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Shimano’s Stella FK
Spinning Reel is a Moping Legend (continued)
  Retrieve:
Every angle of the Stella looks like it is sculpted with purpose. There is Ci4+
used in the rotor and due to the protective coating on the entire reel it is
hard to see where the metal and composite materials begin and end. The titanium
one piece bail also looks very sleek and does a great job guiding line
seamlessly to the line roller. Once you begin the retrieve is where the Stella
FK really shines. Shimano’s other
high-performance spinning reels like the Stradic FL (we are still in the process
of testing the Stradic FK), Vanford and TwinPower FD all exhibit a smooth and
light feeling retrieve, and yet they all pale in comparison to the Stella FK.
Simply put the Stella is on an entirely different level, it feels smoother,
lighter, and more effortless to turn, especially under load.
In my latest tests I started
spooling the Stella FK with Shimano's own Mastiff FC leader and pairing the reel
with the equally high-end Poison Ultima rods
The Stella FK
implements Shimano’s most advanced MicroModule and InfinityCross technology yet,
and there is actually plenty of meat behind the marketing in this particular
case. The Stella gets the latest iteration of MicroModule design in which the
gear teeth have been analyzed and optimized to improve that smooth gear feeling
during retrieve. I found that this Stella was significantly quieter than the
last generation when spun.
I liked the Stella FK on the
G.Loomis NRX+ but the Jackall Poison Ultima rods made for a very compelling
enthusiast combination
Over the last
two seasons I made it a point to fish the Stella hard, and never serviced the
reel once. The Stella did get a little bit louder after time as the lubrication
started to break down, but it still remained very smooth. Gear mesh on the
Stella is excellent and Shimano claims that InfinityXross enhances gear
durability through the design and manufacturing to improve the surface contact
between the drive gear and pinion gear. In the field the gears mesh well and
when battling fish I found the system did a great job distributing the load,
leading to a more effortless retrieve that has held up well over time.
This level of refinement is
what separates the Stella from competitors, and other reels in Shimano’s own
spinning lineup. The manufacturing is so precise that there is a reduction of
stress areas, or potential points of gear failure, all of which make the reel
feel smoother from the first crank out of the box, and seasons down the line.
The Stella FK features a
protective finish that looks silver and gunmetal under low light and slightly
bluish under bright light. With no gold highlights I think this is the most
stealthy and sleek looking Stella yet
Drag:
Though most anglers will employ the 3000 and smaller sized Stella FK reels for
finesse oriented applications the engineers at Shimano clearly wanted to make
sure the reel was capable of putting pressure on fish of all sizes. Though small
in size the 2500 and 3000 size reels are rated at 20lbs of drag and we achieved
21.8lbs of max drag pressure in our own lab tests with the dial tightened down
by hand.
One of the bright spots on the
Stella FK is the excellent drag system which is both smooth and powerful. The
main shaft is supported by two bearings to better isolate the spool and drag
under pressure
The Stella’s
drag is not only extremely powerful but also extremely smooth. The DuraCross
system delivers a very satisfying audible click as line peels away, and
adjustments are among the most precise I’ve ever experienced in a spinning reel.
The Stella achieves this level of drag precision with an alternating combination
of metal and woven drag washers that are strategically positioned and
isolated within the stack. This interesting design doesn’t rely on sheer surface
area, and maximizing drag surfaces to generate friction, but rather isolated
drag sections that allow the cross stitched woven washers to press against the
fixed metal washers for maximum stopping power.
A look at the complete system
after two seasons of use. The woven drag washers have held up well and required
no additional grease
Not only have
the woven washers been redesigned to be more durable, but this multi-segmented
approach helps make the drag more powerful and refined by having multiple
sections better isolate the washers within the center of the stack. The design
is like having powerful calipers surround a rotor on a car’s braking system, the
pressure is coming from both sides and can apply pressure while dissipating heat
efficiently.
The Stella FK's drag sings under
load as Gussy mopes up fish after fish
When battling
larger fish five pounds and up I noticed that the Stella did a better job than
other reels allowing the drag to work while also enabling the reel to gain
ground while cranking. I thought this was simply because of the drag stack doing
such a good job managing pressure and performance robbing heat but after a few
months of use I began to think there was more to the design. It was only after
speaking to the Shimano engineers that I understood that the dual bearing design
under the Stella’s spool was also a key factor here.
By beefing up the spool
support on the main shaft Shimano has found a way to suppress even minimal
amounts of play in the spool when the drag is operating. This allows for even
smoother and more consistent drag performance, even under higher loads. This
design came from studying how saltwater spinning reels performed with hard
running fish and translates well into the Stella where managing big fish on
light line often comes into play.
After fishing
with the Stella FK for an extended period, I found it easy to forget just how
good the new drag system is. It was only when switching back to other reels like
the Vanford or Tatula was I immediately reminded just how stable and smooth the
Stella’s ultra-refined drag really is.
Releasing a bass after tangling
with Gussy and the Stella
Ergonomics: The 2500 and 3000 sized Stella FK reels
are the most popular sizes for bass anglers and both are well suited for fishing
both finesse and smaller reaction baits. Anglers looking for a little more line
capacity and a faster retrieve (6.4:1 vs. 5.8:1) should go for the 3000 size and
both reels weight virtually the same at 7.4 ounces.
The Stella 3000 size reel features
a T-Knob, I prefer the smaller paddle knob
While the Stella
FK does feel solid and lightweight it is noticeably heavier than the Daiwa
Exist, the flagship reel that it is most often directly compared with. While the
Stella primarily makes use of aluminum in the reel’s HAGANE metal-class body the
Daiwa Exist uses magnesium in the monocoque frame and further lightens the
overall reel with a carbon composite ZAION rotor. The 2500 Exist XH weighs only
5.6 ounces and the larger capacity 3000 H weighs 6.2 ounces.
The Stella FK balances out
beautifully with the NRX+ DSR rod and feels effortless to drop shot or mope with
While the Stella
is noticeably heavier than the Exist it looks sleeker with the less pronounced
spool design and more compact angular shaped frame. I found that the Stella
balanced out perfectly and was a perfect pairing for lightweight finesse rods
like the G.Loomis NRX+ and Megabass Destroyer P5 Addermine.
Gussy put on an absolute moping
clinic in Florida
The Stella FK’s
excellent balance is no accident and if you look at the reel from the back you
will notice the angular edges of the frame on the right side. This was done to
isolate the main drive gears under the stem, moving the center of gravity closer
to where anglers typically hold the reel. The idea is that the better the reel
balances on the rod the less fatigue when casting and holding the rod, allowing
anglers to focus more on what is happening on the end of the line.
A look at the sleek body of the
Stella FK. The angles on this reel are beautiful and purposeful on all sides
When fishing at
the famed Bienville Outdoors lakes in Florida with Gussy I saw firsthand exactly
how and where this can make a difference. We were fishing in January when a cold
front knocked the fish down and they were holding in thirty feet of water. Gussy
demonstrated a technique that I wasn’t very familiar with. Using live sonar he
would position the boat directly on top of deep holding fish or bait balls and
use a Z-man Jerk Shadz or StreakZ on a 90 degree 3/8 ounce jighead. He proceeded
to put a beating on the bass preying on the bait balls and he was clearly
outfishing my drop shot rig.
After landing fish after fish I
asked Gussy to teach me how to mope effectively
I asked Gussy
what technique he was fishing and he showed me his now famous “mope rig.” That
afternoon I learned to mope and how the Stella’s perfect balance made it
effortless to hold the rod and perfectly position baits with sonar to impart
that subtle action and draw strikes. Gussy explained to me how high-end gear
like the Stella and G.Loomis NRX+ pairing definitely gives him an edge when the
bite is tough, allowing him to convert strikes to landed fish, and making every
bite count.
Gussy showed me how to leverage
the Stella FK, a Z-Man bait, and live sonar to target fish in 30+ foot depths
Next
Section: My first mope fish, and 50 more...
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