{"id":24722,"date":"2021-05-14T01:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T01:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oceanbluefishing.com\/magazine\/?p=24722"},"modified":"2021-05-14T05:34:02","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T05:34:02","slug":"reel-review-shimano-stella-sw-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oceanbluefishing.com\/magazine\/reel-review-shimano-stella-sw-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Reel Review: 2020 Shimano Stella SW\u2014A Guide to Picking the Right Reel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My father has always told me that in life, there are instances when you just have to grind your teeth and dig deep. I think it’s something worth remembering when you check out the 2020 Shimano Stella SW series. After all, for anglers like us it’s always worth paying all that extra money for a better chance at a fish fight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve personally seen one in action: A very good fisho with a very high drag on a Stella SW 20000 gets spooled by a doggy in under 25 seconds. When the spool finally cooled down, he took it off and the carbon fiber drag washers were still good as new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fishing<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Stella difference: What sets the 2020 Shimano Stella SW series apart?<\/strong> <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That considered, while it may really hurt to loosen your purse strings to buy a Stella, I think it’s going to hurt a hell of a lot more when you’re on to that fish of a lifetime and the bearings or drag washers give out on your BCF combo special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"2020<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

But, as the 2020 Stella SW series promises a huge range of Shimano-style technology and  fish-fighting performance upgrades, I thought it’s well worth checking just how well it works against any large or powerful fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED ARTICLE: <\/strong>How the Shimano Twin Power redefines the game fishing reel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s good about the 2020 Shimano Stella SW?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sure, the whole range looks sleek. I think each reel in this series is a real beast, filled with all kinds of drool-worthy engineering that we have come to expect from Shimano as a market leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, for our purposes, I looked into the full range and listed some of the main ones which I think were the best among the many Shimano tech innovations embedded in the 2020 Stella SW series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infinity drive <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"2020<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Within the 2020 SW range, all Stellas have the infinity drive, which, I think, is a pretty cool concept. That means, instead of having the normal \u201cmechanical\u201d way where the pinions turn the cogs inside the reel to turn the main shaft, Shimano made it work differently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the SW range, Shimano removed the contact between the inner pinion gear and the main shaft. Instead, they put in a high-sliding bushing to support the main shaft and added a special skid coating to reduce the resistance. This reduces the up and down motion of the main shaft, which improves the winding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In layman’s terms, Shimano improved the machinery such that it’s 30 percent easier to turn the reel handle, thus making it more powerful and easier to use even under extreme load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heat sink drag<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Heatsink<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shimano also added a ‘Heat Sink Panel’ and  an ‘Insulation Sheet’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the \u2018Heat Sink Panel\u2019, the heat generated by drag is released. That means, the thermal sagging in the reels is reduced, decreasing the possibility of lowered drag performance by 50 percent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the addition of the \u2018Insulation Sheet\u2019, even the heat transfer to the spool is blocked, which reduces the rise in spool temperature by 30 per cent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new drag system in the 10000 and the 14000 models made the line so much more stable. Consequently, this means that when you hook that big fish, there’s a 50% less chance that your drag washes will melt or stick and lock up your drag, especially when you bust that fish of a lifetime off or break your rod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

X-Tough Drag | Rigid Support Drag<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Shimano<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Both the X-tough drag and the Rigid Support drag were also added as an innovative support for the spool. With the X-tough drag, the drag washer is reinforced with either metal or carbon which makes it durable. Rigid support, on the other hand, eliminates the wobbling by adding a two-point support to the main shaft and bearing\u2014a real improvement that helps stabilise the drag function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED ARTICLE: <\/strong>Shimano Saragosa SW Review: Standing The Test of Time<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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