Guest Big-Banana Posted October 10, 2008 Share Posted October 10, 2008 Hey all, With all the cubing I do, I've decided to pick up a threadline unit to make the whole process a little easier. NO MORE MANUAL FEEDING! I've done a bit of initial research, I really like the look of those 24-37kg Okuma V System Rods, although I haven't played with one yet. Has anyone got one of these? Anyone suggest anything better? With those who have a threadline outfit for this type of fishing, would the V System handle? Not really a fan of Okuma gear, and I have heard the drag and main shaft are a little too light, but Mark Berg gave these an absolute flogging on his Wreck Reef trip. I don't want to spend mega bucks on a threadline outfit as most of my fishing is done on overheads, but I would like to mix it up. So a Stella or Saltiga is out of the question. Anyone suggest another reel I should look at? I've heard good things about the Saragosa as well... Note that I also want the outfit to double as a live bait/jiggin outfit, so 50lb braid would be spooled, with a long long fluro leader to take some shock. Any help would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankp Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 (edited) I had a look and feel of the saragosa the other day and it does look the goods. It does look like a jigging weapon but i wouldnt know how it would go cubing for big fin. Edited October 11, 2008 by frankp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double pluggers Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 I got the vsystem 80a & put it on a jigwrex rod. I too could not justify the bucks for a stella or saltiga & as the guy in the tackle shop said if you break it you have a life time guarantee. Mine has not seen any fin yet, Im looking forward to giving it a go though. It has been very sweet on the kings. Im happy with mine so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussie big bob Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) Ant The way you should be thinking is, if you do get a that once in a life time fin and the gear does not stand up to it for the sake of a few bucks how are you going to feel. Go the stella cheers bob Edited October 12, 2008 by aussie big bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 i agree i went for fin on friday no fin but got some albies and we were using stella 8000 and was easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy0884 Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 I use a Shimano Saragosa 18,000 on a Wilson live fibre TX300 Jig stick.. works very very well on the fin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Pasha Posted October 12, 2008 Share Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) Hey mate. Havent fished with a V-Series as of yet but last weekend we cubed with a 20000 Stella (New Jap Model) alongside Sammy's 18000 Saragosa. Caught yellowfin to 15kg on each so they weren't really tested, they both performed flawlessly although thats the minimum you'd expect on fish that size. Just a couple of things I noticed between the two. When retrieving line it was obvious that the Stella laid the line on the spool more neatly than the Saragosa which was a bit lumpy (Stella had 80lb braid, Saragosa had 50lb). Subsequently this meant that the line didnt come off the spool as freely as it did on the Stella when the cube was sinking down the trail. Personally I reckon its worth going the Stella its an amazing bit of kit I have mine matched to a JigWrex (which are cheap ATM) and I will never cube with a tiagra again lol.... Daniel Edited October 12, 2008 by Le Pasha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Thanks for all your advice guys. Apparently there are extended lead times on both the Saragosa as well as the V System. Wouldn't mind trying to blow up a V System though, I'm hearing a lot of good things about them... After searching a few yankee forums last night I'm finding that the Saragosa has been blown up on big tuna in the Caribbean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy0884 Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Thanks for all your advice guys. Apparently there are extended lead times on both the Saragosa as well as the V System. Wouldn't mind trying to blow up a V System though, I'm hearing a lot of good things about them... After searching a few yankee forums last night I'm finding that the Saragosa has been blown up on big tuna in the Caribbean. V Systems are good, and have an awesome warranty. The saragosa's are smoother than the V systems and come with 10 years warranty.. blow it up and have it fixed/replaced by Shimano... i don't think there is anything off sydney that will blow up a Saragosa.... My braid lies a bit messy on the spool, but i am using this FINS braid which doesnt lay nicely at the best of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abiasin Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 i used a v system jig matched to a dog fight, all i can say is WOW, unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netic Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Anthony, mate go the extra bucks and get the Stella, I inially bought the Spheros 14000 instead of the stella and although the spheros is strong and will handle alot of fish it is nothing like a stella.....The Stella makes fighting a Big Tuna such a pleasurable experience....Like Le Pasha i will never use a Tiagra for YFT again....Save up a touch more coin and get the Stella, its a reel that will last you years and a reel that will never let you down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boog's Boat Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Hi Big Banana, I to have a VS80a and haven't had any dramas. They also make a VS80a High speed. The way I see it with a lifetime warranty and the fact I can buy 3 possibly 4 VS80's for the price of a Stella I just couldn't justify the $$$$. Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Ok guys, with the lead time of another 3 weeks for the V system, I'm still going to wait. Stella is just too much and the Saragosa just looks like an updated Spheros. Lets see if I can break this V System Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussie big bob Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 (edited) Ant All the best with your choice , but the first thing i would like you to think of when you lose that once in a life time fish ( yft ) is the word stella stella stella and all of us that gave you our advice The good thing about a life time warranty is it fixes the reel but will never fix that lost fish. So to sum it up you will get the reel fixed but will you ever trust it again. so is it realy a life time. regards bob Edited October 19, 2008 by aussie big bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 I'll remember that Bob! From what I've seen and heard they can definitely handle fish on 50 and 80lb. I think the name Okuma is scaring a lot of ppl and they aren't basing their arguments on any merit. Of course the Stellas going to be a better reel it's RRP is 900 dollars more! I hope for my sake this doesn't lose me a good fin'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussie big bob Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 I'll remember that Bob! From what I've seen and heard they can definitely handle fish on 50 and 80lb. I think the name Okuma is scaring a lot of ppl and they aren't basing their arguments on any merit. Of course the Stellas going to be a better reel it's RRP is 900 dollars more! I hope for my sake this doesn't lose me a good fin'... Ant Please do not get me wrong. My opinion is not based on merit as i am an owner of okuma gear in the lower classes 10 to 15 and i will say that they spend more time at home than in the boat. I will take my trusty charter special before the okuma's cheers bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Ant Please do not get me wrong. My opinion is not based on merit as i am an owner of okuma gear in the lower classes 10 to 15 and i will say that they spend more time at home than in the boat. I will take my trusty charter special before the okuma's cheers bob I honestly think, it's a better much better product than what you've got sitting in your racks. The lower Okuma is a pure budget range of gear. End of story. It's chalk and cheese. Lets see what happens, by the time I get it, the season would have most likely finished, but I'll be giving it a good work out on the big Kings down south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Pasha Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Honestly mate, with the average size of 'fin off sydney I dont think you will have any trouble with whatever you choose, our fin are pretty small compared to other parts of the world...its just some people like the bling factor of a Stella....like me Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namesay Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Just becareful when cubing with spinning reels especially the ones with a manually closing bail arm. When the line takes off with a good YFT your fingers can get caught in the loops of line coming off the reel. With braid this can mean deep cuts or amputations! Had several experiences with marlin at port stephens on my stella using circle hooks and almost lost a finger or 2. Tony almost lost a thumb last week on a 50kg yft on his saltiga expedition while trying to close the bail arm. Still has the sores to prove it. I always wear gloves these days whenever a spinning reel is being used. I guess Mark Berg's endorsement is good enough for Okuma gear. I am sure he is not biased. CHeers Kelvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I've got a mate that learnt the hard way. Gloves are a must with any braid fishing. Mark Berg wasn't landing small fish, but there were some serious line burners in there. We don't know how many blew, how many sh*t themselves etc, but they did handle what he through at them. No doubt he's biased, they pay his wage. I would be to. The way I see it is, half these blokes that use Stellas are purely just for the wankfest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boog's Boat Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I've got a mate that learnt the hard way. Gloves are a must with any braid fishing. Mark Berg wasn't landing small fish, but there were some serious line burners in there. We don't know how many blew, how many sh*t themselves etc, but they did handle what he through at them. No doubt he's biased, they pay his wage. I would be to. The way I see it is, half these blokes that use Stellas are purely just for the wankfest. Totally agree with this!!! I would love to need to have a stella or dogfight but cant afford it and secondly can't justify it. Nothing annoys me more then when I go into a shop and tell them I have 300 to spend on a reel and they hand me a Dogfight or Stella and say thats what I have to buy. I willjust have to cop it on the chin when my Okuma S!!ts itself and I loose the fish which I Probably would have released anyway. But it would have been fun being smoked anyway!!!! Good luck Nathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namesay Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I guess if you are only fishing occasionally any piece of fishing tackle will do the job. Lots of people only put 50-100 hours on their motors each year. If I do those hours on the water then the cheaper tackle makes sense. I have tried most of the cheaper gear available including okuma and when they are new or haven't been used much they are OK. However, the faults start to show and in the cheaper gear it shows early and with catastrophic results. I have a titus gold which was fantastic when new but eventually the drag started to seize. Lost a lot of good fish .They told me that nothing was wrong with the reel, changed washers etc and still no good. It has been sitting at home for 3 years-$400 down the drain. Also have used a couple of Epix spinning reels which worked well at first. Caught heaps of kings and salmon only to have the bail stop spinning due to corrosion. Another $400 down the drain...the list goes on and on. My old US made penn spinfishers which were hideously expensive when they first came out still work after 25 years! Even my old daiwa BG's which were the top of the daiwa range in the 80's still work. It seems like you have already made up your mind about buying the V system. They should work well for you. As for me, I have joined the wankfest and own 4 stellas, 1 certate and several saltigas. Cheers Kelvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 When you just about live on the water like some of you blokes, then the expensive tackle makes sense. I've got 2 of those US made spinfishers and they've accounted for a lot of Harbour Kings, solid as they come. I'll the the lab rat for this one and see how it copes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_Zee Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 When you just about live on the water like some of you blokes, then the expensive tackle makes sense. I've got 2 of those US made spinfishers and they've accounted for a lot of Harbour Kings, solid as they come. I'll the the lab rat for this one and see how it copes. i suppose you will get some sort of warranty on the reel. if anything goes wrong you could pay some more and upgrade. i am sure you will get a reasonable preformance out of it but everything breaks. i just changed the washers on my stella 4000. i have had it for under a year although i must admit i used it the most out of my reels as my 20lb casting outfit. i have owned 2 sustains for over 3 years and they are still OK as i hardly ever use them. i am sure it will be good out of the box. not so sure about how long it will last jigging and catching yellowfin. let us know how you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big-Banana Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Will do guys I'm still waiting for it and it might be a tad late depending on what the currents do wide off Sydney. Doesn't matter when the swells pumping the way it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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