There are a million fishing reel models on the market, but which fishing reel is best? There’s no one answer to that question, because different reels are best for different needs and budgets. That said, one serious contender for bay and inshore anglers will be the Shimano Stradic line. Before we get down to the nitty-gritty, let’s join FishTalk Editor Lenny Rudow for a quick first-hand look at the Shimano Stradic C3000, which he reviewed for boats.com.

That video was shot a year ago. What does Rudow have to say after outfitting his boat with six of these spinning reels, used by novices and experts alike, through an entire season?

“I utterly love the feel and performance of the C3000,” he said. “But the old Stradic FJ was such a workhorse, so bulletproof, that honestly I was a bit worried the C3000 wouldn’t hold up quite as well. I’ll stipulate that my FJ went through eight years of heavy-duty use (seriously heavy-duty) on the Chesapeake before it needed any repair whatsoever (the line roller bearing finally fried) and is still in service today. The C3000’s on my boat have only been in service for one season. One was killed off early on, when a certain teenager who will go unnamed cranked the drag down nuclear-tight with a pair of pliers. But you’ve got to chalk that up to operator error, and not one of the reels currently in service shows a single sign of wear, corrosion, or damage of any sort.”

The Stradic C3000 spinning reels we tested saw plenty of use, and held up like champs.
The Stradic C3000 spinning reels we tested saw plenty of use, and held up like champs.

Rudow went on to say, “We’ll circle back in a few years and see if the C3000 continues to hold up this well, but I do want to point out that my boat reels get used and abused at a rate of maybe three or four times the average. So I feel pretty comfortable saying that this model will hold up for the long haul.”

Visit Shimano for more information on the Stradic line.

- By Staff