Penn Slammer series spinning reels
By: Michael Uleski

For almost every saltwater fisherman at some time they have used the venerable Penn SS series spinning reels. They are tough and reliable, the workhorses of the saltwater fishing scene. But as time has gone by they have become old technology in an ever-improving world. Recently Penn has released a new series of reels to meet the market demand for a smoother reel with modern features but with the ruggedness that has become synonymous with Penn fishing reels.

          Enter the Slammer series spinning reels. These reels were designed from the start to keep up with the tradition of tough reels that Penn has established. They have been styled in the classic black and gold that has been with the older Penn Z series and the SS series. They have also been designed to incorporate many of the new features that come standard on today’s spinning reels.

          At first glance the Slammer looks much like a standard spinning reel. Penn has kept with the all aluminum body and rotor that has made its larger SS series reels so tough. The body and rotor are both coated with the same anti-corrosion paint that the SS series used. The first thing many notice is the lack of an anti-reverse switch. For most fishermen they simply turn the switch on and never touch it again. Penn has simply made the reel simpler by removing the switch.

          Penn has kept with the strong gearing that has made the SS series so tough and uses the same gear types in the Slammers. An aluminum alloy gear is mounted on a marine brass shaft for the main gear with a solid brass pinion gear. A big difference with the Slammer over its predecessor is it’s number of bearings. Six bearings are built into the reel. The main gear is supported by two large bearings, along with two bearings supporting the pinion gear, which is a great improvement over the single bearing found in other reels and will lengthen pinion bearing life. Another bearing is found in the line roller. This makes the line roller much more effective over the older bushing style line roller. The line roller has also been made larger as to put less strain on the line. The sixth bearing is the heart of the anti-reverse and is a one-way roller bearings creating an instant anti-reverse with no back play in the handle.

          The drag has also seen a major change in the slammer series. In the SS series it was not uncommon for water to funnel down directly into the drag making for an accumulation of salt in, and around the drag washer stack. Penn has addressed this problem by now mounting a single large HT-100 drag washer directly on the back of the spool. This keeps the drag free of water and dirt. The single large washer gives this reel an incredibly smooth drag at all ranges of drag tension.

          The Slammer has been released so far in four sizes, the 260,360,460, and 560. With these four reels the size range for inshore fishing has been covered from 6-8lb test on the 260 up to 15-17lb test on the 560. Currently they are running at a price comparable to other brand reels in the same category with the 260 and 360 having a retail of $109.99 and the 460 and 560 going at $119.99. For these prices they are well worth the money.

          The Penn Slammers are definitely a reel worth taking a look at when searching for a solid, reliable inshore fishing reel that can handle a myriad of fishing conditions.