Shimano Customer Service

[Sea Dangles]

10 is too big for this type of use.Line capacity is a non issue on the banks of the canal,it's not like you would ever have 200 yards of line out and then land a fish.Those 2 reels have the same drag #s and that's all you need.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Line capacity is a non issue on the banks of the canal,it's not like you would ever have 200 yards of line out and then land a fish..

I have
and so has Jim P

[Sea Dangles]

Then you hit the snooze button.

Well,that explains it;two anglers who are larger than life itself.With the way your drag is set Bruce it must have been a tuna.

The 8000 still has more than enough line cap to fight that battle.And the 10000 is too big and heavy unless you are of Slipknot stature which is cro magno.

[Slipknot]

nope, extra long drifts east end, fish hit at end of drift = long reel back in 25 pounders
had one a few years back 35
I think that is what Jim calls gorilla jigging
I just call it long distance jigging

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Then you hit the snooze button.

Well,that explains it;two anglers who are larger than life itself.With the way your drag is set Bruce it must have been a tuna.

The 8000 still has more than enough line cap to fight that battle.And the 10000 is too big and heavy unless you are of Slipknot stature which is cro magno.

Even a skinny old man like me can jig all night with a 6000 Saltiga.

Slip's right hand weighs more than both of my legs.

[Mr. Sandman]

I gave 400# seal a run for his money with an 8000. No bass can spool an 8000. You have plenty of braid. That said if you plan to put really heavy line and fish 8 oz jigs on the reel then perhaps 10000 is the way to go. I like 50# braid but after you get over 65 casting performance becomes an issue. IMO an 8000 will whip any bass in no time. These reels were designed for fish like GT's and fast swimming pelagics, bass are no sweat for this equipment.
Below is a photo of the 8K sws and the 10K FA that I have.
One other thing, Shimano appears to have changed the sizes a little when they went to the sws series and dropped the 6000 altogether. In the older blue reel on the right (I think it was called FA or Fsomething) the 6K and 8K were basically the same and the 8K had the bigger spool. I have an older 6K and it still is my favorite reel on a 10.5' surf stick, holds plenty of braid. When I bought a new 11.5 surf stick I picked up this 10K but took it off and relegated it to boat use because it was too big for surf. I suppose if you fish the canal with real heavy gear it would work well. So what I am saying is the new 10K sws may be the same body but I am not 100% sure...the old one is sure not the same size as you can see in the photo.

That said, the entire purpose of this new high end gear is to go lighter, not heavier. The newest gear offers the power of a much larger reel in a light weight package. How much line to you need for a SB? 200 yrds of 50 braid is probably more than enough and I bet you can get that on a 5000.

No matter, you will not be sorry no matter which way you go...they are nice reels and once you land a nice fish on one you will appreciate the precision and feel of a well made machine. Just go to the shop and turn the crank on each...you will know which one you want in no time.
good luck

[Mr. Sandman]

One more thing...don't buy these reels from the folks on Ebay who are from Asia and ship to you here at a good price. The reel is fine it is genuine but you will not get the proper registration papers or the right warranty. I learned this the hard way. Just get it from a reputable dealer in the US.