Best UL Reel For $150-200?

[R Shackelford]

Title says it all, looking for the best bang for my buck in the $150-200 range. I have been using Pflueger President size 20 for the past several years but am now looking to upgrade. I am strongly considering the Stradic CI4+ but I would like to see what yall have to say, I have never owned a Shimano. Their claim to have highly reduced wind knots and the higher gear ratio are great selling points for me.

[FurFlyin]

I bought a Stradic ci4 last winter. Great reel. At the same time, I bought my son a Diawa Fuego LT. He’s 17 and I knew he wouldn’t take care of the reel like I would take care of mine so I wasn’t going to spend as much on his reel but I wanted him to have a good reel.

Ends up his reel is every bit as smooth as mine and actually takes less force to reel it. The Stradic is awesome but the Fuego is too and costs less than half price of the Stradic.

Here’s the kicker..... I was just looking at reels online last night because I’d like to get a couple more. The Fuego doesn’t have great reviews. There were quite a few reviews that talked about the line lay on the spool being bad and they had pictures to prove it. It did look awful and it was multiple people with reports and pictures.

So I don’t know what to do. I do have to wonder if it matters that I bought mine at a local mom and pop fishing store. Maybe they aren’t all the same? Maybe I got a great one or maybe the people that gave bad reviews got bad ones. All I can say for certain is I’d just as soon have my sons Diawa as I had my Shimano.

At the end end of the day I will likely get another Diana reel but may get a different model. They have a few different reels in the $80-$150 range.

[Alphahawk]

Title says it all, looking for the best bang for my buck in the $150-200 range. I have been using Pflueger President size 20 for the past several years but am now looking to upgrade. I am strongly considering the Stradic CI4+ but I would like to see what yall have to say, I have never owned a Shimano. Their claim to have highly reduced wind knots and the higher gear ratio are great selling points for me.

The latest model Ci4+ fixed a problem they had on earlier models. Of course I’m partial to reels out of Japan. You can get a Ci4+ out of Japan either in high or low gear ratio and their UL reels come with a shallow spool which I love as it increases casting distance and really cuts down a lot of waste on line as it will only hold about 100 meters of 2# test. Now I know you are likely not to go the Japanese route so I will give you my experience with the Stradics. Up until about 4 years back I used to fish 5 days a week 365 a year. I have used every major brand name of UL reel that was made at that time. When you fish that much if a reel has a weak point it will show up. I kept moving up in reels as the ones I had been using could not take that kind of use for very long. When I got my first Stradic it was one that would hold up to that kind of fishing. I used it for 3 years straight before retiring it. Actually it wasn’t retired. I would send my Stradic in to Shimano USA for regular maintenance 2-3 times a year. The last time I sent it in they sent me a brand new one back. I gifted it to a youth who needed an UL reel and at that time I was starting to buy reels out of Japan. My nephew finally started buying JDM reels and decided to retire his 5 Ci4+ reels and only use them for a guest reel. He thought he would send them back one last time to Shimano USA for one last maintenance. Shimano sent him back 5 brand new Ci4+ reels at no cost to him. Shimano seems to do this quite often as I have had other friends with same results. So in the end I don’t think you will go wrong with the Ci4+.

Regards

[Just_Bass]

But why shimano sent you a brand new reels?

[Just_Bass]

If I have a budget like you, I would get Tatula LT 1000 or 2000S, the problem is they come in high gear ratio and I don’t like it for crappie fishing. The LT is super smooth, the drag is good, like the air bail and super light under 6 oz. I like light weight reel because I do a lot of cast and reel type. The CI4+ is very tempting too almost bought the used one awhile ago, end up with Legalis LT 1000.

[Alphahawk]

But why shimano sent you a brand new reels?

They do that quite often for folks. You send your old reel in for regular maintenance and a lot of times they just send you a brand new reel back. It makes for great public relations.

Regards


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[BluegillHunter]

Why does everyone want the best reel, rod or whatever? A Pflueger President reel is good enough for anyone, in my book.

[river scum]

x2 on that bluegillhunter. its who running the rod not the rod. lol I have 2 shimano fx series I believe. they weren't anywhere near top of the line but they still catching fish 30yrs later. both of them!

[Alphahawk]

Why does everyone want the best reel, rod or whatever? A Pflueger President reel is good enough for anyone, in my book.

I could write pages on why the best...but I’m not going to. Might as well lock this post down right now.....here come the haters. The man asked a specific question.....he didn’t ask for folks to chime in as to why one wants to spend that kind of money. No one tells you how to spend your money don’t be trying to tell others how to spend theirs.

Regards.


Sent from my iPad using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

[NCCrappieBum]

Title says it all, looking for the best bang for my buck in the $150-200 range. I have been using Pflueger President size 20 for the past several years but am now looking to upgrade. I am strongly considering the Stradic CI4+ but I would like to see what yall have to say, I have never owned a Shimano. Their claim to have highly reduced wind knots and the higher gear ratio are great selling points for me.

I have an older Ci4 and love it. No problems at all with it. Last month I bought the new Stradic FL for 199.99. This new model has the same gear system as the Stella. the Stradic FL is by far the lightest reel i now own. Smooth is not the word for it. I am very happy with it.