20 Best Shimano Reels For Saltwater (2023 Updated)

I am new to bass fishing, bought two of the 2500 for poppers and jerk baits for a 3 day fishing trip to mexico, El Salto lake, caught over 100 fish on one reel up to six pounds, Lightweight, great drag and very smooth.

Then took reels to Colombia fishing for peakock bass, payara and piranah. The guide told me the reel looked to small. Over the course of five days fishing caught up to 30 peacock bass up to 15 lbs, reel worked flawlessly! Plenty of drag to keep the bass from going in the shallows or wrapping around underground tree branches.

Biggest Payara was 15lbs, and again, the reel stopped the fish from getting into the current and swimming off. I just could not believe how such a small, lightweight reel performed! Also, I used max quatro 30 lb for largemouth bass and 65lb for peacock’s.

Got almost 100 yards on the spool, which was plenty! Rather than change out the line, I ordered extra spools from Shimano and delivered next day for free!.

I bought the Shimano Stradic FK 3000 as a replacement for an FJ 2500 that went under salt water once too many times. I use it for inshore fishing (Trout, Snook, Redfish) with artificial lures. Although it is not rated as a salt water reel, I compared features with the Shimano CI4 which is an inshore reel, and found no significant difference that would improve the situation if the reel went under water, so I opted for the FK as I could find it for $70 less by shopping around.

I looked at the popular competition and found the Stradic line of reels to be the most smooth operating and had the best “feel” with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce plastic baits. I use this reel on a spinning rod that is built on an 8-1/2 foot fly rod blank and i can feel the bait as it slowly dips and slips through grass and on sandy bottoms, and the delicate feel of the reel is as important as the rod.

Competitive reels by other makers just seem a little clunky or less smooth when compared to the Stradic. Additionally the drag can be set very light which is important to me for Spotted Trout fishing, and it will tighten up to 20 lbs according to advertising (I’ve never cranked in more than 5 or 6 lbs drag and that was on a big Jack Crevalle).

I thought I’d miss the FJ’s anti-reverse on-off function but I don’t.

The Shimano Stradic FK 5000 is a cut above normal spinning reels. Sharing a large number of characteristics with the much pricier Stella FI, it has good looks and ultra smooth retrieve and line lay. It has a rigid metal body and carbon drag discs, unlike other models in the same range.

So far I’ve tested it on a number of hard fighting inshore pollack, though nothing over 6lb, but it has dealt with these without breaking sweat, offering the promise of similar unflappable performance when a fish twice as big comes along.

I’d be happy tackling double figure pollack, bass, smooth hounds and inshore cod on this reel, in other words fish that fight fair and aren’t being pursued in very strong tides using large leads. Criticisms? Not many.

However I can’t agree with Shimano’s policy decision to do away with free spare spools. Also, there is no anti reverse on-off switch. Like many anglers I never did much backwinding whilst fishing, but it was handy when threading line through the rings.

I’m 50 and had countless reels throughout the years ranging from $20. 00 to almost $300. 00. It was only a few years ago when I saw the price on these Stellas and said to myself what nut job would spend $750.

00 on a fishing reel. Well, I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole researching these reels to see what the hype was all about. Can there really be that much difference between reels costing $250. 00 or $300.

00 dollars? The short answer is YESS ! This reel is truly amazing and words can’t fully describe how smooth it is you just have to experience it. Most YouTube reviews describe it as “smooth as butt” but that doesn’t give the amount of precession engineering in this reel enough justice.

Compared to my Penn Spin fisher 4, Penn Slammer, Penn Torque, and Shimano Stradic (all smooth, very reliable, enjoyable, quality reels) this reel blows them away, and it should because of the price tag.

If you lose your mind as I did and finally give into the temptation to treat yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

I ordered two Nasci 3000s from Tackle direct on Friday morning. UPS said they would be here on Monday, but they arrived two days early on Saturday morning…WOW!!!! I went fishing on the Chesapeake on Sunday.

These reels are paired with Shimano 7ft 6in GLF Med/Hvy rods with 15lb Power Pro Slick line with 20lb Yo-Zuri Super Know leader. I was throwing a Aqua Dream 1/2oz spoon on one rod and a Zman DieZel minnow on a Zman 3/8oz Redfish eye.

These reels are super smooth and holds plenty of braid. The drag is very powerful. They are extremely quiet. They are super affordable as well. For the price of one Stradic, you can buy two of these.

Comparing these to a Stradic, they are very close.

I was excited about getting this new liitle reel, I have the older Model and love it. I use it for ice fishing and creek trout fishing with 4# braid, unfortunately when you cast and then close the bail the line fails to make it to the roller and gets hung up on the arm.

Never had this issue before but, its very frustrating, build and drag is as expected from Shimano but, this issue should be addressed. Looks like the larger sizes have no issues but the 500 does. Ended up using it for ice fishing with light flouro were line management is much easier.

I picked this reel up about a month ago and I think this reel is a steal. Absolutely love how smooth and light this reel is. I have the 5k size paired on a 9ft st croix seage medium light surf rod. This reel has some serious muscle to it and the drag is very smooth.

This reel is on par if not better than reels that cost twice as much. I’ve been cranking in tons of nice size 10-15lb bluefish, fluke, and 20+lb stripers with it and this reel doesn’t skip a beat. The cost of this reel for what you get just doesn’t make any sense.

Incredible reel at an unbelievable price made this a must get for me and I haven’t regretted it yet. If your in the market for a solid, light, and smooth reel but don’t want to drop $300 or more, this reel is for you.

You won’t be disappointed.

I bought this reel mainly because I do a lot of local fishing from my surfboard, and I wanted a reel that would have better water resistance than previous (cheaper) reels I’ve owned. So far, so good.

After about a dozen outings, with the reel getting plenty soaked, though not ever fully submerged, it still feels smooth. My one gripe (and I’ve read this from other reviewers) is the lack of a line retainer clip.

It just makes no sense to me that Shimano would not include this simple and convenient feature. I’d happily pay an extra $5-$10 (most likely would cost less than that for Shimano) to have it. Everything else about this reel seems well made, and am glad I purchased it.

I bought the 6000 size. Shimano mid-range priced reels have been a staple of my arsenal forever (a LONG time). I still have and use my old Shimano reels. This reel is excellent. I rinse it off after every use and dry it in the sun.

I plan to clean/lube it every couple (or more) years as I haphazardly do with my reels. Shimano reels take a licking and keep on ticking. Note: They run small on sizing. I bout the 6000 and it’s about the size of some 4500-5000 size reels of other brands I’ve owned.

Something to keep in mind.

recently lost my favorite Stradic 3000FJ and want to replace it so went to BP to check out the FL. What in the world is Shimano thinking? No reverse lever? Whoever made that decision must not fish. There are plenty of reasons to have a reverse lever so you don’t have to open the bail or loosen the drag to take line out.

Even worse, the angle of mounting arm that attaches to the rod is such that when you are holding it, it is very uncomfortable, almost as if it were intentionally designed to hurt you as it grinds against the bone of your finger that fits behind it.

Guess you have to have small hands and mine are not that out of the ordinary in size. The Vanford is the same way.

I’m absolutely shocked at the quality of this reel. Is it smooth when you reel it, yes. BUT the noise is ridiculous. It’s not quite when turning it slow, even worse when turning it fast. In no way am I paying this price for l noisy reel.

This is obviously why Shimano’s older model reels sell for what they do (even used ones), because these new ones are not worth the money. Even the new Shimano “Sustain FJ” is the same way. Just tried one out a couple days ago.

They really cheapened these up, throughout the last hand-full or years. My 1998 Shimano 2000 Sustain FA is quieter then this and just as smooth. Unreal!.

very good couple months with reel. smooth and lightweight. However this is the first reel I’ve had that ever froze. I did nothing different from the way I treat my Penn reel and it still got corrosion.

cleaned after every use. never dunked in saltwater. I understand not a sealed reel but still this shouldn’t happen and especially not in first couple months of ownership. fish mostly back bays saltwater.

I haven’t contacted manufacturer yet but I may just have it cleaned.

I got the 500 size reel. It has been a solid ultralight reel for catching Crappie and small Largemouth Bass. Drag system works great, but there is not as much control as I would wish. The handle and bail will continue to move in the 12 o’clock position when let go.

This thing runs circles around every budget combo reel I’ve used though.

I bought the 1000 size to pair with a 6′ medium light rod and I love the combo. Nice and light, casts smoothly (using gliss line) and reels in very smoothly. No problems with the handle as one of the other reviewers noted.

I have more expensive reels, but I often grab this one since it’s nice and light. I’m usually fishing for walleye for reference.

This is my second and last Shimano reel. I reluctantly purchased this reel for crappie fishing. About every third cast the bail will clise while casting. This is very frustrating and it destroys the soft plastic jigs that I am using.

Going to return this reel tomorrow and never look back.

IšverstiShow in original languageAfter reading Alan Hawks review of this series of reels I was wanting to get one. They were hard to come by until May/June 2021. Still cannot find locally to test so took a leap of faith.

AH was right, this reel is awesome and he rated it higher than Stella SW due to performance and price point. You can buy a 6k, a 10k and a 25k and still be spending less than a Stella. I have caught some nice fish with mine.

My heart was broken when I leaned it up against a fence and it fell and hit some rocks and scratched the paint and got sandy. I cleaned it up and it is still super smooth but has some scars. I saw that they had a 20% off on the 8k so just ordered one today.

To live bait offshore on the kayak in S. Florida most of the guides recommend an 8 or 10k size. Will see if the extra ounces of the 8k leave me less satisfied than I am with the 6k. Buy it if you love Shimano spinning reels like I do.

The 6k is paired with a Grappler from Shimano and it is a good rod. Not sure what I will pair the 8k with but something with a sensitive tip so I can see if the live bait is covered in grass or getting nervous around predators.

Tight lines!.

IšverstiShow in original languageOverall best reel on the market and part of my setups. I have 3. It’s reputation, performance, durability and value says everything you need to know. With the respective braid line you like to use… I don’t think you can spend $300.

00 any better. I dunk this, I reel underwater I do everything I do with my Van Staal. Still going. The VS is a tank and takes a beating. The Saragossa although not built like a VS. it’s just as good.

Just a different reel. This Gosa depending what size you get is great for any saltwater fishing the everyday man or woman does.

IšverstiShow in original languageI just opened the box and (1) put the reel on and gave her a spin hoping to watch the handle smoothly rotate for a long time. not. It seems as if there is no grease inside.

I can feel friction as I rotate the handle. (2) after flipping the bail and then turning the handle the handle rotates but the bail will not even engage. My first piece of crap from Shimano. The last Shimano I purchased is a Tiagra 50/Wide it is awesome.

I’m going to give Okuma a try now.

Love my Stella’s. Received my 8000 HGC. When I get a new Stella, I will sit and crank it while watching TV to let in seat its self, Like a break in period. This one felt different and had a kind of clunk when the spool shaft would change directions from from up and down.

I gave it a couple weeks and still did not feel right. Checked it against my other Stella’s and found the end play of the spool shaft was quit a bit more than my other ones. Contacted TD and as always they were great to deal with.

They sent me a return label and set up the exchange. I feel this reel did not get the correct shims and was just to loose. I’m sure the new one will be the usual Stella quality. Thx TD.

High end reel for stopping big fish. Nice gear ratio for jigging, live baiting and poppers. Best of the best. Worth the extra money, many years of enjoyment on offer for the serious angler.

Light, smooth, and just feels good. The craftsmanship is incredible, and I can tell the reel will last a long time. Love the reel.

I liked the 2000 series for sucker fishing. I used this reel with 4lb test to reel in great lakes tributary suckers weighing in from 2-5lbs. The reel was instant on the drag, not jerky, but smooth. Several fish had runs through current, and functioned perfectly.

Like a reel costing much more. If in 6 months this reel works well, I’ll give it another star.

I’ve owned the 2000 size for 18 months now and use it for light sea fishing – float and lure work. The reel is undeniably Shimano despite its budget price tag, offering smooth retrieve and reliable function of all key parts: drag, bail, handle.

It won’t win any beauty contests in its plain, unpainted carbon garb, but if you’re tackling fish on the sub 10lb bracket like bass, pollack, codling and mackerel, you won’t regret your choice or feel you haven’t had value for the small amount of cash you’ve splashed.

I have fancy reels too but it saddens me to scrape them on rocks, so often the FX will be handed the “stuntman” role and will invariably fill in admirably!.

Excellent quality,and built like a tank. I don’t know why others are having issues,but I’ve a couple of the FX 2500 as well as a couple of the FX 4000 reels,and zero issues. Everything is built rock solid,lays line precisionly,and the drag is buttery smooth.

I fish ALOT,and target bowfin, largemouth and gar. and these reels do everything they need to. They work just as great as my Shimano Sahara’s,and cost 1/4 the price. Actually,I prefer using these more than my Sahara reels.

And for $20 at Wally world. it’s a no brainer!.

for the abilities of this reel, there’s many others that are less expensive. I have hundreds of rod and reel combinations being in the charter fishing biz. BUT, use these for a certain application only.

You can spend less on a shimano triton 100G and get essentially the same reel. That is less corrosive and made of composite graphite, only draw back is one handle bearing and the rest is bronze bushings, which equally ”bullet-proofness” but slightly less smooth.

and no saltwater corrosion issues, ever. SO, its up too your application, and preference.

Had one of these for 15 years until it got stolen and it was still smooth robust, fault free and no corrosion, apart from rinse and wipe down was never given any special attentio. , Discontinued from about 2016 i believe but i was so fortunate to find leftover stock in 2021.

For the price its a beast of a reel, and level wind a must have feature but not found in anything quality within 1. 5x the price. Im told it was discontinued only because the spool wasnt designed for braid ( I never ran anything else.

Either 50 or 80lb).

I made my first time purchase of the Shimano Tekota 800 reel from Tackle Direct in the winter and it instantly made me want to go fishing! We got striper fever off the NJ coast and bought another reel.

Ya don’t necessarily need this reel but if ya want to up your game and the fish to prove it — go for it ! It is a beaut reel and will take care of business! Thank you TD for taking care of my tackle needs!.

IšverstiShow in original languageTHE SHIMANO SPM1211 IS A PERFECT 2 SPEED LEVER DRAG REEL FOR THOSE DEEP SEA MONSTERS. THE ALL METAL 0NE PIECE FRAME DOESN’T FLEX (LIKE SOME OF THOSE GRAPHITE FRAMED REELS) WHEN FIGHTING A BIG FISH.

THE LEVER DRAG IS GREAT FOR THOSE LONG RUNS. THIS REEL IS A PERFECT SIZE. IT HOLDS A NICE AMOUNT OF 50 LB BRAID. I COULDN’T RESIST BUYING THIS REEL WHEN I FIRST LAID MY EYES ON IT. TACKLE DIRECT’S PRICE CAN’T BE BEAT AND WITH THEIR FREE SHIPPING IT’S A NO BRAINER!!! IF YOUR IN NEED OF A PERFECT CONVENTIONAL (BOAT) REEL, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK INTO THE SHIMANO SPM12II REEL——YOU WON’T REGRET IT!!!!!!.

IšverstiShow in original languageI had researched online for a new high-speed overhead reel for ocean jigging, targeting species like dog-tooth tuna, giant trevally, and big reds. The two-speed Shimano Speedmaster 12 LD II seemed to fit the bill nicely, with heaps of drag, a low gear for cranking heavy fish, and massive line capacity.

Plus it is quality gear from Shimano. I couldn’t justify an Ocea Jigger reel. Then the BCF club price plus a discount code meant I ended up paying only a bit more than half RRP. No other store could match that.

Now I’ve just got to wait for my next offshore trip!.

IšverstiShow in original languageNo lefthanded. Level wind 2 speed reels. Not even in lefthanded electric reels. There’s a market out there.

So far this reel has lived up to it’s name one of the smoothest and lightest reels made by Shimano. The live bait drag system works great. It’s a spinner that acts like a conventional reel. 300 yds, of PowerPro V2 slick 8 and your ready to have some fun.

I have only used it 4x but it’s now my go to reel. I have an OC 6000 backup live bait reel, Put my Saragosa on the side for now. You really can’t get that performance without the dual drag live bait system the Thunnus has.

The only thing that’s holding it back is the 20 lb drag.

This is a brilliant reel. Carbon Fibre, Baitrunner function. Had a classic Baitrunner 3500B (which i gave to my son) and replaced it with a Thunnus 8000. Have caught lots of fish on this reel, solid as.

Just bought a second one from marine-deals as I want another rig for mates on the boat. Great service rang team on Sunday to check stock, ordered online immediately, reel arrived on Tuesday!.

I also own Shimano XTD reels. The pricier C-14, does not perform significantly better. In my opinion the quality of this reel appears the same as the less pricy XTD surf reel. I recently fished a tournament and used both reels for two full days.

I could not tell much difference if any at all between the two reels. I believe both reel’s come with a spare spool and the same amonnt of line reduction spacers.

I figured since the previous Ultegra CI4 Plus (ULCI45500XSB Ultegra CI4 Plus XSB) performed very well for my kind of fishing, I would purchase this newer ULTCI45500XTC Ultegra CI4 Plus as a second reel since the XSB is no longer available.

For me, the XTC did not perform as well over the past eight months of fishing as did my older XSB. Everything is comparable except the quick drag feature proved to be cumbersome on this newer version.

The main problem is that it is not predictable due to consistency and/or precision with the drag. With the XSB, I can rely on “clicks†either way for predicable quick drag pressure. With this newer XTC model, because of the tension consistency and predictability issue, I have to slacken the drag and use hands on the spool to increase tension when the big ones are running too fast or towards cover –the reef, rocks, piling, etc.

Needless to say, I have to tighten before and loosen immediately after each cast. It could be that the particular reel I have is the one in the lot that is faulty but I am back to using the more reliable XSB.

However, if you can get past the quick drag issue, this is a good reel.

I own two Ultegra Ci4 reels now & have had no problems with them. I bought my first 3 years ago and the other recently. I like the new blacked out design, it feels even a little more solid. As long as you have the spacing right on your guides, these reels cast really far.

My usual reels are Stellas so I use the Ultegra’s more for long cast situations.

Nice-looking helmet that does not slide around. However, there is a pressure point on the back of your head that I find a bit annoying – this may just be me getting used to a different style of hat though! I had a size S, which is snug, but the M is enormous so try before you buy as the sizing is odd.

My first decent reel, I loved my okuma jaw 20 but this is another level, came recommend by too many folk to ignore. Smooth as silk, the drag is incredible. Highly highly recommend.

Solid good quality reel, slightly heavier than the Ci4+ but not much in it being such a small reel. It’s so smooth, well balanced and has an excellent drag, luckily I have tested it on a few nice Bass.

I love this reel. Nothing to dislike so far.

I originally bought the previous model spheros because my 20k Stella was stolen and I had a few Stella spools with various braid and nylon and wanted to have a reel capable of using them. But alas the drag system is different so they can’t be interchanged without serious adapting and not really possible , I was plesently surprised that for the price the spheros 20k is a great saltwater reel , in fact I liked it so much I bought a second for my 15 foot assassin , that I previously used with a shimano Trinadad dc , so now I have two spheros 20k spooled with 1000 meters of 30lb braid and also a spool of 500 meters of 25lb nylon for slide bait fishing and couldn’t be happier , excellent reels and great value for the price , best threadline reel iv had since my 20k Stella and at the price it’s a bargain.

Bought for a jigging rod for scup and seabass. Not a shimano guy but wanted something inexpensive for jigging. paired this with tsunami slow pitch, whole set up is a bout a pound so shoudl be great for longer days and getting the kids out.

Im a penn guy but this reel is very smooth by comparison. I recently got a battle 3 and would say initial feel is a bit smoother on the shimano side. will update after we grab the first seabass.

Moulinet parfait pour la pêche aux bras. Dommage une seule bobine et conditionnement au plus simple.

Je l’utilise en mer il est vraiment de très bonne qualité

Trés bon moulinet … le must ..

Just received this Shimano Socorro 8000 sw reel. What a beast! Living in Michigan, the salt water aspect of this reel isn’t really necessary for me, but I like that it’s sealed and is of heavy duty construction.

I purchased this for catfishing, we do have some pretty ginormous catfish up here and sometimes they pull like a truck, then they will lay on bottom. Well you need something heavy duty to pull them up and land them.

This Shimano Socorro 8000 has been paired with an eagleclaw crafted glass 8’0″ MH spinning rod and 20# big game monofilament. Definitely gonna be purchasing another for an even heavier rod I have. I have always used and trusted Shimano reels almost exclusively, their quality imo, has always been top notch!.

Once the reel was ordered it was only a matter of days before it arrived. It was well packed and protected and was all that I was told. Can’t wait to test fire it. The body is very sleek compared to others and it is smooth as silk, it feels strong.

Thanks again fellas.

Very smooth ,light I like the big handle ,great balance when you reel it and wind it up thats why I wanted a shimano reel I cant wait to use it on the boat. I fish for Dorado,Tuna kingfish wahoo Im sure to get something big.