Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL spinning reel review after one year of use - around £150 here in the UK

I’m probably going to regret saying this and my reels will all explode next week, but every now and then it seems that the big reel companies for whatever reasons release a series of reels that are a notch above their usual fare. I don’t have a long history with Penn reels for example, but their awesome Slammer III range of spinning reels is in that category for me, and those old blue coloured Luvias reels from Daiwa were serious bits of kit. I wonder how many of you here still own or wish you owned a few more of those Shimano Rarenium CI4 FA spinning reels? I haven’t used any of the newer Rareniums since those older classics, but I never hear as much love for the more recent models. Those FA versions were stone cold classics that have stood the test of time, and with how my beloved little but now discontinued Shimano Twin Power XD C3000HG is nearly three years old and it is 100% as smooth as it was the very first time I ever turned it’s lovely little handle, I’m putting that reel down as another stone cold classic spinning reel from Shimano.

And after a year in my possession, I am starting to think that Shimano have come up trumps again with their upgraded Stradic FL range of spinning reels. I have the 2500HG-FL here because that is what I could get hold of back in May 2019, but it’s the same size and price as the (slightly larger line capacity spool) 3000 model which I’d be just as happy fishing with. Hell, with how sublime this Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL spinning reel has been, I’d be happy fishing with any of the models in the range - this is an absolute peach of a spinning reel to lure fish with, and as much as I have been in love with my Twin Power XD C3000HG for nearly three years now, this newer and somewhat cheaper Stradic 2500HG-FL is easily as good, and could it be slightly better again than this discontinued Twin Power? The only spinning reel I know of that I think gives as much bang for its buck as this roughly £150 Stradic 2500HG-FL is the larger, heavier, and aimed at more heavy duty fishing Penn Slammer III 3500 or 4500. I would argue that as anglers we have never had it so good with how far our money will go these days on fishing tackle, but as much as I am loving this Stradic 2500HG-FL, I am going to stop short of calling it a stone cold classic or possibly a little bit better again than my Twin Power XD C3000HG until I have had at least another year out of it and if I don’t get any issues with it.

It’s one hell of a spinning reel though. You know how smooth it’s going to be when you turn the reel handle, and whilst I don’t really care that much, line comes off the drag just fine. It’s very light at 233g loaded up with line and to be honest I am not sure I would want a 2500/3000 size spinning reel to be any lighter. I don’t know why every single Penn spinning reel seems to be slightly differently set up when it comes out of wherever they are made, because I can’t recall a Shimano or indeed a Daiwa spinning reel that hasn’t had a perfect line lay straight out of the box - and this Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL is no different. No messing around with spacers required (looking at you here Penn!), and as much as I don’t really think we lose any meaningful distance at all when you can’t fill a spinning reel right up because of line issues, it is always noticeable and reassuring how you can fill a modern Shimano spinning reel right up and never get a single hint of a wind-knot or anything like that. For a long time I was fishing with the outstanding 20lb/0.165mm/PE#1 Sufix 131 braid on this Stradic, but for a while now it’s been loaded up with the brand new and not remotely cheap PE#1/Max 21lb Varivas Avani Sea Bass Si-X BraidX8. Lockdown and not being able to go fishing into the mix, but this is turning out to be a serious mainline. I know that all these diameters and PE numbers are thrown around seemingly at will, but in my fingers this feels about the thinnest braid around the 20lb breaking strain that I have come across so far.

Sorry, I digress. This Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL has been on a few different lure rods over the course of its first year, but it’s spent the most amount of time on this utterly ridiculous Shimano Exsence Genos S90MH/R 9' 8-48g lure rod (review here). This rod can happily take a bunch of different reels and still feel just as impressive, but for some reason the combination of this rod and the Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL is perfect for me. I believe that Shimano claim a bit of an increase in casting distance via the “Long Stroke Spool design” on these Stradic FL reels, but I can’t claim to have noticed any of my lures going out any further than on my similar size Twin Power XD C3000HG which I know so well. The slightly longer spool on the Stradic looks nice and all that, but I do think that a lot of the big players’ spinning reels are so damn good these days that anything remotely different is going to be highlighted to try and tempt us out of our money.

There is one small thing with my Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL that I am not sure is even an issue, but because I have heard so little about these reels I am not sure if it’s me and my reel only, or whether it’s something to the Stradic FL range that you could do with keeping an eye on. Because I know the Twin Power XD C3000HG so well now, I know how it behaves with my washing down and oiling and greasing regime. If you check here you can read about how I maintain my spinning reels for bass fishing, but it has always seemed that this Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL is “drying out” a bit quicker than my Twin Power in the line roller area. Again, I haven’t seen, handled or fished with any other Stradic FL spinning reels so it might just be my particular reel, but the line roller has always been a touch noisier than on my (more expensive) Twin Power XD C3000HG, and it’s needed more regular oiling to keep it sounding nice and smooth and quiet. The other day I decided to use the Penn Precision Reel Grease in and around the line roller when I unscrewed it, instead of the more usual Penn Precision Reel Oil I use on the other spinning reel line rollers I have here. I don’t know if this is the accepted way of doing things, but it has quietened things down a notch and it’s running great.

So there you go - a year down the line with what so far is a seriously good 2500/3000 size spinning reel. There isn’t even the merest hint of “grindiness” on my little Stradic 2500HG-FL, and as much as I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I will report back in due course with an update, I have a growing feeling that this Stradic FL range of spinning reels is a goodun. To be completely fair the previous and discontinued Stradic FK range are also bloody good reels and my mate’s is still going strong about three or so years in, but I can’t get away from how this newer Stradic FL feels that little bit more solid and together all over again. It’s marginal, and it’s not as if I need a new “small spinning reel” with how awesome my Twin Power XD C3000HG has been, but that was £300+ plus when I bought it, and the Shimano Stradic 2500HG-FL is listed at £148.99 here, with the same size but slightly larger spool capacity Shimano Stradic C3000HG-FL listed at the same £148.99 here. Nope, these are not budget reels, but together with the bulkier, and let’s face it, not as subtle but frigging awesome in its own way Penn Slammer III 3500 at £159.98, I reckon we are talking about as some serious spinning reels for your money. Back in the day you’d have got a spare spool with these reels, but it’s 2020, the world has gone mad, and those days of opening up the box of a new reel to find a spare spool in there as well are long gone.

I wanted to make you aware of a bass fishing photography competition that has just been started up by B.A.S.S. - check their blog post here with all the details. It’s meant to be a bit of fun during these mad times and there are some fantastic prizes on offer - first prize this month is a Shimano Sustain spinning reel. It’s free to enter, you do not need to be a member of BASS, I am getting involved in the judging, so please have a go and you never know! Bribes to the usual address please.

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