Going Smaller and Lighter yet again, Shimano’s new freshwater reel offerings (continued)

Stradic CI4: The original Stradic CI4 was designed specifically for ultra finesse applications and thus only two of the smallest sizes were released last year. This made both trout and bass anglers happy but fishermen that wanted to target bigger game needed a reel with a little more capacity and a slightly beefier drag.

The Stradic CI4 is now available in sizes capable of targeting larger species than bass

Enter the new Stradic 4300 and 4400 sizes. The 4300 size is capable of holding 170 yards of 8lb. test and the 4400 holds a whopping 200 yards of 10lb. test. The 4300 size weighs in at only 7.2oz. and the 4400 weighs a respectable 9.3oz.  

These larger reels feature power grips

Stella FE: The Stella FE gets a complete makeover this season and Shimano’s flagship reel just got better. The STL1000FE, 2500FE, 3000FE and 4000FE all feature Shimano’s X-Ship double bearing supported pinion gear and E.I. surface treatment on the spool.
 

Shimano's new Reel Specialist, Kenichi Iida showed us the newly redesigned Stella FE

“For anglers looking for the best in spinning reels, be it for panfish and trout, bass and walleye, or inshore saltwater use for bonefish, redfish and permit, our Stella reels have always been the top choice,” said Robby Gant, product manager at Shimano. “With these new features, we’ve taken Stella to another level, continuing our goal of enhancing the overall fishing experience.” With X-Ship, Shimano has increased the gearing efficiency and power, providing anglers with ultra-light handle rotation. “When you combine this with our Paladin Gear Durability Enhancement, anglers will notice out-of-the-box smoothness year-after-year of use,” Gant said. “Along with gearing that just continues to be extra smooth season after fishing season, we include our E.I. surface treatment on the cold forged aluminum spool to resist corrosion. This provides key protection to reel when used for any saltwater action.”

With X-Ship design, Shimano has increased the gearing efficiency and power, providing anglers with ultra-light handle rotation

The new Stella FE reels include many proven Shimano features, from Propulsion Line Management System to virtually eliminate any line twist and increase casting distance, SR Concept, Rigid Support System, Aerowrap II, Dyna-Balance and Super Stopper II, and a long list of others. “As anglers would expect, any Shimano reel technology we have it our disposable to make these the best spinning reels we have is featured in the Stella FE series,” said Gant.

The reel features a very sleek profile

All four Stella reels have 14 S A-RB shielded anti-rust ball bearings, lightweight magnesium frames and sideplate, waterproof drag, and Septon handle grips (paddle grip on the 1000, flat T on the 2500, and saltwater T type on the 3000 and 4000).

The new E.I. surface treatment on the cold forged aluminum spool helps fight corrosion

The Stella 1000FE has a 5.0:1 gear ratio, will retrieve in 25-inches of line per crank, and has the spool capacity to handle 6- to 12-pound mono or 10- to 20-pound PowerPro braid. Both with a 6.0:1 gear ratios retrieving in 35-inches of line per crank, the Stella 2500FE holds 8- to 12-pound test mono, or 10- to 30-pound PowerPro, while the 3000FE can handle from 8- to 16-pound mono or 10- to 40-pound PowerPro. The 4000FE as a 6.2:1 gear ratio, retrieves 38-inches of line per cranks, and has the capacity for 12- to 20-pound test mono or 15- to 50-pound test PowerPro.

Shimano packs a lot of power into a very small footprint on the new Stella FE reels

This year Shimano has expanded in a number of areas beyond just reels, while there are definitely notable saltwater additions to talk about including the redesigned Trinidad, the company has been hard at work rounding out their rod line as well as introducing anglers to new techniques and complete fishing “systems” like the Waxwing lure… which also won the ICAST Best of Show in the Lure category. More on these other offerings coming soon.