Evaluation: PENN Slammer IV | OutdoorHub

If any reel producer may say that they’ve found out the right way to produce a high quality reel that excels in saltwater use it’s got to be PENN. For years I’ve been utilizing PENN for my inshore saltwater marsh fishing and for years the reels have by no means let me down. Whereas I often don’t spend over 150 bucks for my spinning reels, I made a decision to buy a high-end reel and concentrate on it for almost all of my saltwater fishing. The thought course of behind that is easy: discover one reel that excels with catching speckled trout, redfish, flounder, and sheepshead, and use it for all of my saltwater fishing as an alternative of quite a few different rod and reel combos. After a ton of analysis and a few useful recommendation from a number of saltwater fishing guides in my interior circle, I made a decision on the  PENN Slammer lV.

I took this reel out on the water and obtained to place it to the check. The very first thing I’ll begin with is the rigidity of the reel. It has nearly no flex in it due to its full steel physique and aspect plate that helps maintain all the pieces aligned correctly when the reel is beneath stress. PENN now makes use of CNC expertise which implies the gears are lower from one block of steel. With its 9 complete stainless-steel ball bearings, the retrieve was most likely the smoothest I’ve ever skilled.

I used to be fishing a lower within the marsh with water flowing out of it and was in a position to jig a Shrimp Creole Matrix Shad on a 3/8 oz. jig head to select up 8 specked trout and 1 redfish. I used to be in a position to check out the drag system when the redfish (26 inches) slammed my bait and made a run. The 20lb. max drag system dealt with the fish with ease and I used to be in a position to internet him inside 5 minutes. The HT-100 Carbon Fiber Drag System was ultra-smooth and really constant.

An added characteristic that I used to be wanting ahead to attempting out was the Automated Bail system. I used to be not upset. It’s an important bait runner characteristic that has the potential to permit me to fish on the underside with dwell bait or market bait and watch for the fish to run a bit earlier than setting the hook.

The reel was barely on the heavy aspect however a heavier reel is all the time so as when fishing for saltwater fish so I’d moderately sacrifice weight for high quality.

On the finish of the day, I can truthfully say that I’ve discovered my all-round saltwater reel within the PENN Slammer IV and would extremely advocate it even with the premium price ticket. Its total smoothness within the retrieve and drag division is a no brainer and the automated bail system was an important characteristic that has tons of potential when utilizing dwell bait. It’s an absolute masterpiece of an inshore reel.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award profitable outside journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s LouisianaNorthshore.com and Louisiana Northshore Discover Journal. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Outside Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery.