Shimano "Stradic CI4+" Hot

Last year shortly after the new Ci4+ hit the market I decided to pick one. I knew when the reel was released with the upgrades that Shimano had made to the Ci4 that this was going to be an inshore fishing machine. I bought the reel and took it the owner of Cavitt Custom Rods Ernie Cavitt to have an outstanding rod made for sight fishing on the flats. This reel packs an outstanding punch with its great drag system thanks to the x-ship upgrade that Shimano gave this reel. I spooled it up with 10lb Suffix 832 and put it on my new rod and they fish slaying began. The Ci4+ has been very durable but I have not given it any hard abuse like bull red fishing even though it has dragged in its fair share of over slot red fish it has not begun to show any sign of wear in the last six months that I have been using it. The Ci4+ still reels as smooth as it did on day 1 and the fit in finish has not shown any signs of wear. As with any reel from any price range I always give my equipment a thorough wash down after any day on the water. I marked the Price rating and versatility rating down from 5.0 to 4.0 because spending $220.00 on a reel is a lot of money and there are reels on the market that can do the job for less and still get it done. Over all this is my favorite reel and I plan to use it for many years to come. I highly recommend this to anyone freshwater or saltwater who is looking for a durable light weight reel to be paired up with that high end light weight rod.