Penn Slammer 3500 spinning reel review after three years of fishing
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- čas přidán 22. 04. 2021
- I never thought that a spinning reel like the Penn Slammer III in the 3500 size especially would worm its way into my lure fishing for bass in such a big way that I can't now do without these reels. Awesome bits of kit, not without their quirks though, the Slammer inspires so much confidence in me............
Spinning reel: Penn Slammer III 3500 bit.ly/37rGeqH
Lure rods: coming early June, I can't wait to tell you all about them!
Braid: Sufix 131 bit.ly/33lV5kL and Savage Gear Silencer
Leader: Seaguar Ace Hard
Check out my website and blog: www.henry-gilbey.com/
Find me on Facebook here: / henry.gilbey
Some of the links in my video descriptions are affiliate links which means at no extra cost to you I will make a small commission if you click on them and make a qualifying purchase. Many thanks if you do choose to buy via these links.
Music: www.purple-planet.com - Sport
I bought my slammer after reading your blog, absolutely love it! 🎣🐟👍
very good to hear
Thanks Henry, just received my Penn Slammer 3 can’t wait to give it a go!
enjoy, they are such good reels
🤩Totally agree with you,a great reel when fishing the surf for bass.Not as smooth as the others but smooth enough,noisier than the others but you don't notice it when fishing with the sound of the waves and wind.I relax when I'm using my Slammer 3 3500 because it just deals with that type of session perfectly,I don't leave home without it👍 tightlines Henry 🎣🐟
I agree Jeff..............turn the reel at home and it's a bit noisier, but then go fishing in the real world and you can't hear this anyway!
Great!! i love slammers too...
Great reels!
Just bought the slammer IV todsy i‘m glad to see you are happy with it
Awesome reel, love it
Thanks Henry, good to see updates on your reviews. I bought one last year,after spending £65 repairing my dunked Stradic. This went against my instinct after returning two Penn Clashs that wouldn't lay line evenly (even with washers and custom shims! ), but I've always been happy with your recommendations, and I love this workhorse of a reel now. I'm sixty, with an arthritic wrist, and it s weight doesn't bother me at all, seems normal after a while- just as you say. I'm with you on the drag, giving the fish line is a no-no where I fish. I just can't see the point of the big - knobbed handle- unless you've lost your finger tips to frostbite perhaps?
Three blanks so far in West Wales, but its good to get out!
Sorry to hear about the two Clash reels not working out, for the life of me I will never understand why each Penn reel seems to come with slightly different shim/spacer needs out of the box! Glad the Slammer is working out though, hope you find a few fish soon, we had a frost again this morning!
Update: After a few chilly late season night sessions I'm finding the big knob easy when my fingers are cold. Great reel, but I have to say a big smile returns to my face when I fish a mark with my Shimano, so much more enjoyable.
Second the comment about getting smoother. Some of the best stuff works that way.Your sure not at the beginning , maybe I made a mistake. You get used to it then one day you realise it’s been “run in” and it’s wonderful. 👍
Agree Martin!
Love your dog! 👍🏻
Storm is pretty cool, and she loves coming fishing - thank you!
I caught a 30inch redfish on the Galveston coast while surf fishing it was the best fight ever had my slammer 3500 on a 7ft light pole it was insane he pulled so much drag out I thought I would get spooled at first
Damn that is a proper fish!!!! Itching to fish seriously for redfish somewhere in your awesome country..........
Great vid. Delighted with the reel myself: I do not think there is anything else I could use in the surf.
Again, thanks for the video and the good advice.
Thank you, most kind, glad the reel is working well
Been watching some review vids from the US on these as well where they've deliberately drowned the reels over and over as well as burying in sand etc. One quick splash and all the sand seemed to be gone (as much as you can tell from watching a video). Bloody impressive!
The biggest reel I own is a 2500 size shimano but feel like I need to upsize just to get one 😀
Yes!
Great reels I’ve the 45 and 35 size spent more time in the water than my waders. Nearly two years now and they actually feel like there getting better with use.
good to hear!
The most honest review. I myself have spinfisher vi 2500 and it's the best reel I could ever get for my sea bass fishing journeys with artificial lures I just dont want other then penn may be this year I will buy the slammer iv
really glad you get on with it so well, nice one
This is a great review from a similar fisherman to myself. Another tough surf fisherman in the rough. Fighting the waves and the spray in full waders.
I appreciate the time you took to make this video.
Can I ask, if you were going to buy just one Slammer this year for surf fishing would it be the 3500 or 4500?
Great reels. Penn did have a bail upgrade for the very first 2016 Slammer lll's then built the upgraded version into the slammer lll at no cost. If you have a original from 2016 the better bail can still be purchased . The reason the reel gets smoother over time is that that the seals on the shaft wear in and it makes the shaft spin better. The seals are kind of snug when first used and anglers mentioned the reel had a tighter minimal drag setting . Slammer now has a 4th edition and a 4th edition DX with Stainless steel gears which goes to 8500 size.
Thanks Jim, I remember something about that upgraded version. I have been fishing with the 2500 and 3500 size new Slammer IV reels for a while now, loving them, both DX and regular versions
great surf and cliff fishing reel
Yes, but I do also like it on some of the shorter/lighter rods
@@henrygilbey302 different coils with different braiding for Different sensations and possible configurations. and different rod-reel balances. the important thing to be comfortable. That extra weight provides a good balance to 10 foot rods, and it is not uncommon to use it with 9 feet to fish on the beach with moderate swell and pole position up or raised. penn slammer is a top mid-range. and one of the 4 or 5 best reels for surf fishing. Good video
Brilliant review Henry, thank you. Gives me comfort as I have a Slammer 4500 arriving today (hopefully). I was swayed to order one after fishing with John in Kerry last week. Fishing in the surf for the first time, my old Daiwa was grumbling on the 2nd session. I noticed John has a few Slammers, he said they outlast other reels by a long way, even with the abuse they get from some clients.
New Slammer 3500's are as rare as rocking horse poo, but I picked up a 4500 which is only 20g heavier. It looks like the same reel with a bigger spool, so may give me a little more cast distance and faster retrieve when wanted.
Keep up the good work with SG, some interesting stuff coming out of that!
Hope you had a lovely time in Kerry, I am out there at the end of next week, can't wait!!!!! Yep, I have seen a number of nice reels start to grumble after only a bit of surf fishing. The 4500 is a fantastic reel, you don't even notice the little bit of extra weight over the 3500, to me they are essentially the same reels. Enjoy!
@@henrygilbey302 The best week of fishing I have ever had. John is an absolute star.
The only downside is Lynns cooking. I put on nearly half a stone because her food was so good.
Hope you have a great time out there too. Tight lines!
Thank you so much, and yes, the cooking is rather good! So looking forward to getting back to Ireland
I'm buying one too...the surf beaches in Kerry and Clare are challenging
Great for those wild open beaches!
Been using my slammer 4500 for 2 years now, haven't serviced it yet coz i haven't encountered any issues yet and just like you said its oddly smoother than the day it was bought.
nice one
Not used the Slammer, but, have got Surfmaster 70's, 20 years old and gong strong, light boat use, rock, beach and pier fishing, just cleaned and serviced regularly, Penn for salt water, cant beat them
Wow, that is impressive
Hell yea they're beast of reeels man! You can't go wrong with them! But what's up with the rods? You got any info of them? Would love to check them out! 🎣💯
Great Review, yes the Slammer is an awesome reel, the amount of drag these things put out is outstanding also. If you do a follow up to this video it would be great to get some macro shots of the inside of spool and inside rotor area to see what if any corroding there is. I own a few of these and personally the weight is favorable, as you said in the video after a few sessions you forget about it and it feels natural. Tightlines
Thank you kindly! I like your ideas, will see what I can do, but also please remember that my DIY related "skills" are not exactly great!
@@henrygilbey302 you seem like a great angler this video is awesome and your setup looks amazing I’m a fan
i have one 6500 really amazing
good to hear!
I love mine.
good to hear
Just brought a Penn authority 4500
Precision machined gears of hard materials have to wear in and get smoother over time. Cast gears or those forged in molds (shimano) start off smooth then get rough.
Interesting you say this, I hadn't thought of it like that
I wonder do you do a take apart service for your slammer reels on a periodic basis? I collect and restore vintage saltwater spinning reels. They are all I like and all I use for surf fishing and I own nearly 350 of them. None of them are sealed though I install housing seals to all my large saltwater Mitchell reels. Because I use vintage reels, after every trip I do s complete take apart servicing of every one of them that I’ve used. The reason I like vintage reels is because of their durability and longevity. They are proven masters of sport fishing but they are not fancy or overly smooth reels full of plastic parts and little factory support. I do those things myself and maintain an extensive library of spare parts. This is why I ask you that question about servicing your reels. If you haven’t been doing this then I am truly impressed with the Penn Slammer. I own 30 vintage Peen spinners going back to two first edition 1961 Spinfisher 700 spinning reels - the first spinning reel made by Penn. I love them all except for two Penn silver series reels from the 1970s - a 104 and 105. If all you do is fish a reel that hard and only rinse them off then I’ve got to look at the Penn Slammer. I admit that I am prejudiced against the Pure Fishing conglomerate in China that currently owns and makes the current Penn reels. They own and operate so many once great USA brands and I don’t like that a bit but a good reel is a good reel. Thank you for encouraging a closer look at a current Penn reel. This video caused a lot of fresh consideration. - Chris
First thing u said: after 40 mins of use it just feels perfect , did not have this sensation with no other reel I got !
I got a Spinfisher VI and thought just the same ...👍🏼🔝
And 😂😂😂😂please Penn Hq can you make a 2500 version of this reel 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣almost died of laughters
Nice one!
Henry should get a T-Shirt with that on, heard him say this before😂😭. I certainly support the idea also, I would wear it also. Come on Penn.....
Great review, what reel seats were these sat in? I've read that folks find them a tight fit with fuji's Henry, I was hoping to pair a slammer up with my HTO Nebula?
Haven't yet come across a reel seat which the Slammer 3500 doesn't fit into if that helps, works fine with the Nebula etc.
@@henrygilbey302 thanks Henry, appreciate the follow-up. I now have a slammer paired up with my M270 7-35g (both purchases influenced by your blog!). Enjoying all the CZcams content.
@@henrygilbey302 can u reccomend a rod for the 3500 spinfishervi
@@frankleon6708 www.henry-gilbey.com/ive-got-x-to-spend-on-a-rod-and-reel/
other than that , henry have you ever had an issue of wind knot with these reels? When i ask about penn slammer series in my country some daiwa retailers reply as " yeah they're great sturdy reels but we had uneven line distribution and wind knots so we don't sell them anymore" ( i actually thought they don't want to sell it because of it's everlasting condition ) i second the penn slammer 2500 size request :)
Had a couple of wind knots on the Slammer when I first started fishing with it, but I soon learnt not to load a Penn up the same as I would a Shimano - and not a single issue ever since. I wouldn't put a Daiwa or a Shimano through that my Slammers have gone through in the surf especially
Why does my slammer tick when under tension?Its brand new and I used guarantee ,they sended me brand new again.And this one also has some ticking noise when i use spinnerbaits,crankbaits for pike fishing?Hate that feeling of ticking.....
Is the bail arm plastic or is it metal?
I have a battle 2 great reel
Haven't seen one of them
I couldn't agree more. Slammer III is a heavy duty reel made up for Hercules.
yes!
Did you figure out the loosening up of the reel? I would venture to guess that the thicker grease the reel comes with was slower wearing away, and making it seem smoother. I thick some people (Tackle Advisors?) had mentioned re-greasing after purchase with their own favorite grease to get that smoother action.
it never bothered me because I like to wind my drags up for our (sea) bass, but without a doubt the lightest drag setting on the new Slammer IV reels is considerably lighter than the Slammer III ones
Great review mate. Love my Slammer. Poor thing I absolutely abuse it.
Thank you, and the reels love it!
Agreed
Thanks for the review. What kind of braid are your throwing. I originally put 20 pound braid on. But I think I’m going up to 30 pound.
I tend to use Sufix 131, Sufix X8, and Sufix 832, all around the 0.15mm/20lb rating
Hi! I need a Penn Slammer for shore jigging. My rod is a Majorcraft Solpara 1002H 60-100g. Do you think will fit better a 4500 or a 5500 size? The Slammer III is still worth the price, or the Slammer IV will meaningfully be better? Thanks!!
I don't know the rod but I'd be tempted by the 4500............and yes, the Slammer III is very much still worth the price
I'm a beginner who constantly has corroded reels... I rinse but ....still, get in trouble ...could you be so kind as to point out exactly what you do ...is it a spray of warm water or a dunk in warm water ...any wd 40 ....so much conflicting advice ...
cheers...
With regular fishing where my reel doesn't get drowned or hit with a lot of saltwater I just tighten down the drag, give the rod and reel a good spray with freshwater at home, then loosen off the drag and let it dry out. Oil and grease to various parts as required. If my Slammers especially get a proper drowning I take the reel off the rod when I get home, tighten the drag down, dunk the reel in a sink of warm (fresh) water, turn the handle repeatedly, take the reel out of the sink, loosen off the drag, let it sit there and drip-dry. Hope this helps!
Does that big Alloy handle knob not get very cold in the winter?
not that I've noticed, but then I do prefer the black EVA knob
yes it is 4000 size of shimano/daiwa reels and 150gr heavier but people misses the fact that this is a SW type of reel and SW equivalent of this reel in shimano and daiwa models are also quite heavy around 350-400 gr...and i'm not sure a twinpower/stella SW or a certate HD/saltiga can survive 3 years of constant saltwater torture..I'd like to see it though.Someone give henry a SW reel for longterm testing lol
Exactly! It's a tool for a job
PENN❤️
Do you ever fish Ultra Light gear?
For bass? Nope
Just ordered a 4500
nice one
Wait for the slammer 4
Got some of them, have been fishing with them for 6+months, lovely reels, but the 3500 Slammer III is still a fantastic reel
What pound braid are u using and power of rod?
around 0.15mm/20lb braid, rods rated around 8-40g
Copper gears wear on over time that's why penns get smoother
I’m thinking about buying the 4500 what size rod do you suggest I pair it with ?
What sort of fishing do you do?
@@henrygilbey302 I was planning on using it in the surf and off the jetty’s for stripers and blues I also go down to florida and for some red drum and snook
@@itsjona23 I think you guys tend to use shorter and more powerful spinning rods than we do, I am not very good with info on the US inshore market, sorry
most of the lure fishing videos for bass that i see tend to be in calm ish sea conditions. Do you tend to use heavier lures in these sorts of conditions? and you're using a metal seeker lure for the video, will any type of lure (surface ect) work just as well or are some preferred in rougher conditions?
We do a lot of bass fishing in rougher conditions, but many of the better metals I don't think need to be particularly heavy with how they cast and "grip"
Henry, what rod was that you used with the slammers ?, great whip to it 🎣🐟
All will be revealed about these rods late May/early June..................been fishing with them for months, awesome bits of kit
@@henrygilbey302 I own 2 major craft, the n-one sb 9ft6 and the ceana 8ft, is one of these going to be a major craft? 🎣🐟
@@minicopilot1 mainly the new Savage Gear SGS5 and SGS8 9'6'' 12-46g rods
Can u give me any advice about what rods i should combine with my slammer 4 3500
What sort of fishing are you doing?
@@henrygilbey302 inshore lure bass bluefish in turkish waters. I got the penn regiment 3 bass spinn rod 2.74m 15-56gr but idk if it was the good idea
@@cemm. The Slammer is a heavier reel than the equivalent Shimano, but on many of the 9' rods I do quite like a bit more weight on the reel with how it sits on a rod
@@henrygilbey302 idont spend too much time just couple hours when i got there. Iwanted specially slammer since sometimes u can come up on 10+kg fishes here.
Penn Slammer……… Chevy 3500 Diesel.
Shimano Stella FJ………. Toyota Tacoma
After 3 years one of my 4 Slammers handle broke, the jetty is rough. And it’s no where a Stella or Exist needs to be. Hands down best bang for your dollar.
Agree!
You got your wish Henry , the 2500 is coming September
Yep, been fishing with one since January this year, video review of the new Slammer 2500 coming in a week or so............love it!
Is there no reverse on this reel . Or am I missing something 🙈
No reverse, perfect!
wtf would you use that for?
Nice rods Henry! What are they? 😜
You are a bad person!!!
What r they really?
You describe that reel like a sommelier would describe a wine....
yes!
Can you explain lain your setup in detail?
Have you had a look at my website and blog?
@@henrygilbey302 no haven’t
@@frankleon6708 all the info is on there www.henry-gilbey.com
@@henrygilbey302 thank u for putting in detail you gear makes it easier to purchase gear cause sometimes I buy gear and it just doesn’t feel right
just got a 8500 😀
Serious reel!!!
What rod though?
I know
All to revealed on the rods late May/early June
More bass videos
No bass around me yet, and when they turn up I will try my best to do some actual bass fishing videos...................but it's always going to be a problem with locations and keeping things quiet and so on
my reel paint got off from sawltwater
how?
@@henrygilbey302 i wonder that myself uswell it just got like blobbers and came off
wonder how to fix it uswell here the reels are like 70 euro give or take 90 usd and hard to find
when a wave comes i also like to purposely dunk my reel
Why?
😂
Heavy
Yes, heavier, as I said in the video, but it doesn't matter to me
Nice! -- QUESTION -- What does 3500 refer to in a reel? Is it a measurement of something like reel diameter? What exactly does it signify?
Good question, I actually have no idea at all! I will ask and see where I get...........
@@henrygilbey302 ..please do.. I have looked endlessly and see no answer. As best as I can see it either means nothing or the various numbers ie 1000, 2500, 3500 means "small, medium or large"..