Shimano Stradic Spinning Reels Review

Stradic2500FH, 2015-01-21
Reviewer: Tony

I own (6) 2500FH and love them. Only problem is I can't find a couple reel handles for them anymore. I tried most of the blogs with no luck. I see my only option is to buy a used reel for 30-40, but would rather not. Any suggestions?

Stradic no spares for gears, 2010-08-27
Reviewer: Greenshank

I th0ught my new Stradic was a step up from my old Cardinal 54 and Cardinal 44. Now that the gears and bearingS are worn out and they have no parts I know I was wrong. If Shimano put poor gears into their Bycicle equipment they would be laughed off the planet. Seems Fishing gears play second fiddle to the bike stuff. I guess I will dust off the old ABU 54 and enjoy it again after 30 years. My next reel will be bought from people who maintain adequate spares for High wear components.

Good reel but NOT for Long, 2008-09-21
Reviewer: Big AL

I have had this reel for 2 Salmon seasons. After the second salmon season the reel began to bind upon retrieving my lure. The reel is still smooth as smooth can be when there is no line pressure. When there is line pressure the internal gears bind. I have greased lubed and disassembled twice, still the problem is unresolved. What a waste of money! I will never buy another Shimano reel and this is coming from a strictly Shimano reel guy, well not anymore. Buyer beware on this one - it could be a costly mistake.

stradic 3000, 2008-07-04
Reviewer: Doug Rice

I bought a stradic 3000 for finesse fishing (spotted bass,large mouth bass) with a shaky head set-up. I have several other spinning rigs but I decided to buy a stradic because of the good reviews I have read (here and elsewhere). I like the smoothness of the retrieve and the drag, but the casting left me somewhat disappointed. I took one of the spools of the stradic and compared it to a spool off of a Pflueger president (which casts perfect) I noticed the angle on the edge of the president's spool was alot greater than the angle on the stradic's. I machined the angle onto a stradic spool (on a lathe) and the results were great! I now have the best all around reel for the job I intended it for. The quality of a shimano and the castability of a Pflueger president. I won't have to sell it on e-bay now!

Awesome!, 2007-07-16
Reviewer: Steve

I got my first Stradic 5 years ago for Christmas. I now have 7. 5-2500's and 2-4000's. I have never had a problem with them!

You get what you pay for, 2007-07-13
Reviewer: Jesse

Believe it or not, I returned a 1 day old Shimano Symetre for a Stradic 2500, and all I have to say in my defense is this: when was the last time you drove a Malaysian car? I rest my case. Upon inspection, it was immediately apparent that the Japanese-based Stradic was built of sturdier materials than the Symetre, and I felt that the extra $30 bucks was money well spent. Plus I liked the white/gold color combination. Performance wise, the Stradic is simply amazing: The bail flips with a discernible "click," the drag is so smooth you'll probably miss it, and the retrieve is firm and smooth. I have no complaints with this reel, and I promise you'll be satisfied with it. Save your money on a Stella or Sustain and buy a nicer rod (such as a Fenwick Techna AV) and get the Stradic; you get what you pay for!

stradic, 2006-12-19
Reviewer: hin

i have the stradic 2500, 2500mg and 4000mg and they are great reels for the price. i use them in the bay here for perch, stripers and halibuts and the reel has performed flawlessly.

Snook Friendly Reel, 2006-09-07
Reviewer: Alex Gamboa

I have a Stradic 2500, 4000, 5000, and a Stradic 2500 mgfa and I have never regretted buying this reel. I use this reel at the Bokeelia Fishing Pier in Florida and have pulled 35 inch Snook out of the pilings with my 2500 stradic. I use my other Stradics for Snook, Redfish, and Goliath Grouper. This reel is the best reel for its price and i compare it to the Calcutta's.

good but bad, 2006-08-10
Reviewer: Karl K

i have the 2500 stradic. it's a smooth reel but doesn't stay that way. after a while the reel gets some back play in the handle. if u fish saltwater dont buy this reel if you fish freash it's great(minus the backplay)

Stradic takes saltwater fishing well, 2006-01-06
Reviewer: B.Neal

I have two 2500's and use them for speckeled trout and redfishing. The reels have worked really fine and have held up for over 2 years of hard saltwater use. Drag works great on big redfish and the castability is terrific in open windy bay conditions. I would recommend this reel to anyone who is looking for a spinning reel to use in south Louisiana marsh conditions.

sturdy as it can get, 2005-11-22
Reviewer: Keegan

The stradic series makes great over all reels, i've caught everything from half pound mangrove snapper to 65 lb sails on my 4000, all you need is a spool full of 20 lb power pro. Theres no bait caster better on the market. I'd recomend it to any angler, beginner or professional.

Stradic, 2005-11-19
Reviewer: Stradic Fisherman

An excellent reel at a fair price. My three have yet to disappoint!

its a great reel, 2005-08-21
Reviewer: andrew simko

i think the stradic H is a great reel. i've caught many fish with it.i've gone to the peer and caught twenty blue fish on the dock in the back of my house and landing a 15-20 pound jack. for about 4months ive woke up and fished for jack and catch one about every day. it is a great reel

Cool Weather *NO*, 2005-05-18
Reviewer: Len Harris

It is a sweet warm weather reel. Have landed many nice trout and northerns on it. If the temperature is below 32...Leave it at home...free spools.

Stradic 2000 review, 2005-03-14
Reviewer: Scott M. Bennard

I have not used any other brand/type of spinning reel for over 4 years now. In the past I have gone through spinning reels almost as if they were disposable. I soon realized that I would save money in the long haul by getting better quality spinning reels and the Stradic 2000’s have been great to me. They are fairly light weight and with minimal regular lubing/cleaning, are relatively easy to maintain. One thing that always worried me with my spinning reels is the drag system, but the Stradic’s drag has been flawless so far. Another problem I used to have with inferior spinning reels is, when I use braided superline, they do not like to hold up to the added strain. I use braid quite frequently with my reels. I like to keep my spare spool (nice bonus) filled with 20# braid for snaggy conditions and the reels have not had any of the gear breaking problems that some of my others did. I have not had any problems with line twist or the spool not filling up evenly. If the spool needs to be adjusted to get it to fill properly, all the user has to do is add or remove some shimming washers that come with the reel. This is a very user-friendly, yet effective system.

These are very good buys and I think anyone from casual weekend fishermen to touring pro’s would be very satisfied with this investment

Shimano Stradic 6000, 2005-03-07
Reviewer: John Clark

I have been fishing the same reel for four years at Sebastian Inlet with minimal maintenance. Although I use it mostly for snook I have landed Tarpon to 100lbs., Goliath Grouper to 100lbs. and I am not easy on my reel. It has never let me down and I would recomend it to anyone. I have used more expensive reels but for the money I think the Stradic is a great value.

Perfect blend of performance and price, 2005-02-12
Reviewer: Tom

I have the Japanese version, which is called the Biomaster. It's basically the same thing except it has better quality bearings and a machined aluminum handle.

At over a $100, this reel is not a budget reel. However, the features make it well worth its price. Here are some things that I personally look for when choosing a reel.

Weight: This reel is super light (especially my 2000 sized Biomaster). The US Stradic only comes in the 2500 size but the weight is acceptable in this size as well.

Smoothness: Like butter. It's just built really well. Super smooth out of the box, even better with regular care and maintenance.

Maintainability: The reel comes with a oil injection port that unscrews with a screwdriver. You just spray some shimano reel oil in there and the main gears are all taken care of (too bad the spray oil is impossible to find!). The rest of the reel is super easy to maintain as well (especailly after taking some lessons at the Shimano booth at the Fred Hall show).

Drag: To be honest the drag is TOO smooth. The first time I took it out I hooked a halibut from the surf and I had a difficult time playing it because of the drag. It's so smooth and quiet that I wouldn't realize that the fish is pulling drag! You get used to it but I miss the sound of a screaming drag sometimes. ;)

Castability: Casting is great do to the slow oscilation system. What this does, is it slows down the up and down motion of the spool relative to the number of turns on the handle. As an example, a similar sized Sedona's spool will go all the way up and then back down after 2 handle rotations. However, it takes 5 handle rotations on the Stradic for the spool to do the same thing! This means that the line is layed tighter and more parallel on the spool, thus making it easier for the line to come off of the spool during the cast.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this reel if you're want a reel with high-end performance for a reasonable price.