# Shimano's Stradic CI4



## castroyy (Jun 15, 2011)

Just a question about the CI4 for those that have them. Are they really worth the money? I have not had the chance to use one myself, but I have heard from two people that have them, and they said they won't fish any other spinning reel. I am sure they are night and day compared to my Abu Cardinals but are they really worth the extra cash? To me I would say no since I was able to purchase 2 Cardinal 500's for around 130 or so. Just an honest question guys. I am in no way trying to start any problems, I just want to know what other guys who fish them think! It is time to upgrade my bait casting reels. I bought a few cheap ones and I learned my lessons there. I am waiting to find a decent deal on 2, but I haven't really tried all that hard to look yet! I still like spinning setups better, but I know what I am missing with the bait casters!!!


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

The CI4 is nice, but the only benefit over the standard Stradic is the light weight. I bought a CI4 and a Pflueger Patriarch reel on the same day, and although the CI4 is ever so slightly smoother, I prefer the Patriarch (because it balances my rod better). The CI4 is nice, don't get me wrong, but if it were not for the weight savings, I'd save 1/2 the money and get a Saros or save a little money and get a standard Stradic (smoother than the CI4 AND cheaper). I'm a huge Shimano spinning reel fan, but for the first time in 15 years, I've found a reel that I like better to a comparable Shimano - the Patriarch.

Just my 2 cents.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

castroyy said:


> Just a question about the CI4 for those that have them. Are they really worth the money? I have not had the chance to use one myself, but I have heard from two people that have them, and they said they won't fish any other spinning reel. I am sure they are night and day compared to my Abu Cardinals but are they really worth the extra cash? To me I would say no since I was able to purchase 2 Cardinal 500's for around 130 or so. Just an honest question guys. I am in no way trying to start any problems, I just want to know what other guys who fish them think! It is time to upgrade my bait casting reels. I bought a few cheap ones and I learned my lessons there. I am waiting to find a decent deal on 2, but I haven't really tried all that hard to look yet! I still like spinning setups better, but I know what I am missing with the bait casters!!!


No one can answer the "is it worth it question" for you. You'll get varying opinions and you'll have to decide for yourself. 

I prefer quality over quantity, so I'd prefer a Stradic CI4 over two Cardinals. Some would prefer two reels over the one...and that is perfectly fine.

The Patriarch XT is super light and is priced pretty nicely too...so if you are considering a higher end reel...that would be one to look at. There is a reason the other guys like them so much. As far as "not fishing any other spinning reel", they probably haven't tried a Certate yet.


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## legendaryyaj (Nov 1, 2005)

As already stated, the "is it worth it" answer solely depends on the buyer and what you look for in a reel. IMO the selling point for the Ci4 is the light weight it offers and that's about it over the regular Stradic. I had the regular Stradic and switched to the Ci4 and and didn't notice a difference besides the weight factor, the sole reason for me switching. I thought the Ci4 would balance better on my Cumara so I did the swap and it actually didn't as it's a bit "too" light but it's fine regardless. The Ci4 was pretty noisy out of the box though I must say. I haven't fished it much though so my opinion on it isn't the best but from my couple trips with it it's not a night and day difference performance wise vs the standard Stradic.

The thing with buying expensive items are its about the long run and your investment. If you want decent bait casting reels for a decent price the Shimano Citica's are currently on sale for up to 20% at most places and that reel is hard to beat for the money IMO. The site sponsor LangBigFish.com has them on sale for 20% off.


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Tokugawa said:


> No one can answer the "is it worth it question" for you. You'll get varying opinions and you'll have to decide for yourself.
> 
> I prefer quality over quantity, so I'd prefer a Stradic CI4 over two Cardinals. Some would prefer two reels over the one...and that is perfectly fine.
> 
> The Patriarch XT is super light and is priced pretty nicely too...so if you are considering a higher end reel...that would be one to look at. There is a reason the other guys like them so much. As far as "not fishing any other spinning reel", they probably haven't tried a Certate yet.


The Certate was a pretty nice reel I must say (although I was unable to read any of the paperwork - all in Japanese!) It got bumped for a Stella last year, which then got bumped for 2 Sustains (I really couldn't tell a difference between the Stella and the Sustain). There is a noticable difference between the Sustain & the Stradic, however. To be honest, at that level, you cannot go wrong with ANY of the reels. They're all nice, and all have their followers. Some folks like Shimano, some Daiwa, some Pflueger, etc etc. If you want a VERY nice lightweight reel, pick the CI4 or the Patriarch. If weight isn't a factor as much, you can probably get a little more reel for the money...maybe. Get what you like and what you can afford and fish it and be happy. :B And honestly, for around $100 on Ebay, you can get a Shimano Saros which is a pretty dang nice reel. go to Shimano's Website and do a comparison of their reels and make your decision.


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## Harbor Hunter (Aug 19, 2007)

I have two C14-1000's,and two C14-2500's.The 1000's I use for shakey head fishing,and the two 2500's are used for drop-shot fishing.Both reels are the best I have used for finesse fishing,even better than the very pricey Stella.If you have the funds available,I would highly recommend a C14.


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

I may have a couple of baitcasters that would interest you and I'm just around the corner.


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## castroyy (Jun 15, 2011)

Snakecharmer said:


> I may have a couple of baitcasters that would interest you and I'm just around the corner.


Indeed you are right around the corner! I am in Chesterland often (Daily). I can't PM yet due to low post count, so maybe you can PM me? I am not sure what you have, but I might be interested!


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## castroyy (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks for the info Guys. I will have to check out the Shimano and the Patriarch out side by side. I have a credit at BPS, and they also have a $15 rebate as well as a free shirt with the patriarch right now!


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