Shimano Saros FA, Stradic FJ or Sustain FG.

[Zman]

Has anyone used the new Saros yet? They are available I see from a few retailers. I'm interested in a comparison to the current Stradic and/or Sustain, though maybe they're just not on a level playing field to give a fair comparison.

I'm in the market for a new spinning reel, and could use some disambiguation on these 3 reels (beyond the "XGT7" for Saros vs. aluminum on Sustain & Stradic). I'm looking for my personal #1 spinning setup, and would be willing to spend for Stradic or a reduced price Sustain that's out there. But I'm intrigued by the Saros and wouldn't mind saving the money if the return is marginal.

For what it's worth, I'll likely pair it with Dobyns Champ. Ex. 702SF mostly for d-shot. I currently use a Shimano Symetre FJ and it's OK, feels smooth and solid, but the spool lip aggravates me with braided line. Seems to constantly get caught on the edge and rarely can free spool without pulling the line out multiple times to free it from the lip.

[Gabriel]

I think the Saros FA will be a nice compromise from the Stradic FJ. I think the Stradi FJ will be more rigid than the new Saros because the FJ is aluminum framed, other than that they appear to be very much the same. The Saros has the new double stamped bail vs the Stradic's one piece bail. The Saros also has the Paladin gearing and should hold up well if it is as rigid as Shimano claims their new graphite is, I hope they didn't skimp on the frame to make it lighter.

I believe that the Symetre FJ has the Super Slow Oscillation, I think that might be the source of your casting issues. My Strdic FJ handles braid very well and I don't think I have ever had a wind not or a tangle. Honestly now that I think about it I haven't had a single problem with mine other than it get dirty easy because of the color.

The Sustain FG I tried out felt kind of weird, I think I am not used to such a light reel and the lightness of the CI4 rotor. The heavier the rotor assembly the "Smoother" it feels and I think that might be why I wasn't too impressed with the Sustain FG. Feel any 4000+ size reel, they all feel nice and buttery until you put them under load.

My 2 cents.

[miracleJim]

You can't go wrong with any of them. Buy what you can afford, but I highly reccommend that you pair any one with a high quality rod that suits your application... because any of those reels are worthy to be matched with rods in the same performance and price class.

[Zman]

Gabriel, thank you very much great info and help there on the possible Symetre/braid issue.

miracleJim I feel pretty confident buying any of the three and may end up with two of them. For sure they're going to be paired with application specific, higher end (in my opinion) rods. Likely the first purchase will be paired with the Dobyns Champions Extreme for a drop shot combo, with braided line - replacing the Symetre.

If I need a second spinning setup it will likely get the appropriate Dobyns Champion for the intended use, and I'll probably say goodbye to the Symetre FJ.

[Gabriel]

What pound braid are you using? IF you are using 10lb braid you are probably also having problems with line digging into the spool. Just to give you an extra leg up when you get your new reel make sure to spool about half way with mono. Braid can be kind of squishy and mono when spooled is rock hard.

[Zman]

Yes 10# braid for drop-shot w/ leader. I spool maybe 1/8th of the spool with mono backing. No reason I guess why I can't try with more backing, I'll try that, thank you for the tip. And might increase to 15-20# braid for the second setup.

[MaxZmus]

I think the Saros FA will be a nice compromise from the Stradic FJ. I think the Stradi FJ will be more rigid than the new Saros because the FJ is aluminum framed, other than that they appear to be very much the same. The Saros has the new double stamped bail vs the Stradic's one piece bail. The Saros also has the Paladin gearing and should hold up well if it is as rigid as Shimano claims their new graphite is, I hope they didn't skimp on the frame to make it lighter.

I believe that the Symetre FJ has the Super Slow Oscillation, I think that might be the source of your casting issues. My Strdic FJ handles braid very well and I don't think I have ever had a wind not or a tangle. Honestly now that I think about it I haven't had a single problem with mine other than it get dirty easy because of the color.

The Sustain FG I tried out felt kind of weird, I think I am not used to such a light reel and the lightness of the CI4 rotor. The heavier the rotor assembly the "Smoother" it feels and I think that might be why I wasn't too impressed with the Sustain FG. Feel any 4000+ size reel, they all feel nice and buttery until you put them under load.

My 2 cents.

I think youre right about the lighter rotor not having a lot of torque. I was down at the local pier the oher day and saw a guy fishing a brand new sustain 4000 fg. He was reeling up what looked to be a nice size fish judging by the way he was struggling to turn the handle. It turned out to be a lille 2 lb, short, halibut. Immediately i thought to myself, " well, i guess that answers my question about the power of the sustain". Final verdict for me, Pass on the sustain fg.

[miracleJim]

The Sustain FG's do have lack of torque due to their high gear ratios, I have the 1000 size and it's pretty noticeable... the cranking is not as smooth when fighting 3 lbs walleyes.

[Gabriel]

The Sustain FG's do have lack of torque due to their high gear ratios, I have the 1000 size and it's pretty noticeable... the cranking is not as smooth when fighting 3 lbs walleyes.

I have not noticed this at all on my 3000, I understand that a 3000 is a much beefier reel than a 1000.