Penn Slammer 3 Review

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Most anglers aren't satisfied with a spinning reel that's powerful and durable since most reels already have that. The good news is that manufacturers of these fishing gadgets have gone into high gear to produce tools with a lot of innovative features. This has resulted in division and specialization aimed at meeting customer demands.

For instance, the Penn company has developed for freshwater enthusiasts the Slammer 3 Spinning Reel has unique features that include the unique CNC Gear Technology. This is one feature that makes it stand out among similar products available in the market today. Read on to learn more about this product...

Pen Slammer 3 Review

The Pen Slammer 3 has a built that makes it ideal for heavy-duty fishing whether from the shore or from a boat. Charter captains from all across the globe trust this product which is why it's back by popular demand. This reel features the company's new IPX6 Sealed System to prevent water from entering the drag system and gearbox.

The Pen Slammer 3 has an updated Drag System that utilizes a special Dura-Drag material. It's incredibly robust, durable, and it offers a lot of grunt to combat huge pelagics. With all of these features, it even has a very stylish design!

Pros:

  • Offers a unique CNC gear technology.
  • It has an IPX6 sealed spool and body design.
  • Body, rotor, and sideplate made of durable metal.

Cons:

  • It doesn't have sufficient drag.

Features and Benefits

The Penn Slammer 3 is one of the more popular fishing reels from the brand. Even if you read different reviews all over the internet, you'll find a lot of real-life customers who have left positive reviews about these products. Here are some features and benefits of this reel as shared by consumers:

  • It's built very well, even all of the gearing made of machined-brass.
  • It has a smooth drag and excellent sealing.
  • It's solid, smooth, and it can resist the negative effects of saltwater.
  • It's lightweight, waterproof, and very easy to use.

Alternative products

While the Pen Slammer 3 offers a lot of incredible features backed-up by positive reviews from customers, you may still want to look at other options. Here are a few alternative products for you to consider:

PENN Spinfisher V Spinning Fishing Reel

This fishing reel comes from the same brand but it's a bit cheaper. It also offers the same wide range of sizes for you to choose from. This is a watertight reel that has enough reliability in sandy environments and saltwater. Since it comes from the same brand, it's also made of durable materials. However, it doesn't have brass gearing and it doesn't offer the same drag as the Pen Slammer 3.

Penn Battle II Spinning Fishing Reel

This is another affordable option for you. It's a high-quality reel that will last for years given the proper care and maintenance. If you want a fishing reel with good features, this is the best. However, the downside of this reel is that it's not as smooth as the Penn Slammer 3.  

Daiwa SSaltist Spinning Reel

Here's one product from a different brand that also offers a wide range of sizes. As with the Penn Spinfisher V, this one doesn't offer brass gearings and the same kind of drag as the Penn Slammer 3. Still, it's a reliable reel that's suitable for saltwater fishing. But one thing consumers don't appreciate with this is that it doesn't have enough line capacity.

Things to consider before buying

As with any other products, there are factors to consider when buying spinning reels. These factors will help you choose one which conforms to the standards of a great spinning reel. Here are the criteria to consider in evaluating the best spinning wheel:

  • Spool design: Although many of your throws involve short distances, farther ones can be critical to your fishing trips. For instance, an additional 15 feet for every cast 100 casts means you can cover 1,500-ft of water where you can fish.
  • Line on spool: Make sure that when loading line on your spinning reel, it lies level and flat from bottom to top. There should be no bumps or humps. Don't purchase spinning reels that come with shims because this feature can change the spool's orientation on the shaft when aligning the spool and bail. Good reels don't need this feature as they usually come calibrated during the manufacturing process to evenly lay down the line.
  • Spool material: The best spool material is aluminum, not graphite. The latter has the tendency to crack, something that doesn't happen with aluminum spools. Furthermore, graphite tends to get deformed as you tighten the line down on the reel through constant use. This is especially the case with monofilaments that tighten and shrink on the reel.
  • Braid grip: Braided fishing lines have the tendency to spin on a smooth spool. To get the most of this, opt for spools meant for braided lines. Moreover, you can use these spools with other kinds of lines as well. Braided line spools are slightly different from other spools because they have rubber inserts that can grip the braid and prevent rotation.
  • More bearings: Choose a spinning reel that has more bearings as this gives you a smoother crank. When given a choice, opt for spinning reels with the most number of bearings, especially if made of ceramic or stainless steel. You can opt for chrome steel, chrome-plated steel or other types of cheaper materials. These, however, might not last long. However, if given a choice of a spinning reel that has more bearings but made of lower quality materials against a spinning reel with fewer bearings but made of ceramic or stainless steel, then go for the one with better bearings.

Conclusion

Spinning reels of lighter weight work better when used for inshore fishing. The Penn Slammer 3 may not fare best with this kind of fishing. However, for surfcasting and larger pelagics, it excels as it's designed for this type of fishing. It's durable and can render many years of service.

If you're an angler who constantly gets reel sprayed on or you get your reel occasionally drenched because of wading while surfcasting, then it's recommended to invest a few more dollars by procuring this fishing reel with a waterproof design. Furthermore, the precision brass gearing will make a lot more sense during your wading trips.

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