Sahara FI

I put this on a 3pc 5ft ugly stick travel rod and loved the feel of it. Spent a couple hours using it, then left it on top of the car and drove off. It fell off on a 30mph turn and took some dings to the spool and handle grip. I stoned out the dings and can live with the handle as is. A couple weeks later, fished with it continuously on a 1 week trip with some friends. It was smooth as butter. Caught several 10-15" trout on 4lb line and spinners and had a great time. Absolutely no issues and still just as smooth. I think it is the perfect size reel for rainbow/brown/brook trout. As a note: It has a little switch that allows the reel to run in reverse.

Shimano makes a great reel for salt water surf fishing. I have several and have used them for many years. They have proven time and again to be rugged, reliable and tough enough to handle larger fish than expected. Although I wash them with fresh water after every use, they have proven to be exceptionally corrosion resistant, saving me alot of replacement money.

This reel changed the game for me , I’m fairly new to salt water fishing and using artificial lures . For the last 6months of owning this and pairing it with a ugly stik gx2 with 20lb reaction tackle braid . I must say I have never enjoyed myself more fishing . I can cast artificial all day , or use a light set Carolina rig to use live bait or live line bait . I have caught 3.5ft shark off with this thing and it handled it like a champ (4000size ). !

I assumed all models of the Sahara would have the same features but was incorrect. There is a feature called line marking which is a visual check on how much line is on the reel. If you want to put a backing of 1/3 mono then fill the reel up with braid then this feature makes it easier. This reel does not have this feature. Also it does not have the anti-reversing feature so the only way to stop your reel from winding backwards is to tighten down on the drag. Since this wasn't a very expensive reel and seems to be well built I'll keep it and use it but it just feels a little dishonest that these "lack of features" aren't mentioned anywhere in the ad.

This is a great panfish reel. I've used it twice and caught over 4 dozen fish so far, the largest being a stocked rainbow trout. I put 4 lb S.O.S Mono by Leland Lures on it and it casts a light lure very far. It is surprisingly powerful for such a small reel. No issues with back lash or line twists in my 6 hours or so of using it. I've used mini crankbaits, in-line-spinners, trout magnets, vertical jigging, and a jig head on a bobber and have only positive things to say about it. Feels so smooth when reeling it in. Would definitely buy it again.

Why choose any other reel? Honestly, it's smooth, probably the smoothest reel I've ever touched. It's flow is honestly magical. You'll know after you try this one. I used the 3000 for Bass fishing and couldn't have been happier. It has a quick ratio and now I'm using this one to help cast further for Crappie season. Don't settle for less.. I went through about 2-3 $30 reels before I realized this was a smart purchase. Don't see myself owning a different one ever..

This is a great ultra light reel and Shimano quality. I started to just buy one of those low cost reels with the hi bearing count but I'm used to having quality that I can easily get parts for if needed. I have Penn and Shimano reels that are so old they are obsolete and finally unable to get parts but they are still functional and catching fish so why buy throw away reel for half the price right!

This has been amazing, the quality is great! I love the colors. Would buy again!