Between my Grandfather and I, I think we have now owned all 5 generations of Penn's Spinfisher. While the quality of some of the Penn lineup may have fallen off par over the last decade or so, they have righted the ship over the last few years and the Spinfisher V shows what the company is capable of.

I purchased a 4500 model to use for stripers. On opening the box you can feel how solid the reel is. There is no possibility for flex and the gears were smooth. I especially liked the fact that the spool was "Braid Ready". I spooled it up with 30lb Fins XS and was able to put 216 yards on it comfortably.

On the water the the 25lbs of drag was more than enough to turn 40 lb stripers and when a fish ran it was smooth. After a season of fishing the reel was still looking and functioning great. The only in season maintenance I did was a post trip rinse with the hose. During a post season tear down there was no noticeable corrosion on the inside and no worn components.

Would I recommend this reel to someone else? Yes, in fact I even purchased a second one.

Shortly after ICAST 2012, the manager at my neighborhood Charleston Angler came to me and started telling me all about this great reel that he saw at the show. Jonathan proceeded to tell me about the Penn “Spinfisher V” series. He was pumping up the sales pitch on how this will be the ultimate reel for a kayak angler.

He even had one (SSV3500 model) at the shop set up on a rod. We went out back and proceeded to cast to a small recycling container just to check out my accuracy. The first think that I noticed was how smooth and effortless the casting and the retrieve are on this reel. It could have been the rod or the combination of the two, but Jonathan did a great job selling that this should be my next reel.

Why is this such a great reel for a kayak angler? There are six seals used to make this reel watertight. You do not have to worry about saltwater spray getting into the gearbox or drag system from paddling, or putting the rod into a flush-mounted rod holder when the waves hit your kayak. For me this is the selling point, since I fish from a kayak exclusively.

I decided to wait until the shipment came in. It seemed like months. Okay, it was months. After all, the Charleston Angler is not like those other big box stores like Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, Cabela’s, etc. So I went ahead and purchased two of the SSV3500 Spinfisher V spinning reels. I had the reels spooled with some nice 15 lb braid without the backing of monofilament line. Why? The spools have a rubber gasket that will keep any of the super lines from slipping. The spools also have line capacity rings that eliminates the guess work on the amount of line you have remaining. The reel has a friction trip ramp that prevents premature bail trip when casting.

When I got home, I decided to mount these reels on a Temple Fork Outfitters rod for my casting and catching pleasure. I wanted to field test these reels for at least a month before writing this review. I did notice the same performance I had experienced casting behind the shop. My accuracy was not much better, but I was enjoying the feel of the cast and the smoothness of the retrieve. But with no fish, there was no test of the Slammer® Drag System.

A few weeks later, I managed to get into some nice redfish, the largest of which was 27”. These fish definitely put the drag system to the test. I would have to say the retrieve remained smooth up to landing the fish.. The new thicker heavy-duty bail wire adds extra strength and durability, a full metal body and side plate keep precise gear alignment, and the five shielded stainless steel bearing system makes this a strong reel for fighting big fish.

There are eight Spinfisher V models, ranging from the SSV3500 to the huge SSV10500. Penn also offers three “Live Liner” models (SSV4500LL, SSV6500LL, & SSV8500LL). The Live Liner models contain nine seals to keep water out.

For the kayak angler, the Penn Spinfisher V spinning reel is a great option for a durable and low-maintenance reel.

Amazing reel that is a decent price range and great for all types of fishing from freshwater bass to offshore species.