# Which Stella do I need?



## joakster

Yup, another thread from me.

At first look it seems like either the 18000 or the 20000 is what I need. Big aj's, big grouper and yellowfin are the targets. Seems like all the 80 or 100lb I can put on a rod the better?

What do I really need to stop a good sized yellowfin or a big aj? I am totally new to the spinning side so I am not fully aware of their power.

They also say 51-55lbs of drag max? That seems crazy, that must be on an empty spool?

Is the few ounces different from the 18000-20000 going to make a huge difference?

Is the 10000 big enough?


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## luna sea II

for jigging most folks go with the 20k because of the 4.4:1 retrieve whereas the 18k is more of a popping reel with a 5.7:1 rate. 
personally I don't like spinners for jigging but that's just me. I've fished with a friend's 20k and caught some big jacks on it. while the it's the finest and most expensive reel I've fished with I'm used to conventional reels and it didn't feel right.
as far as the 10k unless you are using 50lb line it won't hold enough.


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## Hotrod

The SW18000 is great. I have 2. Spooled with 65ld braid, I jig and Tuna fish with them. Boated a 85lb Yellowfin in about 4mins, and another 60lb in about the same time. The drag is redicioulous strong, you have to be careful, I will bend hooks and rip jigs outta lips. I like the higher ratio than the 20k, and the 18k holds more line than the 10k.


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## rainbowrunner

I'm a new stella owner (8000fa and 18000sw) but I've been using other folks reels for a few years  trying to decide which one I liked the best. If you had to have just 1, the 18000sw is hard to beat. However all the "big" stellas (8, 10, 18 and 20000 are all adequate for GOM fishing. 

The advantage of the 8 and 10,000 is weight of course, but you do give up line capacity.

Dale


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## BiteEmNBeatEm

i use a 8000fa with powerpro and ive got plenty of line for GOM fishing I belive im using 80lb line on one spool and 150lb on the extra spool

But jig with my tld30's


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## Boboe

If you want *** for pulling big fish from the bottom, you're not only going to need a strong reel with lots of drag. You're going to need the right rod for the job. Generally a short, stout rod is best, because it puts more power directly from you into the line. A long rod requires more effort from you to impart the same power. Casting long distances with poppers will demand a long rod. So, you may want a long rod for casting and a short rod for whooping bottom fish.


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## aggie82josh

I cant comment on the high speed stellas like the 18000 but, I have a 20Ksw and bought the ol' lady an 8Ksw pg (lower gear ratio). When I bought the 8k i bought a 10k spool too. I use metered braid on the 8k spool for jigging and jerrybrown on the 10k spool for throwing top water. For the GOM the 8k with the 10k spool is great. Plenty drag, enough line compacity, and light as a feather. To tell you the truth I'm about to get myself an 8000 so I dont have to bum off the ol' lady.

IMO you dont need the bigger stellas (18k and 20k) for GOM fish. The 8k and 10k are plenty enough reel (and cheaper)


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## pqd

Just make sure you get the Pg(power gear) version if your jigging and fishing for grouper and amberjack. You'll get more cranking power for getting the amberjack and grouper away from structure. You can get the 20k standard in low gear but the 18000 and 10000 have higher gear ratio meant more for popping rods. The amount of line and size of the reel will depend on how deep you are fishing. What matters is if you can get the fish away fast enough from the structure so the lower gear would help you there and not the amount of line. Amount of line would matter when your fighting big tuna that can run off line in a split second. good luck.


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## ssteel069

Get the 20000, you can yank the baalllls off those big AJ or YFT! :rotfl:


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## ksong

Some recommend 18000SW for popping and 20000SW for jigging. But I sell 20000SW mostly and many of them are popping fishermen.


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## Swells

Hmm, one of the captains I fished with last year used a Shimano Stradic for AJ and he swears by his rig (he is a deepwater speed jigger). Those reels are about $200 plus TT&L, cheaper on sale or E-Bay. 

The jump to a Stella 20000 is like $1,000. So unless you plan repeated trips to Boomvang, Nancen, and exotic way-long places like that to hunt the sometimes YFT, you're paying a heck of a lot of money for a label name.

Hey it's your money, but the truth is that most YFT off Texas are 50 to 100 pounds and you might not need that much muscle. When the bluefin run on the East Coast, yes, you need a rather large winch with that 50 pounds of drag. 

Perhaps K Song knows more about this, but some West Coast fishermen are fishing "line class" for tuna. The bluefin is typically 130# gear, with YFT being 50 or 80# combos. In this case, "line class" means very light lines on spools that have a real lot of line. It is risky, like fly fishing for tuna, but some say a true fight between a fisherman and and a tuna using intelligence and patience instead of a tow truck winch. 

If there is any pay-off, line class reels are much lighter to handle all day long. The Stella 20000 weighs in at nearly 2 pounds! She's a biggun, just sayin'.


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## ksong

After testing spinning reels and observing problems, I can say to buy high-end spinning reels if you target tuna and you can afford.
Among reasonably priced reels, Saragosa reels are pretty good.
I landed several tuna in 100 - 180 llbs range with Saragosa 18000F.
But many gave up Saragosa and bought Stella.


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## SpecialK

I have 2 18000sw for popping. If I were to do it over again I would have 1 10000 and one 18000.

The 10000 has plenty of drag and line capacity to fight the biggest tuna I have personally seen caught in the gulf. 

I would guess that most of Kilsongs 20000sw sales are geared toward Bluefin in the northeast. Big model fish mean bigger model reel IMO.


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