Hawaiibassfishing Forum

I wanted to step up the quality of my Ultralight outfit, so I did some research and visited a few shops on the island. Of course, I'd love to have a true high-end reel, but I set a limit for myself. Maybe someday I'll win MegaBucks and get that Stella or Certate.
Originally, I had only 2 reels in mind: the Daiwa Tierra 1500 and the Shimano Saros 1000F. I have a Saros 3000F, so I already know that this is an excellent reel. The Daiwa was a really nice reel and the bail trip action was a lot easier and smoother than the Shimanos. For most anglers, this is a non-issue because we close the bail manually, but it was just a sign of the quality of the reel. However, the Tierra was quickly ruled out for me because it was too big and heavy for the ultralight application I was aiming for. I may get one in the future for a med-light set up though. I hope Daiwa starts making a smaller size reel in the future for the ultralight enthusiasts.
Next was the Saros 1000F. When I held this reel, I was almost certain that it was the one. It is light and very smooth and the right size (small) for my ultralight rod and line. There was a price tag attached to it and it read $103. I was amazed to see how low it was priced, even for a "sale". So, just out of curiosity, I asked the clerk if the Stradics were also on sale, and she said "yes" and handed me the Stradic. The tag on it read $124. Wow! So for less than what I was prepared to pay for the Saros, I could get the Stradic. I thought about it for about a half-second and then I said "I'll take the Stradic" I couldn't even find a better deal (incl. shipping) on ebay.

Stradic vs. Saros: I actually like the looks of the Saros more. I don't like the darker color of the Stradic's spool. It has a slightly higher gear ratio for faster retrieves. In smoothness, I would rate them about even. The main reason I chose the Stradic is because of the way the Saros lays the line on the spool with its slow oscillation design. Because of my plan to try some 8-10 lb. braid in the future, I don't think the slow oscillation will be a good system for it. I fear that the line will dig into itself. The Stradic has the Aero Wrap II system which is supposed to optimize line lay for longer casts. It is a worm gear driven system.

Stradic vs. Tierra: If Daiwa made the Tierra in a 1000 size, I would jump on it. It is a super smooth reel and I love the unique blue finish. I also like the air bail (thicker than Shimano's) and the trip action.
The Stradic is the perfect size and is almost equal in smoothness. It has the new Paladin gear durability system for longevity. It has a waterproof drag which is also super smooth. It has a much faster gear ratio (6.2:1) vs. Daiwa's 4.7:1 This really does make a difference when you are on the water. My Daiwa Exceler feels so slow compared to my Shimano Saros. I don't know why Daiwa continues to use this slow gearing. The Stradic has a maintenance port on the body of the reel. You just unscrew a little plastic screw and then put a few drops of oil in there whenever you feel the need. Pretty cool. This shouldn't take the place of a regular breakdown for cleaning and lubing, but it helps for a quick tune-up.
Shimano and a few others are now wising up and using a direct screw-in handle. This is a much better system than Daiwa's where you have to screw on a little cap on the opposite side to secure the handle. I can't believe that they are still using this system. The Shimano system is so much better. No slop in the handle and I know it has to be a lot more durable.

There's Boy Scout Island in the background. I wasn't catching, so I got bored and took pictures. The one piece bail eliminates sharp edges that can damage line.


Gotta keep it all SHIMANO! Got an insane deal on this rod too!

I caught a few Barracudas last week, but this is the first Lake Wilson fish I caught on this rod and reel. Small tuc.
Conclusion: So far, I am really happy with my reel. I have had no problems with it at all and it has served my needs perfectly. Hopefully, it doesn't freeze up when wet like the old Stradics! Right now I have 4 lb. line on it, but I will put some 2 lb. line on it soon and use it with my Cabela's XML ultralight rod to see how it really works as my true UL set up. I have had no line twist or other line management problems. I guess it's due to the design of the line roller. For anyone looking for ML spinning reels, take a look at the Saros 2000F, Stradic 2000FI, or Daiwa Tierra 1500. For anyone looking for a nice reel for UL fishing, check out the Stradic 1000FI.

I like my Shimano reels too. Brian told me he finds them easy to work on.

I think I'm going to look into the Stradic 1000F now! For the most part I've gone pretty cheap on my spinning reels as I use to not use them all that often. But that has changed since I moved to Hawaii and started fishing at Lake Wilson. Thanks for your mini review skunked!

I have Yozuri Hybrid Ultra Soft 4 lb. on the reel right now. It is a very strong and manageable line, but is thick for its rating, more like 6 lb. I don't know if it comes in 2 lb., but I'd like to try it.
The Damyl line that the clerk recommended to me was horribly weak.
Does anyone here have any lines they can recommend for UL fishing?

where did you get the 4? i could only find 2(which is awesome stuff)

Skunked,

When I used go small mouth fishing on the black river in Arizona, I'd use 6lb P-line, and was pretty nice, P-line is actually one of my favorite lines in a bunch of different tests.

KoaisAOK wrote:where did you get the 4? i could only find 2(which is awesome stuff)

I got it from Cabela's. Where did you get the 2 lb.?
Ca_Bass,
I like P-line CX and CXX in lighter poundages because of their strength. I used P-line Fluoroclear 8 lb. and hated it because it was weak:poor knot strength. I used 15 lb. CXX at Lake Fork and while it was strong, it had the worst memory of any line I have ever used. It is so hard to find the perfect line. I don't want to spend $$$ on Sunline. I might try the CX 2 lb. I saw at Roy's. Unfortunately, they only have the big spools.

roys....i still get if you like....so far its my fav, but i might try braided again

Thanks for the timely review, skunked. My stradic 2000 fe has broken down and I can not get parts for it. The stradic line has had many changes over the years and most of them are good but the older models become obsolete and you have to get a new reel after paying big bucks for them. One of the good changes appear to be the water proof drag. On the fh, after snapping the bail, the line would occasionally start wrapping around under the drag knob.

Where did you get yours?