 4's which were made by ABU and marketed by Zebco. I know I am dating myself, but I am sure some of you remember them. I have one Cardinal 3 and one Cardinal 4 left in working order and use them on a regular basis. However, they are now worn and parts are near impossible to find. If the newer models compare to them, I will be happy. Finest spinning reels ever made in my humble opinion. Maybe the new ones are as good or even better, but I would be hard to convince. Fishing that many years with the same spinning reels and never having to replace them I am very unfamiliar with the newer models.
roadwarrior reply :
Well, the Model T got people from point A to point B, but I suspect most people like air conditioning,
power steering, safety glass and a suspension system that's fairly standard today Old stuff is for
collecting and display, not for fishing.
katmandew reply :
On 1/21/2013 at 11:33 AM, kickerfish1 said:If you want a reel that is "feature packed" look at the stradic FJ. Personally you may find the 1000 size to be prefect if you are wanting to use 6-8 # line . Also I would say the 1000 size may also be a a better choice for walleye. The 2500 series will give you more line capacity and more lbs of drag. The main advantage of the 1000 series to me would be weight of the reel.The stradic CI4 is also a great reel and super lightweight. However it lacks "x-ship" and a few other features the FJ has.
You can't go wrong with either...
Just bought a Stradic FJ as well on ebay for $140 and it is smooth as silk.
kickerfish1 reply :
Kat... that is a good find! The FJ is a reel that will last you forever and hold up to just about any fish or fishing conditions. What size did you decide on? Also is this the reel for your new shakey head outfit?
Let us know your thoughts on the reel once you have some time with it on the water.
SirSnookalot reply :
Personally I don't care for any spinning reel that does not have some type of rubberized paddle or power knob. I have had reels with metal knobs of various shapes, never cared for them especially in damp cool weather. Not unusual for the cork on my rod to get little slippery when damp or wet, can't imagine cork on a reel grip being to good.
J Francho reply :
QuoteNot unusual for the cork on my rod to get little slippery when damp or wet, can't imagine cork on a reel grip being to good.
Actually, it's it's the best I've found in cool, damp weather. It's not like the cork found on production rod handles. Closer to the burl cork found on customs. maybe Scot will see this, and comment.
NavyVet reply :
Roadwarrior--- You are right, although they were a great reel, It is time to retire the Cardinals. I am leaning toward the Stradic FJ or the Stradic C14. Seems as if there are different opinions about which is the way to go with them on the forum. I have looked at the Patriarch but not the Diawa Ballistic. I have never fished a Shimano personally, but a couple of buddies of mine swear by them.
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