Stradic 8000 vs Saltist STT4500H?

[SeaGreen]

Hello- Read through the past reel recommendations - very helpful. I was hoping someone had some more info from the front lines on the Daiwa Saltist STT4500?

I live and fish primarily in Miami. I have a MH Trevala spinning rod for use with jigs 110-240 grams. I am usually fishing in less than 200' of water, both jigging near bottom and structure, and also mid level. I have had a bunch of Miami jiggers recommend the stradic 8000, but specs for Saltist look good. I use 40# braid. AJs, Almacos, Grouper, Kings, Bonitos, the most common species I catch locally.

Side-by-side:
STRADIC 8000 / Saltist STT4500h
gear ratio 5.7:1 / 6.2:1
line recovery 42" / 44.5"
max drag 29lbs / 22lbs
braid capacity
40/270,50/265,65/195 / 40/440,55/330
weight 20.5 oz / 20.1

In Summary, Saltist has more line capacity, higher gear ratio and line recovery, but less max drag. I want to make sure there is no "flex" in the reels, as this has been an issue before.

What would you recommend for my application?

Any jigging experience with these new Saltists?

Thanks!
Greg

[Sea Draggin]

I think they still remain largely untested on anything but a few big tunas, which will even humble a stella, and defenitely get the best of a saragosa. So for everyday use they have not widely been used.

The one person that I know on here that has one is Cassidy. He uses down in Costa Rica. So far he has been happy. His catches are similar from a species standpoint.

[andrew whitman]

i have used a stradic 8000 for a full season now in the GOM. same rod too. it has worked perfectly. for larger jigs(200g+) its gear ratio was to high but it might be the light rods fault. but, for 100-160g jigs it was perfect. After a full year of light jigging it is still as smooth as it was day one. Ive caught some real nice snapper and cobia and the drag worked very well right out the box. also the new stradics dont have the handle problems the FH versions did.
Ive only played with the saltist 6500h but they looked very nice!
you cant go wrong either way as iv owned some daiwa 4000's which have worked flawlessly for a few seasons now. i dont think they will stay as smooth a s the new shimanos but i cant say for sure.
buy one and let us know how it runs!

[Sea Draggin]

I think they still remain largely untested on anything but a few big tunas, which will even humble a stella, and defenitely get the best of a saragosa. So for everyday use they have not widely been used.

The one person that I know on here that has one is Cassidy. He uses down in Costa Rica. So far he has been happy. His catches are similar from a species standpoint.

I just reread my post and I wanted to say I was only referring to the new Saltist only.

The flu fever must have still been running high when I type the above response.

[CFScheer]

I use the Saltist 6500 spooled with 80 lb. braid for a popping set-up in Costa Rica. It has handled AJ's up to 60 lbs. and dorado and snapper up to 40 lbs. without a hitch. The first thing you'll notice with the reel is how everything feels heavy duty and tight like it was made for bigger fish...not at the expense of overall weight though. The drag was worked flawlessly. The fast retrieve is nice for popping. I generally like Diawa products and would recommend the Saltist.

I have no experience with the Stradic, but I've always had good experiences with Shimano's premium lines.

The line capacity looks to be the only major difference between the two, but if you're only using 40 lb. braid this wouldn't matter. If you're looking at using a heavier line in the future that might swing you towards the Saltist.

- Cassidy
www.sierpedelpacifico.com
Homesites and slips in Costa Rica from $40K

[SeaGreen]

Thanks for the feedback. I own stradic 5000 and daiwa coastal 3000 for inshore fishing, and like both very much.

Cassidy - is there any 'flex' in the Saltist reel when you are fighting a big fish, like the spool bending toward the rod under the force of the pull? Had that happen with a spinner before and didn't like it.

Lastly, should I be concerned with the 'max drag' of 22lbs for the Saltist compared to 29lbs for the Stradic? Will I regret not going beefier? I like the fact that the saltist has more line capacity.

Thanks!
Greg

[andrew whitman]

you also get a spare spool with the stradic.

I would be very surprised if you got any flex from the saltist. they seemed really stout when i played with them. i would own one if they werent high speed.

[jaxbunker]

i vote for the saltist. its a good move on daiwa but kinda makes the saltiga owners cringe. i mean all the saltist is missing is the direct drive handle fixture, and maybe some internal/drag guts. other than that you have a ''disposable'' salTIGA with a 4:1 cost ratio (almost 4 saltist spinners to one saltiga). the stradic is a great reel too, with the only perk is its direct drive.