Distance Saltiga vs stella
 

I have heard everyone say the stella sw will cast farther, and I believe them but how much farther are we really talking about. I have the saltiga 4500 and am wondering if the stella sw is really worth the money for a gain of somewhere around 10 yards. It'll be going on a lami 1322 with low riders with 40lb test used for 3 oz pencils. Sorry if im drivin you guys nuts but i just cant make up my mind!!!!!:wall:

if it were me
I'd go saltiga
especially with that setup

Seeing there similar in size etc. I couldn't imagine the difference being that much. Especially if your only considering paying more for the stella because of castong difference. If you feel you want to give the Stella a whirl let me know.
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Do yah have the SW, thats the reel im lookin to compare.

Since everyone has an opinion, I like the Saltiga. Smooth drag, less cost, and comparable performance. If you really do catch a lot of fish, check and lube your drag washers yearly to extend their life.

I don't know about the Saltiga but the Stella 10K SW casts really well.

For what it's worth I went through the same thing last year trying to decide between the 2.

I ended up going with the Stella for an all around Canal reel.

I think it probably casts a little better
I almost sure the Drag is better...it really is as good as you've read.
It is MUCH faster at 50" compared to 37" a crank.
Overall it's just a silky smooth tool that is a blast to fish, I don't think there's a Striper out there that can even test it.

For almost anywhere else I think I would have gone with the Saltiga, proven toughness and reliability, simple internals and I'm guessing it would handle sand and surf a little better.

But the 10K almost seems like it was made for the Canal,

yup, 10k

get both. I luv spending other peoples money. I got a 4500 last year and luv it. Tried someones Stella last year and luved that too. Can't go wrong with either so get both.

ya, that's the ticket :)
get both
he's right, you really can't go wrong

I have both, both are the same but preffer gt. If i was u i wouldn't buy the lowrider guides. Had a rod with them and sold it within a week. Noticed a big diffrence in distance loss with them.

that could be a Zappa song Paul ...heh heh heh

Buy a saltist spool for your saltiga and put 30 # mono or braid on it. This should help with casting distance for those times that you feel you need it.

mikecc fishes a 4500 Saltist on an 11' SSU with lowrider guides.

Some guys claim that 4500-size reel spools (similar to an 8K Shimano) work better with the low riders.

Here's what I would tell ya---if you want the Stella, get it because you want it. Not because you think that spending 8 Franklins plus tax will add 5-10 yards to a cast. I think your 4500 Saltiga will be a dynamite reel for that set-up.

The smaller Saltigas are being discontinued this year in favor of the new ones with magnetic seals. You might have a spare parts issue down the road, but that can be true of many reels. Then again, in 5 years, the only parts I've replaced on my Saltiga are the line roller bearings. I just had it serviced for the very first time, and when I asked the guy what the inside looked like, the answer was---"like new".

I think diawa reels carries the edge when it comes to distance casting...........

Chris,
I got sick of waiting for you to buy a stella 10K SW for me to try, so I just bought one and brought it down to the field to test against my 4500z.. both reels spooled with 40lb PP using a 1322 w/ lowriders and casting a 3 oz. M&D's pencil.. Took 10 casts with each (measured with a nikon rangefinder).. The 4500z averaged 110yards. The stella SW averaged 118 yards with the furthest cast being 125 yards with the stella.. One thing I noticed is how easy it was to crank the plug in with the stella. Man is it smooth and super fast.. I will say though it is louder than my saltigas.. the saltigas just feel more solid and more quiet.. I love em both:love: can't go wrong either way

Awesome, 110 yards :btu: nice
those M&D pencils do fly don't they :)

They sure do.. I was using his 3oz "longcast" in the 2.5oz body.. that plug flies like a dart..
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