Like your videos but this one is an error. In the begining you said it was a 5000 Shimano then you are talking about a 6000 Shimano??? Anyway... You can't compare a slammer 6500 to a shimano 5000 no comparison. Don't let the model numbers fool you. A shimano 5000 is more similar to a Penn 3500 which is a much lighter reel and it still has more power than a Shimano 5000 and probably a 6000 as well. I fish with a Penn 3500 or even a 4500 all day and it is fine. A Penn 6500 is a BRICK. That is more for deep sea fishing were you set it and forget it. Don't go by model numbers compare reals by specs.
I surf fish exclusively. I own both. I can’t imagine ever being loyal to just one brand. I like variety. That being said, the Shimano is the smoothest reel I’ve ever encountered. It just doesn’t matter a whole lot when your set up is sitting in a rod holder. If I was casting and retrieving all day, I’m sure I’d use the Shimano more.
Love my Gosa 10K. In 2 years landed 5 wahoos, 2 decent tunas, 2 uluas, and countless small fish. She fell off the boat and went overboard into the ocean, dove into the water and retrieved her 15' below the surface. Opened her up and bone dry. Absolute beast of a reel.
South African (Cape Town) here .... In our neck the woods we do surf / rock fishing mostly. Before "Coffee Grinders" were the rage Penn was the go-to reel ie Free Spool reel (Starting with the Penn 45 (way back) and the Penn 500). The fish we catch in the Western Cape are generally big and include Yellow tail, cob, grunter etc and then also ragged-tooth sharks, gully sharks etc ..... the go to reels include the Shimano Saragosa 6000, 8000 and 10000, additionally the Shimano Twin-Power 6000, 8000 and 10000.
@Azbycxdwevfugthsirjqkplomn McPinth ya you could buy a brand new reel and the first time you use it the thing is used..,. Pay half as much at the pawn shop and you have more money for fuel to go fishing 🙄
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said how different these two reels are. The Penn might be marketed towards a group who want a heavier reel, possibly to put heavy bait on the hook and let it set on the bottom. Then you have the line capacity and drag to reel in whatever hits it. The Shimano might be marketing more of a casting crowd or at least a more mobile crowd who is more concerned with the weight of the reel than the drag or line capacity. As you said, both reels will get the job done in almost ALL situations. I like how you stayed out of the corner of saying which one was "better" than the other by approaching this from a differences standpoint. This way you are being helpful to anyone looking at or comparing these two reels and consumers can make a more educated choice and pick what best fits their needs. Awesome video.
I agree, ive got a penn ive been using for a while and i love them for pier fishing and surf fishing havnt tried it offshore but im sure its great. But i also have a shimano that i use whenecer im casting out artificial bait or going fishing with a lighter tackle setup.
To be fair, he's comparing a Slammer, and probably should be comparing a Spinfisher instead. Slammers are, and always have been - a meat stick reel. I personally don't use spinning reels in that class, my meat sticks are all conventional.
I discovered PENN brand many years ago after bad experiences with other reels in the coastal sea run brown trout fishing. Since that moment I cannot imagine to choose different reels than PENN. Perhaps these reels are not the smoothest ones but are full metal, sealed, reasonably priced and bulletproof. That's a simple recipe for a good reel.
shimano is made for higher skilled fishermen who care about looking after their reel and lightwieght performance penn is made for the lesser skilled fisherman with little care for their reels and no need for casting and skill
@@Chris_STR I think what he meant in his context is that Penn are for people who love fishing but are not gentle with their reels (I dont mean maintenace prespective). Lets be honest there are people out there who would use things like a rag doll as a habit. On the other hand, shimano are more bells and whistles. Therefore, you need extra care of your reel.
@FlattychasersNSW lol ok, whatever you think mate, what a joke, both reels can catch fish, it's not about skill, I own 2 Penn battle 3 8000 and 4000, and I look after my reels like a baby, I don't thrown them around, I clean them after ever session and oil and grease them, it's got nothing to do with "skill".
I must be Superman! I can fish with my Penn Spinfisher VI 8500 jigging all day. I used to use Shimano spinning reels for bass fishing and I don't think I ever had one last a year. But I fished a lot. Now I fish saltwater in the PNW. I'll take that heavy duty truck any day. A sports car just ain't going to cut it.
Right brother my slammer old 1st You see my channel fishing day 1 Fishing day 2 part 2 Fishing day 3 .....very good power but you must good maintenance
The old models were made in the USA and were bullet proof......since they went to china and use cheap local components,they have gone right down hill.....the SS versions used to be awesome but you paid the money for them......now they are cheap but they are also nasty as well.
@@nucreative4556 It should have no problem too pull over 1m Amber jacks with this. I have 5500 and had no issue at all! But it gets bit tired as it's heavy. So if you are jigging all day, either change it to 5500 or 4500. And it still has more drag capacity than saragosa6000SW.
Tbh yes the saragosa are expensive to no have the line capacity as the slammer 🤦🏻♂️, i mean i still prefer slammer than saragosa shimano is great but way to over priced .🤦🏻♂️
This was a very poor comparison video. I'm pretty sure its in the name "slammer" that its meant to be bigger and heavier than other reels. With all the other Shimano reels you have, do none of them have comparable drag/line capacity for an actual comparable sized reel to see if they match weights? Penn does have reels that fill the lighter casting role, and Shimano has big heavy high capacity/ drag reels. That said I have a semi comparable 4000 size from both shimano and Penn, the only main difference being age and drag. The Shimano is like 10+ years old and it still runs geat, but I keep it only in the freshwater, while the Penn is my all purpose medium size reel and its caught small reds, and a few okay snapper. I love them both for what I use them for. I don't have a matching Dawia yet, I'm waiting for the cheap toss about reel i use to break to get a Saltist or BG for my next one.
I own mostly Shimano, Okuma, Penn, and Daiwa. It sounds crazy but I've landed more big fish on Okuma reels. Still love Penns despite being heavy. Being from Texas I'm usually fishing for Redfish and trout. I'm hooked on your videos. Really good stuff! Love the content!
What small reel in the 2500 size (under 9oz) would you recommend to catch flounder and specks that can also handle a redfish (5 - 10lbs) if it decides to bite? I use 10lb braid.
@@DongWang-m4n Get a Daiwa BG MQ 3000 (9.3oz) even the 4000 is only 10oz..but if you're willing to spend more look up Shimano Twin Power XD,Daiwa Certate and Shimano Vanquish too
My dad and I have mostly penns, not out of loyalty but happenstance. They function fine, but don’t blow me away. I think the Penn Pursuit 3 is great value, I have a Shimano my wife uses, and I’m sincerely impressed with that reel. My favorite rig I own though, is my Piscifun Alijos.
I LOVE the Penn Pursuit, got it on a Penn Mariner rod in an awesome deal a few years ago and it was my most beloved setup. Had more expensive reels, for some reason that pursuit was so lightweight, yet so solid and never missed a beat, built so well, it was my favourite and most reliable reel. Probably still would be, and I've got a Slammer 3. Need to get another Pursuit as I lost my last combo. Gotta build it back up. By the way, on the light Penn Mariner rods (2-4kg, fast action) the tip is just so sensitive and unlike anything else I've fished with which was also that solid. Honourable mention is abu Garcia RayRex, Light 1-3kg rod, but they are a lot more fragile to bumps etc if you aren't careful with them. They hold up to a decent size fish still though!
Team penn, always been on my budget. Never had a bad experience with dawia either have two of them. But I'm stay true to penn. Great video. Always fish with what you love and do best with.
Penn reels are the best hands down I have been using them for the past 20 years and I have never had a problem out of any reels the quality is on point and you can feel it in there reels.
Love my Daiwa BG 2500. Super smooth and has no problems reeling in fish. Iv used it for both freshwater water and light saltwater. Awesome reel for the price!
I've always been a diehard Penn fishermen, but recently I've introduced some lighter shimanos into my arsenal, and so far I'm very impressed! Great reels 👍🏻
I've been watching you for a year now and bought a Shimano baitrunner and mojo surf 10'6" rod for Christmas. Can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can get out there and catch some fish. Love you guys, keep up the great work!
The Gosa is not just smoothness and beauty. It’s a tank. I’ve horsed big red snapper, sharks, amberjack, bonito, Cobia and more with my 10K Gosa. And it still feels like the day I bought it. The thing is just a beast.
"Yes" you should still trust Penn and/or any other reel. You have to look at it this way, How many of us either in the fishing world, electronic world, building world, etc have gotten name brand expensive equipment and it fails at the worst possible moment. In all honesty, s^%$ happens. Remember anything that humans or robots make will at some point either fail, break or not work anymore and of course at the worst possible moment. For every 1 handle that breaks, fails, or doesn't work, doesn't even compare to the success of the performance of the reel in general. I'm neither pro Penn or Shimano. I have both, and in my fishing career I have heard, seen, and experience reel failure. Again, it doesn't happen all the time. Even if you service it as your suppose too. Congrats to Penn on honoring their warranty. My opinion, This is what you look into in a company. Remember, it would be great to live in the perfect world that everything we buy, touch and own to never fail on us either at the worst possible moment or in general. Maybe its the Army background I have where you adapt and overcome at a less than a moments notice (that is no dig to or on anyone who doesn't have military background.) I just think in general we have to look at the overall picture is that Penn and Shimano has there pro and cons on every reel they make. As fisherman we use what we feel is right. Remember, using any reel is a hell of a lot better than watching fish swim by you and wishing you could catch them hahaha.
I fish off the rocks in South Africa. My favourite rod and reel combo is my Penn Allegiance II 11ft and Penn Wrath 5000. You are right that the Penn is a heavy reel, but I have no problem casting with it. The Penn Wrath is an entry level reel at a good cost and is very smooth (for now). My understanding is that it all depends on what you are fishing for and what you are casting. For casting bait, the Penn is a good reel, but for casting lures, I would go with a Shimano or Daiwa due to the lighter weight. Just my two cents...
@@frogliza9977 its less than half the price from a shimano with the same built quality (dont get fooled by the fan boys they all forget to name the price of the stradics and sara/stellas )......
No, the saltist is basically a Daiwa bg with better stealing for an extra $100+. Very low quality in that reel to along with alot of there conventionals too. Says a lot right there... I prefer Shimano spinners and accurate conventionals with exceptions for Okuma makaira Avet raptors, and talicas. Just my point of view.
@@SuspendaS nah, I like the accurates and Avets. Some daiwas but I prefer Okuma. Ever since they teamed with Tiburon they have been making outstanding products! Daiwa is a cheap Chinese brand that copys lots of Shimano reels. The new saltiga looks like the Stella.
"When I throw this, my arm feels like it's going to fall off". 😂 Of course it is, the size difference in those reels your comparing is like comparing a Mack truck to a pickup truck. Get reels of similar size and they aren't that dissimilar in weight.
Team Penn bro. Those Shimano’s while being smooth just aren’t as tough in my experience and parts can be a challenge to acquire. My Penns have yet to let me down.
Same here man, as for casting lures the only reel that gave me trouble is the slammer but tbh it’s not really meant for imo. Just get a clash if you want a good light weight reel.
I fish a lot and Iam hard on my gear... My pens reels never last a full season with out maintenance or complete failure.. My diawa reels need maintenance through out the a season but always get it back to working order.. This year though I will be switching to Shimano for the smooth ride.. I believe best bang for your buck is diawa but shimano always has that next level performance with smoothness and looks. Invest in a van staal if you need a workhorse my van staal vr has taken a beating for two years and is still strong.
Have a few Penn SSVs and I agree to heavy and both need service after 7 months of Togging. I've recently gone over to a couple BGs and pretty happy with the weight and smoothness so far. You cant beat the price for a almost fully sealed reel. I love my 2 Shimano for freshwater. But think the sealed Shimano for saltwater are big bucks. Thanks for the content. You guys rock!
I’ve been fishing south Florida, keys, and Everglades for 22 years now. Inshore and offshore fishing. I fished penn reels for the first 10 years, any and every reel. The last 12 have been shimano and I’m not turning back lmao.
Where I'm from in California, we tend to float towards Penn. Why? They're robust for surf casting. They won't let you down, and quality is more noticeable. Your right though, shimano reels are similar to driving a Mercedes Benz, a BMW, jaguar,etc. There smooth, they're light weight, but... Based on my level of negligence, the PENN will outlast the shimano on salt water fishing. As for fresh water, i agree, the lighter,the smoother, the better.
Switch to the 4500 slammer, if that tires you out then it's user error for sure. No offense but if your arms dead just from casting anything below a 8000 then it's time for some strength training
Ya i fish my 6500 slammer for 7 or 8 hours at a time casting big stickbaits and surface irons. I had problems with the sargosa's drag blowing out while jigging. Happened three times with the same reel. Got tired of it and switched to penn. Haven't had a problem since.
the saltiga is for people with a lot of money and most fishermen are not there, i have 4 of them and 11 stella's and in my opinion the stella is still the feinshmecker reel with fine tuned clutch adjustment etc etc while saltiga is a brute. They are both very expensive and both work. Period.
@@Devilfish415 I’ve been thinking of picking up a spinfisher for surf fishing. What kind of rod do you have yours paired with? Id be mainly throwing about 1-4ozs of weight
@@SmoocheeWallace I use the 4500 size with multiple rods, its a versatile size. I have a diawa emcast rod which is rated for 1-4oz lures and its a great fit with that size spinfisher.
Ah such a Miami swag! Love the portability it offers 🥰. You should get the one Bass Pro sells with holes along the rim so that once you casted out, you can pull the line through and hang it somewhere to see all the action
I also am Shimano fanboy by heart and have quite a few different ones. Fresh and saltwater. And 8 different Stradic models alone. I also have a Penn Slammer 3 3500 and recently bought a Penn Slammer 4 5500 and I do love them both. And YES I do agree theres a weight difference. I seem to use the Slammer 5500 for beach cut bait or bottom bouncing deeper water. Shimano will remain my goto but I do appreciate the better drag for bigger fish. Question. Do you freshwater fish? I moved to Texas from London 4 years ago and my fishing was freshwater. My favorite ever reel is called a Mitchel Match. an absolutely amazing reel. NOT the new ones but the early ones. Please try one out. Excellent IMO for Bass.
I'm shopping for a surf spinning rod and reel. I've been exploring Penn (products and reviews); and, watching you catch fish like crazy on the beaches of the world...BTW, the Cabo San Lucas excursion was crazy-fun to watch! After all I've seen, including this video right here confirming the lighter aspects of Shimano and the shaky reliability of Penn reels, I'm exploring Shimano rod-reel combos. Based on what I've seen, Shimano uses a worm-gear setup, which gives it a slimmer profile and lighter weight. The Penn uses a cam...loads of screws inside, which could work loose, causing the funky noises you've experienced. In any case, I hear you. I don't want to have to crack-open the reel for maintenance all that often. I like what you're saying about your Shimano reel not needing any attention after a year. All things considered, I'm looking at a 10' Shimano rod/reel combo: The Offshore Angler Breakwater Surf Spinning Rod and Reel Combo - BR8000/1015302. This length is paired with either the 7000 or 8000 reel. What are your thoughts? I'll be fishing San Diego, CA area beaches...expect to catch surfperch, Mackerel, and...it might be nice to hook some juvenile Bonita. Am I dreaming? :-) Your videos are awesome...recently discovered your channel...subscribed.
On the contrast my Penn slammer 3 6500 failed in multiple ways after a season of yellowtail kingfish in new Zealand, never had an issue with my shimanos
Own both of these reels, definitely agree with weight comparison, surf casting lures gets way more tiring fishing with the slammer 3. Smoothness I give it to Shimano. Power(drag) I give it to Penn. Like skipper said. Purchase the reel that equips your type of fishing. Have yet to lose fish on these two reels. Fingers crossed. Great review. 👍
Ya ive got both a shimano and penn reel that ive used and i prefer my penn for surf/pier fishing and prefer my shimano for artificial bait fishing (lures etc.). I just love my penn for rough fishing ive fallen into surf and completely flooded my reel and i got back up and kept reeling no issues and as long as theyre properly maintained i havent had any issues, but they are tiring to use when your casting repeatedly thats when i pull out my lighter tackle rod with my shimano
Having branding and product design in my background, I appreciate Penn's excellent trade dress of recent years. When you see a Penn from afar, you know it's a Penn. Shimano's product design seems random and nondescript. You could slap a Daiwa, Okuma, or even Sougayilang logo on it and fool people. Yes, those things influence my purchase decisions. Consumer surveys show that a lot of anglers enjoy being seen with good looking gear. A compliment on my impeccably matched rod and reel color schemes and motifs is as good as catching a fish.
Penn is such a more stronger reel from personal I have caugh easy 80kg stingray and on shimano they just get spooled way to easy my personal experiences
Im sorry dude but you need to service your reels after every use specially when you are wading trough waves, open them up hot water and lune them. Not once every year😂
Gys de Wet After every use? I would service a year once a year. If you have to service a reel every time you use it, it’s a piece of shit reel. You buy reels that are quality so you DONT have to service it all the time. It don’t make sense to buy something that doesn’t hold up and require service after every use.
@Johnathan Lo cheaper reels like shimano and kastking (kids)i was servicing every month, my daiwa sol (mag sealed) is still primed as the day i got it (6 months)
Gys de Wet Not me, I surf fish and deep sea fish, after each trip I spray them with a very weak soapy solution and rinse them very good. Oil on certain points, No problems in 8 years. But I only have 14 setups to take care of.
@Johnathan Lo It called basic maintenance ......wipe down with a rag with inox on it......lube the bail roller.(very important) ....and main shaft.....drop of oil to the bearings/handles .....spray over reel with inox and never leave in an air tight box....an airy bag will do.....keep it out of any kind of water and depending on use get serviced once a year.....never hose your reel down as you can drive salt into the small crevices.....INOX is superb and leaving a light coating over the whole reel gives protection and makes it easier to clean the next time.......ALWAYS BACK OFF THE DRAG at the end of a days fishing(just leave it on a tiny bit to stop any crud getting in there)...if you leave your drag done up it will compress your washers and fuck them up !....u lose drag and smooooothnesss.
as an aussie im used to alveys and have sed them for everything and spinning gear is just odd to me saying that i own a dogfight and saltiga as well as a Stella and Saragosa ....penn have failed me to many times .
Team Shimano all day baby. By the way mate the Penn slammer 6500 is actually a lot more similar to the Saragosa 8000 and the 5500 slammer is more like the 6000 gosa. Sizing with Penn and also Daiwa are confusing haha.
You didnt cover the waterproof factors i have a slammer 6500 and a shimano stella 14000 xg i use my slammer for livebaiting tuna from the shore and my stella for casting lures for tuna kingfish and cobia
I've bought Penn Spinfisher IV 2500 and a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 at the same time. I fished them both equally off a jetski and gave them the same after use rinse. The shimano stradic had to go for repairs (under warrantee) then it died the following season and is now in a landfill somewhere. The Penn Spinfisher is still perfect and hasn't even had a service yet. I was so impressed with Penn Spinfisher that I went out and bought 3 different sizes of the next model up (Penn Slammer). I've been so impressed with them that I've now sold my Daiwa Saltist 4000 LTD and Shimano Saragosa to get a Penn Authority. I fish a lot here in New Zealand and I like Shimano, I have Talica 8ii and I've even just bought a Beastmaster 9000A electric, but when it comes to spinning reels, I now only fish Penn IPX rated reels. I also had a Shimano Stella 2500 FE which cost me over $500 in servicing in 3 years!! WTF. Sold it! I'm told it was an older fresh water reel, but never again. I'd rather have a slammer than a stella
Good point durable in harsh conditions I’ve burnt drags on tuna jus hand cut leather washers and reload and go 7 rigs on a tuna boat if u come home 3 working your doing good penn always kept it simple even in maintenance clean grease go
Over the years I have tried using different spinning reels from all the different companies. Didn't have a lot of money so I usually bought reels that were on sale. Everything was good as long as I was able to go out and go fishing. Started with pier fishing (Pensacola, FL and Redondo Beach, CA) and eventually moved up to the Southern California sport fishing boats for near shore Pacific Ocean fishing. That was many years ago and now as I am getting back into fishing I am purchasing Penn reels for their metal body toughness and water seal protection. I want reels that will last for many years of use and that I will not have to replace due to weak gears or rust and corrosion. I read everything I could find online and watched TH-cam on what reels and rods used by those who go surf fishing or kayak fishing to get a good idea of what reels can take on saltwater ocean fishing. Perhaps as soon as I can get back into fishing more frequently, I will purchase the smooth Shimano and Daiwa reels. But as I said before, anything that gets you out on the water has to be a good thing. Fish on the line is always a good thing.
Spinning reels were originally designed to make casting lighter baits easier. They are absolute garbage for fighting larger fish. You want to target big tarpon get a conventional reel, much better drag systems.
i hooked one kingfish on a nasci and it burnt the drag out in about 30 seconds and bent the shaft/pinion... game over. thats when i learn't they are all feltdrag even the stella. ha. and their stupid marketing on the socorro and the other one also the nasci. all identical. but huge price diff. (literally a 20c washer difference and some color) fuck shitmano.
Thank you for the video, your channel is great! I use these reels every time I fish: Abu Cardinal 57, 55, 54 and 52. Dam Quick Royal MDS 5500, 4500, 3500 and 2500. Best regards Nikolo from Denmark
Hi! I’m thinking to buy a new shore jigging reel between Slammer 3 5500, saragosa 8000 or bg mq 8000. What do you suggest me? I need 300m of Pe3 40lbs at least.
Team “PENN” it’s more in my budget and the reliability I’ve had with holding and straight up putting work on big fish. I’ve never really had a chance to use any Shimano tackle but know it’s up there in comparison when you get up in both higher price ranges! Penn for sure has more power for the money!
@@nelson442 One thing I should I have mentioned, the Spinfisher VI comes in a bait runner 8500 version, which is a nice option for shark fishing from shore.
@@nelson442 If all you're gonna use it for is giant fish, and you're paddling baits out instead of casting, and for some reason you want to stick to spinning - the Slammer is a no-brainer. The bait runner (Liveliner in Penn speak) is great and all, but when you're setting a large cut bait on a concrete block sinker there's no point to it. But I do have 2 of them, a 6500 and 4500 (Spinfisher V) and they're pretty nice. I just don't use that feature enough to be worth it. I'd rather have less complexity most of the time.
do you not mit your rods and reels? or hit them with corrosion block? Ive used slammers for charters for years and they are all just as smooth as the day I bought them
I went on a tow months fishing trip to great barrier reefs in Australia with my 4500, 7500, and 9500 slammer3 but I have all size slammer3 though. I use different sizes for a certain type of fishing hence why the weight doesn't bothers me as all slammer sucked in double or more line than any other reels out there with the unbeatable drag system to back It up... Anyways I changed all or sell all my other gears was mainly top-end Daiwa and Shimano due to the fact I was traveling a lot and a keen have duty fishing angler and they seem to give up on me in that type of pressure of a month straight pulling up 10 to over 200 pounds fish daily from a charter boat. Anyways I showed up with my three sets of slammers on the trip and my friends frowned upon me if was demoting myself from shimano stella and Daiwa saltigas or I'm just being stingy? So what happened on the first month of the trip all of me friends high - end gears quit on them which happened without the knowing, and they have to pay to use the charters gear, I came back home with my slammers without the need for service and that was their 3 trips over 3y season plus recreational fishing with no problem at all! The Two malfunctions you point out are pretty rear with the slammer3 in my opinion and experience. Broken handle: 1 in a million Heaviness: use a lighter size that's all! My first trip to Australia my stella give up on me in the first 3 weeks and I have to pay $50 a day to use the charter's gears for the rest of the tow months. What did it for me is the slammer3's looks and specs let alone I bought almost all my slammers for the price of a stella combo, that shift me to penn fan big times all the way and I'm from New Zealand 🇳🇿! Cheers
im from NZ too. i use high end daiwa any day. but recently got a spinfisher vi for straylining while i softbait my daiwa sol ii and td black rods. love daiwa. and cant go past penn. i agree with everything you said. especially the drag system on penn, NZ has a different breed of fishing. watching videos around the world fishing then come to NZ for a look, hook a kingy or tuna, hell even a horse snapper will show you whats up. let me guess.your friends felt drag washers burnt up and buckled their internals? (shimano)
From nz aswell mate, have a 2008 Stella that still work like new, has probably pulled in over 500 kingfish in the 10 -30 kg range, had a slammer for a season and loved it but it failed me, perhaps mine was faulty, but you can't dog on the high end stuff, they will outlast and outperform in every way,
Wow thanks for review idol I’m planning to buy penn slammer for big game jigging. What reel can you recommend for a mid price that has powerful drag that can hold plenty of lines.
Sealed reels are much heavier. I went to oceans east to buy a new reel and I tried out the 5500 to 4500 there was a very big difference in weight between those two so for the money I wanted the best drag system to the weight ratio. On any 5000 and up Penn it tends to be a much heavier reel. I do not own a Shimano and I was thinking about getting one I already own a battle II 2500 and the Slammer III 4500 and love it. I have fished my Slammer for 8 hours straight and there were times where I was happy I brought my sand spike and chair. My slammer has made short work of big stingrays and sharks as well as seabass it still feels like the day I bought it and it is two years old never been serviced. I took the spool part off and drag washer and cleaned them out with fresh water and any drag problems I was experiencing or grinding went away. I could rinse it thoroughly without worrying about corrosion since it is sealed take care of your tackle or throw your money away also since I was able to go in store to check everything out I was sure it was sturdy and I have never had a weird handle issue sorry to hear that I wonder if that is a 1 in a million occurrence I would also like to know how big this fish was was he trying to pull in Nessie of the Lochness?
😂😂 maybe he was hooked up to a monster. I think you make a good point about the sealed reel that I didn’t consider before. I agree it is well used sitting in a sand spike. Thanks for sharing your experience
Your Penn sounds like it missed greasing at the factory. I own both as big pit surf casters. If my penn had ended like this in under a year I would of sent it back to penn. my big penn is a winching tool I use for big shark, eel & ray It does the job very well. My shimano is more for the game fish like barracudas
Hi I'm from Taiwan. 3:30 I think you're having the same problem as I have here on my Penn conflict spinning CFT4000. The round gear in the gearbox was broken. And I took nearly $20 (USD) to fix it.
I own many brands of spinning reals and some of my favorites are penns. I've never had a Penn cause me grief but it could happen tomorrow. I would think well of Penn if they made it right. I also would likely not use a spinning reel for shark fishing. I would strongly prefer a large Penn with a star drag but that's just my personal preference.
#ShimanoGang You said it right and I agree! Penn is a workhorse but not as smooth, light or good looking as the Shimanos. Im biased as well. #TeamShimano
No you are the one who said the slammer is not smooth as shimmano. I merely pointed out all sealed reels are not smooth and take more effort to crank the handle due to the seal between tje handle and the body to keep the water out. Nothing smoother then a 1200 dollar stella but take it surf fishing in the northeast in nov and see how long it lasts .
@@stephenhusak6098 I understand what you are saying. My comment was that in my 'opinion', across the board I feel like Shimanos are smoother than Penns. Not talking about just the Slammer. A $100 Shimano > $100 Penn.
Now that IRT is coming out with a sealed reel im switching over to them anyway. Smoothness dont mean crap. Smooth doesnt stop a big ass fish that can pull you out of a boat. Thats the job of the drag and what a reel should be based on. With the exception of the big stella s and twin drag shimmano cannot compare to the dura drag system Penn is using now nor tje drag that IRT Van Staal or ZeeBass uses. Suggest you get to a gym if you have this much problems using a 5500 reel all day.
A friend of mine lives on the fellas road and he told me he seen him drive his car over the penn reel to try damage it before this video review. Hense the noise coming from the Penn
Dude, Okuma make very good reels for the money! Most of my spinning reels are Okuma. I've been fishing them for years, never had a problem that wasn't related to neglect. We once found an Okuma Ceymar at the bottom of the sea. It hadn't been there long, but I stripped and cleaned every part of it to the last screw and have been using it regularly for nearly three years afterwards. Hasn't missed a beat. Okuma is good
@@Kinimatikos I have an Azores 40 and 65. Use both on my kayak, which is a harsh environment and kills substandard reels quickly. I've had the 40 for about a year and the 65 for about 6 months. I know it's not a long time but so far I'm impressed with them. I had a Daiwa exceler die after three trips on the kayak. I use the ceymar 65 as my main surf reel
@@Kinimatikos Oh, my oldest Okuma is a Cimeron 30 that I use for light tackle stuff. In its 12 year life its landed hundreds of fish. Still works great. I got my girlfriend an Okuma reel as her first reel. Am I fanboy? Maybe, but for a reason
For the watchers out there, Shimano sizing are much smaller than the standard size we are accustomed to. My Shimano Stradic 4000 is about the same size as my Penn Spinfisher 2500. So a good comparison for this Slammer 6500 would be the Saragosa 14000. With that said I do feel the Shimano is smoother but also appears to be much more fragile.
Shimano never let me down... Stradic, spheros sw 6000, saragosa 5000, sienna 4000 even new spheros 4000... Never satisfied with penn product: sargus, battle, fierce, spinfisher vi, slammer 3 after 1-2 trip always make grinding noise... i dont know, maybe drive gear to small for their size Sorry to say, but never penn again for me.
Penn for me is just too heavy for their reels, while Shimano is smooth, sturdy, and a great feeling. I have the stella, sahara, stradic, stradic ci4, and twinpower, all are greatand long lasting. Worth the money
Dude service them saltwater reels at least once a month depending on how often you fish especially if it’s a Penn and for a Shimano maybe every other month lol for the money best you can get is a Quantum Cabo pst 40 on up outlast everything else also a Shimano ci4 is grate for the money
I’ve never heard of servicing them once a month, I take care of them and clean them after every use so I don’t truly see the need for that but I appreciate you sharing your experience! Also yes to the ci4 🔥
Hey Skipper cleaning is servicing key here is do you want them to last in saltwater salt kills and wash down will push the salt deeper so you have to clean and lube a lot for me as I fish everyday is monthly and more if I notice them getting sluggish but I have 10+ rod and reels so I swap out to so they almost never fail me
I have quatum 4000 cabo pst great but dont ever get it wet. Kayak fishing with it and a wake wet the reel and pretty much needed it service. Penn slammer 3 got dunked in water many times in my kayak still good.
Hi I like Shimano baitrunners for all kind of species. But sometimes have difficult time hooking striper bass with circle hooks set up. Do you let the baitrunner run....on what kind of rod. I have the Shimano 4500 baitrunner with a 11 foot Tsunami with 20lbs fluocarbon line. Is the rod too big? The hook knot or size.....or the line? How do you set the hook with circle hooks on a baitrunner if the reel detects a bite and running? I missed big fish on it cause their is something I'm not doing right.
Penn is bigger, built for a rod sitting against a pier.That Shimano is lighter,meant for 11ft tunami airwave elite... You can cast all day for stripers with 1.25 or 1.50 oz Popper's...The drag on a shimano saragosa or Shimano stradic is top notch compared to Penn.
I'm team "Whatever lasts". I have an old Van Staal VS250N that has been through the campaigns. It's been submerged, dropped, whacked, and beaten, but Van Staal can repair or replace the parts of anything, and everything, I can break. I also have an old Penn 650SS and 850SS I use for bunker chunk'n. I can also get any part or service I have EVER needed. Now let's talk about my two (and only two, for a reason) Shimanos. My 2500FH is somewhere in the bilges of my brother's boat, and has been since the summer of 2010 because I need a new spindle for it. Ordered one from Mike's Reel repair right after I noticed the old one had split right were the pin goes through it, right above the drag click'r gear. Mike's had it on order for TWO YEARS! The part can't be had for ANY money because (according to Shimano) it's OBSOLETE! And don't get me started on the Stradic 5000FH I bought at the same time. It's shot! It needs a new side plate because two seasons of sand and salt did it in. If this reel had been made by Penn, I'd just buy a new side-plate, bearing, and spacer and move on with life. Here again, the parts are made of unobtainium! Hey, I think it's wonderful that the TH-cam celebrities of this world get neat new tackle every year (at a reduced price, or even FREE) to show off to the envious masses. For the rest of us, who expect a $200 reel to last AT LEAST ten years, I'll keep buying the ones that can be repaired in the USA. By the way, my Van Staals are all over 20-years old and they're still going strong, with no end in sight. If I ever do buy another expensive reel, it sure as hell won't be an asian-wonder, that will be "obsolete" in five years or less.
LEO ASHRAE I love my VR150, it’s been dunked, dragged, dropped, no issue yet. It’s been on many beach trips and a few deep sea charters. Maybe one day I will get a VS X series.
![SHIMANO vs PENN vs DAIWA [$200 Inshore Spinning Reel Comparison]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/V0mQvgxaILM/mqdefault.jpg)
Like your videos but this one is an error. In the begining you said it was a 5000 Shimano then you are talking about a 6000 Shimano??? Anyway... You can't compare a slammer 6500 to a shimano 5000 no comparison. Don't let the model numbers fool you. A shimano 5000 is more similar to a Penn 3500 which is a much lighter reel and it still has more power than a Shimano 5000 and probably a 6000 as well. I fish with a Penn 3500 or even a 4500 all day and it is fine. A Penn 6500 is a BRICK. That is more for deep sea fishing were you set it and forget it. Don't go by model numbers compare reals by specs.
agree'd. doesn't even mention the slammer drag
Penn Slammer 4500 vs. Shimano or Daiwa 4000-5000. It’s half the weight.
100% agreed.
100% agree! He was NOT comparing the right size between the two reels.
Yess, that chinese is shimano guys
I surf fish exclusively. I own both. I can’t imagine ever being loyal to just one brand. I like variety. That being said, the Shimano is the smoothest reel I’ve ever encountered. It just doesn’t matter a whole lot when your set up is sitting in a rod holder. If I was casting and retrieving all day, I’m sure I’d use the Shimano more.
I fish off a kayak and cast non stop. Weight makes a significant difference.
Shimano are only smooth because the tolerances inside are so loose and hardly and grease inside
Love my Gosa 10K. In 2 years landed 5 wahoos, 2 decent tunas, 2 uluas, and countless small fish. She fell off the boat and went overboard into the ocean, dove into the water and retrieved her 15' below the surface. Opened her up and bone dry. Absolute beast of a reel.
South African (Cape Town) here .... In our neck the woods we do surf / rock fishing mostly. Before "Coffee Grinders" were the rage Penn was the go-to reel ie Free Spool reel (Starting with the Penn 45 (way back) and the Penn 500). The fish we catch in the Western Cape are generally big and include Yellow tail, cob, grunter etc and then also ragged-tooth sharks, gully sharks etc ..... the go to reels include the Shimano Saragosa 6000, 8000 and 10000, additionally the Shimano Twin-Power 6000, 8000 and 10000.
Gosa
I love SA fishing. It's like our fishing on steroids (Sydney Australia) we love chasing big cob, we call them Jewfish/Mulloway@@ashleycarelse6929
Is "I'm a broke mofo and buy whatever I can find in the pawnshop" a team?
Even if i had money I would still buy my reels at the pawn shop
@Azbycxdwevfugthsirjqkplomn McPinth ya you could buy a brand new reel and the first time you use it the thing is used..,. Pay half as much at the pawn shop and you have more money for fuel to go fishing 🙄
They stole the penn reel because thieves always go for the best lol.
LOL, smart bastards...
Yeah right
Yup
brought it back the next day after he fished with it.... lol.
Lol
Lmao “ I love you too” thats what the reel said back when cranking Shimano
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said how different these two reels are. The Penn might be marketed towards a group who want a heavier reel, possibly to put heavy bait on the hook and let it set on the bottom. Then you have the line capacity and drag to reel in whatever hits it. The Shimano might be marketing more of a casting crowd or at least a more mobile crowd who is more concerned with the weight of the reel than the drag or line capacity. As you said, both reels will get the job done in almost ALL situations.
I like how you stayed out of the corner of saying which one was "better" than the other by approaching this from a differences standpoint. This way you are being helpful to anyone looking at or comparing these two reels and consumers can make a more educated choice and pick what best fits their needs.
Awesome video.
Penn is a reel for people that don’t want to spend $
I agree, ive got a penn ive been using for a while and i love them for pier fishing and surf fishing havnt tried it offshore but im sure its great. But i also have a shimano that i use whenecer im casting out artificial bait or going fishing with a lighter tackle setup.
To be fair, he's comparing a Slammer, and probably should be comparing a Spinfisher instead. Slammers are, and always have been - a meat stick reel. I personally don't use spinning reels in that class, my meat sticks are all conventional.
@@fishingthepeje7557 Exactly and Penn delivers on you get what you pay for. Junk.
I think he trying to get sponsor from shimano
Not happening....he is not catching fish that is big enough
Can't hurt to try, it isn't like he's a fraud and don't fish.
And you just ruined his chance
I don’t think they will sponsor someone who likes catching catfish lol
He love when they reel say I love you😅
I discovered PENN brand many years ago after bad experiences with other reels in the coastal sea run brown trout fishing. Since that moment I cannot imagine to choose different reels than PENN. Perhaps these reels are not the smoothest ones but are full metal, sealed, reasonably priced and bulletproof. That's a simple recipe for a good reel.
Iceland Brown trout and Penn a winning combination
shimano is made for higher skilled fishermen who care about looking after their reel and lightwieght performance
penn is made for the lesser skilled fisherman with little care for their reels and no need for casting and skill
@@FlattychasersNSW lol who taught u anything about fishing lol
@@Chris_STR I think what he meant in his context is that Penn are for people who love fishing but are not gentle with their reels (I dont mean maintenace prespective). Lets be honest there are people out there who would use things like a rag doll as a habit. On the other hand, shimano are more bells and whistles. Therefore, you need extra care of your reel.
@FlattychasersNSW lol ok, whatever you think mate, what a joke, both reels can catch fish, it's not about skill, I own 2 Penn battle 3 8000 and 4000, and I look after my reels like a baby, I don't thrown them around, I clean them after ever session and oil and grease them, it's got nothing to do with "skill".
I must be Superman! I can fish with my Penn Spinfisher VI 8500 jigging all day. I used to use Shimano spinning reels for bass fishing and I don't think I ever had one last a year. But I fished a lot. Now I fish saltwater in the PNW. I'll take that heavy duty truck any day. A sports car just ain't going to cut it.
Penn, never had a problem. I have 15 year old reel
Right brother my slammer old 1st
You see my channel fishing day 1
Fishing day 2 part 2
Fishing day 3 .....very good power but you must good maintenance
Same
The old models were made in the USA and were bullet proof......since they went to china and use cheap local components,they have gone right down hill.....the SS versions used to be awesome but you paid the money for them......now they are cheap but they are also nasty as well.
My friends dad has spinfisher 1s from the 1980s and the thing is smooth as butter and it’s never been taken apart
Same never had a problem with my penns
Drop down to penn 4500 model. Slightly lighter, stronger drag, and still more capacity than a gosa 5000.
40 inch retrieval
@Dane Yawn what's it like? I just ordered one
@Dane Yawn I brought the 6500 arrives today hope it will get the job done jigging for Amber jacks
@@nucreative4556 It should have no problem too pull over 1m Amber jacks with this. I have 5500 and had no issue at all! But it gets bit tired as it's heavy. So if you are jigging all day, either change it to 5500 or 4500. And it still has more drag capacity than saragosa6000SW.
Tbh yes the saragosa are expensive to no have the line capacity as the slammer 🤦🏻♂️, i mean i still prefer slammer than saragosa shimano is great but way to over priced .🤦🏻♂️
This was a very poor comparison video. I'm pretty sure its in the name "slammer" that its meant to be bigger and heavier than other reels. With all the other Shimano reels you have, do none of them have comparable drag/line capacity for an actual comparable sized reel to see if they match weights? Penn does have reels that fill the lighter casting role, and Shimano has big heavy high capacity/ drag reels.
That said I have a semi comparable 4000 size from both shimano and Penn, the only main difference being age and drag. The Shimano is like 10+ years old and it still runs geat, but I keep it only in the freshwater, while the Penn is my all purpose medium size reel and its caught small reds, and a few okay snapper. I love them both for what I use them for. I don't have a matching Dawia yet, I'm waiting for the cheap toss about reel i use to break to get a Saltist or BG for my next one.
I own mostly Shimano, Okuma, Penn, and Daiwa. It sounds crazy but I've landed more big fish on Okuma reels. Still love Penns despite being heavy. Being from Texas I'm usually fishing for Redfish and trout. I'm hooked on your videos. Really good stuff! Love the content!
What small reel in the 2500 size (under 9oz) would you recommend to catch flounder and specks that can also handle a redfish (5 - 10lbs) if it decides to bite?
I use 10lb braid.
@@DongWang-m4n Get a Daiwa BG MQ 3000 (9.3oz) even the 4000 is only 10oz..but if you're willing to spend more look up Shimano Twin Power XD,Daiwa Certate and Shimano Vanquish too
My dad and I have mostly penns, not out of loyalty but happenstance. They function fine, but don’t blow me away. I think the Penn Pursuit 3 is great value, I have a Shimano my wife uses, and I’m sincerely impressed with that reel. My favorite rig I own though, is my Piscifun Alijos.
I LOVE the Penn Pursuit, got it on a Penn Mariner rod in an awesome deal a few years ago and it was my most beloved setup. Had more expensive reels, for some reason that pursuit was so lightweight, yet so solid and never missed a beat, built so well, it was my favourite and most reliable reel. Probably still would be, and I've got a Slammer 3.
Need to get another Pursuit as I lost my last combo. Gotta build it back up. By the way, on the light Penn Mariner rods (2-4kg, fast action) the tip is just so sensitive and unlike anything else I've fished with which was also that solid.
Honourable mention is abu Garcia RayRex, Light 1-3kg rod, but they are a lot more fragile to bumps etc if you aren't careful with them. They hold up to a decent size fish still though!
Team penn, always been on my budget. Never had a bad experience with dawia either have two of them. But I'm stay true to penn. Great video. Always fish with what you love and do best with.
I have a Penn Live Liner. My goal in life is to fish often enough to wear out a reel.
Eric Thompson nice goal! First time hearing someone say that.
I don’t think you’re going to have that problem, unless you have your own boat and go out everyday with the same rod for years.
Go to barrier reef Australia. Lots of reels die there.
Fishing team !
Those who never service their reels need a reel with the lowest bearing count. Majority of the time, failure is due to bearings going bad or seizing..
Shimano hands down. I have a Shimano reel that my dad bought the year I was born. It's 32 years old and i use it all the time
That’s a great memory and a great story
I've got Shimano reels, some over 40 years old, that I still use, and Diawa , one baitcaster over 40 and spinning reel over 50
Penn reels are the best hands down I have been using them for the past 20 years and I have never had a problem out of any reels the quality is on point and you can feel it in there reels.
I use Daiwa BG Spinning reel. I would like to see your review on one
jun ryu daiwa all the way!!
Love my Daiwa BG 2500. Super smooth and has no problems reeling in fish. Iv used it for both freshwater water and light saltwater. Awesome reel for the price!
You should try a saltist. Basically an upgraded BG
I have the old school bg90 for about 13 years and have no problem
Love my Daiwa BG sweet reels
I've always been a diehard Penn fishermen, but recently I've introduced some lighter shimanos into my arsenal, and so far I'm very impressed! Great reels 👍🏻
👍👍
Check out the Penn Conflict II's. They are about the lightest reels I've ever used.
I've been watching you for a year now and bought a Shimano baitrunner and mojo surf 10'6" rod for Christmas. Can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can get out there and catch some fish. Love you guys, keep up the great work!
Awsome info bro ...thanks for sharing ..i completely agree with you..
I have the spinfisher vi 4500. has almost 20 pounds of drag and is a lot lighter than the slammer. you are kind off comparing apples an oranges
Thank you for saying what we’ve all been thinking.
Lol
The Gosa is not just smoothness and beauty. It’s a tank. I’ve horsed big red snapper, sharks, amberjack, bonito, Cobia and more with my 10K Gosa. And it still feels like the day I bought it. The thing is just a beast.
Saragosa?
thats the problem with his comparason a 6500 slammer is the slammer equivalent of a 10k gosa
I’ve used my penn kingfishers for years, with no service, and they are great. No sound. No issues. Also, my needs differ from your needs.
"Yes" you should still trust Penn and/or any other reel. You have to look at it this way, How many of us either in the fishing world, electronic world, building world, etc have gotten name brand expensive equipment and it fails at the worst possible moment. In all honesty, s^%$ happens. Remember anything that humans or robots make will at some point either fail, break or not work anymore and of course at the worst possible moment. For every 1 handle that breaks, fails, or doesn't work, doesn't even compare to the success of the performance of the reel in general. I'm neither pro Penn or Shimano. I have both, and in my fishing career I have heard, seen, and experience reel failure. Again, it doesn't happen all the time. Even if you service it as your suppose too. Congrats to Penn on honoring their warranty. My opinion, This is what you look into in a company. Remember, it would be great to live in the perfect world that everything we buy, touch and own to never fail on us either at the worst possible moment or in general. Maybe its the Army background I have where you adapt and overcome at a less than a moments notice (that is no dig to or on anyone who doesn't have military background.) I just think in general we have to look at the overall picture is that Penn and Shimano has there pro and cons on every reel they make. As fisherman we use what we feel is right. Remember, using any reel is a hell of a lot better than watching fish swim by you and wishing you could catch them hahaha.
I fish off the rocks in South Africa. My favourite rod and reel combo is my Penn Allegiance II 11ft and Penn Wrath 5000. You are right that the Penn is a heavy reel, but I have no problem casting with it. The Penn Wrath is an entry level reel at a good cost and is very smooth (for now).
My understanding is that it all depends on what you are fishing for and what you are casting. For casting bait, the Penn is a good reel, but for casting lures, I would go with a Shimano or Daiwa due to the lighter weight.
Just my two cents...
0:30 you can tell hes a shimano person when he can say shimano quickly but takes a second to say penn.
wtf is he supposed to do
@@normalman23 why so negative
@@jakelencher817 dont project your feelings to me lmao
@@normalman23 uh.. ok?
Dad used penn so i used penn but when i got my hands on my first shimano i was sold
Penn is pretty heavy but is more budget friendly
that slammer is def not budget friendly
Baja Dan mine works fine in surf and in saltwater. And the sand goes for pretty much all reels.
Still better all around penn than shimano
Facts
@@frogliza9977 its less than half the price from a shimano with the same built quality (dont get fooled by the fan boys they all forget to name the price of the stradics and sara/stellas )......
Daiwa is really the best spinning reel company by far I’m biased towards both daiwa and shimano owning some of both reels
No, the saltist is basically a Daiwa bg with better stealing for an extra $100+. Very low quality in that reel to along with alot of there conventionals too. Says a lot right there... I prefer Shimano spinners and accurate conventionals with exceptions for Okuma makaira Avet raptors, and talicas. Just my point of view.
Daiwa is number 2. Shimano is number 1
@@SuspendaS nah, I like the accurates and Avets. Some daiwas but I prefer Okuma. Ever since they teamed with Tiburon they have been making outstanding products! Daiwa is a cheap Chinese brand that copys lots of Shimano reels. The new saltiga looks like the Stella.
@@SuspendaS lots of people do bass fishing and don't see most of the top notch brands like avet, and accurate.
@@fadelover123 daiwa Is a Japanese brand, I should know because I live in Japan :) hehe
"When I throw this, my arm feels like it's going to fall off". 😂 Of course it is, the size difference in those reels your comparing is like comparing a Mack truck to a pickup truck. Get reels of similar size and they aren't that dissimilar in weight.
20K Saragosa is about the same size as Penn 8500.
Team Penn bro. Those Shimano’s while being smooth just aren’t as tough in my experience and parts can be a challenge to acquire. My Penns have yet to let me down.
Stfu
@@user-ep8lp5ps8c GFY
Same here man, as for casting lures the only reel that gave me trouble is the slammer but tbh it’s not really meant for imo. Just get a clash if you want a good light weight reel.
I fish a lot and Iam hard on my gear... My pens reels never last a full season with out maintenance or complete failure.. My diawa reels need maintenance through out the a season but always get it back to working order.. This year though I will be switching to Shimano for the smooth ride.. I believe best bang for your buck is diawa but shimano always has that next level performance with smoothness and looks. Invest in a van staal if you need a workhorse my van staal vr has taken a beating for two years and is still strong.
Honestly when it comes to spinning reels for saltwater applications, look no further than Diawa Certate, money well spent
That’s baller stats
Have a few Penn SSVs and I agree to heavy and both need service after 7 months of Togging. I've recently gone over to a couple BGs and pretty happy with the weight and smoothness so far. You cant beat the price for a almost fully sealed reel. I love my 2 Shimano for freshwater. But think the sealed Shimano for saltwater are big bucks. Thanks for the content. You guys rock!
I have a SSV 9500 and i used in alot in over 6 years without any service, its a little bit damaged, dut smooth like at the first day!
Go fight a 60lb+ tuna with both reels then tell us how much you like the Shimano
Lmao why he gotta be so buyost about shimano lmao they both good reels but made for different type of fishing and different type of things
Hes not saying Penn is bad or anything hes saying it's what he prefers stop being so salty about a honest reveiw
@The House that Jack Built this is a reel review?
I’ve been fishing south Florida, keys, and Everglades for 22 years now. Inshore and offshore fishing. I fished penn reels for the first 10 years, any and every reel. The last 12 have been shimano and I’m not turning back lmao.
Penn’s are a tank, Shimano’s are a refined tank. I’ll take on anything with a Saragosa on up to Stella any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Where I'm from in California, we tend to float towards Penn. Why? They're robust for surf casting. They won't let you down, and quality is more noticeable. Your right though, shimano reels are similar to driving a Mercedes Benz, a BMW, jaguar,etc. There smooth, they're light weight, but... Based on my level of negligence, the PENN will outlast the shimano on salt water fishing. As for fresh water, i agree, the lighter,the smoother, the better.
Switch to the 4500 slammer, if that tires you out then it's user error for sure. No offense but if your arms dead just from casting anything below a 8000 then it's time for some strength training
Nailed it. Hes a girly man. I fish the 5500 for hours on end throwing 3 oz plugs and metal tins.
if we're having a dick measuring competition, I fish a 6500 saltiga and throw 200g poppers.
Ya i fish my 6500 slammer for 7 or 8 hours at a time casting big stickbaits and surface irons. I had problems with the sargosa's drag blowing out while jigging. Happened three times with the same reel. Got tired of it and switched to penn. Haven't had a problem since.
Great Vid, I'm a Penn guy so I'm biased the other way. I'm new to your channel and look forward to seeing more.
Try Dawaia BG and Saltist models. They re light and comfortable. Saltist allows a knob handle.
Joseph Tien agreed daiwa is the best brand out there now between them and shimano
Dawaia bg is a great reel, but is by no means a light reel.
True. Its no super light yes but its very lighter than Penn
the saltiga is for people with a lot of money and most fishermen are not there, i have 4 of them and 11 stella's and in my opinion the stella is still the feinshmecker reel with fine tuned clutch adjustment etc etc while saltiga is a brute. They are both very expensive and both work. Period.
Joseph Tien the bg is one of the best reels I have ever used, so good I had to buy a second one
i love the penn fierce and the persuit line
Penn is much better because they have sealed bearings in the whole real is sealed
Very tru
I have a spinfisher 704 that I would not think twice about using while wading in the surf.
I love Shimano, however Penn has the best sealed long cast reel 5000 or 6000 class. Penn does make the new fathom 2 magic cast
Penn spinfisher is also an option. They come in a smaller lighter sizes and still pretty rugged.
Ive had a spinfisher VI for years and its been dunked, dipped in sand, and caught about 200 stripers. Very dependable reel
@@Devilfish415 I’ve been thinking of picking up a spinfisher for surf fishing. What kind of rod do you have yours paired with? Id be mainly throwing about 1-4ozs of weight
@@SmoocheeWallace I use the 4500 size with multiple rods, its a versatile size. I have a diawa emcast rod which is rated for 1-4oz lures and its a great fit with that size spinfisher.
The diawa bg is a fantastic reel also but i believe that the spinfisher is more durable
@@Devilfish415 yeah I was looking at the BG as well, that’s good to know thank you! Which would you say is smoother?
I hand-line EVERYTHING...pretty inexpensive that way!
good for you buddy
Bet you catch huge sharks doing that
I use a Cuban YoYo, abour $8.
Ah such a Miami swag! Love the portability it offers 🥰.
You should get the one Bass Pro sells with holes along the rim so that once you casted out, you can pull the line through and hang it somewhere to see all the action
I use a rock in my sock to swing and target fish on site
I also am Shimano fanboy by heart and have quite a few different ones. Fresh and saltwater. And 8 different Stradic models alone. I also have a Penn Slammer 3 3500 and recently bought a Penn Slammer 4 5500 and I do love them both. And YES I do agree theres a weight difference. I seem to use the Slammer 5500 for beach cut bait or bottom bouncing deeper water. Shimano will remain my goto but I do appreciate the better drag for bigger fish. Question. Do you freshwater fish? I moved to Texas from London 4 years ago and my fishing was freshwater. My favorite ever reel is called a Mitchel Match. an absolutely amazing reel. NOT the new ones but the early ones. Please try one out. Excellent IMO for Bass.
I'm shopping for a surf spinning rod and reel. I've been exploring Penn (products and reviews); and, watching you catch fish like crazy on the beaches of the world...BTW, the Cabo San Lucas excursion was crazy-fun to watch! After all I've seen, including this video right here confirming the lighter aspects of Shimano and the shaky reliability of Penn reels, I'm exploring Shimano rod-reel combos. Based on what I've seen, Shimano uses a worm-gear setup, which gives it a slimmer profile and lighter weight. The Penn uses a cam...loads of screws inside, which could work loose, causing the funky noises you've experienced. In any case, I hear you. I don't want to have to crack-open the reel for maintenance all that often. I like what you're saying about your Shimano reel not needing any attention after a year. All things considered, I'm looking at a 10' Shimano rod/reel combo: The Offshore Angler Breakwater Surf Spinning Rod and Reel Combo - BR8000/1015302. This length is paired with either the 7000 or 8000 reel. What are your thoughts? I'll be fishing San Diego, CA area beaches...expect to catch surfperch, Mackerel, and...it might be nice to hook some juvenile Bonita. Am I dreaming? :-)
Your videos are awesome...recently discovered your channel...subscribed.
I think the spider man fishing pole from Walmart is the best👌🏽🔥
I..... really? Lol
Saul Diaz facts bro I have the Paw Patrol version!!!!
@@HeySkipper I watched an eight year old girl using a walmart kiddie outfit outfish a fully kitted flyfisher in colorado trout waters
lol
Chuck the Penn on the Spiderman Rod/pole and your set to catch most.
I got the gosa caught a 6 ft shark on it and now the gears are grinding!! It’s a weak reel I’m going back to penn
#PENN
#PENN FOR LIFE
On the contrast my Penn slammer 3 6500 failed in multiple ways after a season of yellowtail kingfish in new Zealand, never had an issue with my shimanos
Own both of these reels, definitely agree with weight comparison, surf casting lures gets way more tiring fishing with the slammer 3. Smoothness I give it to Shimano. Power(drag) I give it to Penn. Like skipper said. Purchase the reel that equips your type of fishing. Have yet to lose fish on these two reels. Fingers crossed. Great review. 👍
Ya ive got both a shimano and penn reel that ive used and i prefer my penn for surf/pier fishing and prefer my shimano for artificial bait fishing (lures etc.). I just love my penn for rough fishing ive fallen into surf and completely flooded my reel and i got back up and kept reeling no issues and as long as theyre properly maintained i havent had any issues, but they are tiring to use when your casting repeatedly thats when i pull out my lighter tackle rod with my shimano
Having branding and product design in my background, I appreciate Penn's excellent trade dress of recent years. When you see a Penn from afar, you know it's a Penn. Shimano's product design seems random and nondescript. You could slap a Daiwa, Okuma, or even Sougayilang logo on it and fool people. Yes, those things influence my purchase decisions. Consumer surveys show that a lot of anglers enjoy being seen with good looking gear. A compliment on my impeccably matched rod and reel color schemes and motifs is as good as catching a fish.
Penn is such a more stronger reel from personal I have caugh easy 80kg stingray and on shimano they just get spooled way to easy my personal experiences
Im sorry dude but you need to service your reels after every use specially when you are wading trough waves, open them up hot water and lune them. Not once every year😂
Gys de Wet After every use? I would service a year once a year. If you have to service a reel every time you use it, it’s a piece of shit reel. You buy reels that are quality so you DONT have to service it all the time. It don’t make sense to buy something that doesn’t hold up and require service after every use.
@Johnathan Lo cheaper reels like shimano and kastking (kids)i was servicing every month, my daiwa sol (mag sealed) is still primed as the day i got it (6 months)
Gys de Wet Not me, I surf fish and deep sea fish, after each trip I spray them with a very weak soapy solution and rinse them very good. Oil on certain points, No problems in 8 years. But I only have 14 setups to take care of.
@Johnathan Lo It called basic maintenance ......wipe down with a rag with inox on it......lube the bail roller.(very important) ....and main shaft.....drop of oil to the bearings/handles .....spray over reel with inox and never leave in an air tight box....an airy bag will do.....keep it out of any kind of water and depending on use get serviced once a year.....never hose your reel down as you can drive salt into the small crevices.....INOX is superb and leaving a light coating over the whole reel gives protection and makes it easier to clean the next time.......ALWAYS BACK OFF THE DRAG at the end of a days fishing(just leave it on a tiny bit to stop any crud getting in there)...if you leave your drag done up it will compress your washers and fuck them up !....u lose drag and smooooothnesss.
as an aussie im used to alveys and have sed them for everything and spinning gear is just odd to me saying that i own a dogfight and saltiga as well as a Stella and Saragosa ....penn have failed me to many times .
Team Shimano all day baby. By the way mate the Penn slammer 6500 is actually a lot more similar to the Saragosa 8000 and the 5500 slammer is more like the 6000 gosa. Sizing with Penn and also Daiwa are confusing haha.
Yes. He is using a different size reel to compare but Shimano all day.
Love your vids.
Always fun.
Always honest.
Always great info .
Ty...keep em coming
You didnt cover the waterproof factors i have a slammer 6500 and a shimano stella 14000 xg i use my slammer for livebaiting tuna from the shore and my stella for casting lures for tuna kingfish and cobia
tackle advisors puts a clip on mic to the reel to show how smooth/rough it is. quick tip :)
yeah, except hear what he has to say about the slammer =) . he does the best videos.
I've bought Penn Spinfisher IV 2500 and a Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500 at the same time. I fished them both equally off a jetski and gave them the same after use rinse. The shimano stradic had to go for repairs (under warrantee) then it died the following season and is now in a landfill somewhere. The Penn Spinfisher is still perfect and hasn't even had a service yet. I was so impressed with Penn Spinfisher that I went out and bought 3 different sizes of the next model up (Penn Slammer). I've been so impressed with them that I've now sold my Daiwa Saltist 4000 LTD and Shimano Saragosa to get a Penn Authority. I fish a lot here in New Zealand and I like Shimano, I have Talica 8ii and I've even just bought a Beastmaster 9000A electric, but when it comes to spinning reels, I now only fish Penn IPX rated reels.
I also had a Shimano Stella 2500 FE which cost me over $500 in servicing in 3 years!! WTF. Sold it! I'm told it was an older fresh water reel, but never again. I'd rather have a slammer than a stella
Good point durable in harsh conditions I’ve burnt drags on tuna jus hand cut leather washers and reload and go 7 rigs on a tuna boat if u come home 3 working your doing good penn always kept it simple even in maintenance clean grease go
I've beaten the living balls off of all the brands I own penn, Shimano, Daiwa, and shockingly quantum. Never had any major issues with any of them
whispering "I Love U" hahaha that was awesome. Very good video, helped save me some money and sticking with Shimano.
Handle coming off is lack of maintenance on owner unless something broke. I use penn on my heavy duty rock fishing rod, shimano on my lighter gear.
Over the years I have tried using different spinning reels from all the different companies. Didn't have a lot of money so I usually bought reels that were on sale. Everything was good as long as I was able to go out and go fishing. Started with pier fishing (Pensacola, FL and Redondo Beach, CA) and eventually moved up to the Southern California sport fishing boats for near shore Pacific Ocean fishing. That was many years ago and now as I am getting back into fishing I am purchasing Penn reels for their metal body toughness and water seal protection. I want reels that will last for many years of use and that I will not have to replace due to weak gears or rust and corrosion. I read everything I could find online and watched TH-cam on what reels and rods used by those who go surf fishing or kayak fishing to get a good idea of what reels can take on saltwater ocean fishing. Perhaps as soon as I can get back into fishing more frequently, I will purchase the smooth Shimano and Daiwa reels. But as I said before, anything that gets you out on the water has to be a good thing. Fish on the line is always a good thing.
That’s a great point. I agree, anything that gets you out on the water is good. Hope you can get out there more often!
@@HeySkipper hi dude new subscriber here, can you give me review about Pioneer Reel Altitude thank you
Yeah. People like to shame for using cheaper gear and kayaks. As long as it gets ya fishing thats all that matters!
There's a reason charter operators mainly use penn. They are bulletproof. Also way better drag than shimano
michael arnold there’s a simple solution right in the middle, van staals, only reel that can get everything done
butterPIGEONS yea if u wanna pay over 700$
@@lethalpickleballers tsunamis are like 400$ cheaper
I have a horror story about my Shimano I had a 6000 Saragosa blow up dew to hooking a big tarpon!!!!
Spinning reels were originally designed to make casting lighter baits easier. They are absolute garbage for fighting larger fish. You want to target big tarpon get a conventional reel, much better drag systems.
Agustin A. That’s a first I hear a Saragossa failing on tarpon. A 10000 would’ve suited you better
I've caught some huge 130lb+ on my Goas. But if I was just targeting the big ones like in Boca Grande, I would use a 10K Saragosa for sure
My stradic and baitrunner blow up after catching some big fish as well!
i hooked one kingfish on a nasci and it burnt the drag out in about 30 seconds and bent the shaft/pinion... game over. thats when i learn't they are all feltdrag even the stella. ha. and their stupid marketing on the socorro and the other one also the nasci. all identical. but huge price diff. (literally a 20c washer difference and some color) fuck shitmano.
Thank you for the video, your channel is great! I use these reels every time I fish:
Abu Cardinal 57, 55, 54 and 52.
Dam Quick Royal MDS 5500, 4500, 3500 and 2500.
Best regards Nikolo from Denmark
The drags on the slammers are amazing. So dang smooth. Something is up with your slammer. Mine are quiet and holding up well.
Hi! I’m thinking to buy a new shore jigging reel between Slammer 3 5500, saragosa 8000 or bg mq 8000. What do you suggest me? I need 300m of Pe3 40lbs at least.
sitting here asking myself why im watching this, but continue to watch
Team “PENN” it’s more in my budget and the reliability I’ve had with holding and straight up putting work on big fish. I’ve never really had a chance to use any Shimano tackle but know it’s up there in comparison when you get up in both higher price ranges! Penn for sure has more power for the money!
What would u recomend for surf shark fishing slammer 3 10500, spinfisher vi 10500, or the spheros 2021 sw 20k
@@nelson442 One thing I should I have mentioned, the Spinfisher VI comes in a bait runner 8500 version, which is a nice option for shark fishing from shore.
@@nelson442 If all you're gonna use it for is giant fish, and you're paddling baits out instead of casting, and for some reason you want to stick to spinning - the Slammer is a no-brainer. The bait runner (Liveliner in Penn speak) is great and all, but when you're setting a large cut bait on a concrete block sinker there's no point to it. But I do have 2 of them, a 6500 and 4500 (Spinfisher V) and they're pretty nice. I just don't use that feature enough to be worth it. I'd rather have less complexity most of the time.
do you not mit your rods and reels? or hit them with corrosion block? Ive used slammers for charters for years and they are all just as smooth as the day I bought them
we should compare with same drag power category...i have been using slammer 3 7500 since more than a year....without any issues..
I love fishing penn and Shimano!!!!!
same
I went on a tow months fishing trip to great barrier reefs in Australia with my 4500, 7500, and 9500 slammer3 but I have all size slammer3 though.
I use different sizes for a certain type of fishing hence why the weight doesn't bothers me as all slammer sucked in double or more line than any other reels out there with the unbeatable drag system to back It up...
Anyways I changed all or sell all my other gears was mainly top-end Daiwa and Shimano due to the fact I was traveling a lot and a keen have duty fishing angler and they seem to give up on me in that type of pressure of a month straight pulling up 10 to over 200 pounds fish daily from a charter boat. Anyways I showed up with my three sets of slammers on the trip and my friends frowned upon me if was demoting myself from shimano stella and Daiwa saltigas or I'm just being stingy?
So what happened on the first month of the trip all of me friends high - end gears quit on them which happened without the knowing, and they have to pay to use the charters gear, I came back home with my slammers without the need for service and that was their 3 trips over 3y season plus recreational fishing with no problem at all!
The Two malfunctions you point out are pretty rear with the slammer3 in my opinion and experience.
Broken handle: 1 in a million
Heaviness: use a lighter size that's all!
My first trip to Australia my stella give up on me in the first 3 weeks and I have to pay $50 a day to use the charter's gears for the rest of the tow months.
What did it for me is the slammer3's looks and specs let alone I bought almost all my slammers for the price of a stella combo, that shift me to penn fan big times all the way and I'm from New Zealand 🇳🇿! Cheers
im from NZ too. i use high end daiwa any day. but recently got a spinfisher vi for straylining while i softbait my daiwa sol ii and td black rods. love daiwa. and cant go past penn. i agree with everything you said. especially the drag system on penn, NZ has a different breed of fishing. watching videos around the world fishing then come to NZ for a look, hook a kingy or tuna, hell even a horse snapper will show you whats up.
let me guess.your friends felt drag washers burnt up and buckled their internals? (shimano)
From nz aswell mate, have a 2008 Stella that still work like new, has probably pulled in over 500 kingfish in the 10 -30 kg range, had a slammer for a season and loved it but it failed me, perhaps mine was faulty, but you can't dog on the high end stuff, they will outlast and outperform in every way,
Just a heads up you should service your rods more than once a year specially when you’re out in the salt water😂
This is the video i was looking for i love you man 🔥
Wow thanks for review idol I’m planning to buy penn slammer for big game jigging. What reel can you recommend for a mid price that has powerful drag that can hold plenty of lines.
Sealed reels are much heavier. I went to oceans east to buy a new reel and I tried out the 5500 to 4500 there was a very big difference in weight between those two so for the money I wanted the best drag system to the weight ratio. On any 5000 and up Penn it tends to be a much heavier reel. I do not own a Shimano and I was thinking about getting one I already own a battle II 2500 and the Slammer III 4500 and love it. I have fished my Slammer for 8 hours straight and there were times where I was happy I brought my sand spike and chair. My slammer has made short work of big stingrays and sharks as well as seabass it still feels like the day I bought it and it is two years old never been serviced. I took the spool part off and drag washer and cleaned them out with fresh water and any drag problems I was experiencing or grinding went away. I could rinse it thoroughly without worrying about corrosion since it is sealed take care of your tackle or throw your money away also since I was able to go in store to check everything out I was sure it was sturdy and I have never had a weird handle issue sorry to hear that I wonder if that is a 1 in a million occurrence I would also like to know how big this fish was was he trying to pull in Nessie of the Lochness?
😂😂 maybe he was hooked up to a monster. I think you make a good point about the sealed reel that I didn’t consider before. I agree it is well used sitting in a sand spike. Thanks for sharing your experience
Your Penn sounds like it missed greasing at the factory. I own both as big pit surf casters. If my penn had ended like this in under a year I would of sent it back to penn. my big penn is a winching tool I use for big shark, eel & ray It does the job very well. My shimano is more for the game fish like barracudas
I had the same problem, new penn spinfisher and not enough grease inside.
Penn!
All day
How do you set the Shimano fx 4000 drag
Hi I'm from Taiwan. 3:30 I think you're having the same problem as I have here on my Penn conflict spinning CFT4000. The round gear in the gearbox was broken. And I took nearly $20 (USD) to fix it.
I was furious when you told me somebody stole you Slammer!
Never touch another man’s Pole 😂
I own many brands of spinning reals and some of my favorites are penns. I've never had a Penn cause me grief but it could happen tomorrow. I would think well of Penn if they made it right. I also would likely not use a spinning reel for shark fishing. I would strongly prefer a large Penn with a star drag but that's just my personal preference.
#ShimanoGang You said it right and I agree! Penn is a workhorse but not as smooth, light or good looking as the Shimanos. Im biased as well. #TeamShimano
Thats because the Slammer is a sealed reel. Try a Van Staal or a Zeebass and you ll see the same thing.
@@stephenhusak6098 You would like us to compare a $200 Shimano to a Van Staal?
No you are the one who said the slammer is not smooth as shimmano. I merely pointed out all sealed reels are not smooth and take more effort to crank the handle due to the seal between tje handle and the body to keep the water out. Nothing smoother then a 1200 dollar stella but take it surf fishing in the northeast in nov and see how long it lasts .
@@stephenhusak6098 I understand what you are saying. My comment was that in my 'opinion', across the board I feel like Shimanos are smoother than Penns. Not talking about just the Slammer. A $100 Shimano > $100 Penn.
Now that IRT is coming out with a sealed reel im switching over to them anyway.
Smoothness dont mean crap. Smooth doesnt stop a big ass fish that can pull you out of a boat. Thats the job of the drag and what a reel should be based on. With the exception of the big stella s and twin drag shimmano cannot compare to the dura drag system Penn is using now nor tje drag that IRT Van Staal or ZeeBass uses.
Suggest you get to a gym if you have this much problems using a 5500 reel all day.
His girl 👧 whispered "I love ❤️ you" and this guy immediately "I love ❤️ shimano..saragosa"
Very nice video.I have a question.Saragosa or stradic FL?
A friend of mine lives on the fellas road and he told me he seen him drive his car over the penn reel to try damage it before this video review. Hense the noise coming from the Penn
Stop tryna make him look bad this is straight cap 😭😭
Lmao.. Such BS..
Team Okuma here. Yes, I'm poor. 😭😭😭
Dude, Okuma make very good reels for the money! Most of my spinning reels are Okuma. I've been fishing them for years, never had a problem that wasn't related to neglect. We once found an Okuma Ceymar at the bottom of the sea. It hadn't been there long, but I stripped and cleaned every part of it to the last screw and have been using it regularly for nearly three years afterwards. Hasn't missed a beat. Okuma is good
You aren't alone. Best bang for the buck. I still use a 15 year old baitfeeder daily in the surf.
Azores is a great Okuma reel for the same kind of fishing. I use 3 okuma reels for surf casting and theyre amazing. Two 8K, and one TRIO REX
@@Kinimatikos I have an Azores 40 and 65. Use both on my kayak, which is a harsh environment and kills substandard reels quickly. I've had the 40 for about a year and the 65 for about 6 months. I know it's not a long time but so far I'm impressed with them. I had a Daiwa exceler die after three trips on the kayak. I use the ceymar 65 as my main surf reel
@@Kinimatikos Oh, my oldest Okuma is a Cimeron 30 that I use for light tackle stuff. In its 12 year life its landed hundreds of fish. Still works great. I got my girlfriend an Okuma reel as her first reel. Am I fanboy? Maybe, but for a reason
It's like comparing a ford to a toyota. Tacoma all day everyday
Bucac whose ford or Toyota?
What do you think about the Daiwa BG or the Shimano Vanford ?
For the watchers out there, Shimano sizing are much smaller than the standard size we are accustomed to. My Shimano Stradic 4000 is about the same size as my Penn Spinfisher 2500. So a good comparison for this Slammer 6500 would be the Saragosa 14000. With that said I do feel the Shimano is smoother but also appears to be much more fragile.
Shimano never let me down...
Stradic, spheros sw 6000, saragosa 5000, sienna 4000 even new spheros 4000...
Never satisfied with penn product: sargus, battle, fierce, spinfisher vi, slammer 3 after 1-2 trip always make grinding noise... i dont know, maybe drive gear to small for their size
Sorry to say, but never penn again for me.
Penn for me is just too heavy for their reels, while Shimano is smooth, sturdy, and a great feeling. I have the stella, sahara, stradic, stradic ci4, and twinpower, all are greatand long lasting. Worth the money
May you suggest best one for long surf fishing pls ?
Dude service them saltwater reels at least once a month depending on how often you fish especially if it’s a Penn and for a Shimano maybe every other month lol for the money best you can get is a Quantum Cabo pst 40 on up outlast everything else also a Shimano ci4 is grate for the money
I’ve never heard of servicing them once a month, I take care of them and clean them after every use so I don’t truly see the need for that but I appreciate you sharing your experience! Also yes to the ci4 🔥
Hey Skipper cleaning is servicing key here is do you want them to last in saltwater salt kills and wash down will push the salt deeper so you have to clean and lube a lot for me as I fish everyday is monthly and more if I notice them getting sluggish but I have 10+ rod and reels so I swap out to so they almost never fail me
I have quatum 4000 cabo pst great but dont ever get it wet.
Kayak fishing with it and a wake wet the reel and pretty much needed it service. Penn slammer 3 got dunked in water many times in my kayak still good.
Hi I like Shimano baitrunners for all kind of species. But sometimes have difficult time hooking striper bass with circle hooks set up. Do you let the baitrunner run....on what kind of rod. I have the Shimano 4500 baitrunner with a 11 foot Tsunami with 20lbs fluocarbon line. Is the rod too big? The hook knot or size.....or the line? How do you set the hook with circle hooks on a baitrunner if the reel detects a bite and running? I missed big fish on it cause their is something I'm not doing right.
Penn is bigger, built for a rod sitting against a pier.That Shimano is lighter,meant for 11ft tunami airwave elite...
You can cast all day for stripers with 1.25 or 1.50 oz Popper's...The drag on a shimano saragosa or Shimano stradic is top notch compared to Penn.
I'm team "Whatever lasts". I have an old Van Staal VS250N that has been through the campaigns. It's been submerged, dropped, whacked, and beaten, but Van Staal can repair or replace the parts of anything, and everything, I can break. I also have an old Penn 650SS and 850SS I use for bunker chunk'n. I can also get any part or service I have EVER needed. Now let's talk about my two (and only two, for a reason) Shimanos. My 2500FH is somewhere in the bilges of my brother's boat, and has been since the summer of 2010 because I need a new spindle for it. Ordered one from Mike's Reel repair right after I noticed the old one had split right were the pin goes through it, right above the drag click'r gear. Mike's had it on order for TWO YEARS! The part can't be had for ANY money because (according to Shimano) it's OBSOLETE! And don't get me started on the Stradic 5000FH I bought at the same time. It's shot! It needs a new side plate because two seasons of sand and salt did it in. If this reel had been made by Penn, I'd just buy a new side-plate, bearing, and spacer and move on with life. Here again, the parts are made of unobtainium! Hey, I think it's wonderful that the TH-cam celebrities of this world get neat new tackle every year (at a reduced price, or even FREE) to show off to the envious masses. For the rest of us, who expect a $200 reel to last AT LEAST ten years, I'll keep buying the ones that can be repaired in the USA. By the way, my Van Staals are all over 20-years old and they're still going strong, with no end in sight. If I ever do buy another expensive reel, it sure as hell won't be an asian-wonder, that will be "obsolete" in five years or less.
LEO ASHRAE I love my VR150, it’s been dunked, dragged, dropped, no issue yet. It’s been on many beach trips and a few deep sea charters. Maybe one day I will get a VS X series.
Yup. Same here with my shimano curado. Can’t find parts for it so now I’m out 220.