strdic vs other 200+ reels

[dazza730]

hi its darren here and i am looking at getting a bream reaper 7
foot. what reel should i get. the stradic is talked about all the time but the tica libra and the okuma epix have more bearings and a titanium spool. why should i go the more expensive stradic

thanks dazza.
ps i am only 15 and i have been saving for ages please help me as i dont want to waste my hard earned bucks

[Bream Master]

They could have 20 bearings, if their not of a high quality or in the right place their useless. Don't get caught up on bearings or composition. A lot of the cheaper reels are heavy which is a pain in the bum when you're swinging them all day.

Shimano and Daiwa make awesome reels without needing heaps of bearings. If you want longevity, the Stradic or Capricorn are awesome reels.

Warren.

Warren sure has it right

Bearings are often confused with quality. A high quality watch maker could build you a reel with zero ball bearings that was far smoother than the best Shimano. It’s all in the workmanship, design, materials and tolerances.


Personally I went for the Stradic. The Stradic is the lowest model in Shimano's top range. (a cheaper Mercedes Benz)

While the Daiwa Capricorn is the top model in the lower range (lets say a top Holden Commodore).

For me the base MBenz was better value.

One more thing - the spare spool with the Stradic is "real� - it is identical quality to the original.


The two Capricorn spools are not the same. One on the reel and one of a lesser quality in the box Buy a spare spool of the same quality (at about $50) and then see which reel is a better deal?


Let us know what you decided!

Gary

[march fish]

I bought the tica libra about 4 months ago payed about $160 and matched it with a 6 foot strudwick.

To me the once a week fisherman I can't tell the difference, also comes with a spare spool. Only time will tell regarding longevity, hopefu;lly the coming summer will test it out.

A site www.tackletour.com has some good reviews particularly the models are interested in.

Cheers

[wandtheswan]

Just got a Shimano Stradic 1000 with a Heartland-Z
should be a great setup for future breaming
cheers

[BenS]

The new "eastuary ready" capricorn 2500 is lookin pretty good....although the Luvius 2500 is something that you could take home and rub all over your body (provided you're into that sort of thing!).

I've used Okuma, and while a tad on the heavy side, they are one tough entry level reel....dont these come with a 5 year guarantee?

I'd probably look at upgrading a reel rather than a rod and reel

BenS

[Ravin]

I use both Stradics (1000 & 2500) & Okuma (EFS-20) & they are all great reels which I'm happy with. The Okuma has given me excellent service though a little on the heavy side. The comments above by Gary & Warren in regards to bearings I agree with 100%. A lot of bearings does nothing to improve the performance an ordinary design or poor engineering processes.

[dazza730]

thanks for all your help guys i think ill go the stradic