In past 2019, SHIMANO has released new 19 STELLA SW for salt game anglers and it is being sold very much.
And now, DAIWA fans have been strongly wishing top of the salt game reel – 20 SALTIGA is announced!
This must be one of the biggest news from Fishing Festival 2020 and revealed information is here.
New Monocoque body is installed
Now you may remember this new feature from DAIWA, monocoque body, firstly featured for 16 Certate HD, and brushed up perfectly to 18 EXIST.
Usually, spinning reel body has multiple peaces for body, usually 2 peaces, such as half body with reel foot and gear cover, that has limit of gaining strength.
But monocoque body only has one simple body frame, and it creates lots of benefits in spinning reels.
Bigger gear can be used as the body is simplified much so that the gear can have more power against small body size, so lighter body can have much stronger power.
And because of less parts, monocoque body can have more strength than usual 2 peace body reels but even lighter.
LT Concept – light and tough are achieved with this monocoque body.
Now this monocoque body installed, so DAIWA announces this new 20 SALTIGA is the strongest but lightest series ever.
And this monocoque body combined with Magsealed installed to ball bearings around drive gear and line roller, makes strongest water resistance ever – DAIWA also announced.
You can see how the demo was on Fishing Show – you could compare the power of previous model and new model as below movie:
Miho Akimaru, the famous DAIWA pro angler, introduces this new 20 SALTIGa in this movie. and from 3:00, she tries the demo.
You could see those 2 SALTIGAs are tied to 2 electric reels, and the male staff tells her those drags are set to as 2kg.
When she tries previosu SALTIGA it looks very hard to wind. That was how it was used to be.
And when she tries the new 20 SALTIGA – she then shouts “Whaaaaat seriously!?”, “So different, really!?”.
Does not look like it is for real? Well, it actually is real. We tried the same demo at the Fishing Show and new 20 SALTIGA really creates much stronger power than previous model!
New Aluminium Air Rotor
ZAION, the DAIWA’s original resin material was used to 15 SALTIGA. That was light but still tough enough to use hard offshore game fishing but because it is resin material, that could be a bit weakened especially when you used them for bigger targets as I felt.
So new 20 SALTIGA now has aluminium material Air Rotor so it has more than 2 times stronger than 15 SALTIGA, from DAIWA official site.
New drag system makes 10 times tougher
This 20 SALTIGA also has new drag system.
15 SALTIGA only had 6 washers inside the drag but this 20 SALTIGA has 14 of it. It also removed resin parts so heat releasing is more smooth and quick, and makes 10 times tougher than 15 SALTIGA.
You can see some information in Youtube below (Japanese – please turn on translator)
Comparing to 15 SALTIGA and 19 STELLA SW
Now let’s compare to previous 15 SALTIGA and rival model, 19 STELLA SW.
As of those reels are designed especially for bigger targets like Tuna, Kingfish, Amberjack, GT, Grouper, Marlin (Sailfish) etc… let’s check on the big size #14000.
| 19 STELLA SW | 15 SALTIGA | 20 SALTIGA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | 14000XG | 6500H | 14000-XH |
| Weight | 675 | 835 | 665 |
| Gear Ratio | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.2 |
| Retrieve Range | 134 | 131 | 134 |
| Drag Power (kg) | 25/18 | 30 | 25 |
| Line Capacity Braided – Gou | #6-300 #8-200 | #5-500 #6-400 | #5-400 #6-300 |
| Bearing | 13/1 | 13/1 | 12/1 |
| Body Material | Aluminium | Super Metal (Aluminium) | Aluminium |
| Rotor Material | Aluminium | ZAION | Aluminium |
| Price (yen) | 119,000 | 106,000 | 119,000 |
I just picked up 15 SALTIGA 6500H, as it does not have particular model.
Basically from 15 SALTIGA to 20 SALTIGA, 1 bearing is less but I assume it is because of monocoque body, the inside of body is simplified so 1 bearing could be off.
Specwise there are not much different, so you may be able to use new SALTIGA like previous 15 SALTIGA models, but has more of size options with lots of new features.
Now comparing to 19 STELLA SW, wow those specs are really similar. Prices are the same in the same size, and size number is the same now.
Body materials and rotor materials are the same as well, and gear ratio / retrieve range are totally the same. Very interesting result.
Of course SHIMANO and DAIWA has lots of different techniques each others, so when you use both the characters will be differed, like SHIMANO usually has smoother and wet reeling feeling, and solid drag, and DAIWA usually has lighter but dry reeling feeling, but drag is smooth and feels a bit loose – not in bad expression, it is because of different concept from SHIMANO.
Can’t wait to try it out? Then you can touch it in Fishing Festival 2020.
Spec and release date
This lure does not actually have LT label in its name, but size chart is renewed and the size numbers are close to SHIMANO now – from #8000 with braided line #4-300m capacity, to #20000 with #8-400 capacity.
Depending on the size but has P – power gear, H – fast gear and XH – extra fast gear.
The difference in between Japanese models and USA models are these line-ups, Japanese models have more choice for you.
Release date is announced as February 2020, the next month.
Check out this page tag #Fishing Festival 2020, if you want to see all products related to Fishing Festival 2020!
| Model | Retrieve Range (cm) | Gear Ratio | Weight (g) | Drag Power (kg) | Capacity braided (Gou-m) | Bearing | Price (yen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8000-P | 92 | 4.8 | 645 | 25 | #3-400 #4-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 8000-H | 111 | 5.8 | 655 | 25 | #3-400 #4-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 10000-P | 98 | 4.8 | 645 | 25 | #4-400 #5-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 10000-H | 118 | 5.8 | 655 | 25 | #4-400 #5-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 14000-P | 104 | 4.8 | 655 | 25 | #5-400 #6-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 14000-XH | 134 | 6.2 | 665 | 25 | #5-400 #6-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 18000-P | 101 | 4.5 | 875 | 30 | #6-400 #8-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 18000-H | 131 | 5.8 | 885 | 30 | #6-400 #8-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
| 20000-H | 143 | 5.8 | 890 | 30 | #8-400 #10-300 | 12/1 | 119,000 |
* Braided line capacity is based on Japanese size “Gou”. Please refer to Gou and Diameter table to see diameters of each Gou.
* All product information and images are basically from DAIWA official website.
The monocoque body (as Daiwa calls it) was first found in a Certate – Certate HD 4000 & 3500.
Thank you very much for letting us know David, sorry we missed Certate HD features. Now text is updated.