Saltiga and Saltiga Blast

[Vogt]

Thinking about a new reel for next year. I'm leaning away from a Van Staal due to the amount of problems people seem to be having with the new ones. (i.e. broken handles, drags, etc)

So for the people out there with the Saltiga series reels; how do you like them? Any problems to speak of?

[Back Beach]

I have two Saltiga Z4500's purchased in 2006.

[JoeP]

The Saltiga Z’s are super reels. I fish 3 of them – 2 of them since 2004. Zero problems and they perform great. Also, Daiwa has provided great customer service as far as annual routine cleaning/servicing – which I have done twice.

The Saltiga Blast is a different reel for surf-fishing. They do not have the same water-proofing seals as the Z’s and I’ve read that the materials for internals of the Blast are a step down from the Z’s. There’s a reason for the $300 difference.

[Blitzseeker]

FYI, the Saltiga lures are extremely effective sand eel imitations. They are aburdly expensive and you have to swap out the trebles and split rings which is ridiculous for the price, but in terms of effectiveness they are better than any swimmer I've seen.

I've been looking at the reels as well...very interested to hear what people's experiences have been with them.

[Mr. Sandman]

There are guys that have a lot more hours on their saltiga then I do ( just got mine this season) but I fished it pretty hard. (z4500)

My overall comments were the stock handle felt odd to me but I was able to upgrade that to a powerknob and it seems better.
The drag is very good but not as good as the stella IMO. They are both outstanding compared to penns or any other lower end reel but the stella is incredibly smooth and adjusts better.
The real body is probably more water-proof then anything else.
I have had zero problems with it this season, fishing nearly every night for a couple hours.
I will send it in for service this winter (as I do all my good reels)
I will get another one next year for a smaller rod.
Overall, they are up there with the best spinners made and hold up well to lots of use.
Love the heavy manual bail
handles braid great!

Never tried the blast or surf model but the surf model seems to ride very high on the shaft and it is exposed at the top of the cycle.

[luds]

If I was in the market for a new high end reel I would shell out a little more for the z-baas. That reel makes more sense to me for the surf. I'll probably never own one but I'll be jealous of those who do.

[vanstaal]

Originally Posted by Vogt

Thinking about a new reel for next year. I'm leaning away from a Van Staal due to the amount of problems people seem to be having with the new ones. (i.e. broken handles, drags, etc)

So for the people out there with the Saltiga series reels; how do you like them? Any problems to speak of?

I also had some 3 problems with the VS but like a new car there is some tweaking involved , I believe my friends had no problems with theres mine is fixed now and it has been stellar, I wouldn't go back to anything different.

[tlapinski]

I have had a rocky relationship with my Saltiga over the past couple of seasons....

I bought the reel in the spring of 2005, and purchased the 4500 model. Initially, I absolutely loved the reel. It casts great and has an awesome drag. By September, and a trip to Cutty, the reel started showing signs of the abuse I put it through. The reel was used in the surf and was frequently dunked. I landed several 30's, and a ton of 20's up until that point. Somehow, after the Cutty trip that year, a small piece of the reel foot broke off. I fished the reel for another week or two as I left for the Block right after, and it worked ok with a little electrical tape to secure it to the rod. After the Block trip, a few noises developed in the reel. Sort of like a whirring as it was cranked. i sent the reel back to CA for service, and it took roughly 30 days to get back. The body was replaced, and the internal bearings were destroyed and replaced.

2006 came around and I again put the reel through the works. As with 2005, the reel kicked butt until September and the trip to Cutty. The reel was submerged a lot throughout the season, and started again with the whirring noise. On the second night out there, I set up on what I thought was a fish (turned out to be a rock) and the reel "clunked". It was hard to explain this sound/feeling, but after that moment the reel had what I could best describe as a hitch in the gears as it was cranked. If the reel was cranked slow, it would hang up at this spot. If it was cranked faster, it would just kind of hesitate. After that trip, I retired the reel for the season and went back to the VS. Some time in the winter, I took the reel out to send back. It was totally seized up. Again the internal bearrings were replaced and I think something had to be fixed with the gears and/or the spool syncronization. When the reel came back, it was once again working as smooth as silk.

On to 2007. After the previous 2 years, I decided to use the Saltiga as a special situation reel. If I was primarily fishing slug-go's or if I felt I needed extra distance, out came the Saltiga. Otherwise, it has been all VS this year. Now, after 3 seasons of use, I feel the Saltiga is more of special situation reel for me, rather than an all around option. The reel truly excells at throwing and working slug-gos and handles braid extremely well. I did not experience any wind knots with it, and you can really launch the little rubber guys. The reel is extremely smooth, and casts like a dream. If your intention is to fish your reel under water more than say 50% of the time, opt for a VS, ZB, or get used to cleaning a Penn after each trip. If your reel only goes under water a handful of times per night at most, and you are willing to give it a good fresh water rinse after each outting, the Saltiga should serve you well.

Pat, I'll bring my Saltiga to the November CSA meeting for you to take a look at. I'm probably not doing myself any good here as far as looking to unload this reel, but I don't think enough has been written about the ability of this reel in the surf.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by tlapinski

If your intention is to fish your reel under water more than say 50% of the time, opt for a VS, ZB, or get used to cleaning a Penn after each trip. If your reel only goes under water a handful of times per night at most, and you are willing to give it a good fresh water rinse after each outting, the Saltiga should serve you well.

Toby:

I think this says alot though. There are very few guys I know who actually "fish" their reels underwater more than 50% of the time - heck even more than 20% of the time. I know I rarely if ever actually fish/reel my reels underwater - unless fighting a fish requires it. Now, getting it dunked & splashed very often - sometimes on every cast - is another story.

So I guess skishing (consistently reeling underwater) and splash/dunk-fishing is a major distinction.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by JoeP

Toby:

I think this says alot though. There are very few guys I know who actually "fish" their reels underwater more than 50% of the time - heck even more than 20% of the time. I know I rarely if ever actually fish/reel my reels underwater - unless fighting a fish requires it.

Says the tall guy...

But yeah, it definitely depends on the rocks you like to stand on and the spots you fish, how high you are out of the water, whether you like to swim, and certainly how tall you are.

[jim sylvester]

if thats the case joe would be waist high and I'ld have a damn snorkle on

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

Says the tall guy...

But yeah, it definitely depends on the rocks you like to stand on and the spots you fish, how high you are out of the water, whether you like to swim, and certainly how tall you are.

Yup.
Wading to Joe = Wet suit for Rockhound!! We're like the odd couple out there...

My VS is underwater A LOT but it hasn't failed me yet while fishing. One minor problem (fixed no questions asked) that exacerbated by trying to fix it. thats 5 seasons and a lot of trips and a few fish! But it isnt as fancy as Joe's pretty reels.... AND FYI, I dont fish braid, and every time I HAVE fished braid, it sucked...

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

Says the tall guy...

Yeah - height has its advantages...

However, having a higher center of gravity does not help on the rocks when trying to brace for a rogue wave to hit - ask Bryan (and ask my waders ) what happened a couple months ago when we pushed it a bit too far and a wave took me out while he stayed on his feet. Jimmy - I think you got taken down the same night around the corner though...

And, Bryan is right, I think the Saltigas and Stellas handle braid much better than the VS's.

[Vogt]

I dont skish or wetsuit , but there is no question that the reel is going to get splashed and occasionally dunked. I always rinse my gear well.

What I'm really after is a reel that will be there 100% when i need it to be. Right now I'm using Penn 704z's and Slammers. The 704's drag is never right after getting wet, and the Slammer hasnt given me the cranking power I've wanted. Also, the drag on the Slammer started to get very sputtery and jerky after a couple of mid 20Lb fish a few weeks ago.

Thanks for all of the great input guys! Deffinately helpful.

[Sluggoslinger]

I LOVE my saltiga blast, LOVE it.

Best reel i've ever fished. I have 50lb braid and i've never had a problem with it.

[ripitsik]

hows the saltiga z 6000 compared with the surf when it comes to long distance casting from the guys that have experienced them? Any difference? One better than the other?

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by ripitsik

hows the saltiga z 6000 compared with the surf when it comes to long distance casting from the guys that have experienced them? Any difference? One better than the other?

Come on down to the Ditch and see how far Slip can cast a 5 oz jig on his 6000-Z

I would say that the Surf casts margainally better, but the Z is no slouch in the casting department. The trade off in reliability more than offsets the lost distance, IMO.