|
Event Article:
2008 ICAST Coverage |
Shimano makes major updates and upgrades throughout their reel lineup
(continued)
It isn't all about mainstream offerings in
spinning however, as Shimano introduces a new offshore spinning version of the
flagship Stella Series. While the Stella series has long been a favorite among
saltwater anglers, the new bad boy on blue water is the Stella SW which is
designed to be the smoothest most durable saltwater spinning reel on the market.
The reel boasts a line capacity up to 500 yards, and a drag up to 65 pounds!
The Stella SW is designed to
withstand the most adverse offshore conditions
|
Family |
Model Number |
Line Retrieve per Crank (in.) |
|
Max Drag (lbs.) |
S A-RB Ball Bearings |
Roller Bearings |
Gear Ratio |
Weight (oz.) |
MSRP |
|
Line Capacity (# test/yd) |
|
Stella SW |
STL5000SW |
40 |
10/240, 12/170, 14/135 |
29.0 |
14 |
1 |
6.2:1 |
14.3 |
$729.99 |
|
|
STL8000SW |
48 |
12/325, 16/235, 20/185 |
55.0 |
14 |
1 |
5.6:1 |
23.7 |
$829.99 |
|
|
STL8000SWPG |
40 |
12/325, 16/235, 20/185 |
55.0 |
14 |
1 |
4.9:1 |
23.7 |
$829.99 |
|
|
STL10000SW |
50 |
12/500, 16/320, 20/220 |
51.0 |
14 |
1 |
5.8:1 |
23.5 |
$829.99 |
|
|
STL18000SW |
50 |
20/415, 25/340, 30/280 |
55.0 |
14 |
1 |
5.7:1 |
29.5 |
$949.99 |
|
|
STL20000SW |
41 |
20/460, 25/380, 30/320 |
55.0 |
14 |
1 |
4.4:1 |
30.2 |
$949.99 |
The Stella SW's cold forged
aluminum spool is ceramic coated for extreme corrosion resistance
The Stella SW is designed for serious top of the
chain species and will be available in sizes ranging from the big 5000 to
massive 20000 size. The reels are designed with serious durability enhancements
including a cold forged aluminum spool which features a proprietary coating on
the lip that is harder than Ti coated stainless steel. The rest of the spool
features a ceramic coating for extreme corrosion resistance. The line roller is
coated with a unique extra hard carbon coating that is nicknamed DLC for
"Diamond-Like Coating.
The tip of the spool on the Stella
SW features a proprietary coating that is even harder than a Ti coated stainless
steel spool lip
The SW concept is a ultra water resistant body, a
hyper disk drag, SW assist stopper, a SW water proof drag, and lightweight
ergonomic handle grips to prevent premature bail trips. The reel also makes use
of the best that S and SR Concept design have to offer, and as an added
durability feature the guts of this reel make use of Shimano's Paladin gear
durability enhancement with a low wear rate pinion gear.
The reel features a compact
profile, but housed in the front of the larger reels is a massive twin disk drag
made of the same material employed in the company's Tiagra reels
As expected performance
comes with a price and in the case of the Stella SW that price is $729.99 to
$949.99 depending on size.
There are new additions on both
sides of the spectrum in the Tyrnos single and two speed reels, now there are
smaller high speed reels and bigger slow speed reels
To further bolster their saltwater offerings
Shimano also added a number of new sizes in their popular Tyrnos 2 speed and
single speed reels. The Tyrnos have become known for their excellent bang for
the buck value. Shimano buffers their two speed series with new reels on both
sides of the spectrum. New is the TYR8II, TYR10II, and large TYR50LRS.
The tiny TYR8II can rip jigs fast
with a quick 6.0:1 gear ratio
|
Family |
Model Number |
Line Retrieve per Crank (in.) |
|
Full Max Drag (lbs) |
Strike Max Drag (lbs) |
A-RB Ball Bearings |
Gear Ratio |
Weight (oz.) |
MSRP |
|
Line Capacity (# test/yd) |
|
Tyrnos 2 Speed |
TYR8II |
37/22 |
20/170 |
18.0 |
12.0 |
4 |
6.0:1/3.5:1 |
22.0 |
$329.99 |
|
|
TYR10II |
37/22 |
20/230 |
18.0 |
12.0 |
4 |
6.0:1/3.5:1 |
22.6 |
$329.99 |
|
|
TYR12II |
35/14 |
15/420, 20/300, 25/250 |
33.0 |
13.0 |
4 |
5.0:1/2.0:1 |
30.0 |
$329.99 |
|
|
TYR16II |
35/14 |
20/520, 25/420, 30/350 |
33.0 |
13.0 |
4 |
5.0:1/2.0:1 |
31.6 |
$339.99 |
|
|
TYR20II |
45/18 |
20/700, 30/450, 40/330 |
33.0 |
16.5 |
4 |
5.0:1/2.5:1 |
39.2 |
$349.99 |
|
|
TYR30II |
45/18 |
30/600, 40/450, 50/350 |
33.0 |
16.5 |
4 |
5.0:1/2.5:1 |
40.9 |
$359.99 |
|
|
TYR50IILRS |
44/16 |
50/700 |
42.0 |
32.0 |
4 |
4.0:1/1.5:1 |
57.4 |
$469.99 |
While the smaller sides will be popular for light
line and higher speed fishing applications the big story is the winch that the
new 50 size represents. The TYR50IILRS offers superior lifting and pulling power
with a very slow 4.0:1/1.5:1 gear ratio. On the single speed side the 8 and 10
size are also new and feature the same high speed 6.0:1 primary gear ratio.
Check out how narrow the small
reel is, yet the gearbox is still large enough to manhandle big fish
This season Shimano focused on the core of their
lineup and when it comes to baitcasting there is no reel of greater importance
to the company than the popular Curado, but with the new lighter green machine comes a
vastly improved Citica which really stole the show. When it comes to spinning
the company has also been busy and the modern features introduced on the
company's premium reels have trickled down through the series, all the
way down to the aggressively priced 39 dollar Solstace in fact. With the prices
of just about everything from gas to raw metal increasing in cost Shimano will
win the hearts of many a mainstream angler with increased performance in the
heart of their reel lineup, all without an escalation in prices.
