# I Finally Own a Stradic Ci4



## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Every time I have seen one I have wanted one, and as of Yesterday I became an Owner of a Stradic Ci4. Still in the box, but will be mounted on a hand built rod on a Matrix blank soon. 

I have high hopes for enjoying it. It will be my only Bailed reel and I am not positive I will be good at it but hope to be. If I can't seem to get the hang of using a bail, it will be available at some point. 


Any Pos/Neg Comments on the Stradic Ci4?


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## Kenton (Nov 16, 2007)

Both of the guys i fish with have them. They love em'.


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## vincem (Jan 12, 2009)

i have a stradic 2500 ci4 on a shimano 7' calcutta rod. bought it in september of last year, and love it. light weight and casting distance is top notch. nice smooth drag and has held up nicely. you will not be disappointed!


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## 85okhai (Mar 15, 2010)

Wirelessly posted

What size did you get. I have the 4000 and I've only caught a few trout and so far it has been a great reel. Been trying to catch a king to see what the drag is like


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## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

I have the 3000 and love it. I did have two of them, but someone decided to take one off my hands without me knowing about it...


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## on the rocks (Oct 1, 2007)

You will love it Curtis. :thumbup:

You are more than welcome to come over to the house and practice your casting off the dock anytime you like. :yes:


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

*Thanks Dale, I would love to.*

Dale that is a super sweet offer and I look very forward to it. Your and Mike's Dock will eventually be a landmark in Pensacola, if it's not already. 

Wrapped the rod last night and varnished it. Then got the rod off the turner this morning. Its got a simple Web patern in black just above the upper grip and it matches the reel very nicely. 

At the moment it is unused, but that is due to change as soon as the varnish is completley cured. 

Oh Boy....


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## on the rocks (Oct 1, 2007)

Curtis that sure looks like a sweet setup you got yourself and would love to see it up close. I would be honored just to sit back and watch you practice...:yes: 

The offer is out there so anytime you are in the area feel free to stop by and try it out. It's a long way to the other side of the canal and the dock makes a great casting platform!


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## Brandonshobie (Aug 10, 2009)

Man you will luv this reel. I have the 4000 with 30# braid and it will cast lures a mile well it will cast a lure longer then all me other reels. It takes a second to get used to the handle but you will like the hand once you fish with it some. The drag is so smooth I have caught some big bull reds with minez I luv it!


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I have a Stadic 1000 on a Shimano Claris 6 ' spooled with 10 lb braid that I use off the dock and it's a pretty impressive for it's size. I've been spooled a few times but I've also brought in some decent fish. Some Red Fish over 40 " lots of Trout and I even got a 3-4 ft nurse shark up to the dock before I had to break it off. Odds are that you will enjoy that combo you're putting together.


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## Austin (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm curious Curtis.. what's up with you and the backwards reel seats? Or wait.. maybe everyone else is just backwards :shifty:


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

I get asked that pretty often. 

I mount the reel seat on many of the rods I build backwards or Upside Down I guess you could call it, for a reason. 

As you hold a rod while fishing your index or middle finger will be very close to the tightening nut on the reel seat if it is mounted "Screw Down" instead of "Screw Up". I have found that mounting the reel seat this way has the tendency to keep the reel seat tight just by using the rod. Plus it just makes sense that it would be easier to loosen by Unscrewing Down instead of Unscrewing Up. 

Below is a picture of Tonya's hand holding that very rod. Notice her index finger is on the right side of the tightening nut, so even the lightweight of the rod works toward keeping the reel seat tight. In the event she is hooked up to a fish the tension on the tightening nut is increased, and even though it is a slight tension that is all it takes to keep the reel seat tight.


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Rod Building is very interesting to me. If done properly there are many things that have to be considered to build a rod into the best it can possibly perform as the blank has a limited potential and if everything is not assembled to compliment the blank's potential energy, the rod will not perform to it's true or total potential. 


Last week I took apart a 6 1/2ft Berkley Lighting Spinning Rod. Before I took it apart I put a reel spooled with 8lb Mono tied the mono to a digital scale that was attached to a workbench in the garage. I loaded the rod to 90 degrees and checked the scale. The scale read 0.79lbs. After taking it apart, I cleaned it up and rebuilt it. I used Fuji Hardloy Guides, so it gained a slight bit of weight, and I added a guide due to it was needed to add lifting power from the lower part of the blank. After I was finished with it I did the same thing as before with the same reel and same mono. I loaded the rod to 90 degrees and read the scale. The scale read 1.67lbs. 

Get this, on the rod it stated that the rod was for use with 4 to 12lb line. Just that alone should make anyone wonder how well it is built to perform...... Can you imagine fishing 4lb and 12lb mono from the same rod? 

I bought the rod at a pawn shop and bought it for the reel that was on it and I really didn't want the rod at all. I done this because I was curious how well an upscale manufactured rod is really built to perform. Needless to say, it seems this one was built more to sell than to perform. 

If someone wants a rebuilt Berkley Lighting Rod that looks pretty nice and performs better than it did when it was new, let me know.


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## GENTLE WOLF (Aug 19, 2009)

Interesting theory on the reel seat, makes sense though.


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## hotshot (Jun 5, 2009)

ahh the good old lightning rod! im sure they have a place but not for me. i fish for hybrid and stripe up here in central ala. im taking different people all the time and someone left a lightining rod in my boat. well the other day i was fishing and broke my line. i was too lazy to re-rig so i picked up that lightning rod. after 2 or 3 fish, i was worn out. that thing worked me to death. then, as fate would have it, i hooked into a monster and down the river we went. after about 20 min. i got him to the boat but if you have ever caught them you will know that when they see the boat they will make a huge run for it. when the fish freaked out, he went straight down and i bowed back and the dang rod just exploded into about 4 or 5 peices of rod.
I put his reel on one of my extra uglys and i hope when he comes and gets it that he will be ok with it or else i am going to have to buy him another lightning rod.


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## maxcyr65 (Apr 5, 2008)

a lot of my buddies have them and i have used the Ci4 quite a few times and i love it. I am considering buying one myself


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## Fish Happens (Oct 21, 2007)

I have the 1000 CI4 and its a beast. A lot of fun to fish with and incredibly light weight.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Garbo last year Shimano started putting their reel seats "backwards" on some of their spinning and jigging rods. That's on rods up to 80 - 200 class.


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