cant comment on the ultegra as I havent owned one

the Saltiga surf is a great reel and mine has been punished by a few car bonnet rays and plenty of sharks but your right the slow retrieve is only a benefit when your slugging it out against a big fish/lump of weed and it sucks for fishing off a rock platform like frustrations when you want to wind in quickly at the end

I have a shimano "big bait runner LC" that is quite a good reel with a long cast spool and high retrieve ratio but much heavier than the saltiga surf.  i have had alot of issues with shimano reels on the beach and I had to get the bearings replaced on this reel after a couple of uses but since then it has been fine

 I've only used my Saltiga Surf 6000 a few times and I haven't really noticed a difference with the "long cast" spool.  I've used and abused my Spheros 14000FA and also have a 14000FB and I really like them.  They seem to cast just as well as my Surf. 

I could be wrong about the casting advantages because ive only got mono on the Saltiga Surf and braid on the Spheros'.  

But to answer your question, I would consider a Spheros FB.  As they are now superseded, you could find yourself a bargain. 

 Hey Callum,

There will be some good previous threads on this on the forum. I know Rig and I have shared a couple of discussions previously! I own both a salty surf 6000 and an Ultegra 10000 XSA Ci4 (its a top spec and was a UK import - not seen it available over here, I think the 140000 is same size but bigger spool) - I have owned and very frequently used both reels over the past 2 years. I have also owned the LC baitrunner, which didn't have any reliability issues whilst I used it, I could see the potential for weaknesses and as mentioned in previous posts it was a heavy unit.

The Saltiga is an excellent reel and I got around 350m (or maybe 400m) of 50lb finns/power pro when i first spooled it (a bit more than the box suggested) with 5m+ or so of leader for casting. The drag and robustness of the Saltiga is excellent and I doubt it will ever fail unless mistreated or under massive load. The saltiga is 80g lighter than the Ultegra which is a noticable difference but not one which is enables better casting on my stiffer/heavier rods.

The Ultegra is in my opinion also an excellent reel. It is smoother if not necessarily as free spinning as the salty. The line lay and spool design is superior on the Ultegra which aids casting, there are also two spools supplied, with a bigger capacity than the salty - ~500m of 50lb finns at a guesstimate - don't quote me!. Now whilst the drag is smooth and it has accounted for some big fish and big rays (and for the exception that I once broke a $3 washer in the handle) has done so without issue, I would feel more confident on the saltiga with sizable lumps and sharks - as was the case at the North Mole the other day.

However it should be realised that both reels are long cast designed with long conical spools and long spool shafts - which do not make the most robust design for battling sharks. I recently purchased a Catalina high speed for rock, cliff and heavier boat fishing. Noting your trips to kalbarri, do you need to be casting to the horizon? I would estimate you get 15 m additional distance per 100 m - how frequenly will you cast > 100m into a SW'terly wind with a big bait??? So there is a trade off between casting distance and power (or perhaps reliably available power).

Either reel will handle a shore based mackerel or mulla but a 3m tiger is wholly different.

I have had no issues with water or sand ingress in either reel and the Ultegra's have a robust sealed drag washer system similar to that of the Saltiga -  according to the schemes, not like those of the baitrunner or Daiwa Windcast.

Given the new releases of Daiwa's smaller reels in long cast design with the air rotor technology and the continuing decreasing price of the salty surf's (down approx $100 compared to prices a few years ago), it is my expectation that the saltiga surf model will be replaced in the near (ish) future, but no idea how soon.

Happy for you to take a look at my reels,  or meet up for an evening fish, Im scarbs/trigg based.

 Cheers,

Graham

 i'd love to have the saltiga but dont see the point in spending that coin on a reel thats just not quite what i want 

i'll be checking the big bait runner out my 6500b has landed many croakers to 20kg and 1 over the 50lb mark 

it seems us mulloway fishos follow follow the same paths i was just looking at my spheros fa poor thing haha her working days are done

 greyheads we'll deffently catch up for a fish mate youve hit the nail on the head we fish hard for our fish and need a reel to suit while sharks are not a target species for me there part of mulloway fishing and if lip hooked it may need to stand up to a bit of punishment,

The long shaft was not something i took into concideration either but a good point that 4th paragraph really got me thinking now 

i hope the new model saltiga comes with a slightly higher ratio

 do you plan on catching a bigger mulla up here or something mate!!!

Youve seen the punishment my salt has taken both off cliffs and beach. They dont cost a heap. Easy to service and built like brick shithouses. Could be an option instead of forking out for the big brand names! 

Mines just about to be hung up but def getting the newer model nits gona get the same treatment the last one got!

Btw the bug girls are on the chew with the river flowing! Where the bloody hell are ya!!

 mate theres no bloody fish up there i'll give ya a bell tomorro big australia day lost phone, clothes, dignity, planning a trip with joe reef and big boat soon but the mulla bug killing me did hear rumors of flooded river maybe a quick trip even sooner for some fun!