Could the 26 Stella SW and 25 Saltiga Change the Future Trend? The “Common Sense” of Choosing a Big Tuna Reel Might Be About to Change 😤🎣
This is the third part of my ongoing Stella and Saltiga series 😊✨
Previous Article 1
Previous Article 2
This time, I want to talk about how the release of the current models could change the trend in bluefin tuna casting 🤔💭
This Was the Trend Until Now 😊
Among anglers targeting triple-digit bluefin tuna, there was a very clear trend until last year 😊
That setup was:
Stella SW 18000HG or 20000PG + Yumeya 20000 MAX Spool
Why did this become the trend? The reason is simple. If you are seriously targeting triple-digit bluefin tuna, you need enough line capacity for more than 300 meters of PE12, along with drag performance strong enough to handle fish of that class 😊
But when you looked at the options back then, the 20 Saltiga only went up to size 20000, so line capacity was limited 🥲
And yes, the Stella SW did have a 30000 size, but that reel had its own issues 😅
If we line up the specs of the Stella SW sizes, this is what they looked like 👇
20 Stella SW 18000HG
・Weight: 875g
・Spool Diameter: 72mm
・Max Drag: 28kg
20 Stella SW 20000PG
・Weight: 885g
・Spool Diameter: 75.5mm
・Max Drag: 28kg
20 Stella SW 30000
・Weight: 975g
・Spool Diameter: 95mm
・Max Drag: 25kg
On paper, it looks like “only” a 100g difference, but in actual use, that extra weight feels much more significant 😱
Triple-digit bluefin tuna casting is a style where you repeatedly make full-power casts with large lures, so reel weight directly affects how quickly you burn out 🥲
And on top of that, the 30000 size only had a maximum drag of 25kg, which was lower than the 18000HG and 20000PG.
That was an easy detail to overlook, but it mattered a lot 😳
So the answer many anglers arrived at was pairing a Yumeya 20000 MAX Spool with either the Stella SW 18000HG or 20000PG 😊✨
Yumeya Stella SW 20000 MAX Spool
・Weight: 215g
・Spool Diameter: 80mm
・Max Drag: 28kg
・Line Capacity: PE6-600m, which is roughly equivalent to PE12-300m
Compared with the 18000HG and 20000PG, it gave you a larger-diameter spool, enough capacity for around 300m of PE12, and it still maintained 28kg of max drag. It was also clearly lighter than the Stella 30000. That is why it became the de facto standard setup for triple-digit bluefin tuna fishing 💪✨
Then the 25 Saltiga and 26 Stella SW Arrived, and Everything Changed 🥹
From 2025 into 2026, both manufacturers introduced a brand-new size 😳
That new size was 25000 💪
26 Stella SW 25000PG
・Weight: 920g
・Max Drag: 30kg
・Line Capacity: PE6-600m, roughly equivalent to PE12-300m
25 Saltiga 25000-P
・Weight: 945g
・Max Drag: 30kg
・Line Capacity: PE12-300m
So why does the arrival of the 25000 size matter so much? 😊
Here are the key points 👇
You can get PE12-300m class capacity right from the factory spool 🥹💓
Maximum drag has reached 30kg, beyond the old 28kg level 💪
And it is still much lighter than the Stella 30000 😊
In other words, what used to require a separate MAX spool to achieve is now available as a complete factory setup in the official lineup 😳✨
And not only that, maximum drag has moved beyond the old MAX spool setup’s 28kg and reached 30kg.
What Happens to the MAX Spool? 🤔
Of course, the next question is where the Yumeya 20000 MAX Spool stands now 🤔💭
According to Shimano’s official spool compatibility chart, the Yumeya 20000 MAX Spool can be installed on:
・26 Stella SW 18000HG
・26 Stella SW 20000PG
・26 Stella SW 25000PG
It requires installation together with the drag knob 😊✨
So no, the MAX spool does not instantly become completely useless 💪
For people buying a new 26 Stella SW, and for those who already own a 20 Stella SW, the Yumeya 20000 MAX Spool can still remain useful as a spare spool 😊✨
That said, this next part is my own assumption 🙇♀️
The Yumeya 20000 MAX Spool was originally designed for the 20 Stella SW. So even if it can be mounted on the 26 Stella SW, I do not think its drag force and drag performance would suddenly become “26 Stella SW performance.” I believe it would more likely perform at a level closer to the 20 Stella SW.
That is definitely something to keep in mind 😊
My Prediction for the New Trend 😤
Here is what I think is likely to happen 🤔💭
For anglers seriously chasing triple-digit bluefin tuna, the standard setup used to be:
Before → 18000 or 20000 + MAX spool
From now on → 25000 used in stock form
I think there is a very good chance the trend shifts in that direction 😊✨
The 25000 is lighter than the Stella 30000, while also offering a very solid 30kg maximum drag. For bluefin tuna casting, where you are making repeated full-power casts, it feels like a size that finally balances weight and performance extremely well 🥹💓
I think it is going to attract even more attention from now on as the most well-balanced size for serious triple-digit bluefin tuna casting.
Of course, these reels have only just been released, so the real verdict will come from actual time on the water 😊
Both Brands Also Released 30000 Models
And on top of that, both manufacturers went all the way to size 30000 as well 😳💦
25 Saltiga 30000-H
・Weight: 1,060g
・Max Drag: 30kg
・Line Capacity: PE12-400m, PE15-300m
・Released in April 2026
26 Stella SW 30000PG
・A dedicated model for giant bluefin tuna and large marlin
・Capacity for PE12-420m
・Max Drag: 30kg
・Scheduled for release around late May to June 2026
Both are true heavy-duty, purpose-built reels aimed at fish over 300kg, as well as marlin 😤💪
What makes these new 30000 sizes different from the previous generation is this 🤔💭
The old 30000 sizes felt more like extensions of an existing design. This time, however, the body, rotor, and spool were all designed specifically for the 30000 size from the ground up 😳
Daiwa even described it as not just a “stopgap 30000,” but a genuinely serious, fully capable one 💪✨
That said, the weight issue still remains 🥲
The 25 Saltiga 30000-H weighs 1,060g. Compared with the 25000 size at 945g, that is more than 100g heavier 😅
In a style like bluefin tuna casting, where you are making repeated full-power casts, there is no way to ignore that kind of weight difference 🤔💭
The performance has clearly improved thanks to the dedicated design. I do not doubt that at all. But how anglers judge the trade-off between performance and weight is going to be one of the big points of discussion going forward 😊
I hope this was at least a little helpful 😊💓
