tuna spinning reels

[Dark Star]

Okay Boys,

I would appreciate a bit of input on spinning reels. I have been using a couple of Penn 955sm reels for bluefin and the drags have held up to up to 56" fish without burning up, but I'm not that impressed with casting distance. (They are also mounted on 7' Ugly Stick Tiger rods which don't seem to really load all that well). I'm thinking of buying at least one new set up for 2010 and I probably will not spend the $ on a Stella. I'm thinking of a Calstar Grafighter blank with a lesser priced Shimano reel. What is the consensus on the Spheros versus the Saragosa? They have the same drags, but the Saragosa has more bearings and what looks like a more comfy handle/grip.

Is it June yet?

[joppahoppa]

Buy the stella; mine got used all summer. any of my buddies who wanted to use it could. I have it on calstar rod and it's awesome. it brought some fish in this year. Fish of 63, 67, and 69" anyway.

We melted the drag on a spheros this year; two lines out, the stella and the spheros, and murphy's law. The cap melted and the drag seized, and the saragossa has bascially the same drag. The Stella is a twin disc drag. Take the spool of the reel and look under it. The differences are readily observable.

I thought buying the outfit last year was arguably one of the dumbest things I could have done with the $$ but it paid off in the end. Maybe ebay?

I've rationalized that if I take care of the reel, my kids might have it someday. I'm still fishing Penn ss reels and one z series reel that are over 25 years old.

my two cents.

[z-drive]

If you're a penn guy, i'd take a look at the 760 slammer. i am yet to get mine tight to a decent tuna, but the only reason i bought one is reccomendations from those who have. for $150 its not a bad deal. the spool is narrower, so it casts pretty well.

i wouldnt bother with the spheros! mine disintegrated this seaso tight to fish. saragosa seems to hold up well for the money.

[tcastric]

I know I am going to get some grief for this but take a look at Okuma's VSystem reel. 5 year guarantee, great drag.
Great customer service. If it was to blow up at any point in the 5 years they will fix it or send you a new one with a 10 day turnaround.

[Corneroffice]

I have the 950's as well... held up fine to fish last year 47-69"... pulled apart the drags and they look great... not to say they are 100% and going to last all next year but they do have a little life. The gears, crank and everything else with the 950 is in mint condition...

so my thought/Q is, can you take a stella spool and drop it on a 950 frame? Seeing the drags are built into the spol, your going to get the power of the stella. If anyone has the Stella and 950 can you give it a shot to see if it fits?

Also - is there a Drag upgrade for the 950? If you could add another drag washer and drag plate under the hood it could be a big diff.

sorry to hijack

[Dark Star]

I haven't experienced any drag problems with the 955s. More that I'm looking for increased casting distance. Although I question the Penn 955 drag when it comes to the class of fish we're expecting this year. After battling a few Charlies I had Bucko's tear down and re-lube the gears of the Penns last winter and they didn't even need the drag washers replaced, but that was with fish up to and around 56".

I have one friend who is recommending the Saragosa 18000 with some carbon tex washers from Smooth Drag....another respected tackle shop that is telling me that a Spheros is basically the same reel as a Saragosa...other input that says anything except biting the $ bullet on the Stella is a waste of time.

Z-Drive.....wouldn't the Penn 760 just be a scaled down version of the 955 I already own?

[z-drive]

From a penn prostaff guy on another board:

Really the major difference is that all of the Slammer reels have the "double drag", with washers on the top and bottom of the spool.
Just like the $400 to $800 "big game" spinning reels.
In the SSm series, only the 950 has that drag system.
In the Slammers, the main support shaft is heavier, important if you are using spectra.
The 760 Slammer has 1 more ball bearing than the 750 SSm.
All Slammers including the smallest are metal-bodied, the smaller "SS" series are graphite bodied.

its more compact with a narrower spool, probably allowing it to cast better. line capacity isn't impressive but i can live with it.

[jshields52]

I have fished Saragosas exclusively on my rods the past two seasons. I like to think that I am a pretty critical evaluator of tuna gear, and I can't find a single knock on these reels. They are highly robust, lay braid properly, cast like a dream, and lack the startup inertia many reels within the pricepoint have. They have bested their fair ammount of fish, and have some relative quality under their belt without a hiccup.

I can't definatively speak towards the Spheros vs Saragosa comparison you got from an other shop (and frankly, you should call First Light in the AM and speak to Pete, Nat, or Derek for a true review) but in my understanding that description was wrong. The Spheros and Saragosa have the same advertised drag, which is the main selling point. That said, I haven't played with a reel that puts out it's advertised drag in a real world situation. Further, even if the drag output is as sold, I've found that Nything over 35lbs is a nightmare to handle. What the real key is how well the gears can hold up to the strain the higher drags require. The Paladin enhancement the Saragosa gears have help the reel hold up to the higher drags. The Spheros does not have this extra gear strength. Combine this with the aero-wrap design and angled lip, and the Saragosa has better casting functionality as well. That said, with 80 or above braid, you are going to be significantly inhibited in castig range as is.

In my experience, The Saragosas have taken some serious strain without breaking down. The aftermarket drags are nice, but I have found that as long as you aren't spooked by a fast run and tighten the drag mid melt (suicide by way of angler) the Saragosa drags will hold up just fine. I have seen a couple of Spheros die, a few Penns turn into noise makers, and have heard of twinspins dying a brutal death. The Saragosas have witheld the abuse the fish have thrown at them. Obviously, the Stella is the best offshore reel on the market, but in my experience the Saragosa cannot be beat at it's pricepoint.

[Dark Star]

Gentlemen,

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond. I was actually able to pick up a new Stella 20000sw on an Ebay auction last night for a real bargain! Still a lot more $ than a Saragosa, but I feel good about the decision and the purchase.

Tight lines and screaming reels!

Peter

[north coast]

you won't regret it I bought my second one this winter,I loved the first one so much.

[joppahoppa]

all of my winter beer money for a second one this spring.

I think we'll get to see what the reels are really made of this year if the fish coming back are 70"-75"+.

Game on!

[Dark Star]

Beer.....tackle.....beer....tackle....beer.....tackle....

How's a guy supposed to choose?

(I think I need a trust fund.......or serious counseling....)

[DaleH]

Beer.....tackle.....beer....tackle....beer.....tackle....

How's a guy supposed to choose?

(I think I need a trust fund.......or serious counseling....)

Now that "Patches" Kennedy has announced he won't run again, I'm hoping he'll setup a company like his brother Joe, to help us out.

Except not for oil - but for booze. Discount booze. You know, call "Pat/Patches for beer".

That'll give you more $$ for tackle .

[Capt Dave]

Beer.....tackle.....beer....tackle....beer.....tackle....

How's a guy supposed to choose?

(I think I need a trust fund.......or serious counseling....)

When ever you have two problems like this, tackle the beer first then you have the guts to buy more tackle without the wifes permission!

[ChickadeeHillR&G]

Its always better to ask for forgiveness than permission.