Daiwa SALTIST6500 Saltist Spinning Reel

Daiwa SALTIST6500 Saltist Spinning Reel

Price: $279.99
Model
TD Code
Max Drag (lbs)Line Capacity Mono (yds/lb)RetrieveWeightBearingsGear RatioLine Capacity Braid (yds/lb)Price
SALTIST6500
DAI-2348
33.0370/20
310/25
260/30
Dual29.6oz95.3:1550/50
440/65
330/80
$279.99 USD
The Daiwa SALTIST6500 Saltist Spinning Reel was made for serious saltwater fishing. This reel was designed to provide reliability and performance.

Daiwa SALTIST6500 Saltist Spinning Reel Features:

  • Machined aluminum screw in handle
  • Waterproof carbon ATD drag system
  • Digigear system
  • Magsealed line roller and main shaft
  • Hard bodyz body and side cover
  • Air rotor
  • Braided line ready spool
  • Dynamic cut aluminum ABS spool
  • Protrusion free AirBail
  • Manual Return bail
  • Infinite anti-reverse system
  • Infinite dual anti-reverse system
4.5 Stars based on 52 reviews
By Steve
Virginia Beach area.
Excellent & super smooth Reel
August 11, 2022
My first Daiwa reel. It is the smoothest reel I have ever used to date. I will get another Daiwa in future. So far has handled very well with reds, flounder & trout. Looking forward to some snook fishing. Casting is amazing distance even with light lures.
Pros
  • Very smooth Reeling and casting.
Cons
  • None
By Bill
Cape cod
Nice reel, when it’s not broken!
August 8, 2022
Purchased two 3000 sized reels. Very smooth and balanced. One real broke twice within 12 months. The other one broke once within 12 months. Warranty service not good. Slow and unresponsive. Went back to shimano.
Pros
  • Smooth
Cons
  • Warranty
  • Durability
By skye s.
barbados
still best option
April 2, 2022
i bought the 6500 reel for slow pitch jigging and have used it hard and caught many fish on it now. the reel has a very smooth drag as well as a huge line capacity unfortunately the spring holding the anti reverse slipped and was dragging on the gears making a ticking noise when reeling after a month of intense jigging the anti reverse still worked though. another problem is because of the anti reverse system it is not instant like some other reels i have used causing a clunking noise in the gears when jigging, so far no more problem after i fixed the spring after the first month.
Pros
  • line capacity
  • size
  • retrieve rate
  • strength
Cons
  • anti reverse
  • service ability
By Anthony
SAN BENITO, TX
If you don't mind the weight
March 24, 2022
This reel is butter smooth, but the weight is a significant difference. I like to use this reel when I'm not going to be casting over a 5 hour trip, the couple of ounces extra on this one makes a difference. Other than that it's solid and has tons of fight power.
Pros
  • Smooth
  • Durable
  • Fighting power
Cons
  • Heavy
By Chris
Massachusetts
good reel but heavy
February 21, 2022
this thing is heavy, and i usually fish a slammer which everyone says is the heaviest. i disagree. these do not put out the drag power of the slammer either. they are smooth and have good torque. but i really think the slammer out preforms it. the new mq model is nice as well, very smooth.
Pros
  • can take a beating,
Cons
  • heavy, not as much drag power as some others.
By Matt
Bradenton, Florida
love it!
January 6, 2022
Just bought this and paired it with a St Croix Med/Light rod... love the combo of the two- this Daiwa reel is where its at for the money!!! Thanks TackleDirect for making it easy as always
By Richard
Philly
Bought the 4000 last year and the 4500 three days ago!
November 14, 2021
I’m exceptionally thrilled with my Saltist 4000 and 4500. Thursday I stopped at my local bait store looking for a reel to match my 10’6†rod. My man showed me a couple reels that I didn’t like. He asked how the Saltist 4000 held up with my Tsunami 9’ Trophy II. Its a phenomenal product. Now I’ve got two reels from Diawa that performed superbly.
Pros
  • Exceptional retrieve
  • Well made
  • Not horribly expensive
  • Cool looking exterior
Cons
  • No
By Don W.
SC
Very satisfied
October 25, 2021
Very smooth reel, both the drag and the action of the reel
By Jamey
Palm Harbor, FL
Pleased
October 22, 2021
Happy with purchase.
Pros
  • Well made, smooth retrieve. And I like the color,
By David G.
Okeechobee
built like a tank
October 14, 2021
living in south Florida I tear up a lot of reels fishing for big tarpon and alligators. only the toughest survive especially on gators.the manual bail just adds more strength in this reel. we are hard on tackle down here and diawa just made the odds better for success.
Pros
  • strength and build quality
Cons
  • to pretty for the beating its going to take
By James
Plum island Massachusetts
Awesome reel for offshore or surf chunking
October 13, 2021
I got the 5000 two years ago, it is a great reel for chunking clams or mackerel from the beach for stripers and blues. A bit heavy for tossing plugs and eels all night and not durable enough for consistent dunks. I have caught many 150 pound sharks on this from the beach and it handles those great. Drag is exceptional. That being said it can not be fished hard in the surf. I was using the saltx as my wetsuit rock hopping reel and one night that went down so I switched to the saltist. The reel now sounds like an old penn but still performs well. I would assume a few more nights of fishing like that and the reel would lock up. This reel is a great once a trip dunker and for the money is unrivaled.
By Kirk
Detroit
Feels Very Durable
October 13, 2021
So far so good for this reel. Like the aluminum parts much more than carbon fiber or graphite.
By Anthony
Florida
Great reel I have had this reel about a year and a half in that time it has been dunked about 3 times in brackish water with no problems. What really impressed me was I decided to take my kayak to the beach lost control of the kayak, kayak rolled about 3
September 15, 2021
Now I want a saltist mq
By Tom
Sneads Ferry, NC
Great reel
August 17, 2021
Great reel
By Gary
SAN CLEMENTE, CA
Daiwa got me again!
August 9, 2021
To be honest I really didn't need another reel, but I'm going on a multi-day tuna trip and wanted a backup to one of my old favorites the Original Saltist STT6500H. I thought I was going to get one of the other brands, but after looking into the new Saltist 6500 and at this price... I was sold. My problem now is keeping away from the Saltiga Spinning reels.
Pros
  • Proven durability
  • Smooth
  • Balanced
  • Mag Sealed
  • Good Looking
Cons
  • a bit heavy
4 Questions & 4 Answers
Mike
from Ohio asked:
January 10, 2019
How would the 6500 work on a Snook/Grouper/ Tarpon set up? If one much better than the other which one?
1 Answer
The saltist 6500 would work great as well as the 6000 or 8000 Shimano Saragosa.
Submitted by: Bernie on January 10, 2019

George
from Brownsville, TX asked:
March 8, 2020
Is the 6500 good for surf fishing on a 12 ft. Tsunami Airwave XXH rod?
1 Answer
The Saltist 6500 should pair very well with that rod, offering a well balanced 12' surf fishing setup 
Submitted by: Brian on March 13, 2020

Jeremy
from North Walpole N.H asked:
April 29, 2018
Saltist 6500 paired up with a Odm Genesis 11' NXG-116 is it a good or bad match up for that rod.
1 Answer
The Saltist 6500 would balance well on the Odm Genesis 11' NXG-116. The two would make for a beastly setup surf fishing or fishing in canals.
Submitted by: Donald on May 1, 2018

russell farrow
from Queensland asked:
November 27, 2017
Is this a Saltist 6500 H
1 Answer
The Daiwa SALTIST6500 Saltist Spinning Reel is the Saltist 6500 H.
Submitted by: Donald on November 28, 2017

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