Bluefin tuna fishing requires a real financial investment. However, 1,000-euro reels are not for every pocketbook or for the number of fishing trips you make each year. When you know how much your equipment is put to the test, it's not always easy to choose the right reel. Here's my feedback from recent years.
Shimano Stella 20 000
Let's face it, this is the Rolls Royce of reels for bluefin tuna lure fishing. Several of us in my group of friends own this reel and none of us has been disappointed or had any problems with it. The drag is powerful and smooth, and the rotation is unmatched by the competition. However, this perfection comes at a price (around 1,000 euros) that not everyone can afford or is willing to invest in for a few outings during the season. However, if you're a regular, careful and passionate angler, this is the reel for you!
Shimano Saragossa 20 000
This was the first reel I owned for bluefin tuna fishing in Brittany. It's an affordable reel in terms of price (around 300 euros) that exudes solidity and has proven itself in the hands of many anglers since its appearance on the market. Its smoothness of rotation is not equivalent to that of the previous model, of course, but it remains very pleasant in the hand.
Its brake, announced at 20 kg, is sufficient to fight big tuna, but lacks linearity when pushed to its limits. But if, like most people, you don't exceed 14-15 kg of brake power, you won't have to deal with this little flaw.
This is a serious, reliable and proven model for bluefin tuna lure stalking.
The Daiwa Saltiga Expedition
The Saltiga Expedition is not one of my favorite models, but I've done a lot of fishing with one of my friends'. Again, this is a top-of-the-range model that has proved its worth in all the world's waters and suffers from no shortcomings apart from its price (around 1,000 euros). The Saltiga exudes solidity and never seems to fail. It's smooth to retrieve and its brake is powerful, reliable and progressive. Once again, quality comes at a price, but you'll be sure not to be disappointed when you choose this model.
The Daiwa BG MQ 20 000
The Daiwa BG MQ 20 000 is an entry-level reel for bluefin tuna fishing (between 200 and 250 euros depending on the retailer), but it does the job without any problems on our big tuna. Beyond its price, to its credit, it boasts a relatively light weight (860 grams) for a reel of this size. Of course, it doesn't have the smooth spinning action of the top models, but in this respect it's no match for the Saragossa, for example. However, its brake, which remains powerful enough for our fishing, lacks consistency and precision in the settings.
After two seasons of use, I have to admit that it has never let me down and never failed to cope with fish up to 150 kg. This is a very good model for the occasional angler.
Shimano Twinpower 14 000
This is the smallest model I own for bluefin tuna fishing in Brittany. In my group of friends, three of us have chosen this reel for a very specific use, namely casting small lures (50 grams) in PE8 or fishing on hunts where the fish identified seem to be small (between 50 and 80 kg).
Let's face it, before the first fish, I was a little worried about the behavior and longevity of this model over the course of the season. Nevertheless, we fought many specimens over the summer with this reel and it responded without showing any signs of fatigue.
Advertised at 25 kg of drag, this one is really powerful and progressive. With settings between 12 and 15 kg, it performed very well and enabled us to fish efficiently on fish up to 80-100 kg. We didn't hook any larger fish with this model, but that's not why we chose it.
When it comes to casting lures all day long, its weight of 660 g combined with a lighter rod (PE 8) offers incomparable fishing comfort. Its smooth spinning action is just as enjoyable when casting 50 g lures.
This is a reliable and pleasant reel for bluefin tuna fishing when it's necessary to fish small and the fish population present in the area seems to be of reasonable size.
