Last Updated on October 10th, 2020
Best Penn Spinning Reel 2020 | Top Models Reviewed | Editor’s Choice!
Hottest Picks
How We Found the Best Penn Spinning Reels
Experts Interviewed
Fish Finders Tested
HOW WE DECIDED
We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.
56
Models Considered
32
Hours Researched
3
Experts Interviewed
238
Consumers Consulted
BOTTOM LINE
The PENN Pursuit III has a durable construction and smooth gear system anglers expected from PENN. This reel features an ultra-lightweight, powerful HT-100 drag system and corrosion-resistant graphite body making the Penn spin fisher an amazing product for the money for saltwater anglers.
The Penn Battle II is considered a premium spinning reel for anglers that are looking for more out of a capable reel. This reel is made entirely of metal with a purpose to last a number of years.
This spinning reel is mostly ideal against aggressive fish in saltwater seas. If you are looking for big catches, this reel can be very useful.
The PENN® Fierce® III spinning reel is available in a large range of sizes going from 1000 to 8000. It is made out of metal, so it qualifies as rugged and durable.
The PENN Spinfisher VI features IPX5 sealing so regardless of whether it gets hit by a wave, or you it rides in the spray all the way to shore, you don’t have to worry about saltwater getting into the gearbox or drag system.
The Slammer III is a luxury spinning reel that offers much more than most spinning reels on the market. This reel weighs only one pound, and is ideal for serious fisherman for sport or recreation.
With a full metal body, this spinning reel has great durability. It weighs only a pound and is built as if it were created in one piece. It comes in ten different sizes, so look carefully to see which would be the best one for you.
PROS
Easy cleanup
Really smooth and strong
Able to handle larger fish and bad circumstances
Easy to use
Value
Is very lightweight
Has anti-reverse feature
Comes with steel ball bearings
Casts smoothly
Is great for aggressive fish
Comes with an innovative drag system
Instant anti-reverse bearing
Full metal body and side plate keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads
Strong drag and well built
Very minimal maintenance required
Full Metal Body
IPX5 sealing
Superline Spool
Great drag system
Super smooth and light reels
Is built wonderfully
Is very lightweight
Has anti-reverse feature
Comes with steel ball bearings
Is great for aggressive fish
CONS
May put knots in line
Is limited to which superline you can use with it
After a time the drag system may weaken
May make a racket of noise when retrieving larger pray
Is very expensive
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Spinning reels are used to attach to fishing rods. They are meant to help you reel is a fish once it bites the line, so that you can catch it with as minimal resistance possible. Reels are also designed to help fishermen cast their lines with great distance and pinpoint accuracy. Fishing reels are used both for recreational and competitive angling.
In this review, we will look at six spinning reels from Penn, but which is the best Penn spinning reel? For nearly a hundred years, Penn has been a renowned manufacturer of fishing tackles and other equipment. Which of their spinning reels is the one that we recommend to you the most? Allow us to go through each one and point their advantages and disadvantages out.
Penn Pursuit III Spinning Fishing Reel
Best of the best
Bottom Line
The PENN Pursuit III has a durable construction and smooth gear system anglers expected from PENN. This reel features an ultra-lightweight, powerful HT-100 drag system and corrosion-resistant graphite body making the Penn spin fisher an amazing product for the money for saltwater anglers.
PROS
- Easy cleanup
- Really smooth and strong
- Able to handle larger fish and bad circumstances
- Easy to use
- Value
CONS
- May put knots in line
Summary
Pursuit III has a reel for most fisheries and it is available in six sizes ranging from 2500 to 8000. The Instant Anti-Reverse eliminates even the slightest rotor back play for instant hook-ups every time, while the 4 shielded stainless steel ball bearings provide smooth retrieves.
Penn Battle II Spinning Fishing Reel
Best for the Price
Bottom Line
The Penn Battle II is considered a premium spinning reel for anglers that are looking for more out of a capable reel. This reel is made entirely of metal with a purpose to last a number of years.
This spinning reel is mostly ideal against aggressive fish in saltwater seas. If you are looking for big catches, this reel can be very useful.
PROS
- Is very lightweight
- Has anti-reverse feature
- Comes with steel ball bearings
- Casts smoothly
- Is great for aggressive fish
- Comes with an innovative drag system
CONS
- Is limited to which superline you can use with it
Summary
This reel has what is called an HT-100 Versa Drag feature. This allow tension from big, tough fish to be reduces from your line so you can remain calm and fight without feeling the aggression.
The Penn Battle II includes a superline spool that is braid ready and needs no backing. The capacity rings let you know how much line you have left on your spool, which is a very useful feature for when you are casting at great distances.
With an anti-reverse bearing, this reel works to eliminate kickback as you reel back in, for a smooth, flawless experience. You do not need to reel in your catch manually, and this is very useful for any spinning reel.
While the Pursuit II is light in weight, the Battle II is even more so. When you hold it, it does not feel cheap or flimsy at all, which is a nice surprise. This reel weighs at three and a half ounces.
Included with the Battle II are five stainless steel ball bearings. Like the Pursuit II, you can also crank very fluidly and work your rod with no worries.
While this is a great spinning reel, it can only be used with Spiderware or Berkley superline. If you do not own either of these lines, you need to buy them as well. If you are comfortable with using a different superline, expect some underwhelming results.
Penn Fierce III Spinning Fishing Reel
Bottom Line
The PENN® Fierce® III spinning reel is available in a large range of sizes going from 1000 to 8000. It is made out of metal, so it qualifies as rugged and durable.
PROS
- Instant anti-reverse bearing
- Full metal body and side plate keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads
- Strong drag and well built
- Very minimal maintenance required
CONS
- After a time the drag system may weaken
Summary
The PENN® Fierce® III spinning reel features a full metal body and sideplate, as well as PENN HT-100™ carbon fiber drag washers. Fierce III is able to handle anything nearshore and inshore. A shielded stainless steel ball is bearing the system and it ensures smooth retrieves while the superline spool and heavy-duty aluminum bail wire allow an easy line management.
Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reel
Bottom Line
The PENN Spinfisher VI features IPX5 sealing so regardless of whether it gets hit by a wave, or you it rides in the spray all the way to shore, you don't have to worry about saltwater getting into the gearbox or drag system.
PROS
- Full Metal Body
- IPX5 sealing
- Superline Spool
- Great drag system
- Super smooth and light reels
CONS
- May make a racket of noise when retrieving larger pray
Summary
The HT-100 drag washers are housed in a fully sealed spool that gives the stopping power needed for a big saltwater fish. There is a Full Metal Body and side plate that keep the CNC Gear System in precise alignment under heavy loads.
PENN Slammer III Spinning Reel
Bottom Line
The Slammer III is a luxury spinning reel that offers much more than most spinning reels on the market. This reel weighs only one pound, and is ideal for serious fisherman for sport or recreation.
With a full metal body, this spinning reel has great durability. It weighs only a pound and is built as if it were created in one piece. It comes in ten different sizes, so look carefully to see which would be the best one for you.
PROS
- Is built wonderfully
- Is very lightweight
- Has anti-reverse feature
- Comes with steel ball bearings
- Is great for aggressive fish
CONS
- Is very expensive
Summary
This spinning reel is known to withstand countless saltwater expeditions. It is known to keep going after many mishaps associated with sand and water that other reels would easily succumb to. It is a waterproof reel with a high resistance rating, so saltwater getting inside of this reel is the least of your worries.
The Slammer III comes with two drag systems: HT-100 Slammer drag and dura drag. With most reels, you need to take it apart if it gets saltwater inside of it, in order to fully clean it. But with the Slammer III, all you have to do is rinse it in fresh water.
There are seven bearings total in this reel: six stainless steel bearings and one for anti-reverse rolling. These bearings are protected by the reel’s waterproof seals.
We honestly do not have any complaints with this reel, and the steep price point is what we believe to be appropriate. If you are not that serious into fishing, though, look to something that is much more affordable.
KastKing Sharky III Fishing Reel
Bottom Line
The KastKing Sharky III is not made by Penn, but it still is worth checking out. It weighs only 13 ounces, which is a feather-like weight. This reel is made of a thick body of stainless steel, stronger than metal and corrodes at a much slower rate. The drag is made of triple disc carbon fiber, used to hold its own against the most aggressive of saltwater fish.
PROS
- Three-disc carbon fiber drag
- Is made of stainless steel
- Is very lightweight
- Has anti-reverse feature
- Comes with steel ball bearings
CONS
- Does not feel professionally made
Summary
This reel has a unique water resistant build thanks to what they call “KISS”, or KastKing Intrusion Shield System. If your reel falls into the water by accident, you do not need to worry.
The retrieval on this spinning reel is very smooth. With the aluminum spool, no backing line is necessary when you use your spool with a braid fishing line.
Included with this reel is an anti-twist line roller, so that your lines get no snarls or tangles, which can be such a fuss to have to deal with.
This reel comes with ten stainless steel ball bearings and one anti-reverse bearing, so no kick back is expected from casting out.
With all that is included, this is a very affordable spinning reel. However, it feels nothing like a Penn spinning reel. After feeling and using a Penn product, it will be hard to switch to another brand.
FAQs
How do I choose the correct size fishing reel?
The fishing line that you intend to use often should determine the correct fishing reel size. The lighter the line you plan on using, the smaller you should go when making your reel purchase. You determine which line(s) to purchase by determining which size or weight of fish that you want to catch.
For example, if you are catching perch or walleye, know how big these fish typically are before you decide on the line you want to buy, which also would determine the size reel that you need.
What is a drag system on a reel?
The drag is mostly responsible for adding pressure to a fish that is hooked, in addition to letting line out as you struggle to reel the fish in. Without a decent drag, the odds of the fish breaking the line are very likely. You would like a reel that has a drag that is smooth and resistance-free. When you pull out your line, it should always be steady, regardless of what type of tension that you may have.
What do ball bearings in a spinning reels do?
Ball bearings are to make lines in a reel smooth and stable. Many spinning reels also have a roller bearing. The more bearings that a reel has, the smoother the reel is expected to perform. However, results may vary when it comes to different brands, such as with Kastking.
It is wise to buy the reel with the most bearings that falls within your budget. The bare minimum to consider are reels with four bearings. Less than four bearings will not allow the reel to perform smoothly, or well at all. Be mindful of the number of ball bearings in the reels that you are considering.
What Is Anti-Reverse in a spinning reel?
Anti-reverse keeps the handle from spinning backwards so that the hook can fly where it needs to all the time. All fishing reels nowadays should have anti-reverse features, and reels that have that backwards motion will ensure subpar casting every time.
Final Verdict
After careful consideration with all of these spinning reels, the Penn Battle II is our most recommended reel to buy.
All of these reels to their jobs fairly well, which has made our decision rather difficult to make. How we chose the Penn Battle II over the other reels all came down to how much maintenance is required on the fisherman’s part to keep it in working condition.
All of them are housed with durable bodies and all of them are vulnerable to saltwater to varying degrees. While most of these reels are made of metal, you get a great value for what you pay for, considering this reel with a similar metal body from other reels costs much less.
The only caveat to the Battle II is the superline you need, but if you are trying out fishing for the first time, just take a note to buy either Berkley or Spiderware superline.
We like to share product recommendations with you and hope you like them! Just to make you aware FishingLab may collect a small share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
I love to write for readers with a genuine interest in enjoying the fishing. Hence, I started this blog to provide you guides so that you can have a better and more pleasant fishing experience.
James Williams
Staff | FishingLab
Article Name
Best Penn Spinning Reel 2020 | Top Models Reviewed | Editor’s Choice!
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James Williams
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Fishing Lab
We like to share product recommendations with you and hope you like them! Just to make you aware FishingLab may collect a small share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.