As a full time fishing guide the spinning reel is my day to day tool of the trade. Now I know there are lots of other important tools of my trade that can make or break my fishing trips, but the spinning reel is definitely at the top of the list most days. What makes a good, great or even the best spinning reel in your opinion? The 200 plus days I see on the water a year gives me a lot of time to think about these kinds of things and trust me lots comes to mind! Here are the kinds of things that are important to me in a spinning reel. Weight, light without sacrificing strength, smooth that stays smooth, dependable day after day of fishing and of course the price point. Thinking of all of those things this is not always the easiest decision or heck even to find that spinning reel on the market today with so many options out there.
I recently got to use a spinning reel that I was quite impressed with, it’s the new PENN Clash II spinning reel. PENN fishing tackle asked me to take a few of these reels for a “spin” to see what I liked or did not like about them. Honestly there was not much I could find I did not like about the Clash II reels I fished. The new PENN Clash II series is made up of six sizes of spinning reels; 1000, 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000 and 5000; also there is two high speed sizes 3000 and 4000. I’ll talk about why high speed spinning reels later in this review. I believe there is a size Clash II for just about any kind of inshore and near shore saltwater fishing scenario.
The PENN Clash II, in my opinion, is probably one of the best inshore reels I’ve every used. Featuring PENN’s proprietary CNC Gear™ Technology and HT-100™ carbon fiber drag system, the Clash™ II can handle any inshore species you hook into. The Hydrophobic ‘say that three times fast’ Line Roller Bearing, along with the Clutch Armor System ensure protection to critical components in all weather conditions without sacrificing weight; while the Leveline® Slow Oscillation System ensures perfect line lay cast after cast.
Here are the features of the new Clash II series:
– Full Metal Body and Sideplate
o Gives a rigid framework to keep gears in alignment under heavy loads.
– CNC Gear™ Technology with a Brass Pinion and Aluminum Main Gear
o Durability, Smoothness, and Precision is what CNCGear™ Technology delivers. By using state of the art software and CNC machinery the drive, pinion, and oscillation gear are cut to exact tolerances using premium metals.
o CNC machinery cuts gears directly out of a solid piece of metal, giving it more precision and resilience than other manufacturing processes that utilize molds to shape gears.
o CNCGear provides precision and therefore exact alignment, which means smooth performance.
– HT-100™ Carbon Fiber Drag System
o Drag is used to help fight or tame fish without breaking off line and without fighting the fish into exhaustion.
o HT-100 carbon fiber drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads. All HT-100 washers are greased with our proprietary PENN® grease for longevity.
– 8+1 stainless steel bearing system
– Hydrophobic Line Roller Bearing
o On most spinning reels the line roller bearing is a crucial point that can become weak due to saltwater exposure. The Clash II features a specialized line roller bearing with hydrophobic properties which prevents saltwater from penetrating the bearing and causing harm or deterioration.
– Clutch Armor System
o Proprietary system including seals around the rotor and the pinion gear that protect the pinion assembly, including the clutch. This is the most critical area on a reel to protect.
– Leveline® Slow Oscillation System
o The perfect oscillation for an extremely even line lay.
o Even line lay on the spool means less likelihood of wind knots and line twist, resulting in better, smoother casting
– 3000/4000 Standards have a paddle knob and include a power knob in the box.
– 3000/4000 High Speeds have a power knob only.
o
Let’s talk about why a high speed saltwater spinning reel? I was not sold on the idea of a high speed inshore spinning reel when I first was talking to PENN about the new Clash II series. BUT my mind was changed after fishing the high speed spinning reels; 3000 and 4000 sizes. High speed reels give you the ability to cast and retrieve more quickly, allowing for more casts and the ability to keep up with fast-moving fish that have the potential to cause slack in line. I really liked casting the high speed reels for Bonito, False Albacore and Mackerel using casting spoons and jigs, as a guide I can see where this will really help my clients that don’t fish much. This will allow those clients to retrieve lures at the fast speed I need them to present to those “reaction bite” fish like Bonito, mackerel etc. And also think about this, how about casting popping & rattling corks. Cork goes down you know you better get that slack up fast before that fish spits out the lure!!! Trust me the Clash II high speed reels work great for that too.
The PENN Clash II reels will start to hit stores next month around (mid March) and price range for these reels will be $199 to $239 depending on size. All in all I’m very excited to fish these reels on my own while fun fishing as well as my clients using them too. Do yourself a favor and at least pick up a Clash II at your local tackle and feel how good these reels feel. Thanks for reading and good fishing to you.
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
Posted in Product Reviews on February 24th, 2020
September is the month of change, summer starts to wind down and fall starts to show it’s self. I personally really like to fish in September, warm days, a little less humidity, much less boat traffic and best of all; great fishing! Here are some of the “goto” fish I like to target during September. With all this said we did just have a hurricane, thank the lord it was not too bad. The waters are still a little stained but getting cleaned up pretty fast from what I’ve seen. This is why I delayed dropping this forecast. PS: the mullet run has started!!!
When the water starts to cool down the Redfishing (Red Drum) will heat up. I look for the Reds to be in the creeks, along the ICW docks and oyster rocks. Carolina rigs with live bait or fresh cut bait is a good bet to catch a Redfish. If you want to go the artificial root, try Berkley Gulp three or four inch shrimp in color sugar spice glow or molting rigged on a 1/8oz or 1/4oz jig head should get’em to bite. Early mornings or late afternoons the top water bite should be good; cast MirrOlure Top Dog Jr’s and Top Pup’s for the best bite. Look for the top-water reds to be along marsh grass lines and shallow oyster rocks. You can also use rattling or popping corks in the same areas you use top-water plugs, just rig them with eight to fourteen inches of forty pound fluorocarbon, 1/0 hook L42 Eagle Claw and a live figure mullet.
The bigger Reds are starting to show up in the ocean on hard bottoms and around the inlets. You never know when you might hook one of these hard fighting fish. When I fish for bigger Reds, I use fresh cut or live menhaden and mullet. I use carolina rigs with TroKar TK5 8/0 or 9/0 AP circle hooks and eighty pound clear Berkley Big game mono leaders. Don’t forget to keep your drag tight when using circle hook so the hook will do its job. One tip I can give you when fishing for Bull (Old) Reds, is don’t use to light of tackle for these bigger Reds. If you fight them to long, there is a chance you can tire them out to much and kill them. Try a med/heavy rod and a reel with at least thirty pound mono or braid, this will help you get the fish in quicker; with a better chance of a good release. Check to see if the Red has a yellow tag in its back; there are a fair amount of tagged Big Reds out there.
Spanish mackerel and false albacore fishing can be great during September. The Spanish run the biggest (in size) all year during the fall. You can cast or troll for them and the fly fishing can be great as well. The Spanish/albacore will be around the inlets, up & down the beaches and near shore artificial reefs. Look for jumping Spanish and diving birds; that is where you will find the Spanish mackerel. Casting small spoons or jigs on light spinning tackle will put some Spanish in the boat for you. If you would rather troll, give a Blue Water Candy Daisy Chain a try on top and a #1 planner down deep with a Clark spoon. If you would like to give fly fishing a try, use a five to eight weight set up with floating line with a small minnow pattern fly or epoxy minnow pattern; my favorite!
Shark fishing will be good until late September. I see lots of different kinds of Sharks in September; Black tip, black nose, Sandbar, Hammerhead and Tiger. Best baits for the near shore sharks are fresh/live Bluefish, Mullet and Menhaden. I use spinning or conventional reels for Shark fishing with 300+ yards of fifty and sixty-five pound Spider wire Ultra-cast braid. Rigging the baits; eight feet of 80 pound mono leader; some of this leader will wind on to the reel. Connected to the 80 pound mono with a fifty pound swivel, then Two to three foot of #9 SS wire and a TroKar 8/0 or 9/0 AP circle hook. (I push down the barb for easy release) If you prefer Fly fishing, I like Striped bass flies in Menhaden patterns with 4/0 and 5/0 hook sizes. We use ten to twelve plus weight set ups; have lots of extra flies with you!
Fishing Tackle I use: PENN Spinfisher VI series reels 2500 & 3500 puppy drum and casting to Spanish mackerel. Big Drum and Sharks PENN Slammer III or Spinfisher VI 5500 or 6500 series spinning reels or conventional Fathom II 20LW reels. Rods PENN Battalion or Allegiance II 8 to 15 pound 7’ class for puppy drum and Spanish mackerel. Big Drum and Sharks PENN Rampage jigging spinning or casting 30 to 80 pound class. Lines Light tackle Redfish (puppy drum) and Spanish/albacore Spiderwire Ultra-cast 10 to 15 pound, Big Drum and Sharks 30 pound Berkley Pro Spec Chrome mono on conventional reels or Spiderwire braid 50 to 65 pound on spinning reels.
Good September fishing to you and thanks for reading!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on September 11th, 2019
Southeast NC in May, when fishing really gets cranked up! Many different species of fish start to show up and it’s when I feel like summer fishing has really started.
As the weather stabilizes and the temps go up in May I see more days where I can get out in the ocean and look for those high speed, and good eating bonito in earlier May (even later April this year) and spanish mackerel all May long. These fish are a lot of fun to see busting the surface of the water and even more fun to see on the end of your line! Casting small spoons or using fly gear in weights six to eight can make for a great challenge on this light tackle. Look for these fish to be hanging around near shore artificial reefs, ledges and inlets. Trolling Clark spoons or small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the bonito, spanish mackerel and even king mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in sizes #00, #0 and #1; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. You might come over a few false albacore and bluefish mixed in with the bonito and spanish from time to time; sometimes too many bluefish are mixed in!
Redfish and May go hand and hand, this month is a favorite for casting artificial lures to them. Reds really start to settle down in their summer spots by early May. Casting Berkley gulp shrimp in three inch size on light jig heads is one of my go to lures for May redfish. My go to colors are sugar spice glow, new penny, rootbeer gold/chart tail and natural. Another redfish bait I like is the Berkley powerbait 3.5” ripple shad rig on a jig head just like the gulp shrimp. Catching redfish on top water lures is so much fun; casting plugs like MirrOlure’s top pup or top dog jr. You can also cast popping or rattling corks in these shallow areas with a Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp which will catch the Redfish too in shallow waters. If you would rather go the bait route; try some fresh cut Mullet or Menhaden on a light Carolina rig. Try fishing fresh cut bait around docks in the ICW or along creek mouths when the tide is moving.
By mid May the cobia start to show up around southeast NC; one of my favorites! I forecast that the cobia will be here a little early this season. I look for cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too. When the water is clear it will be easier to see those brown logs in the water. I throw big jigs like (Berkley Fusion 19 bucktails) and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter; but “go bright”! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, pinfish and mullet as bait. Sometimes a great bonus fish when fishing for Cobia is a nice bull Redfish. You can chum if you like, but the sharks and rays will come and they will come in numbers!
With the warmer weather the Flounder will finally start showing up in better numbers, there are still a lot of smaller ones inshore, but the bigger ones will really start showing up in May! Most of the Flounder fishing I’m doing is just off the beach (wrecks/ledges) and around the inlets. I’ve caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits in May, what I have seen is more numbers on live bait, but more keepers on artificial baits. Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs with #one L42 Eagle Claw hooks will catch the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five & six inch sizes will get the most keeper Flounder. I rig these Jerkshad on 1/4oz, 3/8oz (inshore) and 1/2oz, 3/4oz & 1oz (ocean) jig heads with longer hook shanks in red, white or gray color.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & SpinFisher VI Spinning reels 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500 sizes. Rods: PENN Battalion and Allegiance II 7’ Medium class 8 to 15 pound test rods. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound braid. Cobia Reels PENN Fathom 20LW or 25LW casting or Slammer III or SpinFisher VI spinning 5500 or 6500 spinning reels, with a PENN Rampage Jigging rod 50 to 100 pound class. Tackle Bags/storage I use Plano Z series 3700 and 3600 with Plano Rustrictor anti-rust stowaway boxes.
Thanks for reading and good summer fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on May 2nd, 2019
PENN has been around a long time, since 1932 to be exact. In 1963 PENN came out with its first generation of spinning reels the Greenie series, then PENN added the 2nd generation the Z series of reels. A little later, the 3rd generation, SS series, came along and it was not too long after that PENN introduced the 4th generation: SSm & SSg series, then the 5th generation (V). I can tell you I have fished with three of the five series ever made and that they were some great spinning reels. My father and I still have and use some of them today.
So after fifty plus years of great spinning reels PENN is going to blow your mind again! Yes, you guessed it, the Spinfisher VI series of spinning reels! I know; why fix something that’s not broken, it is more like taking what is good and making it great! PENN has really put together one versatile line of spinning reels with the new Spinfisher VI series; lighter and tougher! From the Speckled Trout catching SSVI 2500 size to the SSVI5500 Cobia catching size, to the 7500 Long cast Big Drum surf fishing, to the White Marlin kicking SSV10500, yes that’s right a 10500 size reel with a max drag of fifty (50) pounds! SSVI 2500 to the big Dog SSVI 10500 and every size in between….
You asked what makes this line different from the older Spinfisher series? A lighter design, a lighter weight reel makes those longer days on the water more comfortable. Bigger max drag sittings, bigger fish; smaller reels and not to mention in a lighter reel too. And all reel sizes are IPX5 rated sealed.
Here are some of the other great key features of the new Spinfisher VI series:
• Full metal body
• Sealed HT-100 Carbon fiber drag washers
• Superline Spool-No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline (braid) from slipping
• IPX5 Sealed body and Spool
• Six (6) Shielded stainless steel bearing system
• Line Capacity Rings
• Bail-Less in sizes 4500 and 6500
• Long Cast in sizes 5500, 6500 and 7500.
• Live Liner Feature available on sizes 2500, 4500, 6500 and 8500.
For all sizes and stats: http://www.pennfishing.com/penn-reels-spinning-reels
The PENN Spinfisher VI features IPX5 sealing so whether it gets hit with a wave, or you let it ride in the spray all the way home, you don’t have to worry about saltwater getting in to the gearbox or drag system. The HT-100 drag washers are housed in a fully sealed spool to give the stopping power needed for big saltwater fish. A Full Metal Body and side plate keep the CNC system in precise alignment under heavy loads.
I was honored to be on the test team for these new Spinfisher VI reels and I can truthfully tell you I was impressed with these reels right out of the box. They have a very clean, powerful and traditional, yet a newer PENN look/design to them. The reels are smooth while turning the handle, but still have the power to crank in big fish! I caught loads of keeper Speckled trout on the SSVI 2500, large Flounder and Striped Bass on the SSVI 3500 size. The drag system is super smooth even on the highest drag settings. I put some very high drag pressure on the larger Redfish (Bulls) I caught with the SSVI 4500, Cobia and sharks on the SSVI 6500LL; with that said the drag kept its setting through the length of the fight and stayed smooth
If you enjoyed the Spinfisher series of the past or you’re ready to purchase a reel that will last a long time; take a good look at the new Spinfisher VI series. I believe that this reel is going to turn quite a few heads in the fishing world and you’ll be happy you have them in your arsenal of fishing tackle. I’m personally happy about the 2500 size; now there is a size reel for any Saltwater fishing situation!
Check out PENN’s full line of great Rods, Reels and Accessories at www.PENNreels.com
Thanks for reading and if you have any questions about any PENN products just let me know.
Capt. Jot Owens
http://www.captainjot.com
captainjot@captainjot.com
PENN Let the Battle Begin!
Posted in Product Reviews on July 20th, 2018
Southeast NC in May, it’s when it really gets cranked up! Many different species of fish start to show up and it’s when I feel like summer fishing has really started.
As the weather stabilizes and the temps go up in May we see a lot more days where we can get out in the ocean and look for those high speed, and good eating Bonita in earlier May (even later April this year) and Spanish mackerel all May long. These fish are a lot of fun to see busting the surface of the water and even more fun to see on the end of your line! Casting small spoons or using fly gear in weights six to eight can make for a great challenge on this light tackle. Look for these fish to be hanging around near shore artificial reefs, ledges and inlets. Trolling Clark spoons and small deep driver lures can be the key to success some days for the Bonita and Spanish mackerel. When using the Clark spoons, I would recommend the pink flash spoon in sizes #00, #0 and #1; the pink flash series has really helped me put more fish in the boat. You might come over a few False Albacore and Bluefish mixed in with the Bonita and Spanish from time to time; sometimes too many bluefish are mixed in!
Redfish and May go hand and hand, this month is a favorite for casting artificial lures to them. Reds really start to settle down in their summer spots by early May. Casting Berkley Gulp Shrimp in three inch size on light jig heads is one of my go to baits for May Redfish. My go to colors are sugar spice glow, new penny, Rootbeer gold/chart tail and natural. Another Redfish bait I like is the Berkley Powerbait Pro Shad 3.5” in color Pearl white and Perch Ice. Top water lures to catch Redfish is so much fun; casting top-water plugs like MirrOlure’s Top pup or the new Poppa Mullet. You can also cast popping or rattling corks in these shallow areas with a Berkley Gulp three inch shrimp which will catch the Redfish too. If you would rather go the bait route; try some fresh cut Mullet or Menhaden on a light Carolina rig. Try fishing fresh cut bait around docks in the ICW or along creek mouths when the tide is moving.
By mid May the Cobia start to show up around Wrightsville; one of my favorites! I forecast that the Cobia will be here a little early this season. I look for Cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are also a good place to look too. With the water being so clear it has been easier to see those brown logs in the water. We throw big jigs like (Blue water candy cobia jigs), swim baits and live bait to the Cobia. Color really does not seem to matter; but “go bright”! When I’m not sight casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, blues, pinfish and mullet as bait. Sometimes a great bonus fish when fishing for Cobia is a nice bull Redfish. You can chum if you like, but the sharks and rays will come and they will come in numbers!
With the warmer weather the Flounder will finally start showing up in better numbers, there are still a lot of smaller ones inshore, but the bigger ones will really start showing up in May! Most of the Flounder fishing I’m doing is just off the beach (wrecks/ledges) and around the inlets. I’ve caught Flounder on both live and artificial baits in May, what I have seen is more numbers on live bait, but more keepers on artificial baits. Mud minnows on light Carolina rigs with #one L42 Eagle Claw hooks will catch the numbers of Flounder. Berkley Gulp Jerkshad in five & six inch sizes will get the most keeper Flounder. I rig these Jerkshad on 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz, 3/4oz (ocean) jig heads with longer hook shanks in red or gray color.
Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & Slammer III Spinning reels 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500 sizes. Rods: PENN Battalions 6’6” and 7’ Med-light and Medium rods. Line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in ten and fifth-teen pound. Cobia Reels PENN Fathom 20LW or 25LW casting or Slammer III spinning 5500 or 6500 spinning reels, with a PENN Rampage Jigging rod 50 to 100 pound class. Tackle Bags/storage I prefer; Plano Z series 3700 and 3600. If you prefer a backpack style take a look at the Fishing 3700 Z series Backpack. All of these bags are zipper-less, no broken or stuck zippers anymore!
Thanks for reading and good summer fishing to you!
Capt. Jot Owens
PENN Tackle Elite Staff
www.captainjot.com
910-233-4139
Posted in Fishing Reports on May 7th, 2018
