Slammer 2500

Does a 2500 spinning reel need stainless steel gears and 20lbs of drag? Definitely not.

Do I want to own one? Absolutely.

I'm a sucker for well built reels, and I just noticed the new series IV Penn Slammers now come in the smaller 2500 size. Not only are the reels sealed, but unlike a typical 2500 size reel, which come with aluminum gears, these new slammers come with either brass or stainless gears depending on the model (the DX series has SS gears).

Any of you Johnny-deep-pockets out there own one of these yet? If so how does it perform?

 

I can only hope I am still fishing at 81.

If I am fortunate enough to still be fishing in 40+ years I hope I still own a couple of reels that have been with me for most of that journey. Reels that I have shared a lot of memories with. This is one of the reasons why a quality built reel appeals to me. I'm willing to sacrifice some weight for durability.

 

I have never seen a Slammer III 2500 listed in any catalogue or schematics list. Did you mean to say a 3500?

When you say sticky do you mean you have to turn the handle harder to close the bail? I assume that is done intentionally. These reels are more common on the East Coast where they are throwing bigger lures in the surf, and the last thing you want is to have the bail close mid cast. I usually manually close my bails, so it's not an issue for me, but I can see where people who prefer auto bails would find it annoying.

On a side not, I get less wind knots when manually closing my bail.

 

I'm wondering if you got a lemon.

I own a 4500 and I have no issues closing the bail manually.