Which Reel?

[VA911]

Just ordered a new rod from Tony Fishfinder, pics to come once it has arrived.

The question remains.. Which reel should i get for smashing kings with in the harbour and a little off shore stuff. the rod is a fishfinder harbour master 10-15kg spin.

I am planing on using at least 30-40lb braid. I will be using it to throw baits down, cast plastics and also downrigg.

I have been looking at a Saltiga 4500H or 6000 but i think the 6000 is a bit big in size and in $.

What else would you guys recomend and has the saltiga 4500H got the balls for the job?

Edited December 4, 2007 by VA911

[shane87]

The 4500 size reel will be better suited than the 6000 as the rod is quite lightweight. The rod will handle 5-8kg of drag pressure comfortably and the 4500 should produce this easily once the washers are bedded in. Looks awesome with the camo grips also.

Cheers Shane.

[VA911]

Thanks Shane! I know and trust you guys are going to do an excelent job on the rod.

So members, Is there any reason as why not to get this reel and if so please tell me. Is there another reel i should be spending my hard earned on?

[holmes]

i would go with a shimano stella if i was in your shoes

[netic]

Just to let you know Crazy John bought the Saltiga 4500 for kings, After 2 outings it started stufing up and he replaced it for a Stella and he hasnt looked back

[VA911]

Just to let you know Crazy John bought the Saltiga 4500 for kings, After 2 outings it started stufing up and he replaced it for a Stella and he hasnt looked back

interesting! what stella compares with the saltiga 4500? is it similar in price?

[Sammy0884]

interesting! what stella compares with the saltiga 4500? is it similar in price?

Look at the 6000 or 8000 size Stellas, they are both awesome reels, same mechanicals just different spools. They will be similar in price to the Saltiga.

i would also consider the new Shimano Sustains, excellent reels for a little less than the Saltiga.

[Mondo Rock]

And remember that even the best and most expensive reel will be a waste of money if you're not actually catching fish with it.

Despite the reports from the Kelvins and Netics amongst us, who make it seem like catching big kings is as easy as getting out of bed, they remain a relatively specialist target. Especially if you fish Pittwater or Broken Bay where they remain in (relatively) low numbers due to commercial fishing.

I went through the kingy 'gear up' about a year ago and spent many thousands of $$ for four complete rigs for the new boat. Haven't caught a kingy yet (although I don't fish the boat that often and I fish Pittwater when I do) and a couple of the rigs haven't even caught a single fish. All my discussions with the tackle-shop owners about "will this reel handle a metre plus hoodlum?" seem utterly ridiculous in light of my performance since that time!

Funny thing is I recently relented and ponied up the cash to have a guide take me kingy fishing in Pittwater (not the guide everyone is thinking of - a smaller name). We caught 5 kings in two hours, biggest one going 75cm, and landed them all without incident on his beaten up Penn reels and ugly stick rods.

And do you think I noticed the performance of the combos even for a second during the fights? Nope - I was just catching fish. Hell, we could have caught them using handlines and still had a blast.

My point, I think, is that there are many things that a fisherman can spend his money on. Nobody understands the attraction of absolutely top-shelf gear more than me, but in all honesty it should come in at about number 45 on the list of priorities. Spending money on guides, fishfinders and GPS units, videos, mags, quality bait and squid-jigs, livewells - hell even beers for the locals at the boat ramp to loosen their tongues is, in my opinion, more important than having the shmickest gear on the bay.

So I agree with Sammy - consider the second tier reels in the Shimano, Daiwa and Penn stables. It's pretty unlikely that you'll even notice the difference (and you definitely won't until you actually connect with a fish). You don't want the shoddy gear, of course, but you won't need the absolute best and most expensive until you're regularly bagging big kings (multiple) on every outing.

Of course if you're already a gun Kingy fishermen then ignore me and spend your heart out!!

[netic]

Mondo, very good reply mate and all points are true......

For me i know some of my outfits are overkill and i can catch kingys to a metre with cheaper outfits like stay a Spheros...which in all honesty will handle nearly any king...

But i find a certain sense of Satisfaction to work and save to spend money on something i love...fishing

And nothing like catching good fish on quality gear.

hopefully you will get a shot at using some of the gear you have purchase recently.

In regards to what reel....Sammy is spot on......a 6000-8000 stella would be awesome...even a 10000

Members like Crazy John and Kelvin have purchase expensive Saltigas to only have them Fail, maybe message both members and ask them a few questions

Edited December 4, 2007 by netic

[VA911]

Mondo, very good reply mate and all points are true......

For me i know some of my outfits are overkill and i can catch kingys to a metre with cheaper outfits like stay a Spheros...which in all honesty will handle nearly any king...

But i find a certain sense of Satisfaction to work and save to spend money on something i love...fishing

And nothing like catching good fish on quality gear.

hopefully you will get a shot at using some of the gear you have purchase recently.

In regards to what reel....Sammy is spot on......a 6000-8000 stella would be awesome...even a 10000

Members like Crazy John and Kelvin have purchase expensive Saltigas to only have them Fail, maybe message both members and ask them a few questions

Very well put nectic!.

I am also considering going to the second tier in a daiwa, the Catalina 4500H. this comes in 4.1 and 5.4 speeds. I do like the saltiga but cant find much difference between the top and second from the top at a massive price difference.

I would not say i am a gun king fisho but i am working on being that and have been putting in many hours on the boat and catching squid on the wharfs etc. It is a big call to spend megga bucks on a reel but it is the personal satisfaction you have when you know what you worked for is in your hands and pulling in another ripper!

[gretsch]

Stella.

My 6000 is a year and a half old and has caught probably 75 Kings. Nothing huge (80cm was the biggest) and it has worked perfectly. I have 30lb braid on it and it sits on a Miller Bay Buster.

I also have an SW4000HG Stella wich sits on an Ugly Stik I rebuilt with decent components. It is very nice and should be a bit of fun this season. I run 20lb braid on this one. It casts like a dream and has heaps of grunt for a medium sized reel.

Edited December 4, 2007 by Ceph

[xib]

i would deafinaly go the stella being the shimano guy i am but it is personal preferance

[Red]

Stella and Saltiga reels are awesome if you don't have to work plastics all day.

Have you considered something like the Certate 3500HD Custom or the new 4000 Hyper Custom?

These reels are lighter which will be a godsend for your lure casting and lack nothing in terms of cranking power. Knowing Tony's rods well, i'd imagine yours is nice and light in weight. It would almost be a shame to bolt on something heavy/bulky.

Good luck with your decision.

Red

[roosterman]

theres alot of good advise given here and i would prob go for the best you can afford if peace of mind matters if not then the best bang for your $ in the midrange models like the sustain or twinpower or others already noted here ....

one thing i would like to add is like red said,its a shame if you just grab any reel that will pull a king without matching it to one of tony's great rods like you have..

so if it was me i would go down and see tony and try a couple on the rod and this may help with the decision process.....

hope this helps... cheers... steve...

Edited December 4, 2007 by roosterman

[Red]

so if it was me i would go down and see tony and try a couple on the rod and this may help with the decision process.....

Steve, thats easily the best advise given thus far.

Cheers

Red

[pjbink]

For the really big kings I would be using standard overhead game/ jigging gear 15kg or heavier. Most offshore fishermen will have this gear in any case. Lets face it though in bays and harbours we are fishing in the kings nursery and most mid range gear will do the job on these smaller fish. The big kings are found offshore and usually fall to livebait.