CS5 Spinning Reel,Cadence Ultralight Fast Speed Carbon Frame Fishing Reel with 9 Durable & Corrosion Resistant Bearings Super Value Smooth Powerful Reel with 36 pounds Max Drag & 6.2:1 Spinning Reel

The design is good

The CS-5 spinning reel is an extremely good buy. It easily performs as well as reels costing two to three times as much. This is my 5th reel from Cadence Fishing. I have 3 other spinning reels and a baitcaster. This is my first CS-5 in the 2000 size. I have to say this reel is superb! I received yesterday and unboxed it. See the include photo for a size shot. I spooled up the reel with 10 pound braid and a 6 foot, 8 pound fluorocarbon leader. I put it on a Cadence 20 Ton rod, put on a weightless wacky rigged Senko and walked over to our neighborhood pond. 5 minutes later I hooked a small 1 lb 2 oz LMB. Boy does this reel perform! The drag was flawless. Fighting and playing the fish was so fun! Catching bass on light tackle like this is the best. I caught 2 other bass, one was 2.5 lbs and had no problems bringing him in. The reel cranks smooth as butter. And, like my other Cadence reels it will cast a mile. I have many other reels from Shimano, Daiwa, and KastKing. I have to say for the price to performance ratio, Cadence beats all of them. The bail is solid and crisp when you open or close it. The anti-reverse is rock solid with no play at all. The eva foam handle is very comfortable on the fingers and the reel is super light. It only weighs 8.3 oz. Come this fall, this will be the perfect trout reel. Best of all this reel was only $52.98 and had a 30% off coupon making it only $37.09!

Comfortable, Light. That sums this guy up pretty well.I did not rate durability because I've only had it for a few months (as of 6/30/22) However, it feels very study and durable except for 1 part listed in my improvement suggestions. The Drag Adjustment Knob.Suggested improvements:1. The drag adjustment knob feels very cheap. It has given me no problems, but I fear that if this reel took a Drag 1st collision with the ground it would crack.2. I would like to see a steeper bevel around the end of the spool. (where the line comes off) I have not had any issues in the 1st 3 months but I think a steeper bevel would help manage wind knots for super windy days.Things I love:1. The Handle feels incredible2. The Reel feels extremely smooth all around. I find myself going for this reel consistently when I am sitting in my home office and want to fiddle around while working, or watching fishing videos haha.3. The price (especially if you get a sale, or Used dented box) feels like a huge steel.4. The Drag itself. Despite having concerns about the adjustment knob, I have caught everything from Catfish to Bass to Bluegill and had no issue micro adjusting the drag.5. The Bail arm. It has a very satisfying click. Feels Incredibly sturdy, and locks solidly into place both open and closed.

I was very impressed with the spinning reel out of the box. The reel is study and light weight. After a couple of trips with the reel, I'm glad I bought this reel as it casts smooth and is quite. The drag works very well also. However, the bail is hard to flip open, but I expect it will loosen up after more use. For the price point, it beats anything else I've used or tested in a box store. The one drawback was the reel wanted to wobble left/right when I tried to reel in fast. Tight lines!

The advertising suggests this is freshwater equipment, but it could be used in saltwater if washed carefully after each use. I've been using the reel, paired with a Cadence 7' rod, for saltwater beach fishing for 5 months. I just rinse them down with the hose and shake off the water and I'm good until the next trip. Still, runs smooth and no rust or corrosion build-up at all. It's light, durable, and relatively inexpensive. Good Stuff!#2 crushed the handle in a boating accident after 8 months of use and no warranty. Went to company website to see if I could purchase a replacement handle. Got a response in two days...no, they didn't have a replacement handle in stock for the Cs-5, but they would send me a handle from another reel that would fit AND at no charge. Got it within a week and from Denver, not China! Good People!