stoga1919

That's reassuring to hear about the durability of the Penn reels. With this rod, I will probably be using it 70% of the time to chuck out a bait when I am on the rocks/breakwalls and 30% for lures. However, I will likely be using this rod primarily for lures when I head to the beaches. That's part of the reason why I want a reel that is capable of doing both those things well - just not sure if a baitrunner is going to let me down when it comes to lures. The durability of the Penns is what has also got me looking at them for this rod. All my other setups have always had smaller Shimano reels and I love the look and feel of the Shimanos. However, I've also heard that Shimano reels getting splashed or dunked is a big no. I'm relatively new to saltwater fishing so having a reel that can withstand getting splashed and sprayed by waves is important to me. I actually did look at the Penn Battle III before I had a look at the Penn Slammer IV. Would you say the step up from the Battle III to the Slammer IV is noticeable? I don't mind paying the premium for a Slammer IV if it's noticeably better - my budget is $400-$500 for this reel and I want something that's going to last for a fair bit.

I don't think any of my local stores have it for sale unfortunately to give it a run. I would also prefer to stick with Shimano/Penn or some of the other big names for peace of mind. What test mono do you run on your set up? My reasoning for braid was for the line capacity and I've always used braid in my other reels. I will be using the 30lb braid + 40lb mono leader.

I have always used Shimano reels so this would be my first Penn reel if I go with it. Since it's a Penn rod was thinking whether the Penn reel would suit it a little better. Greato hear you use the slammer 4500hs - how have you been finding it? Also how well do you think a 6500 Slammer 4 would go with my 12 ft rod? Thank you!

Yep I definitely was considering a baitrunner initially as well. Was looking at both the Shimano Thunnus 8000 and Shimano Baitrunner 8000 however not sure how well they would handle throwing metals repetitively? Also feel like the baitrunner feature might be one more thing to worry about with salt/water getting into to?

Hi all, I am looking for a recommendation/advice on a reel for a newly purchased 12ft Penn Prevail II 6-12kg rod. I am planning on using this rod for spinning off the rocks, breakwalls and the beach and targeting kingfish, salmon, tailor, mulloway and anything else I can catch I would like to primarily throw baits on this rod and but also be able to chuck out some metals as well. Will also be running 30lb Jbraid. Originally, I was going to use a Shimano Spheros 6000 reel however that reel felt a bit light for this rod so I am looking for something larger, probably a size 8000 reel. The Spheros is currently the same price as a Saragosa in the 8000 size so I am tossing up between what would suit. I have also considered the Penn Slammer IV in the 6500 size but I have never used a Penn reel before so not sure how well they go. Has anyone use the Spheros, Saragosa or Slammer IV and able to give me some advice on what work best for my rod and fishing goals? Or any other reels that you would suggest? Thanks in advance!