Great video and I agree the slammer is a wonderful reel. I have the slammer as well as the saragosa. Not bragging but I have around 55 reels of various kinds and brands on my collection. As far as the salt water reels I absolutely love my conventional style Penn’s (level wind and non-level wind). However, when it comes to the spinning style reels I am mostly in the shimano camp. I have recently picked up the slammer 4 6500 as well. It will definitely be a favorite of mine but the equally matched Saragosa 10,000 (numbers vary between brands but the law two are matched equally) is a much better reel. The gosa is smoother and better sealed. The drag is so much better as well, yet I live my Slammer to. The Spheros is a step down from both but the sealing on it even beats the slammer but it needs more drag. I enjoy many brands but when it comes to salt water spinners shimano, penn, and van staal is what I prefer depending on how I’m fishing. The Cabo’s are nice reels but for the price they need to really work on their sealing.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights! I need to get a Saragosa and run it. I've always loved Shimano products, I guess I've always been more interested in the looks of Penn. I did grow up using Penn, Zebco, and Shimano so I have nothing against Shimano, just have to buy one next!
Nice video and 100% agree on the Penn slammers. Price wise $150.00 for 4500 Slammer lll at Bass pro shops . Kids drop the reels in the sand and water and no problems. Simple up keep no hassles like ferro mag oil maintenance. The Big 10500 handles bluefin tuna and jumbo White Sturgeon equally well and for $300 did not break the bank.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience. With the Slammer 4s rolling out, I think the Slammer 3's going on sale are the best thing going right now. I bet the 10500 is an absolute beast.
Hey, I've been watching your channel a lot & just wanted to give you a "BIG THANK YOU" for doing these great tackle reviews. Your professionalism & presentation really inspire a lot confidence & trust in the reviews being done. I hope you'll continue giving your thoughts & opinions well into the future, as I believe you have a gift for it! Again THANKS! 🙂👍
Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the kind words! My life has been super busy, but I try to get reviews out when I can. Your words of encouragement means a lot. Take care and make sure you get out fishing!
Nice breakdown of the Slammers, interesting to see the differences with the Spinfisher vi too, I've got a couple of each and love them, they hold up so well to salt water kayak fishing, which most reels just can't handle. You show the Slammer with 13 or 14 seals and the Spinfisher with only 8. I had been told that the only reason the Spinfisher vi didn't have an Ingress Protection Rating of 6 was because the Spinfisher has a bait runner in its range with extra water vulnerabilities, but they considered the non bait runner Spinfishers to really have an IPX6 rating, even though you show here their seal design is quite different, with the Spinfishers having 5 fewer seals. Thanks for your interesting clip.
Glad to hear you love your reels. Honestly, the Spinfishers are all you ever need. Penn has them listed as IPX5 vs IPX6 ( for Slammers) because they carry fewer seals. That’s interesting what you mention about the bait runners and makes sense to me. The Slammer really is over the top and beyond what anyone really needs short of a charter boat on the Florida flats running and gunning every day. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
They rebuilt the drag system, so it goes lower and should be smoother. I believe the extra bearing is also in that rebuilt drag system. The drag was the biggest complaint Penn had I am pretty sure. I have the III and can attest to that.
I fish both salmon in Alaska and inshore in florida. The the 4500 (or 5000 in other brand)is the perfect do all size for what I do. Why I pick the penn over other brands is because I dunk my reels a lot and they keep going.
This is purely based off my experience and style, so take it with a grain of salt…saltwater fish are unforgiving on line. The beauty of braid is that it has a very small diameter compared to mono of equivalent strength. So despite your reel’s official ratings, you can run 65lb braid. Not because you need 65lbs of drag strength(which the reel can’t even provide), but you need abrasion-resistance from sharp teeth and fins. I’ve had 15lb fish absolutely wreck 50lb braid in salt water. For example, I used 65lb braid in florida to catch big Snook near docks. They’re brutal on line due to their mouths and sharp fins. Add to that they are crazy fighters. At the end of the day you use what you have and you get creative to catch certain types of fish. Especially in salt water. If you max out 30lb drag on 30lb line fighting a snook, your line will snap every time. I use just enough drag to wear the fish out after repeated runs, I’d say 30lb is more than enough and shouldn’t dictate the strength of your line. Final note, I have buddies who put 40lb braid on barbie rods & reels and catch 10lb salmon with them. Drag was never an issue.
Yeah it has a bail trip lever, so it auto-closes when you start reeling. I have lost many spoons due to a bail closing when it shouldn't. However, when I cast with this reel, I like to manually flip the bail close with my hand instead of reeling to close it. I haven't had issues that way. Thanks for stopping by!
I'd put 20-30lb braided line on it (PowerPro is the brand name) and get a 7'0 medium or fast action spinning rod. You can always go to a local tackle shop or a BassPro shop nearby and ask for help as well. You have an awesome reel!
Just got the slammer 4 8500 going on a ugly stik tiger, 7' rod med-heavy action good for big game..bay and light offshore..in the laguna bay, bahia grande,padre Island area(gulf of mx) can't wait to get out there and try the new setup..good luck on the fishing
Weight in reels never really bothered me. The slammer wasn’t a burden by any means. It definitely has a lot going on in it and Penn doesn’t shy away from metal parts. I feel other companies use high-end composites to save weight. Thanks for stopping by!
Old penn reels are excellent. They use older technology, but catch fish all the same. I use a Penn 704 from the 1970s and it has no problems. It’s clunky and big, but it’s awesome and built to last.
@@CastFromTheHip Nah I'm just playing around. I have the 10K and the 18K and they are absolute beasts, zero complaints. Heard the same about Slammers too. I think it just boils down to preference, like iPhone vs Android - you have loyalists on both sides and for good reasons. Cheers and tight lines 🤙🏼
@@CastFromTheHip...no wonder you are so impressed with the Slammer...you haven't had a Gosa yet. You can not really compare the two. I have had 3 Slammers and had nothing but problems with them out of the box. Got two Gosas now. Although they are also not perfect, they are mile better than a Slammer.
![Should You Buy The Penn Slammer IV Spinning Reel? [Pros & Cons]](/img/n.gif)
Great video and I agree the slammer is a wonderful reel. I have the slammer as well as the saragosa. Not bragging but I have around 55 reels of various kinds and brands on my collection. As far as the salt water reels I absolutely love my conventional style Penn’s (level wind and non-level wind). However, when it comes to the spinning style reels I am mostly in the shimano camp. I have recently picked up the slammer 4 6500 as well. It will definitely be a favorite of mine but the equally matched Saragosa 10,000 (numbers vary between brands but the law two are matched equally) is a much better reel. The gosa is smoother and better sealed. The drag is so much better as well, yet I live my Slammer to. The Spheros is a step down from both but the sealing on it even beats the slammer but it needs more drag. I enjoy many brands but when it comes to salt water spinners shimano, penn, and van staal is what I prefer depending on how I’m fishing. The Cabo’s are nice reels but for the price they need to really work on their sealing.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your insights! I need to get a Saragosa and run it. I've always loved Shimano products, I guess I've always been more interested in the looks of Penn. I did grow up using Penn, Zebco, and Shimano so I have nothing against Shimano, just have to buy one next!
Sounds great looks great my friend
Nice video and 100% agree on the Penn slammers. Price wise $150.00 for 4500 Slammer lll at Bass pro shops . Kids drop the reels in the sand and water and no problems. Simple up keep no hassles like ferro mag oil maintenance. The Big 10500 handles bluefin tuna and jumbo White Sturgeon equally well and for $300 did not break the bank.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience. With the Slammer 4s rolling out, I think the Slammer 3's going on sale are the best thing going right now. I bet the 10500 is an absolute beast.
Nice trout
I'm fishing for rainbows now
Nov 2021
Just bought a penn pursuit 4 4000
Cant wait
I love my Penn s
Thanks for stopping by, they make great reels. Good luck out there!
Great review
Hey, I've been watching your channel a lot & just wanted to give you a "BIG THANK YOU" for doing these great tackle reviews. Your professionalism & presentation really inspire a lot confidence & trust in the reviews being done. I hope you'll continue giving your thoughts & opinions well into the future, as I believe you have a gift for it! Again THANKS! 🙂👍
Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate the kind words! My life has been super busy, but I try to get reviews out when I can. Your words of encouragement means a lot. Take care and make sure you get out fishing!
Nice breakdown of the Slammers, interesting to see the differences with the Spinfisher vi too, I've got a couple of each and love them, they hold up so well to salt water kayak fishing, which most reels just can't handle. You show the Slammer with 13 or 14 seals and the Spinfisher with only 8. I had been told that the only reason the Spinfisher vi didn't have an Ingress Protection Rating of 6 was because the Spinfisher has a bait runner in its range with extra water vulnerabilities, but they considered the non bait runner Spinfishers to really have an IPX6 rating, even though you show here their seal design is quite different, with the Spinfishers having 5 fewer seals. Thanks for your interesting clip.
Glad to hear you love your reels. Honestly, the Spinfishers are all you ever need. Penn has them listed as IPX5 vs IPX6 ( for Slammers) because they carry fewer seals. That’s interesting what you mention about the bait runners and makes sense to me. The Slammer really is over the top and beyond what anyone really needs short of a charter boat on the Florida flats running and gunning every day. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
They rebuilt the drag system, so it goes lower and should be smoother. I believe the extra bearing is also in that rebuilt drag system. The drag was the biggest complaint Penn had I am pretty sure. I have the III and can attest to that.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
I fish both salmon in Alaska and inshore in florida. The the 4500 (or 5000 in other brand)is the perfect do all size for what I do. Why I pick the penn over other brands is because I dunk my reels a lot and they keep going.
Penns are definitely durable, all of mine last forever. Some people knock them for smoothness and weight, but that's never bothered me.
@@CastFromTheHip yeah man, i still got my penn pursuit from the early 2000s which I started fishing with.
Just got 1 on sale for 2 bills at BPS. Thanks for the vid.. It made my decision a no brainer.
Great deal boss, can’t go wrong. Thanks for stopping by and hope you catch some nice fish with your reel!
They are on sale on Cabelas. Just got a 6500 for $ 200
proffisional review
How can you put 65 lb braid on a 4500 when the box says the max is 30lb drag
This is purely based off my experience and style, so take it with a grain of salt…saltwater fish are unforgiving on line. The beauty of braid is that it has a very small diameter compared to mono of equivalent strength. So despite your reel’s official ratings, you can run 65lb braid. Not because you need 65lbs of drag strength(which the reel can’t even provide), but you need abrasion-resistance from sharp teeth and fins. I’ve had 15lb fish absolutely wreck 50lb braid in salt water.
For example, I used 65lb braid in florida to catch big Snook near docks. They’re brutal on line due to their mouths and sharp fins. Add to that they are crazy fighters. At the end of the day you use what you have and you get creative to catch certain types of fish. Especially in salt water. If you max out 30lb drag on 30lb line fighting a snook, your line will snap every time. I use just enough drag to wear the fish out after repeated runs, I’d say 30lb is more than enough and shouldn’t dictate the strength of your line.
Final note, I have buddies who put 40lb braid on barbie rods & reels and catch 10lb salmon with them. Drag was never an issue.
slammer is a great reel for sure.. you pay, but they are pretty darn nice. have seen tuna caught on them, though I wouldn't advise it, myself..
Just bought 2 of them 3500 and 4500 hs. I herd you can swap the spools on these 2 models. Basically I have 4 reals now
Can't beat that!
I would like to buy one but I don't think I can afford it
They ain't cheap...plenty of great reels that are much cheaper and all anyone needs to catch excellent fish! Thanks for stopping by.
Does it have the auto bale trip feature? I'd hope they'd remove that, lost so many expensive spoon's
Yeah it has a bail trip lever, so it auto-closes when you start reeling. I have lost many spoons due to a bail closing when it shouldn't. However, when I cast with this reel, I like to manually flip the bail close with my hand instead of reeling to close it. I haven't had issues that way. Thanks for stopping by!
@@CastFromTheHip yea well my reel closes in a cast, that was the biggest problem w the 2500-5500. 6500 and up is Manuel
i got the slammer 4 4500 as a gift but idk how to combine it or what lines to use. As a long time user can u give me any advice
I'd put 20-30lb braided line on it (PowerPro is the brand name) and get a 7'0 medium or fast action spinning rod. You can always go to a local tackle shop or a BassPro shop nearby and ask for help as well. You have an awesome reel!
Just got the slammer 4 8500 going on a ugly stik tiger, 7' rod med-heavy action good for big game..bay and light offshore..in the laguna bay, bahia grande,padre Island area(gulf of mx) can't wait to get out there and try the new setup..good luck on the fishing
What rod power rating the gx2
How do you feel about weight? It seems it's heavier than comparable reels.
Weight in reels never really bothered me. The slammer wasn’t a burden by any means. It definitely has a lot going on in it and Penn doesn’t shy away from metal parts. I feel other companies use high-end composites to save weight. Thanks for stopping by!
@@CastFromTheHip got the 4500 shopping now for comparable rod.
how good are the oldest modells pen slammer 360 460 560
Old penn reels are excellent. They use older technology, but catch fish all the same. I use a Penn 704 from the 1970s and it has no problems. It’s clunky and big, but it’s awesome and built to last.
Great video man where are you based out of?
North Carolina, but I fish all over due to work.
Good information my friend big like👍 I subscribe😃🔔 new friend. Take care and have a great weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!
Gosa > Slammer
I’ll have to get a Gosa and confirm. Thanks for stopping by.
@@CastFromTheHip Nah I'm just playing around. I have the 10K and the 18K and they are absolute beasts, zero complaints. Heard the same about Slammers too. I think it just boils down to preference, like iPhone vs Android - you have loyalists on both sides and for good reasons. Cheers and tight lines 🤙🏼
@@CastFromTheHip...no wonder you are so impressed with the Slammer...you haven't had a Gosa yet. You can not really compare the two. I have had 3 Slammers and had nothing but problems with them out of the box. Got two Gosas now. Although they are also not perfect, they are mile better than a Slammer.