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Anyone used the new Stella SW hard enough yet?

3K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  BretABaker 
#1 ·
it has been out for more than a year now. i suppose some of the hard core people here have put them to some very tough use. what do you think of them so far and how do they compare to the FA ? comparison in terms of drag, build quality, durability, etc.

thank you in advance
 
#2 ·
I was one of the first to bite the bullet and purchase the 2009 JDM Stellas, I absolutely beat mine to hell this year with trips. Panama, NC, Cabo, PV & Florida. I purchased a 18000HG and a 20000PG and have used the 10000XG which will be my next purchase

There are some differences. I feel that the reel itself is somewhat lighter, The new spool design and clicker are awesome, it sounds like a 50w screaming when line peels out. The silver body hides scratches and nicks much better than the old blue. The drag feels smoother than the older versions but to me the lip design on the spool is a great design change as it really helps with line lay and casting. The line comes off that reel at hyper speed and very tight.

Overall I would say that I love this one more than my older ones, they have killed some big fish this year for me so they are lucky in my book
 
#8 ·
Can anyone comment on the size difference between the Stella 8000 and the Saragosa 8000? Same frame size?

I saw and played with the Saragosa 8000 at Bass Pro, and it seemed fine for larger freshwater.... but saltwater size fish? I have my doubts.

How about Stella 18000 vs. Saragosa 18000? Same frame size?
 
#16 ·
Once again, Shimano has improved on a already great reel. The FA's were and still are great reels. The biggest improvements to me is the reverse lipped spool and the new gears. I can also tell a little difference in the drag.

I've caught a bunch of fish on my SW20K and quite a few on the SW8K. If you are thinking about the 8K, just buy the 10K. It holds 55 more yards of line and doesn't increase the weight but a little bit. I don't think any normal person could tell the difference in weight. You could also buy the 8K spool and it will give you a choice of both. The frame on the 8K and the 10K are the same. Only difference is the spool size.

I've bought around eight of the SW's. (8K, 10K, 18K, 20K) All of mine have the gold arm, therefore they are all the US versions. From what I understand, the only different is the color of anodizing.
 
#21 ·
Printable Chart Stella SW
Model Line Retrieve Per Crank (in.) Line Capacity (# Test/Yards) Max Drag (lbs.) Ball Bearings Roller Bearings Gear Ratio Weight (oz)
STL5000SW 40 10/240, 12/170, 14/135 29.0 14 1 6.2:1 14.3
STL8000SW 48 12/325, 16/235, 20/185 55.0 14 1 5.6:1 23.7
STL8000SWPG 40 12/325, 16/235, 20/185 55.0 14 1 4.9:1 23.7
STL10000SW 50 12/500, 16/320, 20/220 51.0 14 1 5.8:1 23.5
STL18000SW 50 20/415, 25/340, 30/280 55.0 14 1 5.7:1 29.5
STL20000SW 41 20/460, 25/380, 30/320 55.0 14 1 4.4:1 30.2
Here's the specs.
 
#23 ·
for jigging you want 4.9:1 or under

I just bought a SW 10000 US model for jigging... Before that I used my 10000 FA and all of my convetional jigging reels have a 5.8:1 or higher gear ratio. I dont get why everyone says lower gear ratio for jigging???? I had a few reels with a lower ratio and ended up selling them to purchase faster reels.

Is it because the lower ratio is easy on the angler? I feel that when speed jigging the faster I can get my jig moving the more strikes I get.
 
#26 ·
I dont worry about gear ratio I look for line retreival the faster recovery on the fish.


Thats not what its about when you are fishing deep in 300-400' of water trying to rip a 400g jig, it becomes extremely hard to jig with a higher gear. If you jig with the lower gear then put it down and try jigging next with a higher gear you will tell the difference

They make the two gear speeds for a reason, the lower is made for power hence PG the higher is made for casting and retrieving lures in a constant motion hence the HG or XG speeds
 
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