BUYING MY FIRST STELLA, and have some questions... HELP PLEASE!

[DoubleA_FL]

ok, so im buying my first Stella and i have a question.

What is the drag with a Stella at MAX drag and EMPTY spool?

Not that i would ever keep it there, this is mainly just curiosity.

Also, what the actual drag at EMPTY spool with 15lb initial, 25lb and 30lb initial settings?

Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much guys!

Aaron

[Sea Draggin]

Are you going to get a 20K for jigging?

[DoubleA_FL]

yes - im psyched. Im having a 450g BH built and Paul is building me a 400g spinal and they are going to share it. I am also getting my first Stella 18K right after i pay for this one. And as soon as the BH popping rods come in i am going to have Paul build me one of those too

Im really excited as i have NEVER owned a real this nice before. Now i just have to man up and pay for it. Its just sitting there on the shelf, being "mine"(the shop owner said he wouldnt sell it to anyone else). its awful. lol.

[DoubleA_FL]

Aaron,

I posted this response on another forum where you posted your question but as the discussion is taking off here I thought I would repost here with some additional info:

The Stella 20000SW is rated for a max of 55lbs of drag. This is an empty spool and more importantly *Cold* drag.

What does that mean you ask? Well, in actual use if a fish is running and about to spool your reel you will of course have a very hot drag at that time. You may have had it buttoned down at the most you can safely handle at strike (say 25-28lbs) but due to the heat produced by the run it will not produce those 55lb max drag numbers as the spool empties (just like race car brakes being affected negatively by heat).

So, the reel produces a variable drag number depending on the current temperature of all drag parts that varies depending on the events of the fight, that also varies depending on the amount of line on the spool and whether you have a source to cool the reel (ie squirt bottle).
....

So here is a question guys... since im a car guy i know what John is talking about with brake degradation due to heat. BUT, this brings up an interesting thought. in a race car, when you first use the brakes, they dont work very well, because in order to withstand the extreme temperatures of prolonged high speed braking they have to use materials that when cold, dont really work all that well. They have to be warm in order to brake properly. I have hybrid ones on my mustang, because i have a lead foot, and they brake harder longer than passenger car brake pads, but dead cold they dont brake as well as they do after you've done your stop and go to the highway.

SOOOO... could drag washers with similar materials be an effective upgrade to your reel???? When you start fighting the fish you may get 20lbs but once he heats the reel up you get 25. ? Johns comment just made me think about it. If nothing else it should completely negate drag loss due to heat, and thats at least one plus.

[John from Madison CT]

The Spinning reel manufacturers tend to report max drags at an empty spool. Kinda weird, I know,

[Sea Draggin]

When you start fighting the fish you may get 20lbs but once he heats the reel up you get 25. ? Johns comment just made me think about it.

Reels tend to work a little differently. The drag pressure is affected by washer materials and grease. So a drag without grease can lock totally down giving you huge drag numbers, but a well greased drag gives you a smoother drag curve over the entire depth of line.

Materials like carbontex will give you more drag than lower grade materials.

You won't want to get into your stella. Its a return for service deal.

[dulangan]

hmmmm...

looking for a stella 20k

i'm planning to sell mine... soon...