The Stradic FI
spinning reel series for the complete range of applications
(continued)
Retrieve:
The Stradic FI felt smooth during retrieves and just a notch less smooth than
the more expensive Sustain FE. When compared with the newer Stradic CI4 reels I
found the CI4 both smoother and quieter when cranked quickly. The gearing in the
Stradic FI 4000 meshes together well and when fishing lures for stripers
including topwater mag spooks the reel felt both efficient and smooth.
Let's take a look under the hood
What Shimano has done a
really good job with on the Stradic FI is the Super Stopper II anti-reverse
design which uses a one way bearing that absolutely eliminates any back play
whatsoever. This implementation results in instant hook setting power, and the
machined handle on the Stradic FI threads directly into the drive mechanism so
the reel feels very “connected” both when fishing lures and battling fish.
The handle side frame is aluminum
the other side is graphite
Drag:
Unlike the ultralight reels used for smaller trout I needed a beefier reel with
a decent drag system to tackle Steelhead and King Salmon which were just coming
back up into the system, many of the fish still had sea lice on them and were in
the river for less than 48 hours. I caught many fish while drifting roe but
landed a very memorable quality Steelhead buck while fishing on the Klamath
River. I really didn’t expect to catch anything other than half pounders early
in the day and as the line drifted past me on my very first cast it suddenly
surged forward and this particular fish went aerial twice.
The drivetrain is held in place by
the graphite sideplate
My drag was
dialed pretty far up but not locked down to the point it would rip the hook out of his mouth or snap the
line. The waterproof drag in the Stradic FI 4000 performed flawlessly providing
smooth stopping power at all times while protecting both the line and the
fluorocarbon leader. The Stradic FI is capable of doling out an impressive
20lbs. of stopping power, but power without control is nothing, luckily for me
the Stradic’s drag delivered both.
A Klamath River Steelhead succumbs
to the Stradic FI's beefy drag
Durability:
Shimano’s paladin gear enhancement is designed to strike a better balance
between gear smoothness and durability. In the past,
gear durability was sacrificed for gear smoothness, or smoothness sacrificed for
durability. This is because the harder the gear material, the stronger the
durability, but generally the rougher or noisier the drivetrain becomes. Shimano
tested a variety of traditional materials in hopes of finding a better option.
Even after two seasons of use a
little lube and the reel feels as good as new
Using a
special cold forged aluminum drive gear and a hardened brass pinion gear, reels
like the Shimano Stradic FI designed to better retain their out of the box
smoothness. Shimano also uses “cold forging” process that fabricates metal at
normal temperatures and is utilized to build components that achieve the metal's
original strength without sacrificing the molecular structure of the metal. So
what does this all translate into in terms of long term durability?
The Stradic FI has a thin compact
profile
In our tests
we noticed that after two years of use the reel was definitely not as smooth as
it was originally but after opening it up and examining the reel we determined
that a little lubrication was needed on the aluminum drive gear. After applying
some oil and grease on the drive gear and surrounding components we found that
the reel was just as smooth and quiet as it was the first day it came out of the
box. The drivetrain on our Stradic FI test reel held up well through an entire
season and survived many battles with steelhead and striped bass without any
signs of wear and tear which is more than we can say for many competing spinning
reels we have tested in the past that employed all-stainless steel drivetrains.
The reel casts well thanks to the
propulsion line management system that isn't just some marketing hype, it
actually works
