I used and abused this reel for 3 years before it broke down on me. I recently took it apart and cleaned/gresed everyhting and it is working again like a champ. This reel has been through the guantlet and back. Dunked, dragged, and abused. It is one of my main reels and goes with me every trip. It has plenty of power to turn any slot sized inshore species. Casts well and has smooth drag.

Last winter, I was looking for an inexpensive spinning reel for chasing Stripers on the kayak. By inexpensive, I in no way mean cheap. These reels would be expected to stand up to large fish and salt water fishing from a kayak for at least a few seasons. To fit my requirements, they would need to have a smooth enough drag so the fish can turn and run without pulling hooks, but be stout enough to keep the fish from running back into the rocks.

I set $100 as my price limit. I don’t like spending too much on my reels; I feel the money is better spent in other places. I feel that there is a big jump in quality between a $25-$50 and a $50-$100 reel, but I have a hard time feeling the difference between a $75 reel and a $150 one. And with the way reels can take a beating on a kayak, I’m just not willing to invest much more than $100. So after doing a lot of research at shows I finally picked out a Penn Fierce 5000 to fit my application.

With a retail price around $70, it seemed to fit the bill. The 5000 holds 300 yds. of 30lb. braid, boasts up to 20lbs. of drag pressure, and weighs in at 19oz. The gears felt smooth right out of the box, as did the drag, and the fit and finish were good. The reel felt really solid, and the handle is comfortable and large enough to hold onto with cold fingers or gloves on. I spooled it up with 30lb. PowerPro and took it fishing.

I have used the reel jigging soft plastics, throwing topwater plugs, swimming eels, and trolling tube and worm set-ups. This reel soon became one of my favorites. I used it on almost all of my salt water trips this year. After hard fishing, the reel shows very little wear and has stood up to my use and abuse better than I expected. I even landed me my personal best Striper this year on it. At the end of the season, I liked it so much I picked up the 2000, 3000, and 4000 models to use on my freshwater and inshore set-ups.

Compared to other reels in the $50-$100 price range, I would give it an 8 out 10. The only real drawback I found is with its full metal body the reel is a bit on the hefty side. If you put it on a really light rod, the setup might feel unbalanced. However, its construction is also why it feels so solid, and runs smoothly even under heavy loads. I had no problem with how the smaller ones felt on my 7’ TFO spinning rods. I recommend the Fierce series to anyone looking for a quality reel at an affordable price.