Penn are one of the world’s top fishing reel manufacturers and their range of spinning reels is no exception. The hardest part is deciding which Penn spinning reel to choose.
For anyone who has never tried a Penn reel I would highly recommend it – they have a unique feeling that showcases why they are famous for durability.
I have put together a quick review of the best spinning reels that Penn have to offer along with their key specifications so you can understand the difference. If you click on the link in the heading then you can see full length reviews of the individual reel for more information.
Penn are also one of the few popular reel manufacturers who make their reels in the USA.
Table of Contents
1. Penn Spinfisher
Penn Spinfisher VI reel is a spinning reel with an extremely well-built full metal body. It is ready to give you the durability that you need to use a spinning reel in saltwater – Be it the harshest saltwater or if you mistakenly drop the rod in the sand nothing is going to happen to the Penn Spinfisher VI spinning reel due to its enclosed body.
The extremely lightweight frame of the reel seals the gearbox and also the drag system within it.
| REEL SIZE | 2500 | 3500 | 4500 | 5500 | 6500 | 7500 | 8500 | 9500 | 10500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 310/10 270/15 220/20 | 390/15 320/20 250/30 | 500/20 380/30 335/40 | 485/30 410/40 335/50 | 530/40 440/50 400/65 | 730/40 600/50 555/65 | 730/50 670/65 435/80 | 845/50 780/65 540/80 |
| GEAR RATIO | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 4.7:1 | 4.7:1 | 4.2:1 | 4.2:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 30lb | 13.6kg | 35lb | 15.8kg | 40lb | 18.1kg | 45lb | 20.4kg | 50lb | 22.6kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 360/6 285/8 220/10 | 425/8 320/10 235/12 | 430/10 330/12 230/15 | 390/12 345/15 205/20 | 490/15 330/20 220/30 | 455/20 310/30 260/40 | 350/30 300/40 240/50 | 435/30 360/40 255/50 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 33″ | 84cm | 37″ | 94cm | 40″ | 102cm | 39″ | 99cm | 42″ | 107cm | 38″ | 97cm | 42″ | 107cm | 40″ | 102cm | 43″ | 109 cm |
| WEIGHT | 10.7 oz | 12.1 oz | 12.5 oz | 18.5 oz | 22.3 oz | 26.5 oz | 28.3 oz | 37.1 oz | 38.6 oz |
2. Penn Passion
The Penn Passion spinning reel features a full metal body which gives it a lot of strength and durability. COmbining this with Penn’s RR30 rotor for low weight, it has the best of both worlds.
Like most modern Penn spinning reels it comes with HT-100 drag system for smooth casting and retrieval even when fighting large fish.
This reel is Penn’s visible support of the American Breast Cancer Foundation and provides financial support.
| REEL SIZE | 2500 | 3000 | 4000 | 5000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 250/15 180/20 130/30 | 360/15 260/20 185/30 | 420/20 300/30 240/40 |
| GEAR RATIO | 5.2:1 | 5.2:1 | 5.2:1 | 4.6:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 12lb | 6kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 25lb | 11.3kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 270/8 220/10 165/12 | 225/12 200/15 135/20 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 27″ | 69cm | 29″ | 74cm | 31″ | 79cm | 29″ | 74cm |
| WEIGHT | 10.1 oz | 11.7 oz | 12 oz | 19.5 oz |
3. Penn Slammer
The Penn Slammer III is a workhorse reel – it’s metal construction makes it almost bulletproof. It is a favorite of charter fisherman as it will just keep working, not matter what you through at it. This also prevents it from warping or getting damaged from either a big fish or getting dropped.
It also has an IP67 sealed gearing system to make sure your reel internals stay dry and lasts for a lifetime. Just give it a quick rinse in freshwater at the end of the day and it will be clean and ready for tomorrow.
It has a very heavy duty drag from 30 pounds up to 60 pounds depending on which model is selected.
Update – Penn have recently released the Slammer IV that comes with an improved drag system.
| REEL SIZE | 3500 | 4500 | 5500 | 6500 | 7500 | 8500 | 9500 | 10500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 310/10 270/15 220/20 | 390/15 320/20 250/30 | 500/20 380/30 335/40 | 485/30 410/40 355/50 | 530/40 440/50 400/65 | 730/40 600/50 555/65 | 730/50 670/65 435/80 | 845/50 780/65 540/80 |
| GEAR RATIO | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 4.7:1 | 4.7:1 | 4.2:1 | 4.2:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 30lb | 13.6kg | 30lb | 13.6kg | 40lb | 18.1kg | 40lb | 18.1kg | 50lb | 22.6kg | 50lb | 22.6kg | 60lb | 27.2kg | 60lb | 27.2kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 480/4 360/6 285/8 | 425/8 320/10 235/12 | 430/10 330/12 230/15 | 390/12 345/15 205/20 | 490/15 330/20 220/30 | 455/20 310/30 260/40 | 350/30 300/40 240/50 | 435/30 360/40 255/50 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 37″ | 94cm | 40″ | 102cm | 39″ | 99cm | 42″ | 107cm | 38″ | 97cm | 42″ | 107cm | 40″ | 102cm | 43″ | 109 cm |
| WEIGHT | 13.9 oz | 14.7 oz | 22.4 oz | 24.3 oz | 29.2 oz | 30.8 oz | 40.9 oz | 43.1 oz |
4. Penn Torque
Penn Torque spinning reel is a premium heavy-duty boat fishing rod for big gamefish. With a maximum drag up to 60 lbs, this is a power reel that can handle powerful fish.
If we look at the largest reel size of 900, this can handle over 400 yards of 100 lb braid fishing line. This reel is built for tuna and other saltwater fish that are both fast and powerful.
It has a IPX6 sealed bearing system (as opposed to shielded bearings) which makes it water proof and corrosion resistant. This is exactly what you want from a saltwater reel.
| REEL SIZE | 5500 | 7500 | 9500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 540/20 400/30 280/50 | 470/50 390/65 340/80 | 575/65 490/80 425/100 |
| GEAR RATIO | 5.5:1 | 6.0:1 | 5.1:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 40lb | 18.1kg | 50lb | 22.6kg | 60lb | 27.2kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 330/12 290/15 200/20 | 490/15 340/20 300/25 | 490/20 440/25 330/30 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 38″ | 97cm | 50″ | 127cm | 50″ | 127cm |
| WEIGHT | 19.5 oz | 26.7 oz | 27.8 oz |
5. Penn Pursuit
The Penn Pursuit is one of Penn’s most affordable spinning reels, and is perfectly suited for inshore fishing, lakes, streams, and rivers for both freshwater and saltwater.
Its lightweight makes it easy to carry and easy to use in water. It has a corrosion-free material, making it the best to use in all types of fishing waters. Also, it is a shielded stainless ball bearing to make the user have a very smooth operation.
Penn have also released the Pursuit III which has some advantages over the Pursuit II – The Pursuit III comes with the upgraded HT100 drag washers – this makes it more durable and reliable. It also has a 6.2:0 gear ratio compared to a 5.2:0 gear ratio.
| REEL SIZE | 2500 | 3000 | 4000 | 5000 | 6000 | 8000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 250/15 180/20 130/30 | 360/15 260/20 185/30 | 420/20 300/30 240/40 | 490/30 390/40 335/50 | 475/50 390/65 345/80 |
| GEAR RATIO | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.3:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 10lb | 4.5kg | 12lb | 5.4kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 25lb | 11.3kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 270/8 220/10 165/12 | 225/12 200/15 135/20 | 335/15 230/20 210/25 | 340/20 310/25 230/30 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 33″ | 84cm | 35″ | 89cm | 37″ | 94cm | 36″ | 91cm | 41″ | 104cm | 43″ | 109 cm |
| WEIGHT | 9.8 oz | 11.8 oz | 12.4 oz | 19.7 oz | 21.4 oz | 29.1 oz |
6. Penn Clash
The Clash’s gear system is its real talking point. Featuring Dura-Gear Computer Numerical Control machined gears it performs at a level you would expect from a more expensive reel.
The smaller models, the 2000 through 5000, use brass pinion gears and an aluminum drive gear, compared while the larger 6000 and 8000 models use a brass pinion and brass drive gear. These gears as well as stainless steel ball bearings provide excellent slip prevention.
| REEL SIZE | 1000 | 2000 | 2500 | 3000 | 3000HS | 4000 | 4000HS | 5000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 160/6 130/8 110/10 | 210/8 180/10 165/15 | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 250/15 180/20 130/30 | 270/15 195/20 140/30 | 360/15 260/20 185/30 | 410/15 295/20 210/30 | 420/20 300/30 240/40 |
| GEAR RATIO | 5.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 7.0:1 | 6.2:1 | 7.0:1 | 5.6:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 9lb | 4.0kg | 10lb | 4.5kg | 12lb | 5.4kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 20lb | 9.0kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 275/2 135/4 105/6 | 240/4 180/6 125/8 | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 215/8 175/10 130/12 | 270/8 220/10 165/12 | 305/8 250/10 185/12 | 225/12 200/15 135/20 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 22″ | 56cm | 31″ | 79cm | 33″ | 84cm | 35″ | 89cm | 41″ | 104cm | 35″ | 89cm | 44″ | 112cm | 38″ | 96cm |
| WEIGHT | 7 oz | 8.3 oz | 8.8 oz | 10.1 oz | 10.8 oz | 10.6 oz | 11.4 oz | 16 oz |
7. Penn Battle
The Battle 2 is the definition of durability. It is made from high quality materials and designed to handle bumps, scratches, and big fish. This reel is built for serious abuse.
For people who have never used a Penn reel before you will notice the resistance when turning the handle is higher than that of a Shimano or Daiwa reel. This is due to the thick reel grease and fully metal rotor.
The Penn Battle is one of our most highly recommended spinning reels.
| REEL SIZE | 1000 | 2000 | 2500 | 3000 | 4000 | 4000HS | 5000 | 6000 | 6000HS | 8000 | 8000HS | 10000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 160/6 130/8 110/10 | 210/8 180/10 165/15 | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 250/15 180/20 130/30 | 360/15 260/20 185/30 | 410/15 295/20 210/30 | 420/20 300/30 240/40 | 490/30 390/40 335/50 | 535/30 425/40 365/50 | 475/50 390/65 345/80 | 515/50 420/65 375/80 | 770/50 710/65 490/80 |
| GEAR RATIO | 5.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 7.0:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 6.2:1 | 4.7:1 | 5.3:1 | 4.2:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 9lb | 4.0kg | 10lb | 4.5kg | 12lb | 6kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 30lb | 13.6kg | 30lb | 13.6kg | 40lb | 18.1kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 275/2 135/4 105/6 | 240/4 180/6 125/8 | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 270/8 220/10 165/12 | 305/8 250/10 185/12 | 225/12 200/15 135/20 | 335/15 230/20 210/25 | 365/15 250/20 230/25 | 340/20 310/25 230/30 | 370/20 335/25 250/30 | 395/30 330/40 230/50 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 22″ | 56cm | 30″ | 76cm | 33″ | 84cm | 35″ | 89cm | 37″ | 94cm | 43″ | 109 cm | 36″ | 91cm | 41″ | 104cm | 47″ | 38″ | 96cm | 44″ | 112cm | 43″ | 109 cm |
| WEIGHT | 7.8 oz | 9.4 oz | 9.7 oz | 11.6 oz | 12.2 oz | 12.8 oz | 18.8 oz | 20.8 oz | 20.8 oz | 27.7 oz | 27.7 oz | 38.8 oz |
8. Penn Wrath
The Penn Wrath reel is one of Penn’s entry level options at exceptional prices. It is lightweight and corrosion resistant with a graphite body and aluminum spool. The bearing are stainless steel and shielded (as opposed to sealed), and is available in a wide range of sizes.
You will be surprised at how good this reel is considering its price.
| REEL SIZE | 2500 | 3000 | 4000 | 5000 | 6000 | 8000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 250/15 180/20 130/30 | 360/15 260/20 185/30 | 420/20 300/30 240/40 | 490/30 390/40 335/50 | 475/50 390/65 345/80 |
| GEAR RATIO | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.3:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 10lb | 4.5kg | 12lb | 5.4kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 25lb | 11.3kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 270/8 220/10 165/12 | 225/12 200/15 135/20 | 335/15 230/20 210/25 | 340/20 310/25 230/30 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 33″ | 84cm | 35″ | 89cm | 37″ | 94cm | 36″ | 91cm | 41″ | 104cm | 44″ | 112cm |
| WEIGHT | 10.5 oz | 12.2 oz | 12.7 oz | 21 oz | 22.8 oz | 30.5 oz |
9. Penn Fierce
Durability is what will bring you back to the Penn Fierce II over and over. The reel is ideal for dragging and casting with a balanced rotor and excellent side plating.
The Fierce II can suit different anglers with very different needs, coming in a range of sizes and with a wide range of supporting features.
The reel is well balanced and ruggedly built. The Fierce II is designed to minimise, or even eliminate, slippage when the lines are under heavy drag. The reel features a carbon dragging regulator attached to its head to further increase durability.
| REEL SIZE | 1000 | 2000 | 2500 | 3000 | 4000 | 5000 | 6000 | 8000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEARING COUNT | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 160/6 130/8 110/10 | 210/8 180/10 165/15 | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 250/15 180/20 130/30 | 360/15 260/20 185/30 | 420/20 300/30 240/40 | 490/30 390/40 335/50 | 475/50 390/65 345/80 |
| GEAR RATIO | 5.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.3:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 9lb | 4.0kg | 10lb | 4.5kg | 12lb | 5.4kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 30lb | 13.6kg |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 275/2 135/4 105/6 | 240/4 180/6 125/8 | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 200/8 165/10 120/12 | 270/8 220/10 165/12 | 225/12 200/15 135/20 | 335/15 230/20 210/25 | 340/20 310/25 230/30 |
| RECOVERY RATE | 22″ | 56cm | 30″ | 76cm | 33″ | 84cm | 35″ | 89cm | 37″ | 94cm | 36″ | 91cm | 41″ | 104cm | 44″ | 112cm |
| WEIGHT | 7.8 oz | 9.5 oz | 9.9 oz | 11.8 oz | 12.5 oz | 19.6 oz | 21.4 oz | 28.7 oz |
Conclusion
Penn are one of my favorite reel manufacuters. If you have never tried one before then you will be shocked the first time you do – they have a famously unique retrieve feeling. You can feel the durability through the mechanical action while cranking the handle.
Their range of spinning reels suits almost every situation and you will find one that suits your own personal requirements. If you know the type of fish species you are targeting, the depth, the size, and your budget then you can easily narrow down your options within Penn’s range.
If you own any of these reels and can offer your own insights and experience then please leave a comment below so that we can all learn from your wisdom.
Happy fishing!
Last update on 2022-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
