# Penn Reels - Do not buy!



## Michael F Sights

All have failed out of the box....I have bought 2 X  4/0 Penn Senators's from Bass Pro & a 6/0, that I just got today from tackledirect.com; the 4/0 were made in China & the 6/0 in the USA. All were failures out of the box!

I am done w/ Penn GEAR fOREVER!!!!!!!!


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## grouper throat

Penn has been synonomous w/ offshore fishing for decades upon decades. I haven't heard many offshore fishermen complain about their penns. I'd go as far as to say they are one of the most reliable items on an offshore boat...

I've never liked fishing with the senators but the gti series are 90% of our arsenal along with several penn 750 spinners.


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## robertyb

I love each and every one of my Penn reels. Only got 14 or so right now so I need to buy some more.


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## BowtechRedneck

*My penn's*

lasted me over 12 years untill they burnt up in my house fire lately shoot send the ones you dont want to me I could use them


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## SnapperSlapper

*Penn Reels*

Penn's quality has gone down over the past few years.  I won't buy Penn any more and I used to be a die hard Penn fisherman.  I have even heard tackle shop owners complaining about Penn.

 Shimano is your best bet but Okuma is giving them a run for their money.  I have heard great things about Okuma's Soltera series.


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## shakey gizzard

They dont make nothin like they use ta!


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## Dustin Pate

I noticed that Bass Pro in Macon had a good deal of Penn's in the clearance section that had been redone. Does Bass Pro have something to do with Penn now?


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## Limitless

Tough call.  On one hand they have been the industry standard for years, and have been the staple for a vast majority of fishermen.  I have some that I've used literally for decades.  On the other hand, there seems to be a real decline in quality over the past few years with the move to China and cost-cutting.  You used to never hear fussin about Penns, but it is becoming more prevalent.

I have 3 four year old Penn Slammers (2- 4500s and 1- 5500) that have failed in the last 2 months.  A post in the housing that the bail pivot mounts on broke off on each one.  Now the bail will not activate when the handle turns.  They have been maintained and cleaned regularly, and certainly not abused.  Shouldn't have happened.

I sure hope they get back to their previous quality standards.


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## OUTCAST

I have Penn, and I have Shimano....and I fish everyday. 

If you want a quality reel that will remain reliable, its Shimano by a land slide. 

The smaller penn reels are worthless, I think I'd rather buy a Walmart generic brand. The Penn spinning rod has a nice smooth drag, but the flip bail bar will eventually break from the plastic....and the reel will seize eventually if used alot and then put away for a month. The Penn Internationals looks nice, and the drag is smooth for the first few months....then BAM,  the clicker breaks, screws come out, the gears completely lock or the drag goes rough. 

For these monster tigers, I started off using Penn 50W's. I had to have them worked on MONTHLY. Even my reel mechanic said I needed a Shimano Tiagra. I finally broke down and picked one up. So far, its needed work twice in 6 years. Pretty amazing considering the pressure and use I put on it. I'll never buy a Penn again.


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## seaweaver

Limitless said:


> I have 3 four year old Penn Slammers (2- 4500s and 1- 5500) that have failed in the last 2 months.  A post in the housing that the bail pivot mounts on broke off on each one.  Now the bail will not activate when the handle turns.  They have been maintained and cleaned regularly, and certainly not abused.  Shouldn't have happened.
> 
> I sure hope they get back to their previous quality standards.



That's not what I wanted to hear...I'm set to get a pair.
I was happy to see the reverse feature removed for the slammer as that is what always seems to fail in most spinners...
Sounds like a casting problem in the Aluminum.

Now the new bait runner is prettier..and more expensive...
cw


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## Limitless

seaweaver said:


> That's not what I wanted to hear...I'm set to get a pair.
> 
> Sounds like a casting problem in the Aluminum.
> 
> Now the new bait runner is prettier..and more expensive...
> cw



The bail-lever post that broke on my Slammer was in the graphite housing.  I have switched to Shimano.

Instead of the Penns, move to the Saragosa 4000 or 5000 ($189 and $219) - same basic guts as the Stella, smoothest drag I've ever used, and tough.  I've got a couple of the 8000s spooled with 65# Powerpro paired with Shimano's jigging rod rated for 50#-100# braid and use it for grouper (and pretty much everything else).  You wont be sorry!


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## brunofishing

Dustin Pate said:


> I noticed that Bass Pro in Macon had a good deal of Penn's in the clearance section that had been redone. Does Bass Pro have something to do with Penn now?



W.C. Bradley here in Columbus ownes Penn, I think.


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## Wesbird2

I own over 30 Penn reels never had any problems with them. Whats wrong with them how did they fail?


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## grouper sandwich

I grew up on Penn reels, but after having to get them repaired, over, and over, and over, and over, I finally gave up on them about 10 years ago. My entire collection is now either Shimano or Daiwa with a couple Newell's thrown in for good measure. But never, ever again will a Penn reel be owned by me. As far as I concerned they have become nothing more than pure junk.


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## OUTCAST

Limitless said:


> Tough call.  On one hand they have been the industry standard for years, and have been the staple for a vast majority of fishermen.  I have some that I've used literally for decades.  On the other hand, there seems to be a real decline in quality over the past few years with the move to China and cost-cutting.  You used to never hear fussin about Penns, but it is becoming more prevalent.
> 
> I have 3 four year old Penn Slammers (2- 4500s and 1- 5500) that have failed in the last 2 months.  A post in the housing that the bail pivot mounts on broke off on each one.  Now the bail will not activate when the handle turns.  They have been maintained and cleaned regularly, and certainly not abused.  Shouldn't have happened.
> 
> I sure hope they get back to their previous quality standards.



Funny you should mention the Slammer. That spinning reel was the last one in my daily rotation. It was rough and noisy this Spring, so I took it to my reel guy. He said it would be almost cheaper to buy a new one. Added another Shimano Baitrunner to the boat and hasnt had a problem yet.


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## Bryannecker

I have owned Penn since the 1970’s, so most of mine are old, old, old!  They are solid reels! I do not know about the newer units.  

That having been said, I recall that on a fishing show, “Extreme Bill Fishing, ” it was I believe, and a  boat called “Sharky’s Revenge” which had on a winning bill fish for the grand prize of $500K.
His trusty Shimano locked up on him and he lost the fish.   "Well, bleep, bleep, the vessel owner, allowed that two had blow-up on him during the trip, and that no Shimano would ever grace his deck again."

So, there you go.  They can all fail.  Over the years, I have found that any brand can and will fail under the right conditions.  Those conditions are usually that of benign neglect.  Clean your weapons (reels) just like you clean your body.  Lubricate them, check for warn parts and generally engage in preventative maintenance. 
Tighten the lugs and screws after a trip or two offshore, vibration can loosen them so that they fall off onto the deck and out the scuppers.  Frame struts will loosen and cause the reel to fly apart at the wrong time.  We who are older have to do that to our bodies, too!

And finally, if you open the side plate of a reel and find plastic gears,  file 13 it at once.  Metal, S/S or bronze gears are the only material which will hold up to the stress of fishing for large fish. 

I am looking at the Okuma Solterra line since it has S/S gears and five bearings.  The comparable Penn has only two bearings.  Clean them just like we did our old M-1, M-14, and M-16.   Read the literature of the model before you buy to see the components.  Get the most bang for the buck.  If you can only afford cheaper gear, baby it more than normal.   They will eventually fail, so be prepared to trash them and buy more.  Too bad we can't do that with our old bod!

Capt. Jimmy
www.saltwaternecker.com


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## Swordfish

I fish swordfish & Yellowfin, and I only use Penn. If there is any fish that will punish a reel it's swordfish and big tuna. I've used Shimanos and they are OK but Penns are bullet proof and have never failed me. I could switch to Shimanos tomorrow if I wanted but there is no reason, they won't hold up over time. Keep in mind I use the International series, but the Senators have been around even longer and are still very popular with few problems that I've heard of in 30+ years of fishing, besides just wearing out due to daily head-boat use over years of abuse. They don't hold up as well as the Int. but you get what you pay for. You should expect a solid 15-20 years of hard fishing out of the Senators. You will see them on every head-boat/drift-fish boat in the USA and most other countries. They use them beacuse they are easy to work on, cheap, and reliable, even when fished every day for years. They are also very sought after for electric reel conversions, which really take a beating.
I would send them back to be replaced.

Did you open the boxs wrong? 

Here a pic of my buddy and an old Penn Int. I use for swordfish, I still have it, it is flawless and still punishes the Swordies. It's almost 30 years old now.


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## redneck_billcollector

Counting Internationals I own well over 30 Penns, I have never had a problem with them and I have a few new ones also with no problems.  I use them for what they are intended to be used for.  I do alot of jigging with japanese style jigs and I don't us my Penns, that ain't what they are built for though I see some folks using them that way and their drags usually go on them. I have also seen folks using Senators for big game trolling and seen them fail doing that.  I reckon it just depends on what you are using them for.


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## WTM45

Bryannecker said:


> I have owned Penn since the 1970’s, so most of mine are old, old, old!  They are solid reels! I do not know about the newer units.



Add me to that list as well.

I'll take any #9 or #109 level wind you don't want right off your hands.
ESPECIALLY a green one!


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## oldcsm

My fishing buddy and I own nearly 2 dozen Penn reels of wide variety. They have all been great. Other than a few issues with the anti-reverse on one reel, we've been thrilled with these reels. They have performed flawlessly and landed some mighty tough fighting fish. For us, Penn is our first choice for saltwater spinning reels.


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## Michael F Sights

Someone wanted to know the problems w/ the Senators; the 2- 4/0's ( made in China) got stuck in freespool even when they lever was put back in gear & one had two screws fall out of it when I first got it. The 6/0 is strange; when you put in freespool & pull line out then put in gear the first 6-12 cranks it is very hard to reel, then it makes a loud click and it is easy to reel.

I started my saltwater fishing in the panhandle of FL & have bought Penn reels because that's all the capts used & I've caught tons of fish w/ them. Also, I have 5 Penn SS spinners( over 10 yrs old) & 2 Slamers( 3 yrs old) and never had a single problem.

Maybe trouble does come in groups of 3.


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## captainhook

Shimano hands down! I still have a Stradic that I bought 15-16 yrs ago. All my spinning gear is Shimano and I had a Trinidad that I sold with my big boat that was awesome. I just bought an Avet and it seems decent but it's no Trinidad.

I heard a guy fishing down from me at the coast telling his buddy that his brand new Penn Sargus just locked up. One o fmy best friends had several slammers and they all took a dump on him too. His stradic is still running fine.


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## rotorhead

*Penn problems*

Guys, I have been using Penn reels for over 50 years and have never had a problem other than the anti-reverse spring breaking on some of the older spinning reels. Penn did away with the anti-reverse selector and solved the problem. The problem that many people have with Penn or other reels is that they do not zero out the drag when they are thru using the reels. The drag plates and washers compress over time and you end up with a rough drag or it seizes and failure occurs. Proper cleaning always is helpful and that is not just spraying water on the reel after use but lubricating the gears, bearings and other moving parts with just a little lube not gobs of the stuff. If I had to chose another reel to replace the Penn it would be a Fin Nor, a little pricy but an excellent reel.
Rotorhead.


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## Hunter22

We have 3 Penn 7900's (I think thats the model) but we have had them for 10+ years. There still going strong and every time we go out off-shore we take them with us and always end up using them. Trolling for kings, cobia, dolphin, anything really. We bottom fish off of the R2 and R3 right off of the legs and have pulled fish out from under there with them. I  havent used any newer ones or the smaller ones but I know the older ones will last a LONG time!


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## CAL

Don't know if anyone here does this but if you don't stop the spool before putting the reel in gear you are asking for your reel to fail.I know,have seen many just flip up the lever and listen to the gears mesh,later they are having problems.Sorta like driving a stick shift automobile and never mashing in the clutch.This plus never giving their equiptment any sevice is another big problem.I know,it was working fine last year!


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## brett30030

Penn is now owned by Pure. They are not all that favorably viewed and own a massive share of the market place. I would expect to continue to see the undermining of much of the product line, especially their higher end line; hopefully i am wrong. Penn sold out in 2007. 

_
About Pure Fishing, Inc.
Pure Fishing is a leading global provider of fishing tackle, lures, rods and reels with a portfolio of brands that includes Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, SevenStrand®, Shakespeare®, Spiderwire®, Stren®, Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. With operations in 19 countries and a dedicated workforce conversant in 28 languages, Pure Fishing is part of Jarden Outdoor Solutions, a leader in developing outdoor and active lifestyle products and a division of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH). Additional information can be found at www.purefishing.com.

About Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bicycle®, Crawford®, Diamond®, First Alert®, Forster®, Hoyle®, JavaLog®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Leslie-Locke®, Loew-Cornell® and Pine Mountain®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Harmony®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountainâ„¢; and Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, All Star®, Berkley®, Campingaz®, Coleman®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Pflueger®, SevenStrand®, Shakespeare®, Spiderwire®, Stren®,Trilene® and Ugly Stik®. Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden has over 20,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.jarden.com._


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## mrpdl

I have yet to have any problems with my 10 plus Penn reels! All have worked well for me.


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## Bubbaforsure

I have over 30 Penn reels, mostly pre-80's and older. All of the spinning are the old green ones and are tried and true hard core gear for sure....Can't think of fishing with anything else.....why would I.....Just good stuff....


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## OUTCAST

Penn is going to be reliable for the average fisherman. But for someone who is on the water 7 days a week, 5 months out of the year...NO WAY.  Its not even comparable to Shimano. 


I started using Penns when I began fishing full time. I STILL havent had one last an entire season. Spinning rods, live bait 555's and big Internationals....they cant take it.  I havent bought a Penn  in years because they arent reliable for everyday use. Want something that will last? Shimano..


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## asc

I'm commercial all I own is Penn's 6/0 and 9/0. All are at least 15 yrs old though. Clean after every trip.


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## Swordfish

OUTCAST said:


> Penn is going to be reliable for the average fisherman. But for someone who is on the water 7 days a week, 5 months out of the year...NO WAY.  Its not even comparable to Shimano...


I have to throw in the B*S* flag on this comment. It's just wrong. We fish year round down here in FL. and they stand up to the best of them. You must be leaving yours out in the snow during the winter or just not servicing them properly.


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## grouper throat

Swordfish said:


> I have to throw in the B*S* flag on this comment. It's just wrong. We fish year round down here in FL. and they stand up to the best of them. You must be leaving yours out in the snow during the winter or just not servicing them properly.



He must be sponsored by Shimano. I bought a few inshore reels when Shimano broke into the saltwater scene (encouraged by a buddy) and both didn't last more than a season. Highly priced junk imo.

I've got three 320-330 gti that were all bought within the past two years and I can't tell a difference between the quality of the old and new ones yet(I'll give them a few years).


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## Mechanicaldawg

Dustin Pate said:


> I noticed that Bass Pro in Macon had a good deal of Penn's in the clearance section that had been redone. Does Bass Pro have something to do with Penn now?



I purchased 2 - 6500's out of that bin and so far they've been great.

I have caught quite a few nice reds reds on both of them & they perform the way Penn always has for us.

We've been expecting a drop off because of the new owner but so far, so good.


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## OUTCAST

Swordfish said:


> I have to throw in the B*S* flag on this comment. It's just wrong. We fish year round down here in FL. and they stand up to the best of them. You must be leaving yours out in the snow during the winter or just not servicing them properly.




I wish I had a sponsor, but the money I've thrown away in buying Penn is substantial which makes me a little more vocal on the subject.

I still have some old Penn 6/0's, they seem to be the most reliable but I retired them many years ago because of the drag being a little sticky. The new stuff is JUNK. I used to have all penn 555's for livebaiting for kings...the drag changes throughout the fight, the rubber handle melts in the sun and the clicker only works solid for a few months. The line also gets caught between the reel and the spool quite a bit when dropping baits back. Terrible design. I went through a few spinning reels. Everytime one breaks, they gave me a new one. That was nice, but its aggravating having the bail break in a hot bite and trying to explain to my customer that I should have already learned my lesson and bought something reliable.  As for the big International; it stays at home unless the line gets beat up on the Tiagra. I've had the International for years, I cant keep it from breaking down. Too many problems to list.  


I actually had this conversation with my customers today while lined up with 9 other boats tarpon fishing. 7 were guides and all reels that were in eyesight were all shimano, mostly TLD's.


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## smittyg

my international, 30vsw's have never failed me. I've seen a few penn reels at academy sports that looked a little suspect to me as far as the quality but the ones I own have served me well


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## whitworth

*Penn weren't seen as high quality reels in the 90's*

I saw them as old reels.  Nothing of the then quality of the Shimano reels.  

Seemed to be living off the name, even then.


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## Rock-hard

If you guys have never used an AVET reel made in California by Americans, then you don't know what a fine reel you are missing out on. I have used Penns and Shimanos fishing out of Venice,LA for years. None would compare to the durability and reliability of the AVETS. Not even close.


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## Capt. Richie Lott

*The new PENN REELS line-up....*

I have been watching this thread since it developed.....

Guys.... I am really very sorry to hear about those of you who have had  problems with some of your PENN reels. I have helped many of you get this straight as best as I can and I am glad to help..... In the end, everyone has their favorite reels as we all well know. Were there PENN problems for a short time? Yes, but only on a few reels..... Now, PENN has taken back the top of the mountain with quality (not just living off the name) this season.

I think it's widely known that PENN had a stutter step after the exchange and there is no denying that issue with a few reels that were re-designed.

However, with the Quality Control over the product line at this point, you will see less and less complaints about the PENN product line.

They have dialed it in.... Their design team has gone above and beyond this year and I have fished many, many times with several of the reel designers personally and the Senior product manager over the past 3 years from Pure Fishing Co.. They want to know what is breaking on the reels and why so it won't happen again. These guys are serious about delivering a durable product to the end user and it's showing in 2010 and 2011.

With that in mind, their new line-up is pretty impressive offering aggressive looks, smooth feel, insane casting abilities, smoother drags than ever before and more... I have had my hands on several of the new reels. The reels are being over built while maintaining a great weight ratio, and the corrosion problems are a thing of the past at this point.

I use ABU Garcia as well under the PF umbrella, but PENN has gone above and beyond all our expectations with the new line-up of dependable, long lasting super built reels this time....

See the new PENN Battle Spinning Reel on this thread: 
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=567263

Again, everyone has their favorites, but if any of you have any questions about the new PENN line-up, feel free to PM me anytime.


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## Limitless

Capt. Lott, I have a lot of respect for you and appreciate everything you've done for this forum and the education you provide.  But I have to disagree some about Penn.  They may have turned the corner and begun a return to quality, but they've got some proving to do.  I've had 4 of the 450 SS and 550SSG models fail this year - and they weren't real old.  The post in the bail release mechanism broke off (I assume due to the graphite).  I've switched to Shimano, but I'll give them another try based on your rec.  

I took the failed reels back to basspro to show them the same issue on all 4 and they basically laughed!  I knew the warantee had expired and didn't expect replacement or repair, but I thought they'd want to know.  Wrong again.


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## Capt. Richie Lott

Limitless said:


> Capt. Lott, I have a lot of respect for you and appreciate everything you've done for this forum and the education you provide.  But I have to disagree some about Penn.  They may have turned the corner and begun a return to quality, but they've got some proving to do.  I've had 4 of the 450 SS and 550SSG models fail this year - and they weren't real old.  The post in the bail release mechanism broke off (I assume due to the graphite).  I've switched to Shimano, but I'll give them another try based on your rec.
> 
> I took the failed reels back to basspro to show them the same issue on all 4 and they basically laughed!  I knew the warantee had expired and didn't expect replacement or repair, but I thought they'd want to know.  Wrong again.



Understood 100%..... I hate to hear the SSG stories, but there were some early issues with them as you mentioned, although it's being worked out this season.
The new line-up of reels this season should be a HUGE turn around for the Company. They don't want to keep battling these small issues just as much as we don't want to deal with them, I can assure you.

I have only (2) SSG reels and have not used them very much, but I can speak on the SSMetal, and I will speak highly. I don't have a special set either... They have been bullet proof, no bail issues, no drag issues... Running 80 pound braid on 6, 7 and 8 size SSM's with ALOT of drag on Sharks, Tarpon, Bull Reds, Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack, etc... You know how much I fish, too....

I can also speak for this years Sargus and Conquer spinning reels. Same fish as above. I have heard VERY little about any problems with these either. We fish them constantly and they're still working perfectly as they did last season, right out of the boxes.. I rinse them with fresh water, NEVER wash them and I do not dry them. Ever.... All are working prefectly.

But, Anyway.... I really do hope you'll give some of the new line-up a try. Come by my place anytime to get a hold of some of the new gear and you'll be able to tell the difference immediately upon holding it.

PM me about your SSG problems, please. I will see if there is anything I can do to help you with that. I appreciate your respect and the reply....


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## Rock-hard

Richie I have been by your place, but you are never home. I heard you were out whacking kings when Earl came rolling by. I still need you to do that spokesmen thing I left you a message about. You would be a perfect spokesman with your polished communication skills. You got my number, call me.


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## Capt. Richie Lott

Rock-hard said:


> Richie I have been by your place, but you are never home. I heard you were out whacking kings when Earl came rolling by. I still need you to do that spokesmen thing I left you a message about. You would be a perfect spokesman with your polished communication skills. You got my number, call me.



Yeah we fished a lot this season, but it's narrowing down, now. I was Cobia Fishing when you came by I would bet....


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## mesocollins

Don't hit me guys, but I rep Pure Fishing part time. I love the products. Penn is definitely a top of the line company that makes quality fishing equipment at all price ranges. As Captain Lott said, they had some problems with the switch overs. As far as the Bass Pro incident, they really can't do anything with the items after the warranty expires. They only sell the product. I realize the issue because they are the direct line to the customer, but it is the manufacturer who should be contacted. 

I have a mixed bag of reels including Penn, Abu Garcia, Mitchell, Pflueger, Quantum, Shimano, Daiwa, Acadia... I even own a Browning spinning reel. Other than a few major cases of rash I hardly ever have any problems with my reels. They eat sand, salt, concrete, and anything that the fish throw at them and keep coming back for more. I've never had a big issue other than having to retire some of them from normal wear and tear. I do clean them often and oil and lube them a few times a year.

Hands down, I trust Penn's and Abu's over any other for durability and overall quality.


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