I needed a new “light tackle” reel to fish in the Bay this fall. So, I began to research spinning reels to find the best one out there for the money. If you read a lot of reel reviews, you will discover that the Shimano Spheros gets superlative reviews from just about every fisherman who’s ever bought one. In fact, many of the guides down south are using this reel because of its durability and reliability. So, based on those reviews, I bought one from Cabelas. The model I bought is a 4000FB that weighs about 12 oz. It sells for a little over $100 which makes it a moderately priced reel. I have been using this reel for the last three months and have caught hundreds of fish with it including many keeper bass. Here is what I think of it.
It is one of the smoothest reels I have ever owned and feels like silk on the retrieve. The drag is also one of the best out there that I have ever used. In fact, the drag is far smoother than my Van Staal 150 which sells for six times as much! I also like the fact that there is no anti reverse lever like you find on some of the old Penn reels. This has a built in anti reverse bearing so the reel only turns one way. The line lays on real well on the spool on the retrieve, something Shimano calls a propulsion line management system. Whatever it is called it works, and line twist seems to be non-existent. On slightly negative note, I find I have to spray the moving parts where the bail connects to the reel with WD 40 after a few outings as the bail will tend to lazily flip if it is not lubricated often. I guess that is part of normal maintenance. Note that I am usually fishing dry areas with this reel and it has gotten little splash so I have no idea how it would hold up to that abuse. I will tell you that my pricey Van Staal can really take a beating of salt spray and still performs well. So, if you are looking to buy a good reel at a moderate price this winter or you are looking for a Christmas gift, the Spheros is a winner. On a star rating, I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. Highly recommended.
