I am a Daiwa fan, however Shimano spinning reels always bring me back. The FJ Stradic is no exception. I personally love the white color of the FJ and the finish is surprisingly tough. As a kayak fisherman, I am probably a bit harder on my gear than most. Mine has been beaten up and the finish still looks pretty darn good!

The FJ is a very "solid" feeling reel when retrieving and is also very smooth. The 179 price tag is a bit tough to swallow, but this isn't your run of the mill Wal Mart reel. When it comes time for you to replace your spinning gear, do yourself a favor and check out the Stradic.

Very good reel though not exceptional in terms of durability or performance or price. Line capacity is OK with mine holding 250 yards of 15 lb. test braid line. It does have above average drag at 20 lbs. and retrieve rate at 39 inches.

Overall it is a good reel but I think that there are better values including the Penn spinning reels at its price.

I have the 1000 and 3000 models in my arsenal that I purchased in the beginning of the year. Most people would say they are for Saltwater, but I fish freshwater mostly. The white color just looks cool on a reel! Probably have used the 1000 series more because I love to go ultralight. I have it loaded with 6lb. Flourocarbon line. This thing is rock solid, has never let me down. Drag is smooth and strong. I've owned Abu, Diawa, but I'm stuck on Shimano now. These things are build pretty solid. Keep the maintenance up on them and they will last a lifetime. I've caught some large Stripers on my 3000 series loaded with 20lb. braid. You can feel everything with this reel. I'd highly recommend this reel to anybody looking for a moderately priced performance reel that will stand up to any fight.

I purchased my Shimano ST2500Fj January of this year. This reel is ultra smooth and very light. I've used it on my local waters for snook, reds, and trout and have also taken it with me on a trip to the Bahamas. The 2500 size reel was pretty light for the reef fish we were catching but it was a blast. The drag handled a 10lb mangrove snapper like a champ.

I had an earlier version of the Stradic FJ and this model is far superior, offering more cranking power and better corrosion resistance. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this reel to any of my friends.

I purchased this reel in December 2013. Initially, I had to get used to using a spinning reel, as I have mostly used baitcasters. I have used other lower quality spinning reels and always returned to my baitcasters. After I made the adjustment, this has become my reel of choice. I have been extremely pleased with its performance. The Shimano Stradic has a very smooth cast and retrieve. It is very durable and lightweight. It has held up to some heavy redfish. I would highly recommend this reel to anyone. I am now in the process of getting rid of some expensive baitcasters and opting to purchase more Shimano Stradics.