Stella vs Saltiga

[fishr1989]

I am currently in the market for a spinning reel to jig for tuna and to livebait for sharks (Makos, Blues, Threshers) off the Rhode Island and Massachusetts coast.

I am torn between the Saltiga Z 6500 Expedition and the Stella 20000. I normally fish all Shimano, but am looking to possibly expand my reel selection to include other brands/or getting a reel like the Stella and then upgrading later. I will be filling the reel with 80lb Power Pro or 80lb Jerry Brown.

I am not worried about having enough line, as either will hold more than enough for my needs. I would also be interested to hear what rods you would recommend to pair with the reel.

Tuna Jigs: 200-400
Sharking: 450lb mono shock leader/topshot, 300lb single strand wire

[shanker]

if you are in that price range, what about the Saltiga DogFight?

[fishr1989]

I did consider it, but the dogfight has a 6:1 ratio which is too high for sharking. The average blue we caught last year was 200lbs, and a 6:1 doesn't have enough torque.

[shanker]

how importand is torque on a spinning reel? you cannot wind against the drags our you'll twist the line anyhow..

I have a Fin-Nor OFS95 and although I had an issue with it at first, its since been fixed and has performed nicely.

[TeamOso]

a stella 20000 on a breakaway LDX would be prettty unstoppable in the surf!

[fishr1989]

the trade with a lower ratio reel is power for speed. with a 4:1 ratio you have the ability to reel in bigger fish with less effort, and with a 6:1 you can reel your lures faster, but it will take more effort (force) to catch a bigger fish.

this is where a 2-speed comes in handy. if you need to fish a lure fast to get the fish to bite, but they are large, ex. wahoo, tuna on poppers, you can change to the lower gear to fight the fish.

Tiburon has a reel on the market that will change gears automatically once the load on the reel increases.
Tiburon

[fishr1989]

Originally Posted by shanker

how importand is torque on a spinning reel? you cannot wind against the drags our you'll twist the line anyhow..

I have a Fin-Nor OFS95 and although I had an issue with it at first, its since been fixed and has performed nicely.

it's not about being able to reel against the drag, that's bad no matter what...the torque question is like deciding what you would rather have to pull your boat and trailer...

A Porsche...low torque...high speed (6:2:1)
or
A Diesel Pickup...high torque...low speed (4:3:1)

[fishr1989]

what do you think the OTI 7' Popping rod would be like with these reels, spooled with 80lb spectra?

[MrBill]

Saltiga Z 6500 Expedition and the Stella 20000 are both great proven reels and are about the same price. Since you are spending that amount of money and your mainly fishing for sharks, I would choose the Accurate Twinspin 30L if I were you. (4:1 ratio)

Every reel has it's purpose. As far as sheer strength and heavy duty construction, there is not a spinning reel on the market that could out grind the twinspin. Note, it is a heavy reel. Not for the hardcore jigging enthusiast who likes a light weight reel. But if I targeted sharks, this would be my spinning weapon of choice.

Look at the pictures below and see how heavy duty Accurate made this reel. There have been improvements since they first hit the market. My main beef is that stupid little golf ball knob they put on it as standard equipment.

[fishr1989]

Originally Posted by MrBill

Saltiga Z 6500 Expedition and the Stella 20000 are both great proven reels and are about the same price. Since you are spending that amount of money and your mainly fishing for sharks, I would choose the Accurate Twinspin 30L if I were you. (4:1 ratio)

Every reel has it's purpose. As far as sheer strength and heavy duty construction, there is not a spinning reel on the market that could out grind the twinspin. Note, it is a heavy reel. Not for the hardcore jigging enthusiast who likes a light weight reel. But if I targeted sharks, this would be my spinning weapon of choice.

Look at the pictures below and see how heavy duty Accurate made this reel. There have been improvements since they first hit the market. My main beef is that stupid little golf ball knob they put on it as standard equipment.

I have done a fair bit of reading about the Twin Spin, and even played with it at a show I went to. At this time, the price is a bit too high, even though it's only 100 more than a full priced 20000 as well as being completely metal. The way we fish is without harnesses, and only occasionally use a belt. The accurate, as you said, has a handle that's way too small to get a good grip on to fight a fish with any size (150+) especially when standing up.

also, the accurate only pulls 44lb of drag while the stella and saltiga both pull over 50.