gnappi
Well-known member
Today I received my newest reel (the Stradic) and had a chance to test it out and compare its function and its much heftier price tag to the humble $45 Shimano Sienna. I bought the fairly unusual RD Stradic because I prefer rear drag reels, and it came up when I had the coin. I guess the planets aligned perfectly for me this past week.
I'm not a pro, but I fish only freshwater a lot and catch lots of 2-4 pound LMB and Peacocks. Truthfully I think most "better" reels may be ill suited to such light duty but it is what it is and that's how I use them. My comments won't reflect how either reel might perform on smoker kings, cuda, dolphin or other open water fish. If you have a Stradic and think it's the best thing since bread and butter, good on you.
Up front let me say the Sienna is a very nice reel and performs Waayyy beyond its modest price tag and I like it a lot... and it's my fave light reel. I'm not fussy about "smooth" and frankly couldn't feel an anvil under my mattress let alone a pea, if I did feel the anvil, I'd move over and give it space. That said, I guess there are a LOT of very granular smooth fetishists out there because "smooth" seems to be the biggest compliment a reel gets, next up after that is drag.
Fishing today, straight away the 4 bearing (3bb + 1 roller) Sienna vs. the 7 bearing (6bb one roller) Stradic at 5x the cost is no less smooth than the Stradic. With a wide range of light to heavy lures (with 8 lb. test) I could detect no differences with a lure in or out of the water.
Sure the Stradic will spin on an empty spool much longer but I can't fish that way so the 3 extra bearings leave me wondering why?
With 6 1/2' medium weight "Ugly stick" rods, casting, bail closing, and retrieving would be a nitpickers dilemma because I could not fault either reel at all. Using the drag on the Sienna is more straightforward than the Stradic, but the Stradic drag with the lever is much stronger, likely a better choice for bigger fish and once set is a pretty cool feature. I'll use it when I target big snakeheads.
The Stradic is a visual class act though and having a spare spool for braided or a heavier / lighter line for sure is cool, and the knob is "dented" in an exact position for for my thumb. Oh, I fish southpaw, and this reel was the only reel I ever had a head scratching time changing over from right to lefty. There's a threaded bushing of sorts on the handle shaft, that if it drifts outward it will not go back into the reel.
Spare parts... The Stradic came with an EXTREMELY SMALL exploded diagram parts diagram with part numbers, but with the HUGE ever changing Shimano product line I wonder how long parts will actually be available, hopefully it works as good and long as others who have never needed a part over many years of service. The basic "throw away" Sienna does not have a spare part diagram. With a price tag of ~$45 I can buy 3 spare reels and be way ahead of the curve.
I still need one more reel (I use 3 when I go out, all rigged with different lures and I'd like one spare reel at home) and even though I have the coin for another Stradic I'll get a couple more of the Sienna models instead.
I'm not a pro, but I fish only freshwater a lot and catch lots of 2-4 pound LMB and Peacocks. Truthfully I think most "better" reels may be ill suited to such light duty but it is what it is and that's how I use them. My comments won't reflect how either reel might perform on smoker kings, cuda, dolphin or other open water fish. If you have a Stradic and think it's the best thing since bread and butter, good on you.
Up front let me say the Sienna is a very nice reel and performs Waayyy beyond its modest price tag and I like it a lot... and it's my fave light reel. I'm not fussy about "smooth" and frankly couldn't feel an anvil under my mattress let alone a pea, if I did feel the anvil, I'd move over and give it space. That said, I guess there are a LOT of very granular smooth fetishists out there because "smooth" seems to be the biggest compliment a reel gets, next up after that is drag.
Fishing today, straight away the 4 bearing (3bb + 1 roller) Sienna vs. the 7 bearing (6bb one roller) Stradic at 5x the cost is no less smooth than the Stradic. With a wide range of light to heavy lures (with 8 lb. test) I could detect no differences with a lure in or out of the water.
Sure the Stradic will spin on an empty spool much longer but I can't fish that way so the 3 extra bearings leave me wondering why?
With 6 1/2' medium weight "Ugly stick" rods, casting, bail closing, and retrieving would be a nitpickers dilemma because I could not fault either reel at all. Using the drag on the Sienna is more straightforward than the Stradic, but the Stradic drag with the lever is much stronger, likely a better choice for bigger fish and once set is a pretty cool feature. I'll use it when I target big snakeheads.
The Stradic is a visual class act though and having a spare spool for braided or a heavier / lighter line for sure is cool, and the knob is "dented" in an exact position for for my thumb. Oh, I fish southpaw, and this reel was the only reel I ever had a head scratching time changing over from right to lefty. There's a threaded bushing of sorts on the handle shaft, that if it drifts outward it will not go back into the reel.
Spare parts... The Stradic came with an EXTREMELY SMALL exploded diagram parts diagram with part numbers, but with the HUGE ever changing Shimano product line I wonder how long parts will actually be available, hopefully it works as good and long as others who have never needed a part over many years of service. The basic "throw away" Sienna does not have a spare part diagram. With a price tag of ~$45 I can buy 3 spare reels and be way ahead of the curve.
I still need one more reel (I use 3 when I go out, all rigged with different lures and I'd like one spare reel at home) and even though I have the coin for another Stradic I'll get a couple more of the Sienna models instead.
