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| Anyone using the Penn 975 "I think" Looking for a new reel and may give a Penn a try . Any thoughts.... sure appreciated. I am looking for something that will last a little while LOL !
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Posts: 8772
| I've got three seasons on mine, and about the only thing that's happened recently is that the spool release sticks once about every 50 casts. That started after three days straight fishing in a downpour, though, so that could be solved by a cleaning and a bit of oil I suspect. Three seasons, and still going strong. That's more than I can say for a lot of other reels I've owned, and some expensive ones to boot. The 975 isn't cheap, but I'd buy another one. Which is also more than I can say for a lot of the reels I have owned! |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I have 3..for a reason...they are a great reel but they do break..just like any reel...1 on the rod, one in backup position and one at Penn for service is usually where they are...but this year I don't know if I've broken one....yet... ; )
I was using them 6 yrs ago w/ the 965 first..then the 975...the older pre china ones were better imo.. |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I also run a few of them, and like Brad, really like them, but know there are fail points as on any reel, so you might want to have a back-up or at least some backup parts. Again, I love mine and they last longer between major outages than my Lunas, far longer than my Calcuttas, and about equal to my ABU's in regards to maintenance=very good. |
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Posts: 1270
| Brad, the 965 and 975 were never made in China. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I've been told the parts are now coming from China and they are assembled in PA...I could be wrong...just seemed like my first 975 of about 5 or 6 yrs ago was better built...? |
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | Berkley/ Pure Fishing owns Penn so good chance they are made in China. Never tried one yet, so far my Shimanos, Revo and Induron are holding up great. Some are 3-5 years and older and I do nothing to them. If I find a Penn in the bargin bin at FFO I'll give it a try. |
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Posts: 1270
| Sone Penn reels are made in China but all the Internationals, including the 965 and 975, are made in Philly. |
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| Made in Philly with Chinese parts I assume?
Were the older ones made with Chinese parts? |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | So far so good with my 975 but like what was said above all reels break. My 965 has a broken levelwind and my 955 has a broken reel seat. They also do not work in freezing temps, the drags slip to the point you can't reel I really abused the smaller two reels and have outlasted any other reels I have owned. |
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Posts: 1270
| No made in Philly with Philly made parts! |
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Posts: 216
Location: Belleville, WI | Philly made parts that were made in China though, right? |
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Posts: 1270
| I thought that "made in Philly with Philly made parts" was pretty clear. Not Philly made parts that were made in China, which makes absalutly no sense at all. |
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Posts: 8772
| I'd be VERY surprised if there wasn't some part of that reel that wasn't built, stamped, cut, drilled, pressed, painted, assembled, fabricated, engineered, or designed in China... |
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Posts: 1270
| addict, maybe so, I have not looked into every single screw and piece on it but I do know that there is enough of it made in the USA (maybe all of it, maybe 98% of it, who knows) to be able to be call "Made in the USA" If things like that matter to you it is the only musky reel that I am aware of that can say that. |
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Posts: 8772
| I try to buy American made products when posible, but I have to say that I don't care what Penn is doing or where or how. They are doing it right in my opinion, and I just hope they keep right on doing it. That ugly gold color though? 
Yeah, what can I say -- I'm a nerd, I like my reels to look good with the rod they are on... |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | I`ve been thinking of buying a 965 instead of another luna,I love my 975 and it`s held up well.I`m just wondering if the 965 is built as good as the 975,also if the 965 is a smooth reeling reel like the luna. |
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Posts: 84
| Penn 975= M1 Abrams |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | Shimano Trinidad 16 = whatever blows up the M1-Abrams  |
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Posts: 1270
| No doubt that a Trinidad is a good and solid reel but we are talking two completely different animals here. The Trinidad is a monster of a reel with no level wind. No offense because I know a lot of people like them but if I had to use a reel that big, with no level wind, and I had to flip the lever back into position to retrieve my bait for musky I would switch to fishing for bluegills! That's not a knock on the Trinidad, just that I don't like using that big of a reel without certain features on it. |
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Posts: 540
Location: MN | On offense taken just thought I'd have some fun. My trolling motor is busted. |
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| Thanks for all of the input guys. I think I may pic one up before too long ! |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | The Penn 975 is 17oz, 4.5:1 gears = 20" line pickup, so this reel is only good for slow rolling DCG10-13 at night, I would look at a TORO 60 it weights only 10.8oz comes in 6.4:1 - 31" line pickup, 5.4:1 - 26" line pickup and 4.7:1 - 23" line pickup gears, also the TORO comes with a std handle and a power handle, you can palm this reel all day long. |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | I can break the surface with double tens with my 975. |
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Posts: 2258
Location: SE, WI. | I love the penn 975. I also can bulge DCG's fine. I also like the lower gear ratio.They are alittle large for palming reel and also do not like the positioning of the clicker switch. It digs into my hand...But otherwise I would buy another!!! |
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Posts: 921
Location: Apollo, PA | i have been a Penn fan for many years. love their drags and reliability. I just wish they made that reel in a left handed version. Wanted to try a Toro, but have read about some problems here and will wait till they get all the bugs out. Curados for me for now. |
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Posts: 20212
Location: oswego, il | I palm my reels a little differently than most people. I do not cup the sideplate but cup my hand more on the bottom of the reel and not much of my hand is on the sideplate at all. I find it to be more comfortable and my hand does not get sore stretching it over the sideplate all day. Only downfall is that every once in a great while(not very often at all) your index finger will find it's way to the level wind and will smash it and you just want to take a screwdriver to your eyesocket, but other than that, it has worked well for me.
I am left handed but I am lucky. I write, shoot and cast left handed. Pretty much everything else I do right handed, including reel. It's a perfect combo for baitcasting but when I use my spinning rod for precise casting it's a bit of a fire drill switching hands and reeling. Never got used to reeling the spinning reel left handed. |
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| jdsplasher
I know exavctly what you mean about the placement of the clicker switch; here is a fix that worked for me.
I called Penn and found out that the switch is solid not hollow.
I used a little yellow hook sharpener to file the switch down so it was curved and was almost level with the curved metal sideplate/frame.
Since I use it only for casting, I seldom use the clicker and when I need to use it, I just use my thumbnail to move it.
Worked for me. |
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Posts: 2258
Location: SE, WI. | Thanks for the tip buddy!!! |
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