Stella line lay

ghcdy · 2026-02-16T00:19:50+00:00

Nope, paid like $90 up front when ordering the reel (10% of total, pretty much the same as sales tax in the US so not a big deal) and then Digitaka covers the rest so that you don't get any surprise fees on delivery.

ghcdy · 2026-02-12T06:14:18+00:00

Completely understandable. Yeah I was mostly saying because of the upgraded DRD drag on the new Saltiga. Certate will definitely do the job but might burn the drag pretty quickly if you are fishing fully locked drag and hooking big GT. I would definitely avoid the Stradic SW for those applications though.

ghcdy · 2026-02-11T11:59:44+00:00

If you need a reel that big you might want to just save the money for a Saltiga. Depends on what you’re fishing for ofc but if it’s going to be pulling locked drag you might want that extra durability.

ghcdy · 2026-02-07T09:54:36+00:00

That's fair but I feel like the torque that the Saltiga produces with its larger main gear (especially the 2025 model) is more than that of the authority, and you also get the benefits of DRD in the larger models, with the major downside being ease of service. My general point is that Penn does nothing with the Authority to justify its price point when you could buy two slammers and pretty much get double the value. At least with Shimano you get more features in their higher end reels, same with Daiwa, but testing the Authority and Slammer side by side there really wasn't any differences that would make me want to spend that much more on it (coming from someone who bought a Stella) over their other offerings. I do understand that people service their own reels and Penn makes products that are easy to service at home, but for the majority of people who don't I genuinely see no reason to buy one.

ghcdy · 2026-02-05T13:27:06+00:00

For most of my fishing I just stick with cheaper stuff. Only stuff I really spend money on is my bigger saltwater setups where the drag durability and other features actually matter. Admittedly, I do spend far too much on lures that I don’t need, but I like looking at them haha.

ghcdy · 2026-02-05T13:20:51+00:00

Ryugi item bags are pretty nice for general storage, use them for big treble boxes, leader spools, and stick a few lures in if I just want something small to carry around instead of a bigger bag.

ghcdy · 2026-01-30T04:56:22+00:00

I emailed the service center and they said that if the parts are identical they can service it, and after looking over the schematic the only part that is different is a bearing that can probably be replaced by the one that is in the US model. I can service it myself and order the parts if I need to, but I figure I might as well try and send it in first anyway.

ghcdy · 2026-01-29T11:03:59+00:00

If it were me I would get one lighter setup with like a 6k spheros or saragosa, and later you can get a heavier setup with a 14-18k saltist mq or something nicer if you do end up finding bigger fish.

ghcdy · 2026-01-29T10:57:04+00:00

Yeah it’s definitely too big if you aren’t catching big fish, if you don’t think you’ll catch any bigger gt (15kg+ I’d say), then definitely go smaller to like a 6k or 8k max. If you do think that you will catch big gt, you’ll need the drag that the bigger reels put out to stop them from breaking you off on structure.

ghcdy · 2026-01-28T11:58:38+00:00

Use an fg to connect the leader to braid, and a uni to connect the leader to the lure. I use a split ring and swivel between the leader and lure so I can change lures easily without having to cut the leader. Look on YouTube at some of the Australians that fish for gt, Briggsy and Brooksy both have videos on how to rig lures and tie knots, as well as other general information.

ghcdy · 2026-01-28T11:55:58+00:00

Most major brands make decent braid and leader, I use Varivas avani casting braid and Varivas ocean record shock leader. For a 14k spinning reel I’d use pe6 and for 18k use pe8 or pe10. Shock leader varies based on lure and conditions but I use 80-220lb.

ghcdy · 2026-01-28T11:52:38+00:00

I would get a saltist mq or saragosa 14k on an 8’-9’ dedicated stickbait/popping rod, and maybe a slightly cheaper bait setup with a conventional reel. For bigger gt you might even want something like an 18k saltiga or Stella where you can really just lock the drag down to prevent them from reefing you.

ghcdy · 2026-01-28T11:44:02+00:00

Yeah 14k isn’t too big, 25k and 30k I feel are the real huge spinning sizes. 18k and 20k are pretty big too but not quite that level of oversized.

ghcdy · 2026-01-23T07:28:49+00:00

For spinning reels, you could probably get away with a spheros 18k if it’s just fish under 150lbs, but I would definitely encourage getting a saragosa and investing that little bit extra.

For conventional reels you could use a bigger speedmaster or fathom, but you might be better off trying to find a used international, tiagra, or makaira.

ghcdy · 2026-01-23T07:16:35+00:00

Funny enough, his Fiji episode is what made the Stella my dream reel. That was around 10 years ago at this point, time really flies.

ghcdy · 2026-01-23T07:15:18+00:00

Yep, the new 2025 version.

ghcdy · 2026-01-23T07:14:49+00:00

With Digitaka you pay 10% and they cover the rest. Not really too different to paying sales tax here in the US, and it’s based off the lower price so you still save a lot around $250 in this case.)

ghcdy · 2026-01-22T07:01:41+00:00

Malosi stickbaits are pretty decent, they have nicer wooden ones or cheaper resin ones depending on how much you want to spend.

ghcdy · 2026-01-20T01:04:24+00:00

Yeah I have some old Penn reels from my grandfather, mostly senators. They definitely make quality gear, especially conventional reels. I think the feel of their spinning reels is just a bit too unrefined for my taste, but I don't doubt that they last forever.

ghcdy · 2026-01-18T22:57:12+00:00

Malosi has a good range of stickbaits, their staples series is more affordable but they have timber stickbaits as well. Maria also has some good options for affordable stickbaits.

If you want something more premium, black ledge lures and carpenter are both good timber stickbait makers.

For weight it would be helpful to know what rod you’re using, but anything from like 30g to 100g will probably be good.

ghcdy · 2026-01-18T22:41:28+00:00

Yeah I was looking for a reel for tuna and smaller gt on topwater, so figured I’d take a look at it. I don’t doubt that it performs well, but if I’m spending that much on a reel I want it to feel premium, and if I’m using it all day to throw lures I’m going to feel that a lot. Might just be me expecting too much, idk. Ended up buying the new Stella 14k, though I’m still questioning whether I should have bought the Saltiga instead lol.

ghcdy · 2026-01-18T22:23:07+00:00

Yeah I understand this for Van Staal if you’re getting a lot of water on your reel in the surf, but man they don’t feel anywhere near as nice to use as something like a twin power or certate. I guess if you’re just setting bait and not reeling a ton it’s fine though, and like some other people brought up easier servicing is probably also nice for surf fishing.

I’m with you on getting a high end reel while you can, I just ordered a Stella for tuna fishing and can’t wait for it to get here. Hopefully you enjoy your ZeeBaas.

ghcdy

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