Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reels

This reel has been great so far. 5 of 5 stars but I am anxious to see how it holds up after at least 3 full seasons. I have been waiting for a bailess reel in this size that is affordable. They day it came in stock, I sold my VSX 150 for $500 and bought this reel, as well as a 9ft lamiglass, 7 bucktails, leader material and some clips and had cash to spare as I headed out to the beach. I have fished this reel 17 days in the three weeks that I have owned it. Fishing the outer beach on the sandeel run with smaller bass averaging less than 20" and 2 fish to 30" is by no means a proving ground but so far it has handled great and I am very pleased. It's taken splashes from the surf, but I am careful not to dunk it in the water or use my rod as a wading staff when I cross the sand bar. The drag is smooth as far as I can tell, I have it spooled with 20lb straight braid, no backing as I wanted to see how the reel would really handle. So far, no wind knots; and though the drag has not really been tested by the smaller fish my largest fish have pulled a little line off the reel and the drag was smooth even with all the braid and no backing. Not sure how it will handle a choppy run from a bass over 25lbs, so I will just have to wait until that happens. There are three things I want to see happen with PENN reels hopefully in the next few years. 1) I want to see bailess models in the Slammer III from 4500 - 6500. I also want to see a Spinfisher VI 5500 in a bailess model too. I love the slammer, but I just hate fishing a bailed reel as I have had bails brake when fishing bolder fields (mostly by being swept off a rock and having the reel hit the boulder). 2) I would like to see this reel rated at IPX 6 (it's IPX 5 which means it's a little more waterproof than my cellphone) and since the Slammer III is IPX 6 rated, I feel that bailess models from 4500-6500 would be a great addition to that line up as well. 3) I want this all to happen by 2020 and I hope PENN is listening to everyone who purchased their 704 and 706 since the days when they were green and remembers when surf fishing was a real demographic for them. Hopefully they will hear us... As of now, this reel is great and I cannot wait to fish it harder. If it lasts more than 3 season with no issues I will surely by more. I still have my VSX 200 but if a Slammer III comes out in a bailess model I will replace it IF this reel holds up. Hopefully this review gets to PENN and more bailess reels in a higher IPX rating come out. Thank you PENN, please hear us surf fisherman and make our (or at least mine) dreams come true.