Anyone have any surf experience with these reels? I am looking into the 8000 model for my small surf reel. I did some searching here for the reel, but didn't come up with too many reviews on it. It doesn't seem like many of the guys here use them. Any reason for it?

They are nice reels, they are pretty reels, they are very expensive reels that you can't dunk. Do people really need all those ball bearings? If you were fishing dry conditions or from a boat, I'd say why not. Knowing the kind of fishing you do, I'm not so sure it would hold up to the abuse.

I don't know wanyone who uses them for surf. I think they were built to be a reliable, smooth, and strong reel but not to handle surf conditions. So far its looking like VS, Saltiga, then Spheros coming in a far third for surf. I'm thinking about getting the Saltiga rather than or in addition to the VS since many of you guys mentioned it can cast further.

they can be bought cheaper than Saltigas and VS's right now. they really can't be dunked? the shimano website says they have gaskets to keep the internals dry. the drag set up is basically the same as the saltiga, but smoother from all reports i have heard. just weighing more options for my VS replacements.

Toby, they are high-end versions of the Sustains. I've dunked my Sustain 4000's on a number of occasions and the drags get sticky. I'm sure the gaskets will help, but I cringe when you think about how much $$$ you're plunking down on a reel whose innards might rust.

Also, I'm not a reel big fan of plastic reel bodies. I've crushed a few on the rocks.

FWW-

The Stella's have many more gaskets throughout the body than the Sustains, check out the reel diagrams on the website. Also, the Stella's have metal bodies, not plastic.

pm sent

I used one this summer, packed with 50lb powerpro for sbft, it is the highest end spinning reel i've ever used, it casts like a dream and it reels very smooth.
To rich for my blood, but if you got the dough I think you'll be satisfied, if not, you got dough to drown your sorrows in. :hee:

Stellas will not hold up to getting dunked.

They may keep working (the drag is waterproof) but in a relatively short time the drivetrain will start getting crunchy.

It'll work, it just won't be ANYTHING like new.

We've got a Stella a customer bought in the shop and took into the surf. He sold it back to us a few weeks later after it started grinding.

It's landed several BFT between 50 and 100 lbs since, and it has actually gotten smoother since when we got it back. But it sure doesn't feel like it did fresh out of the box.

I'll also add that it is an incredible boat reel.

I've got a previous generation Stella 6000 with a bunch of SBFT and other various small tunas under it's belt. It's as smooth as new but I did have to replace the drag. Drags for most Shimano reels are only a couple $$ so I just keep extras on hand.

Hi everibody,
I've used shimanos for a lot of years in the caribbean, mainy from boat, but from shore too, for big tarpon (100-120lbs) and jack crevalle most of the time; I've bought a Stella after seeing Saltiga, the 10000 model I dedicated to extreme fishing like giant trevally.
It's all metal, kind of perfect machine (as perfect as areel can be now), very smooth and waterproof, with a 3 years warranty here in Italy.
I can recommend it to everyone ready to afford the price.
For some extreme reel testing look this link:

http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=903

Bye
Alessandro

i'll probably end up beating the crap out of the 8000 just to see if it can take it. i want to do a stella vs. saltiga test this season anyway.

hell, VS's couldn't stand up to my fishing so why not add the 2 other high end spinners to the list. :smash:

shimano does sound like it has an awesome warantee. if it dies, i'll return it for a new one. :D

I'd really like to hear how you made out with the comparison.

What was it that failed on your VS reels? Just curious because I'm in shopping mode. :)

I second PurpleNoon

I would love to know how your side by side comparison works out.

I would also like to know how the VS's failed on you. I am sure not as hard-core as you are, but would like the highest quality equipment I can afford.

If I am plunking down that kinda coin for a reel, I would like to know what people that stress the reels really think.

-IWK

my VS problems were as follows:

VS250 - wore out the original drag in 2 weeks, twice wore out the bolts that hold the body to the foot

VS300 - wore out the drag after about 1/2 a season, stripped the main gear.

both of these problems happened within about a week of each other so it really pissed me off. maybe i just feel i need new toys. :confused:

I have to add my 3 cents to this thread. I own 3 of them 2 of which are exclusive for surf fishing (6000 and 8000)....the third is a 10000 for offshore spinning and a fall backup to the 8000 should I need it (never have) (the 10000 is a BIG reel)

I am lucky, I get to fish the surf a lot from May thru Nov (almost every day at times). All my gear gets is a FW rinse off. I have owned the 6000 for 3 seasons without any failures. I send them in each season for service. There has never been a charge. As I mentioned in the shimano service thread, they **replaced** the reel for me this year at no charge....show me ***any*** company that will do this. After 3 years of hard use they gave me a new reel, think about that. The reel worked fine. It was not as perfect as a new one but it still worked smoother then any penn I had. I got a note attached that said "this reel had some salt inside. Reels used this much require more frequent service". I plan on sending the heavily fished reels in now 2X per season now with their using their 48hour turnaround policy.

I surf fish and boat fish, I don't skish. My reels gets dunked and splashed each outing but I don't operate them submerged for very long. Yes they do get submerged from time to time but I don't keep them under for a long time. If I get sand in it I dunk it and rinse it off when I get home. The drag is as waterpoof as they come. And I could not be happier with the drag performance, esp with a heavy setting.

But if you fish with your reel underwater all the time this might not be the perfect reel for you. Personally I think most surf fisherman would be more then happy with this reel. I have not fished with a saltiga but this is the sweetest spinning reel I have ever held and it is a real pleasure to fight a big fish with this reel.

The handle has an amazing ergonomic feel to it that gives you a very positive feeling of mechanical advantage. The whole machine is so smooth and without slop or play of anykind. Also and the drag is outstanding. I am surprised how much you can crank down on this and still have it be sliky smooth...never jerky or stickly. The drag is made for offshore species and is more then adaqute for SB fishing.

There is no plastic. This reel has more exotic materials and state of the art bearings then you can imagine. These ball bearings have version numbers, when they go obsolete, they are replaced with the current technology.

IMO from a boat there simply is no better spinning reel. From the shore...well if you are underwater all the time I would say try reels that offer a waterpoof housing as a specific feature because the housing is not completely waterproof on the stellas. (but it is not a siv either) Maybe the saltiga or VS might suit your needs better. But IMO shimano has the best spinner going coupled with the finest customer oriented service...that is tough to beat and it meets my needs.

Also, any reel can break. On average the good ones do so far less often.
And **ALL** reels will need service.
Keep that in mind when you plunk down $500+ on a fishing reel.

Based on the talk about the Japanese reels: I hear a lot of guys praise Penn reel because parts are easy to get if your reel breaks. I'm not sure how much I believe into this. I don't fish with one reel. I ALWAYS keep a back up or two in the car and at least another lined spool on me. So I buy a Japanese reel with so- called "many parts" and something breaks, I go to the back up reel and get the other fixed when I have the time. No big deal!

Now I do use a 706 for a good part of my fishing but I do think ease of getting parts is not good enough for me. I want something that performs well! That is why a Saltiga mayb be in my future. :eek:

Alessandro,

Welcome to SB.com! I have been a "lurker" on that site for some time. They do some interesting fishing over there.

I don't mean to hi-jack this tread...but where do you guys get those super strong treble hooks you use for GT? They are not available in the US. Is there an online site?

Thanks... and welcome again.

Jim

Jim, hijack away. i highjacked your hook thread with reel talk anyway. ;)

its a good reel for the surf. regardless what people say about dunking ive dunked mine many times and when i got home i rinsed it, worked fine. Fell off rocks at M, used my rod as a walking stick with reel unerwater, splashed by waves, still worked great. Now i wouldnt recomend getting the reel wet on purpose but in my experience with the reel it can handle the water pretty well.

I’ve fished the Stella FA’s for 2 seasons now. This past season I also fished a Saltiga 4000 and a Saltiga 4500 (same reel different size spools). In 2002 and 2003 I fished a Van Staal 150 and a 200. I sold the VS’s last year to buy the Saltiga’s this year. Here is my limited comparison.

First, like Sandman, I don’t skish or reel underwater, but my reels get dunked & splashed a lot. I try to take good care of my equipment and rinse the reels in fresh water immediately after every use.

I echo everything Sandman said about the Stella’s. They are great reels and I’ve had mine dunked and splashed occasionally in the surf. Never a problem, and my experience with Shimano warranty service in the past with other reels has been top notch. The Stella reels are super smooth and the drags, especially the double disc drag on the 6000FA & up reels, are awesome. With respect to “waterproofing”, as I said earlier on this thread if you look at the Stella diagrams on the website you’ll see a number of “seals” placed throughout the reel body. Shimano calls this the “S-Shield” and it claims it keeps water and debris out of the reels.

However, I will admit I somewhat babied the Stella’s compared to fishing the Saltiga’s this year and VS’s last year. The Saltiga’s held up great this year with many dunkings and getting splashed all the time. I think the Saltiga’s are a bit more “heavy-duty” reels. I tried to avoid using the Stella’s in heavier surf. I’ll use the Saltiga’s for this.

In my opinion both the Stella and Saltiga are better reels than the VS’s, for different reasons (drags and drag settings are better, handle braid better, cast better, seem more durable, better ergonomics, much better and more comfortable handles, reel much smoother). The Stella's may not be "skishable", but that doesn't affect me.

The following told me a lot about these 3 reels: this is the first year I’ve ever had without reel problems. My VS150 seeped oil all season and my VS200 had issues with the drag setting tolerance and the drag knob loosening while fighting fish, small problems compared to the Fin-Nor Ahabs I fished for the 4 seasons before (seized up every fall after getting dunked all season), but still problems. It doesn’t even seem like the Stella’s or Saltiga’s need servicing now except for normal lubrication.

JoeP

You are the first fellow I know who has actually used all 3 of these reels (stella, VS and Saltiga) himself. Thanks for that review.

Two questions for you on the saltigas:

Did you purchase them in the US?
Have you had them serviced yet and if so how did that go?

The reason I ask is that I concur with your thoughts on the stellas...while I have not had a problem with them its still like driving a Lexus thru seawater and it would be nice to have a rubberized Hummer for that. I am thinking of getting a saltiga to take the brunt of the elements at some of the more severe locals and save the lexus for the less extreme nights.. But service is big with me...if I can't get it fixed I don't want it.

BTW if you have not shipped your stellas in for service, I would do it. I doubt it costs you anything and they normally upgrade all kinds of things and toss in a few goodies.

Toby,

Those reels are too rich for my blood... but I have a few friends who fish pretty hard and they use those reels. They had them for 6 months May - Nov they both leak oil now and have lost their "smoothness" I have a friend who has been using the same VS reels (he has 4) for 8 years... send them in, pay the 36$ a year and they have lasted beautifully... only 1 problem in those 8 years... worm gear came loose... cost him a 30#er but... that's not bad for 4 reels in 8 years... I'd stick with the VS.

-Dave

The Stella can leak too? I didnt know it had that much oil in it?

Sandman, I love the way you described fishing the Stella vs. the Saltiga. That is how I treat them, and the Saltiga definitely acts liked a hummer.

I also am glad to hear from someone who has really put the Stella's through the rigors of surf-fishing and they've come out fine. Like I said, I kind of babied mine compared to the Saltigas.

I did buy my Saltigas in the US; however upon talking to a rep at Daiwa over the telephone I learned that all the Saltigas are the same whether bought in the US or overseas. There is not a domestic model and an import model like the Stella FA (US) and Stella SW (Japan). So you can buy them in the US, overseas, or on ebay and they are all the same reels. However, the Saltiga manuals are all written in Japanese. The Daiwa rep did not know when/if an English version was coming out.

I was informed by the rep that Daiwa America covers all the Saltiga models under the US warranty and, like Shimano, Daiwa will service them for a small fee (I think $15) on an annual basis by sending the reels to them. Just call Daiwa and ask about the program. While I have not sent them in yet the service program sounded just like Shimano's. Also, the guy (and some ads I've read) gave the impression that the reels need very little major service except for routine stuff you can do at home. Mine seem fine still after a season of fishing them.

Canalman, you should check if your friends' Stella's were the newer FA series or the older (2002 and before) F series. The FA series had major improvements like the seals in the reel body and better sealed drag.

Jim,
most widely used treble hooks are Owner ST66 and Decoy Saltwater (not GT special 'cause they seem to break easily);
ST66 works well in 3/0 and 4/0 sizes, while 5/0 open up more often; I found the Decoy here in Italy on a shop that doesn't sell on-line and the retail price was 6 euros each:mad: , must check japanese shops to find them (try www.plat.co.jp with english pages).

Ciao
Alessandro:)

JoeP, Thanks for that info. When I was reseaching stellas I also phoned shimano and spoke to them about the differenced between the FA and SW models. There were some folks selling some SW models on ebay from Japan. Anyway they tell me it is a packaging difference. The reels themselves are the same but the SW includes an extra spool ($140 if purchased sep) and about 3o or 40 bucks of other goddies, lube ect. The retail price difference is about $90. So if you are planing on an extra spool for these reels it makes sence but other wise the are the same. Also, each year they seem to make some impovements in coatings, bearings ect, so if you see a great deal many times it is last years model....still a great reel but keep that in mind. I know this year in late 04 I have seen some visiable differences in the reels as I am planning on buying 2 more smaller models (4 or 5000 notr sure) just for albi fishing (surf)


Alessandro,

Thanks for that info. 6 euros each...that is an expensive hook! Given the current weakness in the US dollar that makes it about $8.07 US per hook. You probably don't buy them 1000 at a time do you? :) I have been on the warpath to beef up my terminal tackle after a few failures last year that cost me a couple big fish. Split rings were the failure twice and hooks once with some near misses as well (partially opened hooks and rings). I hate that feeling in your stomach when the line becomes slack and then you see the plug return missing a hook.

I will keep an eye out for those Decoy hooks here and check out that website but to be honest I have never seen them in the US. I have located the Owners ST66 this year and just got my first order. The look very rugged and are rated 4X. While expensive for a hook they are only about $1.25 each. I also picked up some VMC gladiator treble hooks rated at 6X and are like $.65 per hook. Both are very sharp hooks with heavy wire....they seem "impossible" to staighten or open.

I saw that photo of the saltiga that exploded....With new braid lines, composite rods, 400# test triple split rings, new heavy duty swivels, Ultra strong hooks 4X-6X, and better drags allowing increased settings...I can see why the weakest link is now becomming the reel structure itself. Something has got to give.

Over here we fish for striped bass from the shore. They don't fight like a GT or get that big. (50# is a trophy fish) but they like rocks and if they take your plug they will swim hard along the bottom trying to scrub the plug off. What happens is he will manage to get one of the hooks in its mouth and while swimming hard along the rocky bottom get another hook caught on a rock, the momentum of him swimming hard and then instantly snagging a plug on a bolder on a can rip the plug out of his mouth, snap a hook, open a splitring without breaking your line. (thats if you don't get your line cut on the rocks during a the fight)

From a boat they are much easier to land and many here don't consider a fish caught on a boat worthy of recognition. I fish both boat and shore and enjoy both. (but would rather land a big one from the beach anyday)

I use a Penn 706.been doin it for to many yrs to remember I had one problem with the main gear bout 4 yrs ago it jumped while i was tryin to free a snaged jig.I have reeled back fish up to 39 lbs in a 5-6 knot current from 100 plus yards.I skissh with it dunk it,fish hard currents with big braids,always punishing it.I almost never clean it.I put more hrs. on one reel than most do in a lifetime.. All i do is clean or change the drags every so often.TP what do u fish with when u fall a break the bail on one of those fancy things a long ways from the truck.I agree there are probably more braid freindly reels some plugs like needle fish with no tension can be a PIA.but its a trade offf i've learned to deal with.I have total confidence in my equipment to get the job done.an that is priceless.An when I can get 5 or 6 for the price of one of those fancy reels it just makes no sense to me.They are pure nuts an bolt Dinosaurs an not fancy in fact i have some that are like sloppy old ladies of the night.an i got 3 fish over 30 with em throwin pencil poppers this yr. I know alot of guys got there personal best's with a penn gotta be something to it.U guys keep spendin the big bucks an postin of the horror stories.there all over the place with the Van Stahl's had these same posts then. The wheel has already been invented.It don't cost 600 bucks either.i would rather spend the money on different Rods for specialty situations.(more important if u ask me) An just keep pluggin along with my 706's thanks.

This thread seems to be turning into a "why my reel is better thread" and it wasn't meant to go in that direction.

To each his own.

Everyone is just sharing their experience with various reels and how they performed for them. :)

Sorry didn't mean to do that.I just seen it all before with the Van Stahls...tryin to help a brother out.I should mind my own Bissness.This way there will be more big fish for me to land.An thats what these sites are all about. Right...

Originally posted by PurpelNoon
Everyone is just sharing their experience with various reels and how they performed for them. :) exactly, and let's keep it that way. i love hearing any reviews on any reels. i am as big of a reel junkie as i am a lure junkie! i have gone through all the penn spinning reels. i currently own 7 or 8 green 704's, 3 green 700's, 4 black 706's, and a PILE of spair spinfisher parts. i have gone through a 4400SS 5500SS, and a 6500SS as well. none of them met MY standards. they all failed in one way or another. they work for you NIB, cool. i wish they could survive a season for me. hell, i wish they could last a week for me, but they DON"T!!!! just as everyone has, and is entitled to, their own opnion, i have mine on reels.

let's keep this discussion on track. tell me the positives and negatives of your spinning reel experiences. if you want to start a pissing match about what reel is better or how i am an idiot for spending my hard earned money how i see fit, take it back to SOL woth all the other BS!

Originally posted by NIB
Sorry didn't mean to do that.I just seen it all before with the Van Stahls...tryin to help a brother out.I should mind my own Bissness.This way there will be more big fish for me to land.An thats what these sites are all about. Right...

I never called anyone a Idiot but if thats how u see it there must be something to it.

I guess i'll just keep my big mouth shut or take it over to SOL as U said.Good Luck.

Jim-

I actually called Shimano a couple weeks ago about the new Stella's.

They told me there are no changes to the FA series this year so any 2004 reels will be the same in '05.

The new reels you saw are the Stella FB series (SR series in Japan), and they are only being made up to the 4000 size. While they have supposedly upgraded the gearing system, these new reels are made with magnesium bodies, not metal. The guy told me they are saltwater-safe because of a heavy coating, but one deep scratch and the magnesium could corrode. I've heard that magnesium and saltwater don't mix. Also, the new reels come with only one handle and have the anti-reverse switch on them again (I hate those switches).

NIB-

Like Tlap said, I'm kind of a reel junkie myself and the way I've learned alot about these different reels over the past few years before buying them was through asking questions like the ones on this thread and reading as much info as possible. I'm just trying to give a little help back, as are all the other guys on this thread. I've learned alot myself from this thread.

No one's showing off, just sharing helpful info. If you don't like it, don't read it & move on.

Merry Christmas.

Hey NIB..that was a good post. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you voiced yours...:kewl:

U know the hole thread is interesting.I'm Not against spending money on fishing equipment if I think it makes a difference.My garage is filled with proof.I honestly would like to see a reel that can with stand all we put em through money is no object.an I am by no means rich i live a little better than week to week.So i read all the stuff an i put my to words in.if no one wants to hear em, well then don't look.Like I said Good Luck. Please post what happens I honestly hope I'm wrong and someday will be the owner of a saltiga or a stella.

I've got no problem with people voicing their opinions when those opinions are in the appropriate place. As Toby & I said this thread was started as an "informational" thread about a certain reel for guys to learn about those reels from other guys who've fished them, NOT as a "you guys are nuts for spending $$$ on those reels" or whatever else this has become from guys who have not even fished with them.

NIB is right, I've seen those stupid Van Staal threads that go on and on for pages & pages with insults, etc. when the original post was from some guy just wanted a little information about a reel he wanted to buy. Good way to kill a nice thread for guys who want to learn a little. I thought that was what these sites were for!

Matter of fact, it happened to me on the other site when I asked about information about the Saltiga's last year before I bought one. I had some guys insulting me about "rich blood" "waste you money" "nice shiny reels won't last", etc., which really pissed me off. I guess this really hit a nerve with me because I never responded back to those idiots last year.

By the way, I mean no ill will to anyone from my responses, I'm sure we're all regular guys who love to fish, but I'm just bothered that Toby's great thread has come to this.

thanks for the information guys, I'd been looking into the, stella, saltiga myself. I fish penns now and a few times this year there was absolutely no way they couldda made it more than one night where I was fishing, I used a mitchell the plastic sealed one name escapes me, ( I forget stuff)as a band aid and even that was screaming for help at times. Very informative post, I think the penn 7500's will be retired this spring and see some light chunking duty or go on loaner rods. I'm not really looking into a vs as an option as the design seems a bit antiquated (guys replacing the drag with penns ht100 etc), I could be wrong and that decision is based on feedback and information I've come across and talking with guys who beat on theirs.. The warranty on the Stellas/ and Saltigas I think are what will sway my final decision.

Sorry I didn't mean for my post to be construed in a negative manner.JP has been doin alot of research on the Saltiga's.hopefully he can chime in.I guess I have to learn to keep my thoughts to myself.

It is about what works for you..

It is much more fiscally responsible to go out and buy the best tackle you can afford even if you need to save up for a while before you get it. Do the research, find what you want and SAVE until you can afford it. If you settle for less, you will end up spendingn more because you won't be happy and find a way to get what you wanted in the first place.

I imagine it depends on how hard you fish and how much maintenance you do? That is when your talking about non-sealed reels.........I would imagine that as long as you dont mind tearing down your reel after every dunking a Stradic or Spheros would probably do just as nicely as the high end stuff and you will still get the great Shimano customer service.

But I suppose if spending $500-$800 on a reel doesnt hurt your pocket then the sealed factor is probably the way to go.

From the sounds of it Toby. When it comes to equipment you are the fisherman from HELL!!:laughs:

Originally posted by NIB
Sorry I didn't mean for my post to be construed in a negative manner.JP has been doin alot of research on the Saltiga's.hopefully he can chime in.I guess I have to learn to keep my thoughts to myself.

Don't worry about it. Its not a big deal.:) I use a 706 myself, but I'm keeping my options open. You didn't say anything bad, its just that we were worrying about the topic going into the topic we all know too well: "The Van Staal Wars".

Have a great holiday and New Years!

Originally posted by bud8fan
From the sounds of it Toby. When it comes to equipment you are the fisherman from HELL!!:laughs: i put almost 130 nights in this past season. the vast majority of those nights were for more than just an hour or two as you know Russ. mid april into june, i am on the water 5-7 nights a week. from then until november it is 3 - 5 per week plus the 2 weeks i spent on cutty/cape/block and the many other extended weekends i took. i push my gear to its limit and i am willing to pay to what is needed for that which works the best for me. that is why i am getting the stella. like i said, i'll stack her up next to the saltiga this year and see which dies first.

i guess i am lucky i haven't found anything wrong with abu 7000's aside from not being waterproof. i don't want to have to replace that fleet. :smash:

keep the reel reviews coming in if anyone else has any. :kewl:

Originally posted by bud8fan
I imagine it depends on how hard you fish and how much maintenance you do? That is when your talking about non-sealed reels.........I would imagine that as long as you dont mind tearing down your reel after every dunking a Stradic or Spheros would probably do just as nicely as the high end stuff and you will still get the great Shimano customer service.


I fished a Spheros8000 3 nights a week all season long.It got a dunking several times.Other than rinsing with fresh after every outing I did no other maintenance other than a midseason breakdown to degease and relube with superlube.The reel performed flawlessly.

I certainly don't put my equipment through the same rigors as some of you guys,if I did then the way the reel performed might have been different.

Even though I bought a 704 to put on my new 9ft Lami I still may end up putting a Spheros on it. I like the reels that much.

PS.Opinions are like buttholes,we all got one.Relax guys its way to early in the winter for this stuff to be starting yet.

TTimber-

The warranty is my only concern about these reels -- 1 year only, on paper. However, as Sandman talked about Shimano treats the Stellas, and other reels, like they have more than a 1 year warranty. Their customer service is great.

The guy at Daiwa I talked to last year about the Saltigas gave me the same impression, that they'll stand behind the reels longer than 1 year.

Awesome Thanks for the info Joe. I dont mind paying a lil more for something if I know the company stands behind a product :btu:

Toby,

I think this thread has missed some key points. What about the weight of a reel, it's ability to recover after falling down on a sandy beach, and it's line capacity?

I need a surf reel that's lightweight but strong and matched to my equally lightweight but strong graphite 10 foot rods. (Serious bicycle riders understand the meaning of "lightweight but strong".) Van Staal reels excell in this category. Per ounce of reel the VS's are among the strongest.

I also need a reel that will instantly recover by simply dunking it underwater in the first wave after it's been dropped on a sandy beach. I tag and release what I catch (need two hands for this)and as a result I need a "goof proof" rod/reel that will occasionally fall over and get caked with sand. The Van Staals are the most goof-proof reels I've ever used.

Lastly, I want a reel with a lot of line capacity so that I can trim off several dozen yards of line after each trip and not need to respool so often. The Van Staals hold the most line per ounce of reel weight.

As an aside, if you are burning through drag washers (any brand reel) on a frequent basis I'll bet you fish with your drag set very tight. Loosen up the drag and you'll see that even cheapo drags last a long time.

For the past 6 years I've fished with a VS 100 on my boat and a VS 150 in the surf. No problems. My next spinning reel will be another VS reel too because I need a lightweight, strong, goof-proof spinning reel with lots of line capacity. I haven't found another reel offering all those qualities.



Bill Brett

Honestly, I see myself replacing my reel every few years, about 3-5 years on the average. I don't think any reel, no matter how well built or sealed it is, can withstand the effects of salt or the beatings it takes on the beach, the rocks, off a boat, or just on the pavewent when you're hustling to get to the beach.

Yes, it's expensive to have to expect to replace that reel, but it's just like a car, it's all eventually disposable for the newer and better reels that come out every few years.

I'd love to get a Saltiga or a Stella just because of the way you guys talk reverently about it, but I think it's just a little too rich for my blood, but certainly if I had the money, I'd throw it that way.

It's all about what you feel is what you can afford or what is best suited for your needs.

It's ridiculous to see how people talk in negative tones about those who are better off than we are and can afford that expensive piece of equipment. I remind myself and others that if we ever won the lottery, for sure we'd be buying the pimpest reel on the east coast.

I use a Spheros 6000 and a Penn 706 and I like both. I'm looking at the Saltiga for one reason (also) that no one has mentioned. Its spool will allow a further cast than a large diameter spool such as a Penn 704/6 or VS.

Has anyone done a casting distance comparison?

Purp,

Threw with mine for the last two weeks in Oct. Got better distance than I was with the Mitchell Nautil 7500GV - guessing about 35-40 more yards. Since then I popped for an additional spool for the Saltiga - the 5000GT long cast ( has a smaller spool ring for better distance). I'm still tweaking the thing. ie, goin' with lighter braid, playing with the spool support washers for a more conical spool shape. We'll see in the Spring how this thing works out.

JPowers-

How did you like fishing the 5000? I think you told me you had it on a 10 foot rod. Was it comfortable fishing for long periods of casting or did it get heavy?

Noon-

I noticed a big casting distance increase in the Saltigas and Stellas over the Van Staals.

Joe,

Yep - hung it on a 10' Breakaway. To be honest, I thought it would be damn heavy at almost 29oz but it wasn't. I'm usually throwin' 4oz jigs for 4 hour stetches. I don't exactly know why it didn't get tiring but it didn't - at all. And I'm not a big guy - only weigh 150lbs and haven't got biceps to write home about. No problems whatsoever.

IMO there is no perfect reel (or rod)that can do everything...that is why you need so many:D (that is how I justify it to my wife...another trick is to take her fishing and hand her a wire line rod with an 9er rig on it....then buy her a st.croix with a tridad reel with briad and a yozuri minnow...one more trip and she gets the idea pretty quick.):D

Spin reels accross the board are better today then when I was a kid...they plain sucked then, you think they break now...try in the 60's. stuff broke nearly every trip ....that is why everyone fished with conventionals. When spinning equipment was improved, I migrated back to it. Manufactures need to push the limits with higher end stuff to better the entire line. (just like race cars and boats do) Eventually the stuff that really works will trickle into the more common reels and everyone benifits.

Further, I honestly don't judge (or prejudge) a person by the model of his spinning reel or size of is outboard motor and neither do the people I have met here on SB.com. I enjoy hearing others' experiences, good, bad, happy and sad...we all can learn alot. Just be honest. If you think it sucks fine, tell me why, I really want to hear why.

I have to say I have picked up some great info here and I hope I have provided some as well. No one can know everything about all this gear out there we can all benifit.

I like trying new stuff and finding a better way to expand my enjoyment of the sport. I make some bad calls and piss away a few bucks but that is the name of the game. Chalk it iup to a learning experience. But I also find some clever tricks and gear that help me a lot. That is why it is so interesting to "talk" to someone who has done what you are thinking of doing...he might have some helpful advice to sweeten your experience.

peace and good will to all

bah humbug!:D

Nice. u know i have some old squid molds i could make ya a few interesting ones.Merry Christmas.

tlapinski, I had a stella 4000 that I fished on my light tackle set up I had it matched up with a 7'9" G-loomis custom rod. All I can say is it was the best reel I have ever fished.

It was smooth, tough and the sweetest reel I ever had the pleasure of fishing. I did accidently dip it in the salt a few times and it did not affect the performance at all.

One thing also that I didn't see here in this post but I may have missed it, is that the reel maintenance manual that comes with the reel says to put 2 drops of oil in the little oil reserve hole on the underside of the reel every 3 or 4 times you fish it. So it could be that some of you may not have seen this and done the drops and that it why it may have been grinding on you or got stiff. I did this every few times out and fished it pretty hard and it never got stiff or ground on me at all, I used it for striper, blues, bonita and albies and it worked pissa!!! Boat and shore!!!!

The only down side was that last spring while we were out fishing the tri-state tournament for MSBA, I had a fish on, it was hooked in the tail with the teaser and the mouth with the lure. The fish rolled and the barb went right thru my thumb nail so I dropped the rod when I flinched and the fish took off with the whole setup, never to be found again. I was heart broken!!! I will own another one soon as now I have the stradic and it just isn't the same!!!!