PENN Slammer III Spinning - 10500

This feedback is based on initial assessments as a true review could take months of use. I just got mine last week. But I want to share some info I think is important. It is well built; it is smooth; and it does have a lot of drag. That said, like most things, it isn't perfect. First off, the elephant in the room...yes, it is the current 7+1 version. Penn stated in a forum post on Stripers Online website that all reels made starting September 2017 were made with the line roller bearing. As you will see from the photo (L18) that mine was manufactured in December 2018, and it IS the 7+1 model. I first purchased one from my local shop and returned it when I found out it was the older model. FYI, the sticker with the code is on the reel after you take off the spool. Pros: 1. Well built, including all machined brass gearing 2. Well sealed - IPX6 rated. I actually like that there is a 3rd party verification and rating system used here. I am not a fan of Shimano's "X" ratings and "Core" ratings. It's just marketing names. 3. Smooth drag; I admit I haven't used it in full practice yet, so take that with a grain of salt 4. Smooth action; it is smooth, but not as good when put next to Daiwa. Those are ridiculously smooth. The Slammer feels very slighly geary next to those. But not enough to complain about it. Cons: 1. Minimum drag - same complaint as everyone else; you can remove the drag cap and still not go very low. It's odd. I will say this one I have from Amazon is better than the 2 year old one I initially purchased from my local shop. Drag feels a little lighter. In practice it will likely be fine matched up with the 20 lb braid I'm currently running. According to Tackle Advisors, the minimum he experience was about 1-2 lbs. It feels close to that, but didn't bother to measure. Value: Well, value is subjective and personal. I will say I think the jump from the Spinfisher VI to this is appropriate. You primarily gain 2 extra bearings, a brass main gear and what I feel is a better handle. If you don't care about the little extra smoothness from more bearings, and the handle isn't important to you, the Spinfisher VI is better deal, especially at 6500 and above (where the main gear becomes brass like the Slammer). According to Tackle Advisors, the sealing in the VI (not the live liner models) is the same as the Slammer. In that case, you nearly get a Slammer for 2/3rds the price. For me, I noticed the extra smoothness of the extra bearings, and I like the handle so much better that I was going to put the Slammer handle on the Spinfisher VI anyway. Even with the current cost (as of today) of the Spinfisher VI 4500 at $142 and the cost of the Slammer handle at $65 on Ebay, that's $207. That's better than the $250 of the Slammer III 4500...except I got the Slammer III 4500 for $187 on Amazon. Soooo, that's a no brainer for me. I think I got a good version of a good reel. I think will work perfectly for my inshore Florida needs. And I believe at $187, it is a great value.

Worth the extra money to get this model if you think you’ll get it in the water. Especially saltwater. I use mine on the jetty rocks and wading in surf. It’s gotten dunked in ocean while I was grabbing fish. I open it up every few trips (easy to do). Never seen water or salt deposits. grease it up real good while you’re in there and you’ll never have an issue. O-ring material seals are throughout reel. good for kayak, jet-ski, or surf/rock/inlet fishing. Gotta love the handle too! It comes with a soft rubber one also. Easy to change. No auto-bail bar return. Once you cast, you have to flip the nail with your hand. Reeling the handle won’t flip it. Awesome reel. Worth this price if you have the need for a sealed body. Little extra bonus is that it uses the same drag system as the Penn International reels.

Very impressive reel and built like a tank! I was surprised to feel how smooth it is being such a large reel (6500). I'll be using this paired with a heavy fast St Croix rod on Muskies but purchased it mainly for Great Lakes salmon & trout because of its tremendous spool capacity for those runners. Was first impressed when the handle smoothly rolled to the bottom when I picked it up. The dual set of bearings in the grip are so smooth they spin like a top. Mega powerhouse drag system is very smooth. I have a ton of rods & reeds in my arsenal but this is the best addition I've added in years.

Have had it for about 6 months have caught both of my personal best, largest yellowtail ever. Drag is insane, super fast retrieval paired with cedros jigging rod, it's the iron/jig machine. 65lb power pro and 40lb flouro leader is my go to. It has randomly scratched pretty easily but function is rock solid. We will see how it does with corrosion over time. I bought mine on a nice discount so it really has been an unbelievable value reel.

I have two Penn Slammer III 7500's paired with a Penn Carnage II medium/heavy 7 ft 50/100lb rods, both spooled with 65lb PowerPro braid. With 50lbs of drag, using the Dura-Drag system, the same silky smooth indestructible drag system as Penn International's, you will NOT find a better spinning reel combo for the money. This is an awesome general all purpose rig! Whether you are bottom fishing, high speed or slow pitch jigging, trolling, or casting, from Snapper, Cobia, Amber Jack, Kingfish, Mahi, to Grouper, Blackfin or Yellowfin, this rig won't disappoint! Infinitely better drag system and more line holding capacity then any other in this class such as the Daiwa BG. If you are looking for a general purpose, all around offshore spinning rod / reel combo, look no further!

Just got the 8500HS in today and spooled her up with 500 yards of 65 pound power with a short 100lb braid topshot. We have owned and used the 10500 for a long time for vertical jigging and sharks off the beach. It was time for a bit smaller reel and the 8500hs fit the bill perfect! After about 30 min of spooling tonight she has held up good. But the real test will be a shark this weekend or amberjack jigging! So far so good!

Ottimo mulinello , che si presta per le più dure delle battaglie , corpo interamente in metallo , davvero fantastico

Smooth and well built. Should last a lifetime and beyond.

Makina tam metal gövde olduğu için emsallerine göre ağır ama dişliler dahil metal olduğu için büyük balık avlarinda inanılmaz güven veren vır makine

Its reach faster then expected. The reel is in good condition. The only bad thing is its deliver to your doorstep but not inform lucky im back in time to take it. Overall its a good buy.

Es un muy buen carrete, muy rapido y muy fuerte