Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reel Review [2021 Update]
Penn Spinfisher VI reel is a spinning reel with an extremely well-built, full metal body. It is ready to give you the durability that you need to use a spinning reel in saltwater – be it the harshest saltwater or if you mistakenly drop the rod in the sand, nothing is going to happen to the Penn Spinfisher VI spinning reel due to its enclosed body.
The extremely lightweight frame of this reel seals the gears and also the drag system within it. The reel has a complete metal body. Superior gear alignment of the reel can withstand extreme pressure under load and adds additional control while fishing.
- IPX5 Sealed body and spool design
- CNC Gear technology
- HT 100 carbon fiber drag washers
Table of Contents
Quantitative Score
Performance – 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
Durability – 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value for Money – 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall – 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read more about how our scoring system works.
Penn Spinfisher VI Reel Overview
Enjoy Pinpoint Casting
The Penn Spinfisher is a specialist casting reel.
The main reason for his is Penn’s Leveline technology. This gives better oscillation of the line management system giving an even line lay. The better the line lay the less resistance it provides when casting – this gives superior casting distances.
The Spinfisher VI comes with Penn’s unique Instand Anti Reverse. This eliminates rotor backplay which gives instand hook sets.
It also comes with the Live Liner Drag. This was designed for fishing with live bait – just pull the switch back and the front drag disengages and runs off the rear drag.
Waterproof and Corrosion Resistance
One of the main features of the Spinfisher VI is its design to prevent saltwater for corroding the internal gears and ball bearings. This allows it to continue performing for years to come.
This is done through its design and materials of construction. It has an IPX 5 Sealed body and spool design. The ball bearings are sealed stainless steel – this is compared with cheaper models that have ‘shielded only’ ball bearings.
What is IPX5?
IPX5 stands for the International Ingress Protection Rating and the particular test that is has passed. IPX5 means that the reel has been subjected to Water jets at a flow rate of 12.5 L/min at a pressure of 30 kN/m2 for 3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters with no harmful effects.
It also has HT-100 carbon fibre drag washers which are present in only the most recent high-end Penn Spinning Reels.
The full metal body and sideplate also keep the reel aligned and durable even when under high stress from a fleeing fish.
Enjoy The Smooth Drag
The benefit of having a completely sealed body is that you can sustain superior performance for many years to come. This means that the way it feels in the store is the way it will feel in the future – there will not be any significant deteriortion from rust or sand.
Spool Super-Lining To Stop Slippage
The spool is designed with Penn’s Superline Spool, which means that no backing is required. The spool has a rubber gasket backing that keeps superline from slipping.
This makes it easier to apply your line and gives you more line capacity as you don’t need to add a backing line on to your spool first.
Pros
- Full Metal Body with Superline Spool and Line Capacity Rings
- Sealed Stainless Steel Ball Bearings (as opposed to shielded)
- HT100 carbon fibre drag washers
- IPX Sealed body and spool design for improved saltwater corrosion resistance
- Superline Spool eliminates the need for backing
Cons
- There has been some reports of paint chipping and bail arm loosening over time.
Penn Spinfisher VI Specifications
| MODEL NUMBER | SSVI2500 | SSVI3500 | SSVI4500 | SSVI5500 | SSVI6500 | SSVI7500 | SSVI8500 | SSVI9500 | SSVI10500 | SSVI4500BLS | SSVI6500BLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANTI-REVERSE FEATURE | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse | Instant Anti-Reverse |
| BEARING COUNT | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| BRAID CAPACITY YD/LB | 240/10 220/15 160/20 | 310/10 270/15 220/20 | 390/15 320/20 250/30 | 500/20 380/30 335/40 | 485/30 410/40 335/50 | 530/40 440/50 400/65 | 730/40 600/50 555/65 | 730/50 670/65 435/80 | 845/50 780/65 540/80 | 390/15 320/20 250/30 | 485/30 410/40 335/50 |
| BRAKING SYSTEM | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| COLOR | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold | Black Gold |
| DRAG MATERIAL | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 | HT-100 |
| DRAG TYPE | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag | Front Drag |
| GEAR RATIO | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 | 5.6:1 | 4.7:1 | 4.7:1 | 4.2:1 | 4.2:1 | 6.2:1 | 5.6:1 |
| MAX DRAG LB | 15lb | 6.8kg | 15lb | 6.8kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 25lb | 11.3kg | 30lb | 13.6kg | 35lb | 15.8kg | 40lb | 18.1kg | 45lb | 20.4kg | 50lb | 22.6kg | 20lb | 9.0kg | 30lb | 13.6kg |
| MONO CAPACITY M/MM | 235/0.23 160/0.28 130/0.31 | 330/0.23 240/0.28 180/0.31 | 390/0.25 290/0.28 215/0.33 | 390/0.28 300/0.33 210/0.36 | 355/0.33 315/0.36 185/0.38 | 450/0.36 300/0.38 200/0.46 | 415/0.46 280/0.56 240/0.61 | 320/0.56 275/0.61 220/0.71 | 395/0.56 330/0.61 230/0.71 | 390/0.25 290/0.28 215/0.33 | 355/0.33 315/0.36 185/0.38 |
| MONO CAPACITY YD/LB | 255/6 175/8 140/10 | 360/6 285/8 220/10 | 425/8 320/10 235/12 | 430/10 330/12 230/15 | 390/12 345/15 205/20 | 490/15 330/20 220/30 | 455/20 310/30 260/40 | 350/30 300/40 240/50 | 435/30 360/40 255/50 | 425/8 320/10 235/12 | 390/12 345/15 205/20 |
| PRE-SPOOLED YD/LB | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled | Not Pre-Spooled |
| RECOVERY RATE | 33″ | 84cm | 37″ | 94cm | 40″ | 102cm | 39″ | 99cm | 42″ | 107cm | 38″ | 97cm | 42″ | 107cm | 40″ | 102cm | 43″ | 109 cm | 40″ | 102cm | 42″ | 107cm |
| REEL HANDLE POSITION | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left | Right/Left |
| REEL SIZE | 2500 | 3500 | 4500 | 5500 | 6500 | 7500 | 8500 | 9500 | 10500 | 4500 | 6500 |
| REEL SPOOL MATERIAL | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| SPARE SPOOL MATERIAL | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool | No Spare Spool |
| WEIGHT | 10.7 oz | 12.1 oz | 12.5 oz | 18.5 oz | 22.3 oz | 26.5 oz | 28.3 oz | 37.1 oz | 38.6 oz | 12.3 oz | 21.8 oz |
Spinfisher Video Review
For more information have a look at Penn’s official video to see this reel in action:
Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reel
- IPX5 Sealed body and spool design
- CNC Gear technology
- HT 100 carbon fiber drag washers
The Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reel features a Water Tight Design
FAQs About Penn Spinfisher VI
Is the reel heavy?
The reel is on the heavier side if compared to its size, but the weight of the reel is made heavier in order to keep it’s ground firm at big places.
Will I have to configure the reel, as I get it?
No, the reel remains at a preconfigured stage. However, manual comes with the reel for the next time configuration aid.
What is the difference between the Penn Spinfisher V and VI?
The Penn Spinfisher VI has an upgraded IPX5 sealed bearing system so you don’t have to worry about getting any sand or saltwater into the gears. It also has HT100 carbon fiber drag washers which Penn have added to most of their newly released reels. This improved the durability and reduced the risk of corrosion. Over time you will see that this reel maintains its high performance for longer.
The Spinfisher VI also comes in a new 2500 series size option, which is perfect for inshore fishing.
Conclusion
What are the things that you usually look for in a fishing reel? Dragging support, line-laying, casting feature, metal body and of course in the balance and weight of the device – these are the things you need, right? All these are present in the spinfisher to make it one of the significant items in the entire store.
If you are looking for some more info on penn reels then have a look at their official website.
Last update on 2021-07-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
