Daiwa Saltiga Star Drag Reels

Daiwa brought the Saltiga name back to star drag reels at ICAST 2015 with two new reels, and the larger sizes that followed at ICAST 2016 completed the series from the 10 through the 50. We counted Daiwa's earlier Saltiga star drags among the nicest star drag reels ever made, with machining ahead of anything else on the market, and this series carries that standard forward.

Every size is built on a precision machined, one-piece aluminum frame and side plate for strength and durability. The 10 and 15 are the compact end of the range, offered right-hand (SASD10H, SASD15H) and left-hand (SASD10HL, SASD15HL), with a 6.4:1 gear and 39.5" of line per crank. Both have a spool lock, no clicker and an EVA foam handle knob. The 10 is a small reel made for braid, with limited line capacity: 330 yards of 20 lb braid, or only about 100 yards of 15 lb mono, so it suits a narrower range of fishing than the bigger sizes.

The 20HA and 30HA keep the 6.4:1 gear and 39.5" retrieve with more line capacity, the 35HA, 40HA and 50HA step up to 47.4" per crank, and the 40A and 50A trade speed for power with a 5.1:1 gear and 37.8" per crank. The 20 through 50 have a soft touch rubber handle knob.

As with any star drag, you set the drag and leave it, and the clutch gives true freespool, so the full drag is usable without costing you casting performance. Max drag is 17.6 lb on the 10, 15, 20 and 30, and 25 lb on the 35, 40 and 50. None of the sizes has cast control.

The 10 and 15 carry the three features Daiwa lists for that pair: ATD drag, whose grease stays thin at rest and thickens once the drag starts, for a smoother start from the hookup; Digigear, digitally engineered drive and pinion gears that mesh precisely for smooth, durable cranking; and a Magsealed ball bearing, sealed with magnetized oil against salt water and grit. Similar magnetic fluid technology has been used in professional loudspeakers to shed heat and add life to hard-driven drivers; in a reel the payoff is keeping salt out.

Every size runs nine bearings, and on the 10 and 15 one of the nine is that Magsealed ball bearing.

When the first 35, 40 and 50 sizes came in, they were what we had hoped for: the nicest machining in the business, smooth as silk, no handle slop and an anti-reverse that is right in design and use. You can call them jigging reels, but they do far more than jig. They fish bait, cast a long way and work jigs and iron.

Daiwa backs US model Saltiga reels with its Saltiga Executive 5 Year Limited Warranty against manufacturing defects and a free 5 year clean and service for the original owner, both with proof of purchase. No reel clamp or reel cover comes with them. Compare them with the rest of our .

Specifications

Bearings: 1MBB, 7CRBB, 1RB on the 10 and 15; 8CRBB + 1 on the 20 through 50. MBB = Magsealed ball bearing, CRBB = corrosion resistant ball bearing, RB = roller bearing.

Braid capacity is Daiwa's J-Braid figure, except on the 10: Daiwa's sheet repeats the 15's numbers there, so the 10's braid figures are ours. The 10 is made for braid; with mono it holds only about 100 yards of 15 lb.

Key Features

• Precision machined, one-piece aluminum frame and side plate
• Eleven models from the compact 10 to the 50, with the left-hand SASD10HL and SASD15HL
• 6.4:1 gear on the H, HL and HA models, 5.1:1 on the SASD40A and SASD50A
• 17.6 lb of max drag on the 10 to 30 and 25 lb on the 35 to 50
• Nine bearings in every size, including a Magsealed ball bearing on the 10 and 15
• ATD drag and Digigear on the 10 and 15
• Spool lock, no clicker and an EVA foam knob on the 10 and 15; a soft touch rubber knob on the 20 to 50
• Saltiga Executive 5 Year Limited Warranty and a free 5 year clean and service for the original owner