line to suit stella sw18000

[NathanMcNiece]

looking to buy a new sw18000 and am now wondering the best line to put on the reel. IM loking to go pe8 and am tossing up between saltiga sensor 90lb and varivas pe8, does anyone know what varivas's pe8 breaking strain is? and also what is the highest quality varivas line?

thanks
Nathan

[Jon Li]

Varivas GT Max. PE8 = 100 lbs. .

I am a person who won't buy Daiwa line because they are not fishing line manufacturer but rather reel manufacturer , they buy the line from an O.E.M. company n then just paste their sticker onto the spool .

On the otherhand , Varivas , YGK , SunLine , etc. producer of fishing line , so I will concentrate on these brands as well as others such as Tufline , etc. .

Jon .

[David Clumpner]

I don't want to hijack Nathan's thread, but I was getting ready to post a similar question: Could somebody briefly break down the different Varivas PE lines?  Or is GT Max. the only one worth paying attention to?

I've always used Powerpro, but I figure since I live in Japan and can get decent/good prices, maybe I should try out a 'good' line.

[Jon Li]

Varivas GTMax is a proven product , the newer Varivas SMP line is thinner but prone to break due to shock load when used in high initial drag set coupled with stiff rods even though the breaking strain for PE8 is 120 lbs.

Once you use Varivas or similar products , it's difficult to ever go back to PowerPro or similar products , in my experience .

Jon .

[NathanMcNiece]

thanks for hijacking my thread david!  haha na its fine I was wondering the same question myself actually. also with varivas which line is preferred between avani gt and smp?

[Luke Wyrsta]

thanks for hijacking my thread david!  haha na its fine I was wondering the same question myself actually. also with varivas which line is preferred between avani gt and smp?

Hi Nathan,

Both are fantastic lines.

You will find standard Avani GT to be the most popular due to a combination of time on the market and spectrum of breaking strains available - and downright rock-solid performance.

Although I don't disagree with Jon's evaluation of SMP, I have yet to experience these problems. In fact, I prefer SMP apart from the fact that it isn't available in a wider range of classes. Thinner diameter lines have inherent shockload issues as the diameter decreases. I also believe that due to this thinner diameter, in conjunction with anglers treating it (PE8) like a PE10 line (120-130lb function) there will always be more failures. I'm sure as technologies and manufacturing processes advance, these kind of issues will largely be a thing of the past - how long this will take, I don't know!

Other variables effecting such appraisals include leader setup, ability to tie the correct knot, strike drag setting etc. etc. etc.

Luke

[Luke Wyrsta]

I don't want to hijack Nathan's thread, but I was getting ready to post a similar question: Could somebody briefly break down the different Varivas PE lines?  Or is GT Max. the only one worth paying attention to?

I've always used Powerpro, but I figure since I live in Japan and can get decent/good prices, maybe I should try out a 'good' line.

Lines such as Power Pro and Tuf Line XP are ideal because they present relatively supple braids that have good abrasion resistance and good casting characteristics. They are generally thicker than their nearest equivalent in the PE scale, this generally brings a more robust, coarser line (but still relatively round) due to the diameter and grade of the filaments used to make the resultant braided line. Being thicker, it doesn't cast as far as thinner lines and isn't as enjoyable to use. They are great for almost any GT situation and for any class of fish. Expect long life from these lines - good value for money.

Varivas GT is the Rolls Royce of GT lines. They present some of the best performing braided lines on the market. They are supple and ultra-castable due to fine diameter. Being supple and thinner in nature they can be succeptible to shockload failures, are generally less abrasion resistant and need to be replaced more often - regular use of this line will generally require replacement every 12 months (less for even higher use, maybe 6 months). If you can afford, you will probably find yourself using Varivas and only Varivas.

Just my 2 cents - rushed response, hope it makes sense.

Luke

[NathanMcNiece]

Thanks luke, I'm just deciding whether its worth going to Varivas and having some of the problems mentioned but putting up with it for its castability or whether to go tuf line xp. the major issue is that I want to fit as much line on the spool as possible and obviously I am going to get alot more varivas on than TF XP.
whats your thoughts?

[David Clumpner]

Just my 2 cents - rushed response, hope it makes sense.

Luke

Yeah Luke, it made plenty of sense.  One of the reasons I asked is that I just went up to 85lb. Powerpro for my new Stella 10000 and I definitely noticed that it is beefier line and casts a shorter distance.  I'm starting to realize there was no reason for me to move up from 65lb, which is probably already overkill from a kayak. 

For the future, maybe I'll keep an eye out for a lower test Varivas PE line to suit my needs.  Until then, for all the reasons you mentioned, Powerpro will do me fine.

[NathanMcNiece]

Jon is it just that daiwa doesnt make the line that they sell or is it the actual quality of the line that deters you from buying it? has anyone elese used saltiga sensor in 90lb that can give some feedback? also approximately how much tuf line 100lb will i be able to fit onto the spool.

[Jon Li]

Hi Nathan ,

Just say that I know better n prefer to buy from the producer direct . 

Tufline 100 lbs. is very thick , if I remember correctly my old Stella 10000FA spool can accomodate less than 200m of of Tufline XP 100 lbs. which in actual strain testing , may break around 130 lbs , according some test conducted on several PE/Braided lines . 
Jon .

[NathanMcNiece]

thanks jon i think im gonna opt for the varivas purely on how thin the  pe8 is and how much more I will get on the reel than if I were to go 100lb TF XP
also jon do you know if they have fisherman ball knobs to fit the new 18000SW?

Nathan

[Jon Li]

Hi Nathan ,

Check these ;

http://www.gaar.co.jp/custom/custom.htm#power-grip

http://www.mcworks.jp/bbph/bbph2.html

There may be others but these 2 sites are popular among the Japanese expatriate anglers in my town .

Jon .

[NathanMcNiece]

thanks jon, they look like some pretty funky handles! do you know if you can just use the knob by itself and not with the aftermarket handle.

stumbled upon this fisherman knob which appears to fit the new SW's, looks great  , fairly pricey though

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Fisherman-Shimano-Stella-SW-2009-Handle-Knob-Reel-Gold_W0QQitemZ130307919439QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e56f50e4f&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116