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Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) => Tackle & Techniques => Topic started by: Rohit Saqa Lal on June 23, 2009, 06:11:59 PM

Title: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Rohit Saqa Lal on June 23, 2009, 06:11:59 PM: G'day fellas
I had been slowly paying off a 20k stella at a mates shop but due to getting retrenched at my last job I have had to cancel that and look for a cheaper alternative that will get me by

Note....I need a reel for setting up rods and not much actual fishing. I have been looking at the 1800 saragosa as the deposits I have made are about that much. Does anyone know which stella it compares with for body size and spool diameter as well as the way it casts PE8-10
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Jon Li on June 23, 2009, 06:35:29 PM: Get a previous model Stella 20000FA instead , it's still much sought after reel and very solidly built .

Jon .
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Alex Jordan on June 24, 2009, 12:50:06 AM: Or go for a Twinpower SW - some of the same parts as the Stella but a tad cheaper :D
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: John Westcott on June 25, 2009, 12:21:22 PM: I thought a Saragossa 18K was a good value option, to a stella until I took it away GT fishing, lasted 4 days and I guess a picture says it all!
Bang snapped of the rod!
Drag was fine but hard to use in this condition!!
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Rohit Saqa Lal on June 25, 2009, 04:11:12 PM: Ouch!

What casued that, was it drag spikes?
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: John Westcott on June 26, 2009, 10:22:30 AM: No, drag was pretty smooth, as the reel had only done 4 days fishing!
It just broke off at the body/leg of the reel,(just a weak point I guess) still had three days fishing to do! And a long way from a tackle shop, lesson just get the premium reel even if second hand is my advice.
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Chuen Fan on June 26, 2009, 02:23:13 PM: jeez.. lucky it didn't damage the rod when it happened..
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: John Westcott on June 26, 2009, 05:59:16 PM: Yes but I had a Monster GT that got away and I almost lost my rod over the side. As I stood stunned hangin on too the Reel and it slid down the line! :o
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Luke Wyrsta on June 26, 2009, 06:13:35 PM: Quote from: John Westcott on June 26, 2009, 05:59:16 PM
Yes but I had a Monster GT that got away and I almost lost my rod over the side. As I stood stunned hangin on too the Reel and it slid down the line! :o

What happened to make you almost drop the rod?
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Jay Burgess on June 26, 2009, 06:25:12 PM: Quote from: Luke Wyrsta on June 26, 2009, 06:13:35 PM
Quote from: John Westcott on June 26, 2009, 05:59:16 PM
Yes but I had a Monster GT that got away and I almost lost my rod over the side. As I stood stunned hangin on too the Reel and it slid down the line! :o

What happened to make you almost drop the rod?

hehe precisely what I was thinking :D
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Bruce Ingram on June 27, 2009, 05:43:12 PM: As someone who was there at the time (and laughing a lot ), John in his panic held onto the broken reel, the rod went overboard and was being towed away and it was only a smart bit of work by one of the deckies that saved it.

One other bloke took an Okuma V series as his main reel. It blew up before lunch on the first day. (Broken by a red bass)

Fortunately the boat had a couple of Spheros for use as required and they did the job without failure.

If I couldn't afford a Stella or Saltiga I'd start out with a Spheros.
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: Rohit Saqa Lal on June 27, 2009, 06:40:12 PM: Thanks guys, just picked up a Spheros 18K FB model. That should do me for now to setup the jig and pop rods. I have top shelf reels for the types of fishing that I usually do and will add a big stella to the collection when money permits
Title: Re: Value alternative to stella?
Post by: John Westcott on June 28, 2009, 05:05:57 PM: Thanks for your comments Bruce & while it was amusing for one & all (except me) I let go of my rod so I could keep turning the reel and get the fish in. However this was poorly thought through, but I was inexperienced in this type of situation not surprisingly!