New spinning reel needed

[jb_adams]

Well the rain cut my fishing trip short.  When I say rain....I mean flood.  I got off the water just in time.  As I was securing the boat, the sky opened up like someone unzipped a bag full of baits and it flooded!  I bet we had 1-2" of rain in 20 mins.

SO the new reel looks pretty!  It's smooth operating but the only thing that really bothers me from a personal preference is the length of the handle.  This is a big spinning reel compared to my Abu Cardinal.

To further explain my discomfort, my favorite rod & reel setup is a Pflueger Microspin spinning reel on a 6 ft. 2-piece Abu rod.  It's lightweight, compact, casts a country mile with ease, accurate, and mainly COMFORTABLE!  The big President feels more like an offshore spinning reel because of the long handle.

Maybe I'll get used to it and it's fine for slow bait presentations.  I don't know that I'd use it all day for faster lightweight baits because the cranking would fatigue you in a hurry.

I didn't get a chance to compare it to my buddy's Shimano but I have a feeling the comparison would be extremely close and come down to slight personal preferences.  Such as the long handle on the President.

Thanks again for all the opinions guys.  I'm happy with the purchase!

[boatlesswonder]

I was looking at the President also, it was definitely a little smoother, but I ended up getting a sahara due to the metal frame versus the Presidents graphite frame.  Both are wonderful reels though. If you take care of them both will last a long time.

[David P]

Stradic dude, if you can get a symetre just get the stradic.

[jb_adams]

I finally got a chance to compare the Stradic and the President.  The President is definately "eye-candy" compared to the Stradic.  The new Stradics are not very "bling" on the shiny cosmetics scale.  It's not about looks when it comes to fishing but it is a nice feature to have a nice quality look to match your gear.

Anyway as far as which one is smoother, I think it's hard to say.  The older Stradic is smoother than the new Stradic.  New you ask?  Yes, there is a new line of Stradics out.  I was in the store and I compared the two reels.  The new Stradic seems a bit course or tight in the gears compared to the older version which makes the new Stradic less smooth in feel than the President.  The President feels like melting butter almost.  Some may not like a real that smooth.

As far as this new "bale balanced" technology that Shimano brags about....I couldn't tell a difference.  I almost bought one based on that.  Glad I didn't now.  It's just like any other spinning reel as far as I could tell.  Not that I'm an expert, just my opinion and I'm still an intermediate beginner into the bass world.

Before purchasing, go pick up one at a local retailer and compare the two for yourself.  You can't tell as much in a store as you can fishing but for the price difference, one is almost half the price of the other and if you're a weekend angler on a budget, I'd go with the President.  I try to take good care of my gear but since I bought 3 new St. Croix rods, a new reel, etc., I find myself walking on eggshells now with my gear.  It's a trade off when you buy quality stuff.

[Guest muddy]

I love the Pflueger it is my favorite reel, RW gave me a Shimano Stradic , also a good choice. I favor Pflueger as i have used them a long time, as many friends with no issues. I also am  so used to the action of the retieve, which differs from the Shimano, it is not better or worse just different.