Penn 555GS

[dustin.brace]

Hey,
Does anyone know anything about the Penn 555GS? I have read the Penn website and the info on mysticparts.com, can anyone offer any more info? I haven't found reviews or anything of that sort. Thanks!


"Edited as per Moderators to correct Scott's Bait & Tackle over to their new store name Mystic Reel Parts / www.mysticparts.com"

[alantani]

not my favorite reel.  personally, i'd recommend a graphite daiwa sealine over the 5 series graphite penns.  the reason is that i have found that the 5 series penn frames tend to torque over time.  i'll bet that is one of the reasons that the line is being discontinued. 

[dustin.brace]

not my favorite reel.  personally, i'd recommend a graphite daiwa sealine over the 5 series graphite penns.  the reason is that i have found that the 5 series penn frames tend to torque over time.  i'll bet that is one of the reasons that the line is being discontinued. 

Ah, thanks for the info. Saw one on eBay.

[dustin.brace]

Alan,
Say that someone happened to put a bid on one and ended up winning. Would you recommend keeping it or just putting it back up on ebay? They (I would hate to reveal this individual) paid $50 for a new one. What do you think, hypothetically, of course?

[alantani]

just fish with it till it dies.

[dustin.brace]

I will let "them" know, thanks! 

[CapeFish]

They have a better drag then the Daiwa Sealine series and are much tougher than the grandwave reels, big problem though is that they swallow line between spool and frame, seriously annoying.

[alantani]

i always change out the drags in the daiwas.  after that, they are great reels!

[dustin.brace]

On an only mildly unrelated note, can anyone recommend a good surf rod to go with my Penn 200 Surfmaster? I have a Shimano Voltaeus that is 7' medium-heavy rated for 20-40lb. I realize that I probably won't be using that heavy of line. I have never surf fished but would love to start. Any recommendations?

[Bryan Young]

What will you be fishing for, line test and weight you would like to throw?  Still bait fishing or plugging?

[dustin.brace]

What will you be fishing for, line test and weight you would like to throw?  Still bait fishing or plugging?

Tough questions for someone that grew up fishing on the Great Lakes and has never surf fished. I suppose a light line for fishing from the beach and maybe something just a bit heavier for fishing from the rocks.

I guess that I will fishing for anything from surf perch to leopard sharks, but that is a wide range of fish... what do you suggest? I am totally new to this.

[Norcal Pescador]

What will you be fishing for, line test and weight you would like to throw?  Still bait fishing or plugging?

Tough questions for someone that grew up fishing on the Great Lakes and has never surf fished. I suppose a light line for fishing from the beach and maybe something just a bit heavier for fishing from the rocks.

I guess that I will fishing for anything from surf perch to leopard sharks, but that is a wide range of fish... what do you suggest? I am totally new to this.

Hey, Dustin -
My brother-in-law surf fishes for leopards [and anything else that will bite] with his 555 off Cardiff Flats with an 11 foot rod but I don't know what his line is. He used a Jigmaster with 17# mono before the 555. And he catches some, too.   
I've used a spinner with 15# mono and 12 foot rod [on the beach] and a Newell 220 with 20# and a 9 foot steelhead/salmon rod [off some rocks] and both worked fine.
Rob

[franky]

If you're using a penn GS555 (just like the jigmaster size reel), I would go with 30 or 40 lb test mainline.  Use a med/stiff surf rod 12 feet or 13 feet long.  Throw a 6 ounce bank lead with a 10/0 or an 11/0 mustad tuna circle hook baited with fresh squid. 

Cast it out there, put the pole in a nice solid sand spike, put a bell on the pole, turn on the ratchet and grab a drink (beer, soda, bottle water, etc.)...   No forget the sand chair now...

[Bryan Young]

Tough questions for someone that grew up fishing on the Great Lakes and has never surf fished. I suppose a light line for fishing from the beach and maybe something just a bit heavier for fishing from the rocks.

I guess that I will fishing for anything from surf perch to leopard sharks, but that is a wide range of fish... what do you suggest? I am totally new to this.

Good question.  Surf perch, corbina,... here in California, I use a spinner with 8# spectra/mono, 6-8' rod (depending on how wet I want to get).  If fishing near rocks, I go up to a 15# leader.  If from sand, 4-8# leader.  I've also used my 4# test, 6' trout set-up, with 2-4# leader for surf perch from the beach with much success.  No not so windy days, I've seen guys us a kokanee reel with 4# main and a nice 8-10' noodle blank that looked like fun.

My surf rigs for anything in the surf or beyond the surf, here in California it's either a high speed spinner or narrow jigmaster size reel with 15-30# spectra/mono and I have a choice from 10' to 16' rods.  For me, it depends in the wind, weight, and how far I need to cast, as well as bait (still) fishing or jigging/popping.  Oh yeah, am I fishing at night or during the day.

Hope this helps. 

FYI:  If you are going out to purchase a rod, my recommendation is to find a rod that you like (model).  Then lay the butt on the ground, rest the tip on the palm of your right hand then place pressure as near to the center of the rod (with an open palm) with your left hand.  The rod should jump (turn) to the spline of the rod.  If the guides don't line up on the top (for a spinner) or bottom (for a conventional), pick another rod until you find one that lines up.  Even for cheaper rods, it will make a difference in the strength of the rod.  Sometimes I've waited until the next several shipment of rods have flowed throughed the store before I found a rod that I liked.

Where are you fishing? 

[dustin.brace]

Bryan,
I am fishing in Oceanside, CA, about 30 miles north of San Diego. Thanks for all the tips. I will be using either the 200 Surfmaster or the 555GS for surf fishing. I will start looking for a rod sometime soon.