Shimano Stradic 3000 HG FK Front Drag Reel

Just a fantastic reel, I've had some nice snapper on this, 7 and a half pounds and paired with the colt sniper rod, i put 30 pound breaking strain rainbow braid on it, 30lb monofluoro leader and this rig outperforms all others, the feel is amazing, its a great casting setup, highly accurate for those close in casts at the rocks, and can take a real pounding from even rat kings, 4 rat kings a few weeks ago and I left the other rods alone, the stradic c3000 feels amazing, lots of control, not jerky and has plenty of forgiveness if you ratchet up while playing. All round this is a fantastic setup for whether you are going after kahawai, snapper or kings. LOVE IT!!!

3000fk

This model is a huge upgrade in my opinion. Seals are like my Stella FD and that has been an awesome inshore reel. Ergonomics are great, reel feels lighter with the gearcase closer to the rod. Between the xship and hagane gears, it feels more connected and they tightened up tolerances more also feeling more connected. Drag adjusted nice and smooth with confident more precise ratcheting clicks. I bought the 3000 for line capacity for inshore, and will be looking for a 2500s spool for bass fishing(when did you ever need more than 100yards of braid or flour for bass fishing?). For the JDM guys, they have the c2000s, 2500s, 3000, 4000 and 4000xgm I believe. Also they have standard gear(5.0), HG gear(6.0), and XG gears(6.2).I could not find any cheap plastic on my reel ... MoreThis model is a huge upgrade in my opinion. Seals are like my Stella FD and that has been an awesome inshore reel. Ergonomics are great, reel feels lighter with the gearcase closer to the rod. Between the xship and hagane gears, it feels more connected and they tightened up tolerances more also feeling more connected. Drag adjusted nice and smooth with confident more precise ratcheting clicks. I bought the 3000 for line capacity for inshore, and will be looking for a 2500s spool for bass fishing(when did you ever need more than 100yards of braid or flour for bass fishing?). For the JDM guys, they have the c2000s, 2500s, 3000, 4000 and 4000xgm I believe. Also they have standard gear(5.0), HG gear(6.0), and XG gears(6.2).I could not find any cheap plastic on my reel as someone had stated. Maybe they were talking about the rear of the reel to make it more aesthetically ergonomic

A break in tradition

Historically the Stradic reel has been a great reel. The initial investment tends to justify the expense season after season. I was really looking forward to the new FK and have to say I am really disappointed. The FK won awards for design and I must have bought into the hype. I purchased one when it first came out and a second 6 months later. 4 months after that, the roller bearing started to make noise on both reels. I have a Stradic Ci4 that is 4 years old or older and it has never given me a problem. Fishing on a brackish river I rinse the rods and reels after use. Drags are great, speed is perfect, handle solid and smooth. The noise of the roller bearing is very concerning. Shimano Service replaced the bearing for free, but not having the reel for more than a ... MoreHistorically the Stradic reel has been a great reel. The initial investment tends to justify the expense season after season. I was really looking forward to the new FK and have to say I am really disappointed. The FK won awards for design and I must have bought into the hype. I purchased one when it first came out and a second 6 months later. 4 months after that, the roller bearing started to make noise on both reels. I have a Stradic Ci4 that is 4 years old or older and it has never given me a problem. Fishing on a brackish river I rinse the rods and reels after use. Drags are great, speed is perfect, handle solid and smooth. The noise of the roller bearing is very concerning. Shimano Service replaced the bearing for free, but not having the reel for more than a few weeks to ship/return is a pain.

Almost perfect for that big fish

3000 series. This is a very good reel, very smooth, long casting, lots of cranking power, not too heavy, most powerful drag ever in such a small reel. I used it for river king salmon fishing and loved it. What I did not like is that spool has angled cuts on the bottom of it and they have very sharp edges, it is not a concern for most fisherman but on many occasions I use this spinning set up to swing flies and beads just like a fly rod is used and many times fishing line is sliding against those sharp edges. The most negative part about this reel is that shimano uses felt for drag washers, yes it is smooth and it does not stick but if you set your drag to 8-10 lb and then hook a wild king or big steelhead that takes off like a bullet the drag does not perform the ... More3000 series. This is a very good reel, very smooth, long casting, lots of cranking power, not too heavy, most powerful drag ever in such a small reel. I used it for river king salmon fishing and loved it. What I did not like is that spool has angled cuts on the bottom of it and they have very sharp edges, it is not a concern for most fisherman but on many occasions I use this spinning set up to swing flies and beads just like a fly rod is used and many times fishing line is sliding against those sharp edges. The most negative part about this reel is that shimano uses felt for drag washers, yes it is smooth and it does not stick but if you set your drag to 8-10 lb and then hook a wild king or big steelhead that takes off like a bullet the drag does not perform the same at high speed and it gives a lot more resistance and fish breaks the line. After few trips I upgranded to carbontex washers with light amount of drag grease and it made a big difference. I use carbontex washers in all of my reels that came with felt washers, they produce more consistent drag performance at slow and fast running fish.

Another great Stradic!

This version of the Stradic tops all others. I have the I & J versions from previous years and thought they were unbeatable. But after red drum fishing one afternoon with his K model, I'm amazed. Although it is light weight, it seems a little more solid than the older models. After checking out the internal gears, I found that they used more metal than in the older versions. They took away the anti reverse lever and the service port but I never used those anyway. Solid reel!

Best I own

I bought this after buying the Ultriga By shimono. I was extremely impressed with both. Having owned Sendonas, Saharas, before I wanted to see the difference in Higher end equipment. This reel had the most noticeable difference in weight. which I found to translate to sensitivity, and less fatigue. Having fished it for a little over a month now it is my go to for finesse fishing. I would get rid of three other reels to buy 2 more of these.

Extremely fine reel, very smooth and precise

These are superb reels - perfect craftsmanship, outstandingly smooth operation and precision of operation that is maintained day after fishing day. The anti-reverse is very positive, engages instantly, and the drag is easy to adjust during a fight with a big fish. They are expensive but this is the spinning reel to get if your are an serious angler. The 2500 and 3000 models are suitable for most Canadian river and lake fishing for bass, walleye and trout, the 1500 is a pint-sized ultralight reel, the 4000 and 5000 are heavy duty models good for Musky, big Northern Pike and Pacific Salmon. My only reservation is I wish Shimano would supply a spare spool with this reel (they come with only the mounted spool). Some people will miss the backreeling option of some of its ... MoreThese are superb reels - perfect craftsmanship, outstandingly smooth operation and precision of operation that is maintained day after fishing day. The anti-reverse is very positive, engages instantly, and the drag is easy to adjust during a fight with a big fish. They are expensive but this is the spinning reel to get if your are an serious angler. The 2500 and 3000 models are suitable for most Canadian river and lake fishing for bass, walleye and trout, the 1500 is a pint-sized ultralight reel, the 4000 and 5000 are heavy duty models good for Musky, big Northern Pike and Pacific Salmon. My only reservation is I wish Shimano would supply a spare spool with this reel (they come with only the mounted spool). Some people will miss the backreeling option of some of its competitors - in the Stradic the antireverse is always engaged and there is no way to switch it off. This is offset with the easily adjustable ultra smooth drag. Highly reccomended.

Second Review

Well, this is my second review the first being in October 2017. Now I consider the reel still decent quality for Salmon and Steelhead but the 4000 series doesn't have the line capacity I need so I'll recommend the 5000 series for Salmon. The reason I've dropped this to 3 stars from 4 is the darn thing stiffens up when it gets wet every time and I have to send it back to Shimano for a service. Hey this is a fishing reel it's supposed to get wet! Most Shimano's I've owned are plagued with this issue, Why? Now for a quality product I don't mind paying the cost so I recommend that Shimano improve on this issue or dramatically lower the price.

The smoothest reel with a delicate feel.

I bought the Shimano Stradic FK 3000 as a replacement for an FJ 2500 that went under salt water once too many times. I use it for inshore fishing (Trout, Snook, Redfish) with artificial lures. Although it is not rated as a salt water reel, I compared features with the Shimano CI4 which is an inshore reel, and found no significant difference that would improve the situation if the reel went under water, so I opted for the FK as I could find it for $70 less by shopping around. I looked at the popular competition and found the Stradic line of reels to be the most smooth operating and had the best "feel" with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce plastic baits. I use this reel on a spinning rod that is built on an 8-1/2 foot fly rod blank and i can feel the bait as it slowly dips and slips ... MoreI bought the Shimano Stradic FK 3000 as a replacement for an FJ 2500 that went under salt water once too many times. I use it for inshore fishing (Trout, Snook, Redfish) with artificial lures. Although it is not rated as a salt water reel, I compared features with the Shimano CI4 which is an inshore reel, and found no significant difference that would improve the situation if the reel went under water, so I opted for the FK as I could find it for $70 less by shopping around. I looked at the popular competition and found the Stradic line of reels to be the most smooth operating and had the best "feel" with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce plastic baits. I use this reel on a spinning rod that is built on an 8-1/2 foot fly rod blank and i can feel the bait as it slowly dips and slips through grass and on sandy bottoms, and the delicate feel of the reel is as important as the rod. Competitive reels by other makers just seem a little clunky or less smooth when compared to the Stradic. Additionally the drag can be set very light which is important to me for Spotted Trout fishing, and it will tighten up to 20 lbs according to advertising (I've never cranked in more than 5 or 6 lbs drag and that was on a big Jack Crevalle). I thought I'd miss the FJ's anti-reverse on-off function but I don't.

Yup

In the past I haven't seen the benefits of higher end spinning reels. Recently I purchased an ultrega on a special that , made it less than a sahra. it changed my mind. Once I saved enough points to get this reel for about the same price it was a no brainer. Smooth, comfortable and solid. This reel has given me the confidence and comfort when fishing finesse presentation's that I had gotten away from because of less then comfortable equipment. my only regret is not spend a few more dollars to get the CI4+. I would by this reel at full price.