Keith Lusher 12.12.23
When it comes to saltwater fishing, having a quality spinning reel that checks all of the boxes when it comes to durability, smoothness, and drag, is important. I do quite a bit of saltwater fishing and have learned what to look for over my 49 years of experience. I had the opportunity to try out the Shimano Stella FK Spinning Reel this past week on a fishing trip in the marsh.
I paired this reel with a 7′ medium/fast St. Croix Premier Rod and loaded 30-lb. Power Pro Spectra braided line.
While there are tons of things that I liked about the reel I’ll start with the retrive. The Stella Fk blew me away with its buttery smooth retrieve. It’s got 13 total ball bearings inside which makes a huge difference when I was reeling in. I was throwing a 3″ Matrix Shad on a 1/4 oz. jighead and after I made my first cast I noticed something. The best way I can describe it is the reel felt like it was powered by an engine. I turned the handle three times and let it go and the handle made four more revolutions on its own. The reel felt like it was loaded with WD40 and was smooth from my first cast to my last cast.
I mentioned that the reel has 13 ball bearings but in addition, it has something called “Infinity Drive.”
What this is is the main shaft is supported by a new low-friction bushing that reduces resistance which results in the lightest winding reel in the industry. Most reels on the market have the main shaft supported by the pinion gear so this is an interesting change and was definitly noticeable.
Another thing that I noticed was this reel’s rigidity which is just a fancy term for the reel being solid. There was no flex or give in any section of the reel when retrieving. The reel worked in unison without any give in the gears, reel seat, or spool.
Now let’s talk about sagging tension. The Infinity Loop and Anti Twist Fin made up for the best level winding I have ever experienced. There is no sagging tension whatsoever with this reel.
The drag was solid as well. I set the hook on a 16-inch redfish and the drag was smooth and consistent with no inconsistent jerks. After the redfish made a run I was able to tighten the drag slightly and muscle him into the boat.
This reel is a masterpiece!
Shimano cut no corners with this reel. It’s as if they threw the budget out of the window with this spinning reel.
The downside with the reel is obviously the price tag. the Shimano Stella FK starts at over 700 bucks with it coming in at over 700 bucks. I will say this reel reminds me of my Daiwa Saltist Black Bay LT Spinning Reel which is also a solid high-quality reel however the Daiwa doesn’t compare when going head to head with the Stella.
In conclusion, the Shimano Stella FK is the best spinning reel that I have ever used for saltwater fishing. I highly recommend it to those anglers who are looking for a lifetime reel. But I warn you! Once you you experience this reel it’s hard to fish with another one.
