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Shimano vs penn

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Plugger207

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Alright here’s the dilemma looking to pick up yet another reel.  I’m between a stradic 5000 or Penn slammer 3 4500.  Pairing it up with an 8ft avid surf.  Just a fun lighter set up. Honestly my fiancé loves it.  I had an older Baitrunner on it before which worked fine.  I love my stradic 4000 and tend to lean that way.....but have read some good things about this new penn being pretty sealed.  Another option is a Saragosa....would love some input I’m torn.

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IMHO the Stradic and Slammer III are intended for very different applications and not fit to compare against each other.

 

if you are looking for a light, extra smooth reel that will be kept "dry" then go for the stradic

 

if you want something that is more sealed and able to take some waves, had a ton of very solid drag and IMHO the very best handle knob on a spinning reel then get the slammer II.

 

if you want a combination of both then the "gosa" is a very good choice, though to be honest, i have never fished the gosa.

 

i will say this, and those who have read my posts know that i am "Penn Super Fan #1;" unless you are looking at the Slammer III for a "brute of a spinner" or a "deal" of a capable reel (the SSV;) Daiwa and Shimano have some really capable reels and good prices...

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Personally, I’m moving away from Shimano. Used to be they were the best, so smooth compared to anyone else. I now find them too finicky and too many parts. Nowadays everyone else has caught up, most reels are butter smooth and easier to work on, less fickle. Shimano anti reverse hates cold weather and cold water, assuming your from a more northern climate. I’ve had the Super Stopper back spin on me too many times late in the season...

-Daiwa BG 4000, incredibly smooth and dirt cheap price tag for what you get. You can get aftermarket knob that matches Slammer 3.

-Penn Slammer 3 4500, I have this and it’s a solid little reel. 

I’m sure your gets lots of input from others. Be happy, fish don’t care!

Tight Lines from NH.

 

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Thanks for the input.....doesn’t make it any easier.  I do want a reel that is more bulletproof.  Being a back up/set up for friends that will certainly help. I’m leaning towards penn, it’s just been a number of years since I’ve fished one....my spin Fisher was good to me....and even had a battle that was alright.  I like the Daiwa bg but the weight is a bit of an issue....for some reason I can’t bother with the tsunami shield.  A Saragosa does have the bulletproof aspect.....gar telling right now.  Thanks for the help.

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Take a look at the Penn Clash.

 

Up till 2 years ago we used Shimano since the early 90's.  Slowly started switching stuff over to Penn.

 

Im down to my baitrunners that are built like tanks.  Bought them in 95 or 96 and they are still going strong.

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It could be a Fords vs. Chevys thing with me, but I have a strong preference for Penn reels and have had too many durability problems with Shimano reels. Of the Shimano reels I have used in recent years, I call them "three year reels" because I'll be lucky if I get three years out of them. I've got a couple of Penn predecessors of the Spinfisher V that are 25 years old. Specifically today, I like the Spinfisher V which is a wonderful reel that are my main reels for inshore fishing in both 3500 and 4500 size. I just bought a Slammer III 6500 for surf fishing in places where I know that the reel is going to get dunked regularly, but not truly flooded like a Van Staal supposedly is able to handle.

 

A few years ago, I started experimenting with other brands, and I came back to Penn.

 

That said, my favorite inshore baitcasting reel is a Shimano Calcutta D, which is a superb reel. I have also had problems with a couple of Penn models, the Conquer and the Battle spinning reels. So I think it's not just the manufacturer, but the specific model. I think Shimano is the world's most popular brand of reel, and I'm sure it is for good reasons. But I am also sure that some models are better than others.

 

So in the context of surf reels, I think the best approach is to focus on the best suited Shimano model and the best suited Penn model, and then decide from there.

 

I'm reluctant to make a specific recommendation because I have only had my Spinfisher Vs for about a year. So far, they have proven very dunk-resistant (I wade a lot and dunking is inevitable), but the Slammer III is supposedly better sealed (and also a lot more expensive.)

Edited by RudyH2O
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For what it's worth, I love my spheros and 'gosa but really didn't like my ssv.  I started off with a penn fierce that I really liked and beat to hell but I could never get into the ssv that I upgraded to.  I always felt the ssv was too heavy and stiff.  I traded out the ssv for a spheros and never looked back.  It's been going strong for ~5 years.

 

Not sure why people are trashing shimano as the two shimano reels I own have been very good to me, although I do take decent care of them.  I also found servicing my spheros to be much easier than servicing the ssv.

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3 mins ago, hanlon-surf said:

this is a first.

 

may i ask what about the SSV you found to be a challenge?  true its not a Z, but no where near as many pieces as a shimano reel

I was kind of surprised myself as I had serviced the fierce a few times without an issue and had always heard shimanos were a PITA.

 

The issue was two-fold:  1) I didn't find the spheros to be as challenging a service as I anticipated and 2) I had a lot of trouble re-assembling the bottom drag unit of the SSV

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No comparison Shimano is leaps and bounds above any penn!

I've owned stradics that were 8 years old and never took them apart to fix and they landed hundreds of albies bass and blues.

I had a penn slammer 1 year and stripped the main gear right out!

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That's why I think of it as a Fords vs Chevy's thing. Although I have a personal preference for Penn, it doesn't mean that people who like Shimano are wrong. Obviously, both are serving us all well and are good choices. God bless America! It's great to have options like this.

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