Okuma Salina 3

[Dan5]

What happened to the Tuff Tackle Diablo everyone was on about a few years ago?......Did they die a GFC death or where they just rubbish?.......They where certainly hyped up to be the goods.......you never hear about them now..........Dan

[PeterKroll]

I caught my first small snapper on my Penn Live Liner 560L a couple of days ago. Only 41cm, but a nice plate size.

I have to say that the drag was smooth as butter. And the baitrunner drag was consistent as well.

This was the first outing for this new reel, and this is my first reel that isn't a Shimano (apart from the cheap Chinese rubbish).

I get the feeling, and time will tell, that blokes like me who fish close inshore and are catching one or two fish for the table most outings aren't going to have too many problems with this kind and quality of reel. I reckon it would be a different story for guys who are fishing offshore or catching larger pelagics. With the boat that I own, that will never be me. Unless I hook in to one of those sharks that keep biting me off. :-)

[Sevric]

How can you make a decent fishing reel & sell it for a couple hundred bucks ?

Does anyone else have that same reservation ?
Yeh , I know if you sell millions of a model , make it in China ..... share parts with other models .... use inferior bearings , cheaper finishes , lower level of corrosion resistance & you don't build them to tight tolerances .
But you think about it ..... & you ask yourself how can a reel built so cheaply - consistently handle drag pressures of 15kgs plus.

I guess I see them in the same vane as drill bits .... you can buy a set of bits for $10ish but decent ones will cost you $30-50 more ( & you see the difference).

Chris

I guess in a roundabout kind of way you are answering your original question yourself Chris. I think you are simply going to have to go with your natural instincts and purchase something with quality no matter the brand and price. If you do not you will never have any confidence in the reel always waiting for it to fail at the wrong time. Just do it, don't agonise over a decision that you will always doubt.

[Jsmfun]

well said Sevric

[NAGG]

I caught my first small snapper on my Penn Live Liner 560L a couple of days ago. Only 41cm, but a nice plate size.

I have to say that the drag was smooth as butter. And the baitrunner drag was consistent as well.

This was the first outing for this new reel, and this is my first reel that isn't a Shimano (apart from the cheap Chinese rubbish).

I get the feeling, and time will tell, that blokes like me who fish close inshore and are catching one or two fish for the table most outings aren't going to have too many problems with this kind and quality of reel. I reckon it would be a different story for guys who are fishing offshore or catching larger pelagics. With the boat that I own, that will never be me. Unless I hook in to one of those sharks that keep biting me off. :-)

No doubt Peter ...... you dont need to spend big to have a reel that would / can do a job -
I guess I came from a background where you fished for species that go really hard .... and you catch them regularly
Reels that have good reputations like ABU7000's & 5500s - which most people consider good reels get destroyed .
My barra fishing where you land dozens of meter plus fish - turns reels into mush after 1 trip. ..... those same reels could see a lifetime of bass , flatty fishing if well looked after.

& that's probably what sits in the back of my mind

Chris

[lee8sec]

What happened to the Tuff Tackle Diablo everyone was on about a few years ago?......Did they die a GFC death or where they just rubbish?.......They where certainly hyped up to be the goods.......you never hear about them now..........Dan

Done the disappearing act, doesn't answer emails, facebook, web site inop. I hear there's a few people looking for him in regards to warranty issues. Leigh

[NAGG]

I guess in a roundabout kind of way you are answering your original question yourself Chris. I think you are simply going to have to go with your natural instincts and purchase something with quality no matter the brand and price. If you do not you will never have any confidence in the reel always waiting for it to fail at the wrong time. Just do it, don't agonise over a decision that you will always doubt.

I'm certain of it - & it's going through my mind as a damned if I do - damned if I'm not .
If this was about buying a main reel - I wouldn't be even second guessing it ...... & that's what I did when I bought my Stella 8000SW - It's my popper , jig , light game spin reel. ..... so thats covered for the limited amount of that style of fishing that I do .
So I have a go to reel that I use in a pretty limited way ...... to go and pay that again for a reel that at this stage would be used even less ..... hmmm . If we were talking of a reel that would have greater flexibility for the type of fishing I'm currently doing (2500-4000 spin) - I'd be going top shelf.
I'm doing as much research as I can - so I can make the best informed decision ...... If it turns out that I feel need to spend more ..... I will
gotta love this stuff

Chris

[lee8sec]

Nagg, i was in a similar position, looking for a 5000 size high speed. Had heard good things about the salina 2 5ooo high speed but in the back of my mind was the fact i have a stella 10kSW and love it. I wanted the 5k for light popping & spinning & just held of & will buy a stella 6k SWB next month, big money, but i have been bitten to many times by the cheaper spin reels. Dont use them often, spin reels, but when i do it tests them. Leigh

[PeterKroll]

Nagg, my parents and sister lived in Darwin until Tracey forced them to move on. They used to use Dam and Abu reels. My sister still has her Abu baitcaster. It's a beautiful reel. They were all top dollar reels, but like you, they were hooking into very big fish. I'm pretty demanding of gear, and if the fish around Coochie suddenly have a growth spurt, I have no doubt that I will immediately become more interested in high end.

In truth, I am saving for a Thunnus at the moment.

[reggy]

Have a look at Daiwa`s Seagate Hyper 6000. Built for jigging, digigear,all alloy body and rotor and a smidge over$400
Comes in smaller sizes too. Quality probably sits just under the Catalina.
good luck
Reggy

[Sevric]

One thing I find myself doing these days is upgrading my gear to new stuff and using the older well used versions further down the line. I now fish my flathead with a 3000 Stella that is 6 or 7 years old and showing signs of wear due to one to many Snapper but still a great reel for the river. This was replaced by a new Stella 3000 and so the progression will continue as wear and tear deems. Perhaps you could replace your current top end reel with the latest and greatest and move your current reel to the standby reel. This way you do not feel as bad or as guilty for spending the coin on a reel that is a standby but rather pleased you have the latest and greatest on your stock go to rod. I have read many of your posts in the past and you have directed many people to purchase the best they could afford and that is good advise.

[Dan5]

Geez Nagg those Catalinas look great.........c'mon you know we all know you want one.......do it I dare ya....!! Sevric is right you won't be confident until you have the good stuff....Now take a deep breath and own up to yourself buddy LOL.......Dan

[NAGG]

One thing I find myself doing these days is upgrading my gear to new stuff and using the older well used versions further down the line. I now fish my flathead with a 3000 Stella that is 6 or 7 years old and showing signs of wear due to one to many Snapper but still a great reel for the river. This was replaced by a new Stella 3000 and so the progression will continue as wear and tear deems. Perhaps you could replace your current top end reel with the latest and greatest and move your current reel to the standby reel. This way you do not feel as bad or as guilty for spending the coin on a reel that is a standby but rather pleased you have the latest and greatest on your stock go to rod. I have read many of your posts in the past and you have directed many people to purchase the best they could afford and that is good advise.

Yep - I'd be going against my own mantra ...... the thing is the Stella is virtually brand new - So I cant use that excuse .
The only other thing is that - my fishing style will no doubt change when I end up back in Sydney over the course of the year ...... & that's what is also holding me back - I will want a half decent overhead ... .

I know , I know ...... but I'm still struggling to talk myself in paying big coin for a reel to use off the rocks ..... I 'll probably go have a look at some choices tomorrow & when I'm in Melb next week .

Chris

[Jsmfun]

chris the only choice you have then is to buy a salina around $250 for the rocks and a diawa saltiga overhead 2 speed $569 very nice reel (trust me) total $819 i bet yor 8000SW stella cost around $850 -$900 mine did. okuma,s best spin - diawa's best overhead = set for holiday's and home good luck with it mate

cheers scott

[Chong]

Hey team,
I have 3 okuma reels, 2 bait runners, epix 80. 10 yrs + old and still going, actually got a nice treadfin this arvo on it. have a smaller bait runner for my bream fishing, it would be 8 yrs old and still going, plus a small spin. Never had a problem with any reels and they have done some hard work. I looking to get another and for $$$ I recon they are great value.

Cheers,
Chong