IS THIS NEW FISHING REEL WORTH ALL THE HYPE? Unboxing Shimano's New Stradic 

I had one of the original Stradics which I got in the early 90's in the UK when I first came over, and used it for coarse species on lures. So interested in seeing the v2 30 years later. I'm more of a fly guy these days, but it brings back good memories!

having bought four vanfords this great reel will not be required lol.

I added the Stradic FM STC3000XGFM to my inshore collection earlier this year. Paired it with a St Croix Avid inshore 7' Medium / Fast rod. Such an amazing setup! Absolutely love everything about this reel and rod combo.

I love my Vanfords , if I every need a new reel in 2500 size it will be a Stradic. Thanks for the unboxing.

Great overview mate, I recently went through my dads lure collection and found a couple packets of squidgies with you and Rex on them which was a surprise. I remember catching you on tv from time to time when I was a kid. Always loved the enthusiasm. 👍

Nice one Starlo ... glad you worked out what the 'doovy' was for ..lol

Big fan of the Stradic series of reels my first was a 4000FG then went on to the FH in 3 different sizes and finally a Ci4 2000F. Think I might have to get a 2000 size in the new series👍 and yes I still have them all with no failures fished in fresh and salt from Murray cod to snapper trout and bream. Can't go wrong.

Looks like a beaut! And Lol that fin is a modification very similar to one I’ve done to several of my reel’s, it came from necessity using braid on cheaper reels in particular my daiwas and even some shimanos like nexaves the ones I’ve done it just prevents the line from catching on the arm guiding the line directly to the roller, one reel in particular was absolutely critical was a micro daiwa laguna and it used 2lb mono on one spool and 3lb braid on the other and several occasions I’d damaged line or lost fish due to the hair thin line getting caught before the roller and cutting a groove in the plastic upright part of the bail , I’ve used knead it, super glue and paper, and even made a guide from aluminium on one reel it just makes them flawless to operate especially in wind and dark!

I own almost a dozen Pflueger Supremes, don't need any more. Especially a real that doesn't have an anti-reverse lever.

Nice collection of books in the back steve, ive managed to find some great books wasting away at the back of a shop here in the pilbara

Nice reel Steve

I must say, your product reviews are the best on RU-vid. I learn a thing or two that others miss and your delivery is exceptional. I’m having trouble deciding between the improved FM or wallet friendly FL. Either way, I’ll be casting a Stradic this coming season. Thanks!

Great reels Starlo. I've bought every series in the 1000 to 2500 size for trout and bream. They are exceptional quality and ultra reliable. They've never let me down and have landed plenty of fish on these. Good review.

Nice one Starlo...

Thanks for the advice. picked one up. All I say is wow. Feels like a premium reel super value for money.

I have a 4000 stradic white in colour one of the older brands and it is a solid piece of kit capable of stopping big fish. It is a smooth reel loaded with Andrew Eddinghausen 20lb braid would you believe. 🎣👉🤙

A nice looking reel with an excellent drag given its sizes. The gap to Stella is narrowing!

just picked up 2 vanfords and now after this video im wishing i would have went for the Stradic FM. Great video!

Thanks Steve good info cheers mate 😉👍

Ok so I got 2 of these in the C 2500 size for freshwater bait fishing with 2 kg mono. Issues so far the line roller is not perfectly round, you can see it moving around as the line is pulled from the spool. This issue was in some FL reels I got towards the end of their production. The issue is the white plastic bush that sits between the bearing and line roller itself. I had to order 6 pieces from shimano to get 2 good ones. I am waiting for them to come back into stock to deal with the 2 FM I have right now. Second issue both reels had noisey line roller bearings after 2 trips, ordered new 4 bearings from Shimano 3 were quiet one was no good. Third issue is drag sounds clicker sounds muffled and inconsistent. Have not fixed this yet but suspect the plastic ratchet piece is not perfectly round, have to order a couple and see. The clicker mechanism is now mounted on a plastic piece under the spool changing the acoustics. Forth thing the new duracross drag washer material seems to be shedding, I inspected the drag washers after a bunch of large carp and there were a few pieces that were sitting in the groove machined into the spool, never seen this before no idea if it will be an issue moving forward. They are smooth reels especially under load but little annoyed about all the other stuff I mentioned, maybe quality control is not what it used to be😕

Hi Steve, are you a fan of the soft round knob handles?, i put a after market round knob on my 2000 Diawa revelry and my god its good, if i could i would never go back to traditional handles as on the stradic.

Hey starlo love the vids. Am interested on opinion of thoughts of nasci v stradic given the price point difference.. seems minimalistic but a big price diff. Looking forward to fishing t heads in the next few weeks!

I like Stradics. The FL is my light tackle reel, when I don’t need anything very well sealed. It’s a real pleasure to use, and performs well. I still prefer the Spheros SW for its sealing, but the Stradic is a much better finesse reel. I’ve been eyeing the FM pretty hard, and am sure I’ll end up with one once my FL burns out.

After my recent Stradic C5000 FK gave up I gave up on the Stradics, happy with a Certate, Kix and a TD Black as replacement reels. I still own a Saragosa, Spheros, and an old Biomaster. All of which im sure will last me a fair while longer. For the robust reels im happy with Shimano. For a more refined reel i'll stay with Daiwa.

So where do I stand with my Stradic 400 X.G. that I went and bought about what 8 Months ago? Thinking it was the latest and greatest. I mean it feels pretty darn smink to me, is it totally outgunned by this new one?

What line will you be using? I see the Line Laboratory did some tests on Shimano Kairiki and it was 186% thicker diameter than stated on the box.

What 15lb would you put on that starlo, I know you can get better quality lower diameter 15lb but just not sure what to look for. Cheers 👍🏻

The C2000 is not a shallow spool

I’m choosing between the new Stradic or a Vanford in 4000 or 5000 size, their prices are very close now given Vanford is heavily discounted. What would be your recommendation?

How you going with the reel Steve? Still happy with it? Cheers

Whats the line capacity for 15lbs braids? I just bought 15lbs 150meters J-braid x8, will it spool the whole line perfectly? Thanks mate

Got two of 19-th series like four years ago. Pretty much unkillable device.

I love my penns

Wish they made a 500 or c1000 size

Are these on par with the Vanford?

Nice reel Steve just asking cause I no you would have a right/spot on reason and just wondering why you said jew in the summer do you find there easy to fish for instead of September to November b4 mullet make there swimm please why summer jew

It is what it isss

They didnt add super slow oscilation :( 😞

I just bought it and i don't keep it. Some play in the handle, i dont like that.

Bought one, it made strange nosises when reeling, got it changed for another one, same problem.. told the store i diddnt want it anymore. Went back to the FL instead. Twist guard is BS, does absolutley nothing

You run the risk of being biased. With only one or two exceptions, Daiwa matches Shimano's range and exceeds it in the sub $150 sector. And now Penn have come in and upset everybody by offering more robust and better sealed mechanicals than both with their Battle 3 range for less than $200. So maybe your viewers would appreciate being told about alternatives to Shimano.

CEYMARC30 .GOT 3. 240 BUCKS. HANDLE KNOB BRILLIANT6KG DRAG. IF ONE SHITS GOT PARTS WARRANTY WHO CARES COSTS ME IN TIME RANG UP 3 TIMES ON OTHER UNITS 80 BUCKS BARGIN FIRST REEL IN 3 YEAR NEVER MISSED A BEAT ABU FOREVER.😂.