I was recently unsure to what reel i should invest money in,and i was thinking about getting the ci4 and even a stella but i came to the conclusion that i didnt want to spend that much money, so i bought the shimano sahara 2500, its not that cheap and not that expensive, and i have been killing it, since i bought this reel about a month ago i easily caught over 200 fish.this reel is super smooth and crazy sensitive i can feel every little bump in the line it also a good line management system. The way the lip of the spool is crafted it lets you cast a mile and you rarely get knots/loops in you line or spool.For tackle i use everything, mainly senkos,crankbaits and spinners.the biggest fish i caught off this reel so far was a 32 pound carp in my local lake i was only using 8 pound fluro so it really shows how good the drag system is on this reel.I give this reel a 9/10

I agree, good review!

Agree great reel. I own Sahara 1000.

The Sahara is a great Reel for it's price range. I used them for years before I moved up to the Stradic.

I still have a Sahara 1000.

I have 6 that I've had more or less for 6+ years, great reels, stand up well, and really respond to proper maintainence.

have any of you guys tried using braid? is it good with this reel

I use 20# on all of mine pretty much. Never had a problem.