are there any more affordable reels out there for popping?

[Gavin Ng]

hey guys, can you recommend me a reel that will do the job and have a good life besides the saltigas and stellas? basically im looking for a high speed spinning reel with a good drag and a build that will last that ammount of drag, so far all i can see is the daiwa emblem pro, are there any other suggestions out there?

Thanks

[Sachin Chaudhry]

Hi Gavin. Try the Quantum Cabo 80 PTS. Very smooth with a huge amount of drag. Runs ceramic drag washers and they are super smooth due to exceptional heat resistance. I have one myself that plays back up to my Stellas and it has not let me down or the other guys on the boat that borrow it on occasion.
I got mine on ebay for about 200USD delivered to Fiji.
I also upgraded my Spheros 14000 with the upgrade kit from Bluewater including the Stella handle and bearing.
This has proven to be very good as well (dozens of fish and no failure)
The new Spheros FB and Saragosa with 20kg drag straight out of the box may be ones to go to as well.
However if you want to do a lot of heavy duty popper fishing I reckon you should save up and go Stella or Saltiga as they give you full confidence when a big fish hits and the "no line out" philosophy may need to be applied.

[Brandon Khoo]

Gavin, I think Sachin's advice is spot on. There are reels you can get away with but the reality is that extended use will significantly increase the likelihood of some kind of failure on the part of the reel.

If you really shop around and perhaps be willing to consider second hand, you may find a decent Stella on eBay. Just be careful with the seller as there are a lot of unscrupulous sellers on eBay.