Shimano Stradic vs Pflueger Patriarch

With fall in full force and daylight savings time concluding my weekday fishing options are very limited. Seeing how I don't get home from work til 4:00pm and it is completely dark by 6:00pm. This makes it a perfect time to clean and review some of the gear that I have been using over the past couple years. So today I'll be putting a couple higher end spinning reels up in a head to head comparison. Specifically the Shimano Stradic CI4 3000F and the Pflueger Patriarch 9540. These two reels have become my go-to spinning reels.

I'll start with the Shimano Stradic CI4 3000F.

Shimano Stradic CI4 3000F

This reel has done nothing but please. The 3000F model that I own was the medium size option rated for 140yds of 10lb mono. Primarily I have used this reel for light bass and crappie tackle, I've kept it spooled with 8lb mono. Out of the box reeling was smooth as butter, significantly smoother than anything I had ever used. After owning this reel for nearly two year now I can honestly say it is still every bit as smooth to this day. The drag is very comparable in smoothness as well and has never let me down. The carbon construction of this reel provides exceptional durability in a lightweight package (7.2oz for the 3000 size). Something else I want to note is the reel contains 6 ball bearings. Compared to some reels this may seem pretty average but I have found that it isn't always about the quantity of bearings but rather the quality. With all that said I have absolutely no complaints with this reel. Check out the complete stats on the Stradic here.

On to the Plueger Patriarch 9540.

Plueger Patriarch 9540

This reel has been a solid performer. One of my first trips if not the first trip out using this reel I actually caught I very nice hybrid striper so I quickly gained confidence in it. The 9540 model that I own is a larger model rated for 200yds of 10lb mono. Primarily this has been a larger bass bait reel and even a carp reel on the few carp trips I made this year. I keep it spooled with 10lb mono. The Patriarch was also very smooth out of the box, although not quite as smooth as the Stradic. The drag was solid but not nearly as smooth as the Stradic again. One of the first things I noticed about this reel was the visible carbon handle and arbor, again carbon provides great strength in a light weight package. The 9540 weighs in at 8.1oz which is awesome for the size of this reel. I've not had any problems with this reel and it still functions nearly as good as it did the day I got it. My only complaint is it has developed a little noise when reeling. Check out the complete stats on the Patriarch here.

Both of these reels are in the $200 price range which is on the expensive side in my collection of reels. Are they worth it? So far I would say yes. Durability is one of the strongest considerations when I'm buying a reel and so far both of these reels have performed in that category. If I'm going to pay top dollar for a reel I definitely want it to last me a long time. So which reel is better? The choice is pretty obvious. Hands down the Shimano Stradic takes the crown. As I stated before this reel has done nothing but please and anyone looking for a new spinning reel in the $200 dollar range should strongly consider the Stradic.

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