Love this real, have 20 pound test on and it’s paired with a 9 ft. medium heavy Uglystik GX2. Such a well balanced combo. Can sling even the smallest bait across the river. Mostly used for catfish, carp, and whatever else decides to take my bait. Handles big fish very well. The retrieval rate is pretty impressive.

This is my favorite rod for summer flounder (fluke) here in New Jersey. It's very comfortable and light. And the action is perfect for feeling a bite. Also love this rod for cast jigging bluefish and stripers. Loads up a 2oz jig perfectly for a long cast.

This feedback is based on initial assessments as a true review could take months of use. I just got mine last week. But I want to share some info I think is important. It is well built; it is smooth; and it does have a lot of drag. That said, like most things, it isn't perfect. First off, the elephant in the room...yes, it is the current 7+1 version. Penn stated in a forum post on Stripers Online website that all reels made starting September 2017 were made with the line roller bearing. As you will see from the photo (L18) that mine was manufactured in December 2018, and it IS the 7+1 model. I first purchased one from my local shop and returned it when I found out it was the older model. FYI, the sticker with the code is on the reel after you take off the spool. Pros: 1. Well built, including all machined brass gearing 2. Well sealed - IPX6 rated. I actually like that there is a 3rd party verification and rating system used here. I am not a fan of Shimano's "X" ratings and "Core" ratings. It's just marketing names. 3. Smooth drag; I admit I haven't used it in full practice yet, so take that with a grain of salt 4. Smooth action; it is smooth, but not as good when put next to Daiwa. Those are ridiculously smooth. The Slammer feels very slighly geary next to those. But not enough to complain about it. Cons: 1. Minimum drag - same complaint as everyone else; you can remove the drag cap and still not go very low. It's odd. I will say this one I have from pennoutlet.com is better than the 2 year old one I initially purchased from my local shop. Drag feels a little lighter. In practice it will likely be fine matched up with the 20 lb braid I'm currently running. According to Tackle Advisors, the minimum he experience was about 1-2 lbs. It feels close to that, but didn't bother to measure. Value: Well, value is subjective and personal. I will say I think the jump from the Spinfisher VI to this is appropriate. You primarily gain 2 extra bearings, a brass main gear and what I feel is a better handle. If you don't care about the little extra smoothness from more bearings, and the handle isn't important to you, the Spinfisher VI is better deal, especially at 6500 and above (where the main gear becomes brass like the Slammer). According to Tackle Advisors, the sealing in the VI (not the live liner models) is the same as the Slammer. In that case, you nearly get a Slammer for 2/3rds the price. For me, I noticed the extra smoothness of the extra bearings, and I like the handle so much better that I was going to put the Slammer handle on the Spinfisher VI anyway. Even with the current cost (as of today) of the Spinfisher VI 4500 at $142 and the cost of the Slammer handle at $65 on Ebay, that's $207. That's better than the $250 of the Slammer III 4500...except I got the Slammer III 4500 for $187 on pennoutlet.com. Soooo, that's a no brainer for me. I think I got a good version of a good reel. I think will work perfectly for my inshore Florida needs. And I believe at $187, it is a great value.