Shimano Stella

[tlapinski]

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?

[fishweewee]

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.

[PurpelNoon]

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.

[tlapinski]

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.

[fishweewee]

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.

[JoeP]

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.

[Mr. Sandman]

pm sent

[fishsmith]

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.

[Pete_G]

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.

[Pete_G]

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.

[Alefish]

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

[tlapinski]

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.

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

[PurpelNoon]

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.

[Iwannakeeper]

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

[tlapinski]

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.

[Mr. Sandman]

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.

[PurpelNoon]

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.

[Mr. Sandman]

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

[tlapinski]

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

[libassboy]

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.

[JoeP]

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.

[Mr. Sandman]

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.

[Canalman]

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

[PurpelNoon]

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

[JoeP]

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.

[Alefish]

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 , must check japanese shops to find them (try www.plat.co.jp with english pages).

Ciao
Alessandro

[Mr. Sandman]

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)

[NIB]

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.

[PurpelNoon]

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.

[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...