Shimano Stradic CI4+...over-rated.

[tappinbass]

Well, You clicked on it so either you are ready to crucify me for daring to say it, or you agree with me that the Stradic CI4+ is over rated.  I am totally prepared to get stoned for saying this because it seems everyone goes ga-ga over this reel, but I just don't see what all the fuss is about.  Yes, I do own one, and yes it is light, but I find it no smoother or better casting than my say Pfueger supremes.  If anything, it has a "geary" feel at low speed with slack line.  Also, I agree with whoever posted the other day complaining about line slap off the rod when casting, and yes, I have tried different lines (fluoro, mono, copolymer) and different rods (Fenwick ET smallmouth, *** Black, I-Rod Genesis II).  Anyone else out there agree with me?  At that price I expect it to be head and shoulders above my other reels, and I just don't see it. 

[Yudo1]

Lol, I'm sure you'll get some people fired up but you're just expressing your opinion.  I'll admit that I don't use spinning gear so the most expensive spinning reel I own is a president.  I almost bought a ci4+ in December, but I quickly realized that I just don't need it.  If I were to get an expensive reel I'd probably get an fk because  it would balance better on a 7' rod.

[PatrickKnight]

I agree with you to a point. I was in the market last month for a replacement for a 15 yr old Stradic FG, and I walked out with an FK over the Ci4+. I would do the same all over again if I needed a new reel. The main thing I don't like about the Ci4+ is its really hard to find a 7 foot rod that balances well with that reel.

[BrianinMD]

Its all personal preferences, no need to get bashed for it. I love mine, paired with a 7ft 4in ML custom from DVT with 8lb Invizx flouro. Compared to my other Stradic's and Pflueger's it performs better. But we are all different and you have to find a reel which matches what you like. I am sure you would have no issues selling it.

[fishindad]

1 hour ago, tappinbass said:

Well, You clicked on it so either you are ready to crucify me for daring to say it, or you agree with me that the Stradic CI4+ is over rated.  I am totally prepared to get stoned for saying this because it seems everyone goes ga-ga over this reel, but I just don't see what all the fuss is about.  Yes, I do own one, and yes it is light, but I find it no smoother or better casting than my say Pfueger supremes.  If anything, it has a "geary" feel at low speed with slack line.  Also, I agree with whoever posted the other day complaining about line slap off the rod when casting, and yes, I have tried different lines (fluoro, mono, copolymer) and different rods (Fenwick ET smallmouth, *** Black, I-Rod Genesis II).  Anyone else out there agree with me?  At that price I expect it to be head and shoulders above my other reels, and I just don't see it. 

I own and use two Ci4 2500's (1st gen). Are they overrated? To me, not any more than hundreds of other products on the market. It's all in the eye and hand of the beholder. The reels do exactly what I needed and wanted - smooth (enough for me) operation while being the lightest 2500 spinning reel at that time. For the record I'm a Daiwa spinning reel advocate.

As Brian states, no need to bash something because you feel you didn't get your money's worth. I personally can't stand folks who post negative things in general. If you want to sing praises for your Pflueger spinning reels, then do that instead.

To your comment about line slap, I think this is ridiculous because all spinning reels are fixed spool and there's probably no difference in design between manufacturer, I would guess to the millimeter. Your comment about it being head and shoulders above your other reels, it's about $50 more in price than the Supreme. 

PS: Ask JVD and Chris Zaldain, both Ci4 spinning reel users, if the reels are overrated.

[S Hovanec]

I don't care for any of the super light reels, regardless of brand.  They make every rod feel tip heavy with the exception of customs built for that particular reel.  

[Evan K]

I like mine a lot. I have it on a Powell Max 3D 7'1" ML XF rod and it pairs perfectly, not tip heavy at all.

I don't think weight of a spinning reel would make much difference on the rod balance, at least not like a baitcaster, since you're holding it with the stem between your fingers- it's not out past your hand like a baitcaster.

[lmbfisherman]

Like others have stated, it is your personal experience and opinion.  You have that right to express your opinion, but it could've been more constructive instead of adversarial.  Or maybe you should've praised your supreme and said the Stradic didn't compare.  Of course the way you worded this post comes off with the gloves off. 

Further I don't own a CI4+ for the same reason, it's too light for me to put on a 7' rod.  Why I have FJs.

[d-camarena]

I dont think its over rated. Its far smoother than my other reels. lighter wich balances perfect on my zodias rods. And has stronger drag than all my other reels. 

Over rated to me would be pflueger presidents. I have 2 blue ones with too much play. And 1 limited edition with unconsistent drag

[Big-Bass]

http://www.jpfishingtacklenews.com/news/shimano-stradic-ci4-16/#more-54

If you don't like the old one, you may like the new one.  My old one I returned because the bail would not fully engage every 20th cast or so.  It got annoying and for the price of the reel, I did't want that to continue to happen.  I may get a new model when they come out if they are nice.  

[tappinbass]

Well, I am surprised that there was not more of an all out assault on me for what I said, especially since as pointed out, I guess I did sorta come out "with the gloves off" looking for abuse..  I should clarify though based on the feedback I got, I was not trying to bash it as a bad reel.  I do not regret buying it.  I still enjoy using it very much.  I guess my expectations were just very high for it and it was not as noticeably different from some other quality reels as I was expecting.  I am glad I bought it though, as I do enjoy trying a wide variety of rods and reels, especially many of the ones that get a lot of talk about them, so that I can see for myself what people are talking about  and form my own opinion about stuff. It is still a high quality reel, but I guess bottom line is that my expectations were so high I was expecting an experience that I guess maybe I can't even define.  Honestly, I would still not advise anyone not to buy one, because what one man loves, another may simply like, and yet another may all out hate.  Try out as much stuff as you can and decide for yourself what you love and don't, and hopefully one day, we all stumble into our dream setup that we love for years and years.

[fisherrw]

I love my 2 ci4s much better than cheaper reels.

[Raul]

For baitcasters I am mainly a Shimano fan ( got a huge bunch of Daiwas ) but for spinning reels Daiwa is my choice.

[DelcoSol]

I have a Ci4 and an FK. I like the FK better. I actually like the FJ better than the Ci4. I am just not a fan of composite reels. Performance wise the Ci4 hasn't let me down, drag and durability are great. I do hate the foam grip though. 

[TxHawgs]

I own 2 of the Gen 1 Ci4's and haven't had any issues with them. I bought them solely on how light they are. They paired up very well with my 822S NRX. However I'm gonna sell them and have been wanting to try a Daiwa Steez EX. I'm also looking at the new 2016 Shimano Vanquish which are now available on ebay. 

[new2BC4bass]

12 hours ago, tappinbass said:

Well, I am surprised that there was not more of an all out assault on me for what I said, especially since as pointed out, I guess I did sorta come out "with the gloves off" looking for abuse..  I should clarify though based on the feedback I got, I was not trying to bash it as a bad reel.  I do not regret buying it.  I still enjoy using it very much.  I guess my expectations were just very high for it and it was not as noticeably different from some other quality reels as I was expecting.  I am glad I bought it though, as I do enjoy trying a wide variety of rods and reels, especially many of the ones that get a lot of talk about them, so that I can see for myself what people are talking about  and form my own opinion about stuff. It is still a high quality reel, but I guess bottom line is that my expectations were so high I was expecting an experience that I guess maybe I can't even define.  Honestly, I would still not advise anyone not to buy one, because what one man loves, another may simply like, and yet another may all out hate.  Try out as much stuff as you can and decide for yourself what you love and don't, and hopefully one day, we all stumble into our dream setup that we love for years and years.

I had the same result with the Alphas SV105.  Everyone has really been bragging this reel up.  Yet I've found it not nearly as good as expected.  For that reason (and the crappy weather), it hasn't seen much use yet.  Seems I may have to try changing my casting stroke with it.  Something not necessary with any of my other reels.

Same thing for spinning rods with micro guides.  Many love them.  I tried one and hated it.  Tried several reels on it with different lines.  It went back.

We like what we like.  No need for anyone to shoot us down for that.

[K_Mac]

I agree that we like what we like, and I am  always puzzled when someone feels the need to post for the reason of criticizing a popular product. Doing so in the context of a post asking for opinions or praising a product is one thing. To do so just to stir the pot seems like a waste of time. Of course many things are overrated, including most opinions...

[I.rar]

I have a fk and had a fj and ci4. I wanted to love the ci4 but I just didn't really care for it. It just felt weird to me but looked cool. The fj was awesome but the white killed it.  

I absolutely love the fk. 

[Yudo1]

4 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

I had the same result with the Alphas SV105.  Everyone has really been bragging this reel up.  Yet I've found it not nearly as good as expected.  For that reason (and the crappy weather), it hasn't seen much use yet.  Seems I may have to try changing my casting stroke with it.  Something not necessary with any of my other reels.

Same thing for spinning rods with micro guides.  Many love them.  I tried one and hated it.  Tried several reels on it with different lines.  It went back.

We like what we like.  No need for anyone to shoot us down for that.

I love my alphas sv.  For me, it is so user-friendly and bombs a senko.  I can throw 1/8 on a ml rod.  Why don't you like yours?

[Darren.]

The CI4 and 4+ were really pushed to me -- in a 
good way -- but I just didn't like the foam grips.

I love my FJ reels more than my FI reels, but both
are excellent. The thing that I loved about the CI4+
was the weight. The older I get the lighter the gear
I like, LOL. But at this stage, if I were to get another
spinning reel, it'd probably be an FK, unless I found
another FJ 1000.

To each his/her own as far as like/dislike.

Opinions are like ...you know... everyone has one.

[Capt.Bob]

Well first let me say if this was about the the Ci4 I would comment that was obvious, I don't know how anyone could consider it a premium reel. I have been rocked for not thinking the Ci4 was every a decent reel for a few years every since it was introduced. But when they upgraded it to the Ci4+ I was impressed, I already have 4 stradic FJ and 3 FI, and 2 MgFB that I know are better reels than the first gen Ci4! 

I will also agree, unless you are putting a 4000 on most 7' rods, you're going to have a tip heavy rig unless you have it built to the reel with a very long or heavy handel. I have 1 of my 1000 on a custom 6'3" LF Avid, and the other 2 reels are 2500's and one is on a 6'3" MXF Legend Elite and is as sweet as my customs rods built and is very well balanced. The other is on a 6'6" MF Legend Elite that is also pretty well balanced, it is just ever so slightly tip heavy, but the overall weight of the outfit makes it a delight to fish, and in rivers in fast water running carolina rigs for Smallmouth and Walleye it is a killer combo. 

Now as far as the reels and what I like, is yes mine are every bit as smooth as my Sustain FG, and all have the rapid fire drag shared with the Sustain FG, something that make them much better than the other Stradics for me, as I am using them for very large fish, Walleye and in fast large rivers for Smallmouth, this means many times I will hook into large carp, Drum, and Buffalo. with light line and light fer size fish rods, that is very handy! The 1000 is for yellow perch and Crappie where I get hit by Drum and Catfish often on Erie and in Reservoirs and some smaller rivers that feed reservoirs, that really helps, its not only faster to make changes, but I think it is smoother than the drags on my other Stradics, and all of my spinning reel drags are highly tuned.

I have gotten rid of 2 MgFB's a 1000 and a 2500, and a FI 2500 and replaced them with the same size Ci4+ reels. I have 3 FJ's and one Sustain FG,  2 MgFB and now with upgraded Ci4 to the Ci4+ I have 3 of these that I think are the equal just lighter than the Sustain! start throw'n,,,,,

[dam0007]

Only read OPs post... For the money they are rock solid, are they the smoothest, no, the lightest no, the best bearings no. But bang for the buck they make sense. Plus maitnence is as simple as you can get with those. But honestly the biggest drawback in my opinion is for the price tag and what you honestly get they should be throwing in a spare spool.... 

 

[Preytorien]

I personally haven't ever liked composite reels. I always felt the flex and never cared for it. I bought a Sustain on eBay and have loved it since the beginning. It's probably a bit heavier, but it doesn't flex. I have my Sustain paired to a Crucial 7'2" spinning rod and the balance is just a tad tip heavy, but I prefer just a bit heavier tip anyways. The Ci4+ is a good reel, but I prefer aluminum bodies myself

[Red Bear]

On 5/21/2016 at 9:18 PM, tappinbass said:

Well, I am surprised that there was not more of an all out assault on me for what I said, especially since as pointed out, I guess I did sorta come out "with the gloves off" looking for abuse..  I should clarify though based on the feedback I got, I was not trying to bash it as a bad reel.  I do not regret buying it.  I still enjoy using it very much.  I guess my expectations were just very high for it and it was not as noticeably different from some other quality reels as I was expecting.  I am glad I bought it though, as I do enjoy trying a wide variety of rods and reels, especially many of the ones that get a lot of talk about them, so that I can see for myself what people are talking about  and form my own opinion about stuff. It is still a high quality reel, but I guess bottom line is that my expectations were so high I was expecting an experience that I guess maybe I can't even define.  Honestly, I would still not advise anyone not to buy one, because what one man loves, another may simply like, and yet another may all out hate.  Try out as much stuff as you can and decide for yourself what you love and don't, and hopefully one day, we all stumble into our dream setup that we love for years and years.

people have over-hyped shimanos for years. im not saying theyre bad reels either, all-in-all they make a quality product, but theyre also over-priced. i refuse to buy one because of those reasons. i've held them in stores, even fished with a friends, i dont feel theyre worth the money they want for many of the models, and the fact theyre severely over-hyped turned me off to ever wanting to own one. If thats what someone wants to fish with, by all means its their right and more power to them, but im going to stick to my pfluegers and abus which i feel are just as good or better than shimanos at a much more reasonable price. once again, this is just my opinion, im not gonna argue over it if someone feels different or disagrees. its all in how much someone wants to spend on something they have bought into. but honestly, how much do you need to spend on a spinning reel, for example at some point you have to stop and think is it worth it to buy a $250 reel versus a $100 reel that can do the same things and is made of virtually the same materials and has the same features?

[Senko lover]

On 5/21/2016 at 1:48 PM, K_Mac said:

I agree that we like what we like, and I am  always puzzled when someone feels the need to post for the reason of criticizing a popular product. Doing so in the context of a post asking for opinions or praising a product is one thing. To do so just to stir the pot seems like a waste of time. Of course many things are overrated, including most opinions...

Yep, my thoughts precisely