Penn Slammer IV Review

Hey guys, welcome back to Beach and Fishing and my Penn Slammer IV spinning reel review. Now, as you are probably aware, fishing is one of those past times that holds two essential truths:

1. There are a great number of variations of every piece of equipment, tackle and accessory that you could be looking for.
2. Everybody has an opinion on which of these variations is best at any given time – which is generally due to the fact that that particular item has helped them catch fish.

So with that in mind, one thing I have tried to do on this site is review the products I use, as well as the ones that are popular at the moment to give you an idea of what may work for you as you head out to the water and chase the big ones.

Hence, for this review, I will run you through:

• What the product is
• How it works
• What I bought if for
• Pros and Cons
• Cost
• My recommendations

Also known as ‘open face’ reels or ‘eggbeaters’, these reel types wind the line onto a front spool which is held on by a ‘bail’. Line is wound in via a handle on the side which is ratioed to bring the line in faster than the handle is turned. In general, spinning reels are made from a corrosion-resistant metal, carbon fiber and/or aluminum body with variations of the following:

• Bearings – As with a car wheel, the mechanisms inside a spinning fishing reel generally incorporate ball bearings for smoother operation. From my experience, most come with between 3 and if the specifications are listed as 10 + 1 for example, this means that there are 10 ball bearings in the main housing and also a roller bearing incorporated into the bail to make line retrieval easier.
• Ratio – One advantage of a spinning fishing reel is the winding ratio. This is usually set anywhere for 3:1 up to 6 or 7:1 (often listed as 6.0:1 etc.) This simply means that for every time the user turns the handle a full rotation, the spool holding the line has actually turned 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 times meaning less winding for faster line retrieval. Higher ratios are good for fast retrieval fishing such as with a lure or if there are a lot of snags etc. Lower rations assist with the big fish catches.
• Drag – The drag of a fishing reel is its ability to release a little bit of line when a fish strikes or is being pulled in. This is in place to reduce the chances of a bigger fish snapping the line as it fights. As with anything, the more you pay for a reel, the better the drag system should be with the more expensive models containing precision setting capabilities.
• Casing: This is the part of the reel that contains the springs, levers, gear cogs etc. that make much of the stuff above work. I’m my opinion, avoid any reel that doesn’t have this all housed in a sealed, waterproof casing. These are low maintenance and the components will not rust.

On their website, Penn describes this reel as being “designed for anglers who target the hardest fighting sport fish”. It contains all of the features you would expect of a reel designed for deep sea fishing such as IPX water proofing, carbon washer drag and CNC Machined gear technology.

I don’t own one of these myself (I have the Penn Spinfisher VI) however I fish regularly with a friend of mine who was given the 8500 sized model as a gift (lucky so-and-so… haha). I took it for a run recently and was lucky enough to get onto a large Tuskfish. This reel felt ‘effortless’ on retrieval and I never felt like I was going to lose the fish.

However, for now lets look at the features of this reel below:

• Model: Penn Slammer IV Spinning Fishing Reel
• Model range: 2500 – 10500
• Bearings: 8+1 Sealed Stainless Steel Ball Bearing System
• Ratio: 7.0:1 (2500) down to 4.2:1 (10500)
• Composition: Full metal body, side plate and rotor
• Drag: Dura-Drag™ carbon fibre washers 20lb (2500) up to 60lb (10500)
• Weight: 320g – 1220g (.7lb – 2.68lb)
• Line specs: Varies on size:
  • 2500 model – 240/10 220/15 160/20 braid
  • 10500 model – 845/50 780/65 540/80

Other features include:

• IPX6 rated waterproofing in body and spool
• Hydrophobic line roller bearing
• Machined aluminium power knob
• Reduced rotor weight
• Automatic bail trip (sizes 2500-5500)
• Manual bail trip (sizes 6500-10500)
• Instant anti-reverse

Check out my: Shimano Stella SW Spinning Reel Review

• Extremely durable and saltwater resistant
• Full metal body handles heavier catches without frame flex
• Great line capacities for deep sea trolling
• Handle a good range of fishing targets

• Expensive compared to some others

I have seen these priced online at anywhere between $USD250 to $USD380 depending on size.

If I am being honest, this review is probably a little biased as I am a real fan of PENN reels and even though it was only for a relatively short time, my experience with this reel did not give me any reason to say anything other than it is a great reel. It was smooth and handle my catch extremely well.

And this is on top of hearing my friend (who is an ex commercial fisherman) rave incessantly about how much he loves the reel.

All in all, if you are looking for a good fishing reel in the higher end price range, then you really could do a lot worse than this one!

So there you have it, my honest review and appraisal of the Penn Slammer 4 spinning fishing reel. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below. I would also love to hear of your own experiences with it as well.

Are there any other products you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul