Daiwa Saltist

[no_bod]

Of you guys that use these reels, what do you think of them? I was looking at the 40, but the weight of the reel may turn me away, but it may be something that I get use to. Am I better off with a 20 or a 30? I appreciate any input. Thanks in advance!

[50inchpig]

I have the TH30, haven't used it alot yet, got it during the offseason. First impressions are that it casts really well and really burns them in - I'm not sure how much of an advantage you'd have going with the 40, it's quite a big larger and the 30 is manageable on my normal gear. I'm giving it a little more time this weekend so I'll let you know if I change my mind but right now it's going to be a great addition to the arsenal.

[iceman1212]

I just got the 30 at the muskie expo, It seems like a tough reel, its going to be great for burning blades. I don't know about the 40, it seemed a little to big for what I was looking for.

[PostFrontal]

Used a 30TH all last year and highly recommend it. Worked great all year and easy to take apart and clean/grease/lube.

I haven't seen the 40HA 50HA levelwinds in person yet. They have the same line pick up as the 30TH but since I haven't seen them I don't know if they come in the tall narrow or if they are the bigger reels. If they aren't the tall/narrow I'll go with another 30TH for a 2nd bucktail set up.

[Ice-King2]

Buy the 30

[JRedig]

Depends, how fast do you want to go?

[Quinn]

Esox_Magnum you seem to have pretty good knowledge about reels. What is your opinion on the saltist 30 (I got it for $160). I returned by abu 7000i that I previously got for $110. Is this a decent reel for the price?

[no_bod]

I want it to burn my larger bucktails. Will the 40 burn too fast? Is there a such thing as burning too fast?

[JRedig]

I want it to burn my larger bucktails. Will the 40 burn too fast? Is there a such thing as burning too fast?

Not too fast, just not enough weight to keep them down. If you want to burn baits, get the 40 or the 30TH if you don't mind not having a levelwind, both have the same line pickup. You can always slow down, you can't always speed up, there is an upper limit to how fast you can reel.

[FishGUY]

You can't burn them too fast. The 30 and 40 are a lot different as far as line pick-up goes. The 40 will move the bait 12+ more inches per turn of the handle, a big difference, similar the the Trinidad 16. It also only weighs 3oz more. If you really want to burn bucktails get the 40.

Here is the info form Daiwa HSOforum

(gear ratio)(line/turn) (weight oz) (drag in lbs)

STTLW20HA 6.1 : 1 35.0" 18.50 15.4

STTLW30HA 6.1 : 1 35.0" 19.40 15.4

STTLW40HA 6.4 : 1 47.2" 23.10 20.0

[no_bod]

Hey guys, thanks for the help. The 40 it is!

[Quinn]

esox magnum..........whats your opinion on the 30TH?

[JRedig]

Woweee, the 40 can absolutely rip baits just cranking. Double tens and 13's don't stand a chance without your rod tip below water or a lot of added weight.

[irishwalleye]

any more reports on the 40 or 50?

[JRedig]

Kinda feel like a post-whore today...but i've been pitching the saltist a ton this year, I bet i've got more than 50 hours on my model 40 with a levelwind.

Pro's- Well built, feels strong, rips baits, huge line pickup when needed, pretty smooth overall.

Con's- Need a well trained thumb.

It's big, I do a weird split finger palming hold, but it's the best way to keep everything functional for hooksets, rolling into 8's etc.

Need a well trained thumb.

Need the right rod paired, I recommend a 9 foot fairly firm stick. Anything too soft makes figure 8's hard because of the rod doubling over at the 8 thanks to the high resistance of the blades etc.

Need a well trained thumb.

Don't go for a world record cast, having the right rod plays into this as well, but when you throw, if you throw hard, you're almost ensuring you backlash everytime because of how much line is coming off initially when you pitch. If you load the rod right and lob it like a mag dawg, you can usually throw just as far and the reel doesn't give fits of tangled line.

I've now got two cast lengths worth of line taken off thanks to knots and fray's, but it seems much easier to retrieve. When the spool was completely full, it really felt like you were outside the realm of mechanical advantage. It was hard to hold and hard to reel. Sure i'm down on line pickup to about 40 inches per crank, but I have yet to need that speed, still no problem to blow 10's, 13's and 20's out of the water with a flick of the wrist.

All in all, happy with the 40 thus far, can't imagine needing a 50 for anything. Thinking about a 20 or 30 for another combo for more general use actually.

[HOT SPOT]

Quinn - where you get the reel for $ 160?

[Quinn]

thorne brothers in fridley.......after a wednesday night seminar......they take 10% off then

[cjac]

Getting used to mine as well as Redig said. It takes some getting used to but I'm liking more every time out.

1/2 that battle is simply using it and training the forearm muscles on how to balance the rod since it does have some weight to it. I'm using a fat cork KT rod so that does help a bit.

I think I'll really be liking it once things get going a bit and fish turn on a bit and move up off the deeper weed edges and the speed game comes into play. Should be fun.......

[PostFrontal]

Bought a 40HA for heavy lures like dawgs this year after using the 30TH all last year. I can definitely tell the difference in the weight on the 40HA. I am using an 8'6" XH rod and it balances fine but think a 9' would be ideal. It is a workout.

Still love the 30TH for burning big bucktails and topwater without the weight of the 40HA.

I have found that it is better for both reels to go with less line on the spool to lessen backlashes. Once you get the thumb control down on that spool spinning so fast you won't have backlash problems. The other thing I have found for both reels(especially with the non-levelwind 30TH)is when you are casting make sure to cast by bringing the rod straight back, and not casting from the side or flipping the reel on it's side when you cast.

[Spallgard]

Redig,

Good post on the Saltist 40!

[TheHawgTrough]

How would the 30 do with Double 10's or 13's? Is it large enough or would you recommend the 40. Been looking at getting one of these for a while. Good posts...

[JRedig]

How would the 30 do with Double 10's or 13's? Is it large enough or would you recommend the 40. Been looking at getting one of these for a while. Good posts...

Honestly, you should find someone with both and try it. It's not that the 30 is bad or won't work, but it doesn't have the speed potential of the 40. That being said, a 40 with a full spool is A LOT of work no matter what big blades you throw. To me it comes down to the fact that either reel should withstand the abuse the double blades dish out. It's a matter of figuring out what fits your fishing style and need requirement.

I'm thinking a 30 would've been fine, but i'm used to the 40 now.

Here's a thought: If the fish are going on speed and you're throwing a rainbow/nickel DCG, what if you just downsize to a rainbow/nickel DSG and fish it at the same speed? Smaller bait will appear to be moving faster fished at the same speed...perception can be everything.

[WallyGator12000]

I have to say, JRedig you have been spot on with your posts on the Saltist so far. I have both a 40 and a 30, and I echo everything you said about the 40 a few posts back...less line on the spool is better, you need an educated thumb (can't say that enough), don't try and throw the bait too hard, you need an educated thumb, make sure you pair it with a long enough/heavy enough rod, you need an educated thumb, etc. However, it is an incredible tool for pulling the big blades. HawgTrough, I have both the 40 and 30, we can get out sometime and you can try both, see how you like them. In retrospect, I'm really happy I bought the 40, because for burning 10's and especially 13's it operates incredible, but the 30 I'm thinking is going to be a lot more versatile, I maybe could have gotten the job done with 2 30's (especially if one was a levelwind, because the one I own is a non-levelwind version). But this just means I'll have to buy another setup, right?

[JRedig]

Thanks for the props, I might take you up on trying that 30 sometime too. That or the 20 could prove to be the ultimate all around reels that can really take a pounding, this 40 just feels STOUT compared to everything else I have. (calcutta's included)

It really comes down to the tool box theory, it's just another tool and it has its time and place. That really goes for all the gear and lures. Don't hang sheet rock with a finishing nail!

[cjac]

I paired my 40 up with a different rod last night and it made a difference for me in a positive way. It's mainly a big blade reel, but it does throw the smaller stuff and single blades quite well (yes, I said single blades.....they still exist). I have other stuff for that so I went with the 40 to be able to do things my other combos simply can't do.

So, if you're looking for all around, I'd stay away from the 40, just too much reel to throw 12 hours a day as a primary set-up. There are times when speed thrills, and the 40 can do that easily. You're not going to be able to bluge double 10s all day, but when you want to hit that next gear, it's there with a 40.

Between the 30 & 20, I'd concur with others and would want to try them both out to see what I like. So, after Redig buys them I'll try them out and decide from there!