Off Grid Dependability
As an individual who is all about venturing out on foot over extended periods of time, the activity, in its essence, is all about mastering and honing down the essentials without compromising the performance and thus the outcome. Therefore, it is in one’s best interest to select the gear that can ensure just that.
On that note, I have been privileged to have had access to the brand-new PENN Spinfisher VII in a 6500 size, spooled with the 40lb PENN Slammer Braid and paired with the PENN Prevail APEX. This was the ultimate combo and covered all the bases I required.
The Prevail APEX was not only instrumental in providing the casting distance required to cover vast amounts of ground casting from rocks but also in providing great reach and preventing lures from getting stuck over ledges. Moreover, we all know how tiring casting for hours on end can be in the scorching Australian heat. I must’ve thanked the PENN team about a dozen times for making this new rod 25% lighter and enabling me to travel that much further and cast that many more times. The day will come when it will be the difference between hooking the fish of a lifetime or not.
Digressing back to what I was really out for was the Spinfisher VII, which was simply brilliant, beautifully constructed with an IPX5 rated sealed body and spool. Being in rugged, salty, and exposed conditions for extended periods of time, without the ability to clean the gear properly, it provided the peace of mind I wanted in the reel performing perfectly despite the harsh conditions. Not only that, the main gear, made from brass is cut to precision using PENN’s CNC gear technology and for stopping power, PENN’s HT-100 Drag system is installed providing smooth drag under heavy loads.
Those insights are fantastic, but how does it fish? You might ask. Well, it is nothing short of a treat. Casting with a 10ft rod really tested how the reel fed out the braid, and it did so extremely smoothly despite strong crosswinds at times. The silky Slammer braid was smooth in delivery. A feature that I particularly enjoyed was the manual bail which prevented any unexpected closure mid-cast.
Finally, the reel features a 5+1 sealed stainless steel bearing system, offering an incredibly smooth retrieve with a firm, comfortable handle connecting one to working lures correctly and increasing strike rates.
In conclusion, the Spinfisher VII offered everything I was after and beyond. It provided me with the confidence to take it off the grid all while providing the performance one looks for in a mid-range reel. This is a solid reel that will deliver when targeting big predators, no matter when and where.
By Timothée Hugnin – PENN Proteam
