Drop any questions below and I’ll try to answer it as fast as possible!
Link for the reel below if you want to check it out (affiliate links):
amzn.to/43hDzKC
Timestamps:
00:53 First look
01:56 Line capacity
02:36 What I’ve been using it for
03:01 Brakes/drag
04:15 Grear ration/line uptake
05:24 Weight
06:00 Conclusion
I almost exclusively fish with spinning reels and as such, I have tried quite a few brands and models. I usually go for low- or mid range budget reels, but we all know that going cheap can sometimes be more expensive if your gear doesn’t even work. That has been the case with a few reels that I’ve tried, but in the Shimano Sienna I found something that has really impressed me!
I’ve used the 1000 size reel for almost all of my fishing the last 7 months, approximately 2-3 times a week. I’ve focused a lot on perch and the majority of the fishing have been finesse methods such as ned, free rig, drop shot but also some jerkbait and blade bait fishing. The 5.0:1 gear ratio with 24 inch line uptake per revolution has been perfect. The back-reel brake is smooth and instant which is something that is very important to me. The regular brake has worked great on the occasions that I’ve run into a few bigger pikes, cod and sea run brown trout.
Being a budget reel it doesn’t feel as lux as some more expensive models, which can be hard to transition into if you are used to very high-end reels. The weight is also something that you pay for, and even for a 1000 size, the sienna weights 205g (7.2 oz). This has not been a problem for me at all but I can imagine that if you are used to very lightweight reels, then that might feel a bit heavy.
In conclusion, I highly recommend the Shimano Sienna for anyone looking to have a few spinning setups in their arsenal, meaning that each reel have to be a little less spendy. This is my case, where I just ordered my second Sienna so that I can bring two rods more often. I would also recommend it to someone early in their fishing journey who want functioning gear but who are not ready to spend a fortune just yet. I would not recommend it if you are very particular about the weight of your reel, then I would probably go for more high end models like the Vanford or even the Stella. I wouldn’t recommend it also if you wan’t to fish extremely fast techniques, then I would look for a real with a higher gear ratio. I also do not recommend it for pure salt-water application as it is not built to handle that, however, it has handled the occasional salt water trips I’ve brought it on very well.
In short, the Shimano Sienna is the best fishing reel at it's price range in my opinion!