Budget inshore IRL reel / stradic fix

NEKHULZ · March 27

Hello, my dad and I just got back into wade fishing the Indian River Lagoon out here in titusville. My uncle used to be guide in the area and gave us an older Shimano stradic and an older Shimano sustain, there are all probably 15/20 years old, the handle on the stradic is starting to stick really bad when trying to retrieve and I was wondering if there might be a fix for this or if yall might have some decent budget options for a new reel, $50~100

duckmanJR · March 27

Yes...In the best budget reel at the $50 price point...The Pflueger President....with a caveat. It is super smooth and casts like a dream with a great drag...BUT...the reel handle will corrode terribly unless you are fastidious with your after fishing clean/wipe down.

Next up would be the Diawa BG series...order from Wal mart at about $85 .....and even though I just blew one up....2 + seasons from me is like 10 years of anybody else with it getting everyday use..

As far as the 2 Shimanos... Ricks reel service may be able to get them back up and going...but unless they have some sentimental value....old reels are generally not worth the fix...but the sustain is just pricy enough to maybe be worth a shot.

Ashcraft14 · March 28

1. I recently took an older stradic in for repair because it was getting a little stiff. I got it back in pieces in a plastic bag--not worth the trouble. I've had this experience with several shimano and other spinning reels.
2. A cheap reel I like is the old Penn Slammer. I go on ebay and buy them from a seller in Australia. I've bought a couple of them at different times--no problem at all. Price for a 260 which is a size I use for fishing in the Indian River, is about $60.

NEKHULZ · March 28

thanks! gonna take a look into the Pflueger President just cause i have like $150 amazon card and maybe a new rod. i went out to day the stradic's handle is still really messed up but managed to get a nice 23" sea trout

troutbom · March 28

What I'd guess is the bearings are shot. Not a cheap fix but ask tackle shop for estimate. May be worth it. My friend who guides in the Keys likes the Daiwa BGs and he puts alot of hours on them.

Ashcraft14 · March 28

NEKHULZ: how does the water look?

NEKHULZ · March 28

the water is looking pretty fantastic to me, only stayed out about 2 hours, waded around the space view park area, hooked up with a 23" sea trout

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030354/uploads/editor/jr/l54die4it46u.jpg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030354/uploads/editor/lc/dhnboj4euggm.jpg

Alex from GA · March 29

Last year my buddy gave me his Shimano Ci4 to repair. It was locked up pretty badly. I found all the bearings were frozen and bought some from Boca Bearings. $35 later it is as good as new.

NEKHULZ · April 8

Just an update, the stradic now has completely locked up and one of the issues with the sustain was that one of the screws on the inside of the line layer would pop out sometimes, and that screw is now somewhere on the bottom of the lagoon.

Since wading will be my method of fishing I think I will forgo the expensive reels, cause falling/dunking/life happens out there even if you try to keep it to a minimum.

So right now I am looking at the Diawa Sweepfire 3000 Diawa Crossfire 3000 and Shimano Sienna 3000, they are all 30 bucks and under and if one kicks the bucket from getting dunked it's not that heart breaking. plus I can keep the broken ones for spare parts if that happens.

What do you all think will pair well with a Crowder spinning rod ESS706 7' medium light / extra fast tip?

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030354/uploads/editor/at/hcenaxwydrdx.jpg

Cagey · April 8

An FYI on Boca Bearings... Boca does not actually make any bearings. They do assemble some, but not fishing reel bearings. Boca is basically a warehouse operation and they import 90 plus percent of what they sell. Most are sourced in China. And if you were to compare the prices of what you can buy them for from China as compared to what Boca's markup is, it is astounding. And this is why I never buy anything from Boca. It is NOT financially in my favor. They simply want too much. Let me show you... full ceramic bearings that I use in my baitcast reels... both balls and races are full ceramic...

Boca Bearing: 1 bearing DISCOUNTED from $114.94 down to just $80.47

https://www.bocabearings.com/products/623-zro2-fc-ld-14689

eBay: 2 bearings $14.19 with free shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2Pcs-623-Full-Ceramic-Bearing-3x10x4mm-Zirconia-Ceramic-Deep-Groove-Ball-Bearing/174099604420?hash=item28892523c4:g:gbUAAOSwlTBd0mKg

So let me do some quick math... 14.19 divided by 2 = $7.095 cents roughly per bearing.

Now let me divide that into Boca price- 80.47 divided by 7.10 = 11.33 times the price for the same bearing. And I did not even include shipping or taxes from Boca which would make it even higher.

Boca buys them from China. And I can buy them from China. At Boca's price I can not afford to do all my reels. Simple economics really.

I believe in supporting American companies, but prices have to be within a reasonable markup. And to me Boca is not even close to reasonable.

And as for stainless bearings... also sourced in China. Stainless these days is mostly recycled in China so those bearings are even cheaper, just pennies for some of them:

Here is a lot of 10 stainless steel 3x10x4mm bearings used in reels for only $2.41 with free shipping. That is less than one U.S. quarter per bearing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10x-623ZZ-3x10x4mm-Bearing-Miniature-Ball-Shielded-Radial-Bearings-Carbon/254561838139?hash=item3b4511643b:g:lZoAAOSwUPRdhIvv

Boca is $7.21 for same bearing. A markup of nearly 29 times the price from ebay. And I did not include shipping from Boca.

https://www.bocabearings.com/products/smr103(x)-af2-14238

I've been working on reels for decades, and I can tell you I do not pay Boca prices to fix reels. Customers would raise hell! Just sayin'...

-----------------------------------------------ADDED

What I posted above is what I would describe as over the counter markups. But if we really take a look at what Boca is doing as far as real markups, it gets much worse.

Take for example that standard stainless steel reel bearing mentioned above. I can buy one bearing for less than .25 cents over the counter to me my price.

But sitting in Boca's shoes, they can buy 10,000 at one time and get that price much lower. What say .07 cents per bearing or even .05 cents per bearing. I'll go with .07 just for markup demonstration...

Boca's over the counter price to us per bearing is $7.21 divided by their real wholesale price from bulk purchasing at .07 = a markup of 103 times the cost.

How many businesses get to run on that kind of a profit margin?

I am a businessman too. I gotta make a buck and put food on the table for myself and my kids and pay the bills and I don't know about you, but rather than me supporting or trying to support some CEO and his high salary and bonuses and mercedes and house on the beach type of thing, I'd rather shift some of those profits into MY pockets and not his. I'd like to bring that guy down a notch or 2 while trying to raise myself up a little and so I gotta beat his prices and slide some of those profits my way.

Just the way it goes...

NEKHULZ · April 8

thanks for the info cagey!

Saltygatorvet · April 8

NEKHULZ said:

Hello, my dad and I just got back into wade fishing the Indian River Lagoon out here in titusville. My uncle used to be guide in the area and gave us an older Shimano stradic and an older Shimano sustain, there are all probably 15/20 years old, the handle on the stradic is starting to stick really bad when trying to retrieve and I was wondering if there might be a fix for this or if yall might have some decent budget options for a new reel, $50~100

Which stradic is it? If it has the wooden handle, I’d definitely get it serviced. Those were great reels. The sustain is likely worth it also. If they aren’t to far gone they will be better that a pfluger or a bg imho

NEKHULZ · April 8

Saltygatorvet said:

NEKHULZ said:

Hello, my dad and I just got back into wade fishing the Indian River Lagoon out here in titusville. My uncle used to be guide in the area and gave us an older Shimano stradic and an older Shimano sustain, there are all probably 15/20 years old, the handle on the stradic is starting to stick really bad when trying to retrieve and I was wondering if there might be a fix for this or if yall might have some decent budget options for a new reel, $50~100

Which stradic is it? If it has the wooden handle, I’d definitely get it serviced. Those were great reels. The sustain is likely worth it also. If they aren’t to far gone they will be better that a pfluger or a bg imho

i can't believe i never posted pictures of them, how dumb of me

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030354/uploads/editor/1m/ai2xbxm16b1m.jpg

Saltygatorvet · April 8

Personally, Id have both serviced by a pro. String with some 10-15 lb braid and let em rip.

Alex from GA · April 8

Thanks for the information Cagey. I have bought bearings from other suppliers that were lots cheaper than Boca if I knew the dimensions.

Tarponator · April 9

That old gold Sustain is a superb reel in my limited experience. Of all my old Shimano reels, and I own more than I care to admit, that one has stayed the best over the years and it was not because of a lack of use.

Cagey · April 9

I repair reels professionally, and I won't buy the newer reels. If someone gave me one, then maybe, but even then I'd have to do some modifying it-like change the drag mech- and go to extreme care to not damage the softer aluminum gears.

I also use the older shimano spinning reels. My preferences are FG, FH, FI, and FJ series reels. Nothing newer for me. Same for sustains, stellas and others. I want the older reels. I love to seek out broken older reels because the owner let's them go really cheap and I can fix them. So it is a win win for me.

One man's trash is another man's treasure and it has never been truer for reels! So I vote for overhauling those 2 reels as well. Once done, with care, they can last another 20 years!
----------------------ADDED

I should note, another reason I do not want newer stradics is because Shimano has gone to a line guide roller with a bearing pressed fit into it. So if you need to replace the bearing, you gotta replace the line guide roller along with it. And when shimano stops making that part, people who own those reels are screwed!

So this is another reason I avoid them, and is another project I will have to invest time in trying to undo this BS shimano has thrown our way. I want to find a way to remove that bearing and use another one- or, just swap out the line roller with another one if possible.

It sucks when the brands build reels in such a way that makes them un-serviceable to the end users like us. Daiwa did it too with their magnetic fluid reels. Pain in the rear! I won't touch those either for personal use.

Tarponator · April 9

Sounds like an after-market part/business opportunity to me!

NEKHULZ · April 10

I will say that the sustain is fine for the most part, all that's happening with it is a screw will slide out and starts hitting the spool, well it did, the screw is now in the indian river lagoon. I'll send them both out to get serviced, i have my doubts on the stradic tho, i can't even get the spool to spin. but i also don't know what i'm doing, admittedly.

I've been going out fishing every other day with my dad now for the better part of 6 months, and these are the only 2 reels we have, so while i am going to get them serviced, i would like to get 2 backups just in-case.

My uncle sure did like his crowder ESS706's tho he gave me like 6 of those.

Budget inshore IRL reel / stradic fix

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