Stella 10K JDM - not working after 8 days use..!

[Marc Towers]

Hi Guys,

just back from a pretty good 8 day fishing trip to mitsio islands, Madagascar..

Will file a trip report soon, but the real downer to what was a good trip was the fact that my brand new Stella 10K PG JDM reel, customised with a SOM No Limits 16K spool, Yumeya carbon knob etc - see photo, packed up after only 8 days use...! It had landed some reasonable fish (teamed up with a Fisherman Spinoza Amberjack custom rod) - biggest GT pushing 43-44 kg's, and i had taken over 100 fish on it, but to pack up after only 8 days use...??!!! I was in 'mid jig' and the whole reel froze - drive shaft/pinion gear completely stuck..!

Anyone got any ideas as to what may cause this...?

On a happier note, my new Saltiga S-extreme Maverick and the new drags got a good work-out - landed a 500 lb black marlin on the reel, together with a Ripple Fisher 79R rod - took over 5 hours, and the reel sppol/drag did get a little hot, but it was smooth for the duration of the fight..!

[Brandon Khoo]

Mark, nothing short of a reel technician will tell you exactly what went wrong but the reality is that just about every reel on the market has been broken at some point or another and sometimes, quite inexplicably. If you're going to be putting the reel under the type of use that it looks like you did, perhaps you should be looking at a 20000, not the poor little 10000. Also, if you had landed 100 fish already, you put that reel through 12 months of use in 8 days.

I use  a 10000 too with a SOM No Limits but when chasing really serious fish, I go to the 18000.

Nice marlin btw - Steve sent me the pictures. Did the fish survive?

[Marc Towers]

Hi Brandon,

thanks very much for your comments/views - appreciated as always.

Yes, it was used heavily for the trip you are correct - it took over 60 fish in one day alone, so well over 100 fish for the trip, i suppose i just didn't expect it to happen..!

I will fall back on my Expedition when the going gets tough - bigger fish etc, so i do have a tougher jigging reel ready to go, i just liked the slightly lighter feel of the 10K - less fatigue when jigging for a week or so...

I actually wish Daiwa made a saltiga in a mid size range - a little smaller/lighter than the Expo - maybe in a few years time...!

The marlin was hooked in the flank - the hook pulled out of the mouth at some stage early on in the fight (we think) which made lifting/turning it a huge problem - thought about cutting it loose, but difficult with a fish like that on the end. We tried to revive it but it was finished - a great shame, but most of the marlin taken do of course go back, wherever possible..

Trying to do a trip report - but uploading photo's with Malagasy internet speed is not easy..!

[Brandon Khoo]

Believe me, I can agree with the idea of using a 10000 simply to reduce fatigue over a week!
Daiwa do make a smaller reel in the 4500 but it doesn't have the capacity of the 10000. If you've formed the view that the Saltigas are tougher than the Stellas, I don't know if anecdotal evidence supports that.

As I wrote in my earlier e-mail, I think the type of heavy jigging you put the reel under may be more suitable for a 20000 or an Expedition sized reel.

[Hon-Su Chin]

What size or breaking strain line did you have on the 10k PG?? If its not too heavy, it should go the distance. Sounds more like internal has stuffed.....

[Marc Towers]

 Hi Hon-Su - i was using varivas big one PE 6 (85lb) braid - drag settings were not too severe, and took fish up to 43 odd kilo's on it, which it handled no problem..

 Hi Brandon - i fully agree that the Expo/20K may have been a better choice, but the i liked the balance of the 10K/Spinoza amberjack rod - easier in the hand, but perhaps more fragile yes. I have to say my opinion on the toughness of the saltiga's is a little bit a reflection of Ludo's opinion - in his three years fishing Mitsio (about 150 fishing days/year) the Saltiga's last the distance far better than the Stella's (which normally need changing every year or so - admittedly under heavy fishing pressure) - this was also the opinion of the other French guys (DPSG former employees, fishing guides/writers etc) fishing there at the same time - but these are only a few opinions, and i dont want to start another saltiga/stella debate..!

I will get the reel sent off and see what the result is..

Cheers, Marc.

[Sachin Chaudhry]

Might have a broken main gear.

[Sachin Chaudhry]

 Hi Hon-Su - i was using varivas big one PE 6 (85lb) braid - drag settings were not too severe, and took fish up to 43 odd kilo's on it, which it handled no problem..

 Hi Brandon - i fully agree that the Expo/20K may have been a better choice, but the i liked the balance of the 10K/Spinoza amberjack rod - easier in the hand, but perhaps more fragile yes. I have to say my opinion on the toughness of the saltiga's is a little bit a reflection of Ludo's opinion - in his three years fishing Mitsio (about 150 fishing days/year) the Saltiga's last the distance far better than the Stella's (which normally need changing every year or so - admittedly under heavy fishing pressure) - this was also the opinion of the other French guys (DPSG former employees, fishing guides/writers etc) fishing there at the same time - but these are only a few opinions, and i dont want to start another saltiga/stella debate..!

I will get the reel sent off and see what the result is..

Cheers, Marc.

We have the other problem here in Fiji admiteddly for popping where the Saltigas give up the ghost and the the Stellas keep going. Fish 100 days a year and my 10000FAs are still going strong. Horses for courses I guess.

[Marc Towers]

Hi Sachin,

Thanks for that interesting info - yes, both are great reels, i guess no technology is competely bullet proof - ditto for the fishing world, and given the beatings such reels are given, they will inevitably need some repair work/pack up sooner or later..

Cheers, marc.

[Brandon Khoo]

Sachin posted what I was about to post because for very angler who swears a Saltiga is stronger, there will be one who will be equally adamant that a Stella is superior. I have a number of both reels but have experience on Stellas all the way back to the F series. I owe no allegiance to either company because I think they both charge me too much! All I can say is that I have managed to compromise every reel I own at some point or another but I expect to do that with what we expose these reels to.

I'm surprised when I read an opinion that one reel is "much" better than another because I haven't been able to discern anything like that over a reasonably long period of time. Also, in defence of the Stella, I would suggest there are very few operations anywhere who hammer their reels the way Nomad Sportfishing do all year, every year. The number of Stellas they've broken can be counted on less than one hand. To be honest, I'm amazed their 10000FAs have stood up for so long.

[Chuen Fan]

The fact is, tuff tackle reels are better than top of the range Daiwa's or Shimano's at half the price!!! .... sorry, couldn't resist myself!!  

[Andre van Wyk]

The fact is, tuff tackle reels are better than top of the range Daiwa's or Shimano's at half the price!!! .... sorry, couldn't resist myself!!  

You just had to didn't you Sunny?!?!?!? 

[Brandon Khoo]

that's it - the topic on TT was closed and we don't want it reopened.   

thread is  locked for now.