# what's so great about van staals?



## missplaced_idahoan

I've never had a $100 dollar penn fail me... EVER! so what makes VSs so much better? is it the name or what?


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## SHO-NUFF

Its kind of like driving a Chevrolet versus driving a Cadillac. They both will get you from point A to point B, but you will like the ride in the Caddy better at the end of the day.


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## missplaced_idahoan

I like the argument... however my penn 7500ssm is smoother then a babies bottom, so I don't knowhow it could be better???


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## TheFlounderPounder

missplaced_idahoan said:


> I like the argument... however my penn 7500ssm is smoother then a babies bottom, so I don't knowhow it could be better???


 buy one and you will see!!!


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## missplaced_idahoan

TheFlounderPounder said:


> buy one and you will see!!!


I would... if I didn't have a car payment and plenty of GREAT penn reels


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## missplaced_idahoan

what can be better then ht-100 drag and a beautiful brass reel??? I'm just playingthe devils advocate here, so please educate me!


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## flukedaddy

You have to have it in your hand and feel it.... and you will notice the difference immediately. I used to say the same thing till a friend of mine got one, its night and day. the same could be said about the stella's, saltiga's and the zbass when it comes to price.. 
You would keep your penn's for friends to use if you got one.


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## sealark

Misplaced, shame on you for having so much common sense. Good for you, Van Stall owners probably just walk up and down the pier showing off their reel. Something like the GEICO commercial with the guy riding the motorcycle with the dollar bills blowing off his body.:laughing: Go ahead start bashing me.:thumbup::thumbup:


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## southern yakker

I use Penn's and love them! I have tried my friends vam staal and preferes my Penn over it. Also felt a zeebass and didn't see anything special about it. My buddy had to pay $110 to get it serviced after not having it that long because the drag was messing up. If you pay that much for a freaking reel it better not ever mess up and if it does they should fix it for free. I'll stick to my Penn reels.


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## fisheye48

ive owned penns and VS. i would spend the money 1000X for a VS and those useless penns. only thing penns are good at is sitting in a repair shop or waiting on parts to fix them


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## jpark76

*van staal*

I have had more van staal drags lock up and cause broken lines than I care to remember. The old penn drags were better and the new penn drags make van staal's nothing but a paper weight as far as i am concerned.


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## MrFish49

Van Staals were designed for surf fishing up in the north east. A sealed reel capable of grinding out the sand and being perfectly fine being dunked and hit by waves, while also being very durable. So pier fishing makes one of the biggest selling points of the reel moot. Still think it is a nice reel, with all it's machined aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium. If I had the money sure I would buy one, but I don't so I use 704s.


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## albacized

missplaced_idahoan said:


> I like the argument... however my penn 7500ssm is smoother then a babies bottom, so I don't knowhow it could be better???


The Van Staal shines when you plan on dunking the reel a lot and drag it through sand...Many here in the NE (Massachusetts more specifically) do exactly...I don't know of many situations where that application comes into play down there (former FL resident here)...If don't dunk your reel, but would like something that's on par, or even better (aside from the sealed factor), try a Shimano Stella - I have smaller models of each (a VS150 and a Stella) and the Stella is 100x more smooth than a VS...but a VS is a tank that can take anything...but to your point, I'm willing to bet that a Penn Slammer (or the new V series Penn) can handle most applications you'd use it for down in FL...In fact, I'll be in the P'cola area in July and the two big dogs are staying home while I'll bring a slammer 360 and a cabo 40 (plus a fly rod or two)...And while I never caught a big tarpon in my life, the cabo has caught tarpon to 40 lbs down in the keys as well as 20-25 lb Juno Beach, FL jacks (plus all the bonitas you could ask for)...So unless I made a conscious decision to fish for sharks or something, I doubt I'll be out gunned by anything


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## albacized

Oops - didn't see the post just prior to mine...pretty much explains everything I just said, but even better and to the point


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## southern yakker

The spinfisher v is sealed and I can gaurunttee it can handle everything a van stall can. It might not be as sealed as the van staal but you can buy four spin fishers for the price of a van staal. I have two of them and they are badass! The only downside is they are a little heavy.


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## Sammy

Stella. Enough said.


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## MrFish49

southern yakker said:


> The spinfisher v is sealed and I can gaurunttee it can handle everything a van stall can. It might not be as sealed as the van staal but you can buy four spin fishers for the price of a van staal. I have two of them and they are badass! The only downside is they are a little heavy.


I'm not going to put so much trust in them myself after seeing the Allan Hawk review where the brass pinion failed and the "sealed" reel had water intrusion in the gear box.


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## drifterfisher

My vote goes to the Optix line from wally world. Hard to beat a 20 buck reel that does as good as those. I have several penn and shimano reels,but the cheap optix reels work just as good for a tenth of the price. I will say this I lost my pier cart out of my truck on the I10 on ramp. 2 reels survived the bashing that followed. Both were Optix. I lost 2 Penn and one Shimano,they were bent beyond fixing,but the Optix just had some road rash. Just my 2 cent. Oh and by the way I have better sense than to dunk my reel in salt water,or drag it through the sand. Neither of those elements are conductive to keeping something in good working order.


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## southern yakker

MrFish49 said:


> I'm not going to put so much trust in them myself after seeing the Allan Hawk review where the brass pinion failed and the "sealed" reel had water intrusion in the gear box.


I'm a little skeptical too but I don't plan to dunk my reel in the water. I heard that water can only get in if the bail is up but not sure on that. Still for the price of a spinfisher if it gets messed up you can replace it and still come out better than buying a van staal.


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## Austin

When talking Penn, none are better than the old US made reels, such as the 700 lines and the SS series. As for VS, I've never owned one, may never own one, especially since they are reproducing the 706z's. If I do get a VS, it will probably be a 100 so that I can fish a nice manual inshore. If something breaks with your VS, you're out of the game for a bit. If something breaks on my 706, It's an easy fix, the reels are extremely simple on the inside, and that's one thing that makes them great.


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## reelthrill

I have fished the VS, Mitchell 302, Penn 706 and 706z for a very long time. I still use all three at different times and here is my take on each reel. The 302 feels comfortable, is easy to work on, holds alot of line, manual bail easy to use, but parts of the reel may not hold up with heavy braided lines, main key can go at any time, drag needs alot of work to perfect. When I fished the SKA, Van staal sent me two of their first spinning reels. They have improved since way back then. I do alot of tarpon fishing off the piers and these reels have a good drag, manual bail easy to use, and very little maintenance. Penn 706z and Penn torque - The 706z is a great reel but for some people the line can be more difficult to get back on the manual than the other reels mentioned. Sometimes if you cast against the wind, the line tends to blow back on the manual. (why I don't use this reel for cobia fishing). Drag is very smooth and reels hold up well with braided lines. The penn torque has an extremely smooth drag and holds up well with any line. The line tends to blow back on the manual during the middle of a cast quite often. I think with a little adjustment to the manual seat, this could be remedied. Very strong, smooth reel with fast retrieve.


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## Cornflake789

Sammy said:


> Stella. Enough said.


:thumbsup:


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## Sammy

I find myself walk pass all my high end gears to grab my sustain fg or stradic ci4 99% of the time. Unless I'm wade fishing.


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## tee-man

I have always been a penn guy. however after getting my VS, penns are like shakespeares now. I hate even using a penn now, it is something you woudnt get unless you owned one


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## fairpoint

VS are nice but are they worth the 700.00 you got to give for one now...just because someone else bought them out and jacked the price from under 500.00 to 700.00. Sure they got waterproof bearings, nice roller,waterproof drag,titanium gears,etc.....I'd rather buy 3 gold spool 706's .......Just sayin....
Fairpoint


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## Sammy

tee-man said:


> I have always been a penn guy. however after getting my VS, penns are like shakespeares now. I hate even using a penn now, it is something you woudnt get unless you owned one


Love my battle. Lol


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## Collard

Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)

I had this conversation today. Vans are the yeti cooler of reels......more of an "attention whore" kinda thing.
The sort of thing that says "Look at what I got. What do you have? A Penn and an igloo?"


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## Sammy

That's the reasons for all my gears. Lol. Like I said, I perfer my stradic over my battles over zeebass over van staal.


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## a

i bought the 1st Van steal gulf breeze had.....the smallest model, for trout fishing.....it was worthless...the handle was too hard to turn..i sold it at gulf breeze for $200


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## Sammy

a said:


> i bought the 1st Van steal gulf breeze had.....the smallest model, for trout fishing.....it was worthless...the handle was too hard to turn..i sold it at gulf breeze for $200


You didn't break it in....yeah that's right, you have to break in a $700 reel.


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## Tyler Massey

Collard said:


> Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)
> 
> I had this conversation today. Vans are the yeti cooler of reels......more of an "attention whore" kinda thing.
> The sort of thing that says "Look at what I got. What do you have? A Penn and an igloo?"


But Yeti coolers really are a better cooler than an igloo.. So your saying a VS is actually better than a Penn?


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## Splittine

Tyler Massey said:


> But Yeti coolers really are a better cooler than an igloo.. So your saying a VS is actually better than a Penn?



+1.


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## missplaced_idahoan

yetis are some fine coolers. I'll never spend that much on a cooler but they do work


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## Sammy

Well, van staals does have their benefit....


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## The Pitt

Sammy said:


> Well, van staals does have their benefit....



at what point does wading become swimming haha


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## Austin

Sammy said:


> Well, van staals does have their benefit....


Looks risky...


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## fairpoint

Well Sammy fill us in on HOW you break a VS in,please.......
Fairpoint


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## fishyfingers

I have fished all of them except for the ZeeBaas. VanStaal is nice. Better roller on the manual for sure, good drag. But they are far too pricey for me. They are worth @ $350 tops for the improvements over other reels. I still fish my old Penn SS series spinners, they have never let me down and require far less maintenance than some of the Cadillac reels.
As for coolers, a Yeti may keep some ice for 10 days but my Igloo Marines will keep ice for 8.5 days, do it for $125 instead of $500 and guess what, they don't weigh more than the ice inside. If you need to keep ice in the field longer I would suggest a freezer with a padlock and a portable generator. It will be less expensive and easier to move around.


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## Sammy

fairpoint said:


> Well Sammy fill us in on HOW you break a VS in,please.......
> Fairpoint


Keep it under 3000 rpm for 500 miles. Duh


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## romadfishrman

Or remove some of the grease since they pack it in there. 

Sounds like some people are either envious or don't like the finer things in life. Fishing is my hobby, more like a passion, and if I want to spend MY money on a piece of fishing equipment I will. What about high end rods? Who needs a GLX or NRX when I can make a rod out of a piece of bamboo from the yard? 
Van staal, stronger gears and shaft for new super lines. Fully sealed for the application they were designed for. Show me a manual that is made, currently, and is half the cost WITH the same quality components and I guarantee you will see more of those for pier than VS. and I am not a VS fan. I prefer ZB and Stella's. lastly you do realize those old 706s were $100 brand new and you can sell old used ones for 150 easy. 300 for a brand new one is considered a good deal???? I'm spending my money on quality reels, with excellent customer service and a great warranty.


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## Sammy

I thought he was being sarcastic on how to break it in.


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## Sammy

The Pitt said:


> at what point does wading become swimming haha


At the point where the fish hit your lure and swim to the other side of the jetty, and you swim, paddle out to try to beat the fish only to realize how dumb it is to race a fish in water, then you gets cut off on the rocks on the jetty and your fish left with a new $15 lip ring and your in 9' of water. That's when it become swimming.


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## Austin

Sammy said:


> At the point where the fish hit your lure and swim to the other side of the jetty, and you swim, paddle out to try to beat the fish only to realize how dumb it is to race a fish in water, then you gets cut off on the rocks on the jetty and your fish left with a new $15 lip ring and your in 9' of water. That's when it become swimming.


And I thought that I was hardcore.. :notworthy:


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## TURTLE

*IMO, they are a status symbol for fisherman and they are very pretty and that's that. I had one for a year or two and then when it needed to be serviced and it was out of my hands for 6 weeks and cost as much as a Penn to service it was by by VS hello 4 nice new Penn's.:thumbup:*


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## Austin

BoatBabe said:


> Well this is my first post so please be nice... But I understnad that VS are a total "status" to most but on a serious note... Does VS make a left hand reel?  Thanks!


They sure do!


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## bamafan611

Enough Said//Tried the VS and for the money it's the Penn.


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## Sammy

Nice collection you got there


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## Splittine

Penn Sucks.


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## lowprofile

its a fully sealed SURF reel that all the cobia/king kids think they need to fish off the piers... it was built for fishing big surf, getting sanded and dropped on rocks and in water... 

your penn will do fine in florida.


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## lowprofile

The Pitt said:


> at what point does wading become swimming haha


when you go skishing.


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## a

I have no problem with the cost of a Van steal (sorry spell check wants to change staal to steal). Ive paid more for Ables($1200 with a spare spool) $750 Tibors, (if I could just maintain the good Karma Kenton,:whistling: maybe people would stop stealing them)and $800 SageTXR rods too, but they perform as advertised........
maybe the 1st shipment of reels were defective??


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## Sammy

a said:


> I have no problem with the cost of a Van steal (sorry spell check wants to change staal to steal). Ive paid more for Ables($1200 with a spare spool) $750 Tibors, (if I could just maintain the good Karma Kenton,:whistling: maybe people would stop stealing them)and $800 SageTXR rods too, but they perform as advertised........
> maybe the 1st shipment of reels were defective??


I'm serious about some of the new van staals needs break in. The handle is stiff because its totally sealed. And the drag will go from free spool to locked drag in a quarter turn. Once you hook up with a big fish/a moving vehicle/ runaway bride and lock the drag down and soon it will get a little smoother.


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## Emerald Ghost

Just the thought of dropping one of them overboard bothers me.


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## Splittine

a said:


> I have no problem with the cost of a Van steal (sorry spell check wants to change staal to steal). Ive paid more for Ables($1200 with a spare spool) $750 Tibors, (if I could just maintain the good Karma Kenton,:whistling: maybe people would stop stealing them)and $800 SageTXR rods too, but they perform as advertised........
> maybe the 1st shipment of reels were defective??


Think you were high sticking it and it didn't like that?


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## bamafan611

Been using the older penns for 40 years and absolutely no problems.


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## Splittine

bamafan611 said:


> Nope splittine the only thing thats sucks is you. Been using the older penns for 40 years and absolutely no problems. .


Dang. My feelings are hurt.


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## Yobenny

To anyone who would pay $700.00 for a spinning reel, I say congratulations, you have done a remarkable job of bringing stupidity to fishing.........


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## bamafan611

Dang splittime you're quick. Edited my post so it didn't get personal and everyone has a different opinion. Really didn't mean to lower my standards by commenting on your opinion.


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## speckledcroaker

I use penns because that way I have more money for gas. I,ve had the same penns for twenty years and they still work fine. I load mine up with slick 50 wheel bearing grease and they last forever.


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## Sammy

Yobenny said:


> To anyone who would pay $700.00 for a spinning reel, I say congratulations, you have done a remarkable job of bringing stupidity to fishing.........


And your comment done a remarkable job to bringing a special kind of stupidity to fishing. You must be the type that try to enter formula 1 racing with a Toyota corolla. I would love to see you hook a big amberjack or tuna and watch your cute lil Walmart reel melt or locked and seize up after 1 trip wade fishing.


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## Yobenny

I have caught more amberjack, grouper snapper and tuna on Penn reels than you will ever catch in your entire life, I assure you. And probably the next 5 of your friend to boot. 
Thats why I said what I said. 
This isn't formula 1 racing, it's fishing. If you want to be a sport about it then catch a 40 pound amber jack with a zebco 33 and I would definitely say you did something.....


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## Sammy

Yobenny said:


> I have caught more amberjack, grouper snapper and tuna on Penn reels than you will ever catch in your entire life, I assure you. And probably the next 5 of your friend to boot.
> Thats why I said what I said.
> This isn't formula 1 racing, it's fishing. If you want to be a sport about it then catch a 40 pound amber jack with a zebco 33 and I would definitely say you did something.....



Oh really? You have never met me and you automatically assume that you have caught more fish than me? Therefore I stand by my statement. You're a very special kind of stupid.


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## lowprofile

Sammy said:


> Oh really? You have never met me and you automatically assume that you have caught more fish than me? Therefore I stand by my statement. You're a very special kind of stupid.


you only have 157 posts.. clearly you are not a seasoned fishermen. 

I've caught a lot of big fish.. never used a Van Staal. but if i was targeting giant bluefish, striper and winter red drum on artificials.. I'd probably have one.


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## Sammy

Speaking of light tackles. I caught a 35 lb crevelle jack on a shimano clarus 5'4 UL and a stradic ci4 with 6lb test fishing for lady fish with a yozuri crystal sinking shrimp. Now I want my damn cookie. Never mind, I think you want it more than I do.


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## Sammy

lowprofile said:


> you only have 157 posts.. clearly you are not a seasoned fishermen.
> 
> I've caught a lot of big fish.. never used a Van Staal. but if i was targeting giant bluefish, striper and winter red drum on artificials.. I'd probably have one.


So if I got 600 post I'd automatically catch more amberjack grouper and tuna than you and 5 of your friends??


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## Yobenny

Well Sammy, unless you spent 8 years out there on two week trips as a rod and reel meat fisherman, 30 years ago when there were actually some fish left, then I doubt very seriously that you, and 5 of your friends together, have caught as many fish as I have, and all of them were on Penn reels, because meat fishermen don't buy bullshit to work with.

But that being what or not what, why in the world do you think catching a damn fish is important enough that you are willing to spend that kind of money on a reel to do it?
That's enough money to throw away a good penn reel when it acts up and buy a brand new one for the rest of your feaking life.... 
It reminds of those young stupid duck hunters that caused most of us old hands to give it up. $3,000 gun and they think the marsh belongs to them....
My gun is my dick.....
Whatever.......


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## Splittine

Y'all don't argue with Yobenny he is always right and will prove you wrong, just ask him.


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## Yobenny

That's right, Mr. Spackler, and don't you forget it......


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## romadfishrman

Yobenny you mean to tell me you're from Texas and you don't spend any money on what others could perceive as dumb or wasteful? You're an average joe with average money making average savings spending an average amount on all things "averagically"?? You're not a better fisherman because you held a rod on a meatwagon.


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## Downtime2

Christ! Does it really matter. I could give two farts in a whirlwind if you fish a Tiagra 130 for bream. It's your money, have at it. If you fish Penn, Shimano, Diawa, High end, low end, Snoopy reels..... If you like it, fish it.


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## skram

Sammy said:


> Stella. Enough said.


Exactly.

That being said.... To each his own, buy what feels best to you.


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## speckledcroaker

9.0 zebco now were talkin.


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## Sammy

Umm..no Benny. I was never a meat fisherman. I never had to fish to feed my family. I run 3 restaurants to provide for my family. And between the 3 restaurants I have minimum time to do what I love to do, which is fishing, so I spend thousands of dollars of fishing gear for a bit of self satisfaction.

My time is worth more than my money. When I just spit $600 in gas on my friends boat I cannot afford to have tackle failure. I don't buy bullshit to work with either, that's why I spare no expense when it comes to my hobby.

I respect that you're a die hard penn guy, but back in your day it is top shelve gear. Now a days it's another made in china Brand. And if you look back in this thread I said I like my battles better than my vs, but I would never trust the battle when I'm wading.


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## Austin

Sammy said:


> And if you look back in this thread I said I like my battles better than my vs, but I would never trust the battle when I'm wading.


Wading or swading? :thumbup:


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## JoeyWelch

*:thumbup:Funny Shit Right Here!!!:thumbup:
*


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## Sammy

Austin said:


> Wading or swading? :thumbup:


Depends on how hard the fish pulls when I lock my drag on the zee, lol.


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## Austin

Sammy said:


> Depends on how hard the fish pulls when I lock my drag on the zee, lol.


Wouldn't that be more like.. skiing? :whistling:


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## a

Splittine said:


> Think you were high sticking it and it didn't like that?


!0,444.....posts????????????? get a life!
i was high stickin when you were still using your snoopy rod:shifty:


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## bamafan611

Downtime2 said:


> Christ! Does it really matter. I could give two farts in a whirlwind if you fish a Tiagra 130 for bream. It's your money, have at it. If you fish Penn, Shimano, Diawa, High end, low end, Snoopy reels..... If you like it, fish it.


Now thats enough said. Downtime nailed it.


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## Splittine

a said:


> !0,444.....posts????????????? get a life!
> i was high stickin when you were still using your snoopy rod:shifty:


I'm sure. That's frowned upon in the fly fishing game by the purist.


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## a

Splittine said:


> I'm sure. That's frowned upon in the fly fishing game by the purist.


that shows what you know about fly fishing purists......the main concern would be about breaking the rod...not about frowning, which by the way, ive never done......while catchin several flyrod caught fish over 100 lbs!
I suggest you continue to read here.....because you need a better internet fishing education! Have you ever pulled a 120#Tarpon up from 60 ft?.....with a fly rod?


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## Collard

Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)



Tyler Massey said:


> Collard said:
> 
> 
> 
> Wirelessly posted (Not the droid youre lookin for)
> 
> I had this conversation today. Vans are the yeti cooler of reels......more of an "attention whore" kinda thing.
> The sort of thing that says "Look at what I got. What do you have? A Penn and an igloo?"
> 
> 
> 
> But Yeti coolers really are a better cooler than an igloo.. So your saying a VS is actually better than a Penn?
Click to expand...

No I'm saying what I said....it's a social status bragging point....they work fine....and so do igloos and penns


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## -WiRtH-

I love my igloo marine cooler


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## rosco725

Here's the main thing they are better by far a different class of reel I have owned a bunch of them and if I had a choice that would be all I would fish you can't compare them to penn if you really know what your talking about


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## CCC

You will NEVER get ANYONE to admit what I am fixing to but I have no problem fessing up. I have worn Oakleys all my life and recently started wearing Calcuttas and find they are JUST AS GOOD. I have ridden Harleys for a long time but honestly jap bikes half the price will last just as long (not that I have one). To me it is like the guy with the 4K AR-15 V/S the guy with the 900.00 AR-15, I mean really, are we shooting competition here ??????? They will both hit a bullseye at 200 yards. I have never owned a VS but did look at one once at a dealer and could not believe how much smoother my Penn's are compared to them, but then again I can't tell everyone I have a HIGH DOLLAR VS. In my honest opinion it is more of a bragging thing than anything else. I think it is a fad just like a blue ray DVD that I can't HONESTLY tell the difference from a regular DVD, but hey it is cool to tell everyone you watched a blue ray last night. Just my .02 worth.


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## Austin

It's all about the fish you catch, not the gear you catch the fish with. If you can get the job done either way, then you are JUST as good as the next guy regardless of what some of you think.


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## Yobenny




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## missplaced_idahoan

well, maybe there is something to the van stalls..... I went out last night with AVID FISHERMAN with a cart full of Penns, we never had less then 6 poles in the water and.... skunked again! maybe since I don't have a VS I should fish somewhere a little less pristine and beautiful then Pensacola.... maybe if I head over to Mississippi the fish will be more humble and be willing to be caught by a cheaper reel..... (typed while whistling the "dueling banjos" tune)


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## Yobenny

Keep goin till you get to grand isle la. you can ketchum on a cane pole and a chunk uh blood hound tabacky.......


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## albacized

I think one of the things being missed (actually misrepresented) is the fact that it's not about the species you're going after, but rather the environment you're fishing (re: what warrants purchasing a Van Staal)...I have a Cabo 20 and Penn Slammer 360 (from back when they were made in the US) that handles most of the same fish I go after when using my VS 150..As I mentioned earlier, I live in New England and sometimes fish areas where my gear is constantly getting wet...that's when my VS comes out to play...another reason stems to the fact that I usually take a trip down to Juno Beach, FL each year, typically carrying a Quantum Cabo 40, and while I've never been spooled down there, some of the fish I was catching off the Juno Pier would strip out enough line (from a reel spooled to capacity w/ 20 lb braid) to where I'd start to see 'silver' from arbor - talking 20lb+ sized jacks, false albacore that pushes 20 lbs and a couple of smaller tarpon that ran maybe 40 lbs or so...With that, I started looking for a reel to replace that - the generalized specs I was looking for was something that was roughly the same weight and size as the Cabo I was using (or even lighter), but with much better line capacity...the VS 150 fit the bill to a 'T'...I load a full 300 yard spool of 30 lb braid and I'm good to go - and talk about versatility with that reel...I use it on an 8 1/2 St Croix Avid Salmon/Steelhead rod for bluefish (we get them to 20lbs around here), false albacore and other lighter tackle game, then turn around and use it on a 10' Mojo surf rod rated to 4 ounces when jigging for stripers in the Cape Cod Canal (water current in there runs about as hard as I've seen anywhere......the only place in FL where I've seen current running that hard is when standing on the Marathon side of the 7 mile bridge and watching that water rush by from the Atlantic into the Gulf...crazy current)...Jigging the canal is something that has killed many reels that do not fall under the 'big 3' (Stella, Van Staal, and the Daiwa Dogfight/Saltiga)...so there are reasons to legitimately justify buying such a reel, even when targeting species that I know can handle on my other gear w/ no issues (I've killed 3 Cabo 60 spinning reels fishing the canal as well as a Shimano Saragosa 8000, while my 2 + year old VS feels the same as when I bought it)...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not bringing my VS (and probably not my Stella 5000SW either) when I visit the P'cola area in July (first time to the panhandle), not because I don't think the fish aren't 'worthy' or anything like that (in fact, most of the fish down in FL are pound for pound tougher)...but I know the elements I'll be fishing won't call for it - simple as that...

Sorry for the long and winded response 

PS - and no, buying these reels doesn't mean I have a whole lot of money to burn...in fact, to the contrary, I don't like having to buy new reels all the time and my hopes are that I invested in something (with both the VS and the Stella, the latter being purchased on discount) that will last a long time, if not forever...and save me in the long run...I fish a lot and have gone through some other more modest, but still expensive (in my book reels), such as past generations of Shimano Sustains as well as older Finnor spinning reels that had cork rings as drag pads...and they just don't last forever


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted



Sammy said:


> Speaking of light tackles. I caught a 35 lb crevelle jack on a shimano clarus 5'4 UL and a stradic ci4 with 6lb test fishing for lady fish with a yozuri crystal sinking shrimp. Now I want my damn cookie. Never mind, I think you want it more than I do.


Was that Jack a line class record?


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted



Austin said:


> When talking Penn, none are better than the old US made reels, such as the 700 lines and the SS series. As for VS, I've never owned one, may never own one, especially since they are reproducing the 706z's. If I do get a VS, it will probably be a 100 so that I can fish a nice manual inshore. If something breaks with your VS, you're out of the game for a bit. If something breaks on my 706, It's an easy fix, the reels are extremely simple on the inside, and that's one thing that makes them great.


Penn Reproducing the 706z, is this the big news that Outcast was talking about from Penn? I looked on their site a few days ago but it never said was the news was... You know when they will come out?


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## Austin

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> 
> 
> Penn Reproducing the 706z, is this the big news that Outcast was talking about from Penn? I looked on their site a few days ago but it never said was the news was... You know when they will come out?


I believe September.. If I'm wrong, someone correct me.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

Did you read this anywhere, or word of mouth?


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## Splittine

It's on Penn FB page.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

Right on, I don't have Facebook but does it say how much they expect them to cost?


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## Sammy

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> 
> 
> Was that Jack a line class record?


I'm a fisherman. That jack was between 12-35 lb, so I always go higher. You be the judge. I don't weight any of my fish. I either release them or eat them.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

I would say 25-35 lbs easy and that could have been close to a line record for the lbs test you had on.


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## Splittine

...


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

What sight is that from Splittine?


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## Splittine

Igfa


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

Are you a paid member for the IGFA sight? I have always been curious if I could put 4lbs test on my 706z and be legible for a line class record?


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## Splittine

Yes


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

I have looked into becoming one, do you think it's worth it? What kind of member are you?


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## Sammy

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> I would say 25-35 lbs easy and that could have been close to a line record for the lbs test you had on.


I dunno and don't really care. I'm sure I've filet and cooked a record or 2 lol.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

You have tried to eat a jack before?


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## Team Fish Head

Go to a West Coast board and read the reel reviews by users, Bloody Decks, for instance. Or buy a VS and an Accurate and do your own testing. I like Penn but prefer Shimano as for 40+ Years both, along with Diawa have served impeccably well. Got two Accurates from a guide buddy and they are very different but get'er done. I've also got Avet reels and they have performed as advertised and servicing them is a snap.

To each his own but I'm a drive it before I buy it guy and that's what I would suggest to folks when trying out tackle. Not all brands nor their various types will suffice for every purpose.


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## Yobenny

Well shucks, if yall are all over the dependability thing, I got yer dependability covered up.
For $14.95 no less


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## Sammy

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> You have tried to eat a jack before?


Well, I filet one and low and behold it came with spagatti noodles. I cut around the nest of worms it but I can't bring myself to eat it. My neighbor told me to bring them to him because his dogs loves fish. So when I hook one I always call him to see if I should pop it or gaff it.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

I use to have a lab that would eat live pin fish, first time she was around a fish she came and smelled it and then took it out of my hand and walked off. I said to myself, she won't eat it. Then I look over and she is laying down going to town on it! 

Does he cook the jack for his dog, or is it raw?


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## sealark

I have a schnauzer that loves raw fish. I would be concerned about a dog eating fish with bones or even scales.


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## Sammy

Cooked. Smells horrible but the dog loves it.


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## Randall2point0

Wirelessly posted

This same dog ate a 2'6"-3' cactus. I came home from school and saw a half ate plant pot, some potting soil, and a few pieces of the cactus. Half of the potting soil was gone also, she was like a tiger shark with 4 legs. Ha


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## nb&twil

Deleted.


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