Penn Authority Overview (Best Saltwater Reel At iCast 2022)

I got the chance to meet up with Capt. Jot Owens at iCast 2022 to dive deeper into the new Penn Authority Spinning Reel!
This is a new reel in Penn's lineup and is almost a step above the Slammer IV.
Not to mention it won Best Saltwater Reel this year at iCast!!
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This is a kick-it-around reel with a lot of sealing and refinement.
If you want to invest in a product that will last you a long time, then you might want to look further into the Penn Authority.
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[@Saltstrong]

Join the Insider Club and get the Smart Fishing Spots App absolutely FREE: bit.ly/3zrSUuQ

[@tunanorth]

Congratulations again to the PENN product development team. The Authority series just won "Best new saltwater spinning reel" at the EFTTEX Show [European fishing tackle show].

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@duranpillay4221]

I am from South Africa and here we wade onto sandbanks and really test the sealing of these types of reels this will be a game changer at the price point can't wait for it to come here

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing all the way from South Africa!

[@mad_archviz6478]

Bru I'd rather get a Gosa - it has IPX-8 rating, has the pedigree. It is proven and reliable AND is way cheaper. No brainer really. This is marketing hype, even the Slammer will do the same job. I'm a Kayak fisherman and the guys who use the slammers don't even service them and they take a heavy beating.

[@duranpillay4221]

@@mad_archviz6478 I agree I have slammers aswell two to be exact and I haven't issues with them 💪

[@spcneary]

I have several Penns, they all work well, but are heavy and not as smooth as my shimanos. I saltwater fish with non waterproof reels regularly and unless I don't spray then off I have never had an issue. I couldn't see spending that kind of money for extra waterproofing when the hose at the boat ramp can solve the same issue. If I am going to pay that kind of money I want refined and lightweight not tough and waterproof, but that's just my opinion.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks so much for the helpful comment!!

[@InshorePursuitFL]

You must not fish like I do when I surf fish. Simply accidentally putting your reel on wet sand could let sand get inside your reel. Waves splashing under and over your reel and especially if you go a couple of feet into the water to get a farther cast past the first sandbar. A sealed reel is just way more bang for your buck and these penn reels from the spinfisher and up are smooth enough and actually do get smoother as excess grease wears off.

[@tombradymm]

I’d take tough and hard to break over smooth and light any day

[@JeffSmith-eq3kc]

Interesting. I primarily am fishing offshore. Some inshore stuff but mainly 10+ miles out. Reels that don't at least have good sealing last less than a season and sometimes a couple trips offshore. If I am fishing a spinning reel, being super light is not really a consideration. I want something sealed that's an all metal case, spool and rotor that has enough stopping power.

[@jessemarchand6655]

What price point is this coming out as have been watching your videos for about 3 months now I am from mass and everything you guys teach has been helping me land fish consistently and bigger and bigger fish every time Thankyou for the videos

[@tampabayflatsfanatic5118]

$499-$599 starting from the 1500 up to the 10500 high speed options available also

[@jessemarchand6655]

Thankyou

[@Saltstrong]

Sure thing! Thanks for watching!

[@eves08109]

The only thing left that would have made this reel better would have been it was made in the US other than that this reel looks like the complete package!

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@89PWRRAM]

Has a supported pinion......kind of like my 14bolt f/f under my GMC. But really though. I'm now going to buy this for my surf fishing off of Galveston Island. I have a Fathom 300 high speed low profile reel running 40lb braid I was throwing popping corks in the surf on a medium action rod. Reel was splashed on...yes. Also was lightly freshwater hosed off right after getting to the house from fishing. Well. One morning out fishing I noticed my drag started sticking and all that. I could not pull the line out by hand. Pulled it apart and my metal drag washers had all sorts of surface rust on them which of course contaminated my H100 washers, causing the sticking. I would have thought that Penn would have at least used stainless steel metal drag washers. $90 later at a shop. I replaced the washers and metals and lightly Cal greased them. I was under the assumption a $300 bait caster was sealed up a little better then mine was.

[@marcoandolinitv335]

Can you ship in the Philippines?

[@The_Reel_Tech]

I can tell you first hand that no other group of anglers will test this reels abilities like the South African Rock and Surf Anglers. I maintained reels professionally for many of the top League and National Anglers and by far the biggest contributor to my "Reel Graveyard" was Penn. This was because of the "just hose it down" mentality. She may look clean on the outside but let me show you the chaos inside and you will then appreciate ALL the water resistance they can offer. That said, one of the biggest issues we had with the Slammer series was the lack of a bearing at the bottom of the pinion and with that now addressed it will hopefully be one less failure point. The bottom pinion standoff/mount was also poorly designed and hopefully beefed up with the inclusion of the bearing. The price point may be a little high for the majority of our recreational anglers. Many of the league guys fishing Shimano Stella might have a Penn alternative to look at now but you will have a hard time convincing them. The Brand Ambassadors will certainly be doing plenty hard hours and only time will tell. I can't wait to get hands on with one of them and see how it stacks up in reality. Being in Atlanta now, it may be a long time before I will get to service one of these. From what I can see so far it may fall nicely between my Penn Torque II 7500S and the Slammer 4.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@kamadowoah4584]

I just got the 2500 and they included a penn slammer rod for free. Very nice combo

[@Saltstrong]

Very nice!

[@nolefanx07]

I wonder if this reel will be a regularly updated model like the slammers , spinfishers and battles etc. every other year or if this is release deal.

[@Saltstrong]

Stay tuned!

[@gungadinn]

Hobbing gears isn't an issue for a machine shop. A hobbed gear is stronger than an investment casting. The only thing that should have occurred is a surface treatment like titanium nitride. I have a full compliment (2 or 3 of each) of Penn spinning reels from the 5500SS through the 9500SS reels. They're pretty much bullet proof. I'm accustomed to washing down my equipment with soapy water, then fresh water at the end of the day. Where I have issue is Penn commands a premium for this reel, but they're paying a low cost foreign labor. I was a hold out with buying American, but when Penn was sold and resold they cheapened up their products to the point where they're more interested in price than quality. Why purchase a Penn when a Bass Pro reel will do the same thing for 1/3 of the price. Make this reel in Philadelphia, and I'll purchase at the $500-600 price. Made in PRC, I'll pass. These reels are in the same price range as the International VI off shore reels, well at least the smaller sized reels.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing!

[@manthos-markakis]

I am fishing with daiwa reels and they are more smoother than Penn authority why?, I don't know, even that it has 13 bearings. does anybody know why ? thanks

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you for your question! We have a massive library of fishing tips on our website along with a search feature to let you quickly filter down to find help you're looking for, so just go to www.saltstrong.com/ and use the Search feature in the top menu.

[@TheBABAproductions]

I am not seeing the overall value and $200+ price difference over the Slammer DX. Love Penn reels, but the price point for not much more reel manufactured in China isn't moving the needle. Do you plan on testing it out and telling us your honest thoughts about it, Salt Strong?

[@Saltstrong]

Great question! Make sure to ask this over in the Community (www.saltstrong.com/) where the coaches spend their time

[@l.m.1454]

What size do you recommend for surf fishing targeting big reds and possibly small sharks?

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you for your question! We have a massive library of fishing tips on our website along with a search feature to let you quickly filter down to find help you're looking for, so just go to www.saltstrong.com/ and use the Search feature in the top menu. Note: If you don't see the exact answer you're looking for, just leave a comment in the post that most closely matches up with your search and one of our coaches will respond to your question... our coaches only make time to answer questions that get submitted to our website.

[@jamescohen7878]

Imma be blunt with you man probably a 4500 that’s my opinion for me and I use mine for surf

[@paulhuval]

Thanks for sharing this i have the slammers 3 and like them. One day will have to try one of these but boy i would cry if i dropped it overboard lol

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrisa9035]

Slammer dx 4 is dope

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@lucasmaximus4984]

These come with a 10 year warranty. No issue of this being made in China. I get two of these for the price of one Stella. Just ordered the 2500 :)

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jtoker9758]

Not sure if this is worth it compared to the slammer 4. I want the slammer 4 2500, but wish it had the dura drag.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@kongxiong6005]

Make it in Japan and I'm sold.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@joeg.3228]

Can anyone tell me how I find out the year of a Penn Delmar 285. Been in my family for a very long time. Box looks old

[@Saltstrong]

We would recommend a trusted tackle shop or reaching out directly to Penn.

[@ShorrockPaul]

what material is that black painted gear on the stainless steel main gear

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you for your question! We have a massive library of fishing tips on our website along with a search feature to let you quickly filter down to find help you're looking for, so just go to www.saltstrong.com/ and use the Search feature in the top menu. Note: If you don't see the exact answer you're looking for, just leave a comment in the post that most closely matches up with your search and one of our coaches will respond to your question... our coaches only make time to answer questions that get submitted to our website.

[@floridaman727]

So many other reels at this price point I’d buy. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a penn

[@streetfighter398]

Especially for being made in china

[@floridaman727]

@@spangenbob there are just such better reels out there. PENN is going to need to prove to me that this is worth money through independent reviews that I trust. I would never consider spending this on a penny. Especially for what I can get from daiwa or shimano

[@pokemaster1234567899]

@@spangenbob what shimano reel do you have?

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for your feedback!

[@JeffSmith-eq3kc]

@@floridaman727 Not sure I agree with that as it really depends on what you're using it for. A Twin Power for example is in the same range and if I'm throwing poppers or jigging all day I'd prefer a Twin Power. At the same time, the Twin Power isn't the best reel for dropping baits for bigger grouper, AJ's, big Snapper etc. I had the reel seat on my Twin Power completely explode on me on what I believe was a good black grouper and I'm not the only one. If you want more of a winch, I'll take Penn over Daiwa and Shimano all day. If you want to fish luxuriously, use lighter drag and make 1,000 casts a day, I'd choose the Shimano. If you look just at the materials they use the Penn wins basically across the board. Body, rotor, spool, gears, all Penn. Personally, I think the best spinning reel I've ever owned is the Saltiga but it's double the price so that's a tough comparison to make.

[@fieshyfish]

Not sure why people keep comparing these to the van stalls and other super sealed spinners. This reel was designed to compete with the stellas and saltigas. They just wanted it to be as sealed as possible while maintaining refinement. Not sure what i think about these yet but just trying to clarify.

[@aaronhiggs]

It’s not even close to those though.

[@fieshyfish]

@@aaronhiggs like i said i dont know how they are going to last but thats what they designed it to compete with. The potential issue i can think lf is the stainless gearing that they boast, stainless gears take a huge toll on the CNC machining peices and being made in china is makes me question the average quality control of each reel. We will see how they hold up though as the fathom series of reels with CNC gears have been one of the best. We will see over time how they are. A $500 stella or saltiga does sound attractive.

[@eves08109]

Well I don't think it will make a difference with the CNC gearing being made in China. There's always that chance of having a defect with anything but considering you'll be looking to spend up near $1000 to get a reel made in Japan $500 for the Authority might be worth it if it turns out to be a great reel. The Okuma Makaira for example is made in Taiwan which is most likely the same kind of labor as China and that reel is $860. So the Authority may be well worth it at $569.

[@fieshyfish]

@@eves08109 the okuma manufacturing facility is known to be state of the art with a bunch of the latest machining tech. We have no idea where the authority is being manufactured. Lets just hope the quality control is on par with their other china made reels. Time will tell us if its truly the beast of a reel they claim it is.

[@eves08109]

Well we know it will be made in China but in regards to my experience with that I haven't had any problems with defects so far but my point for bringing up Okuma is they have had their problems with their high end reel Makaira with defects so you have to wonder if they have similar labor as China?

[@adamm6414]

That price is gonna be a deal breaker for me..Ouch!!!

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@ToanNguyen-rx7ze]

How big is 6500, is fix for 13ft rod?

[@Saltstrong]

That would be a good fit, you can even go larger depending on the reel. Remember, most companies do not follow the same scale so make sure it is lightweight and balanced

[@MrCliftonLaird]

I have 2 Shimano 6500 bait runners and they failed after years of abuse due to salt getting in. Just got the 8500 IPX8 (high hopes it will outlast me)

[@Saltstrong]

Make sure you rinse them after every trip, and that can help

[@chickendlablo6502]

Rough price point in today’s market conditions - And with supply chains and manufacturing still reeling (Dad joke) from Covid how will THAT affect tricky machining tolerances; specs and availability?

[@Saltstrong]

Great question! Make sure to ask this over in the Community (www.saltstrong.com/) where the coaches spend their time.

[@fitzroyst.bernard4823]

I like to the prise on these reels

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@user-je1zt1ml3o]

Shimano Daiwa 💪

[@maasai-]

I can’t stop woundering about penn reel designe dept.Eng. always short in this aspect along with QC n refinement. With such high quality materials they should’ve been far in the comptitions along with best out there ie shimano n daiwa.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing!

[@chunkyfather29]

Landed 491 lbs bluefin after 51 minute fight. Reel is a powerhouse. Way more power under heavy load. Definitely better than stella 30000k. Stronger and less expensive

[@Saltstrong]

Nice job!

[@ShorrockPaul]

which reel ?

[@chunkyfather29]

10500 authority ​@@ShorrockPaul

[@ShorrockPaul]

So Penn Authority better than Shimano Stella SW ?

[@chunkyfather29]

@@ShorrockPaul 💯 %

[@13erner]

20% off salt strong soon?

[@Saltstrong]

We hope to have them soon!

[@MarcusCarltonMay]

Just buy a Van Staal VR series for the same price. The same company makes both.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the comment.

[@fieshyfish]

You realize they are made for completely different purposes? The van stalls are made for uncompromised dunking. The authority is made to be as smooth as possible while maintaining sealing to compete with the stella and saltiga.

[@MarcusCarltonMay]

@@fieshyfish Nice comment history.

[@fieshyfish]

@@MarcusCarltonMay pardon?

[@rexbanner7719]

@@fieshyfish It would never compete with a Stella or Saltiga, not even in the same price point. It's going to be up against 2 of the best reels on the market for the money, Certate SW and Twinpower. Certate and TP arent arent as protected against water and debris intrusion, but both Certate and TP are have enough water resistance to be used on a yak, boat or beach as long as they arent dunked. I think Certate and TP are at least IPX5 and I've heard 6 but idk for sure. While I'm sure the Authority is smooth it's going to be Penn smooth not Daiwa or Shimano smooth. Authority isn't on the level of the VR or SaltX as far as waterproofing goes and they are at similar price points. Penn has said that Authority cannot run underwater while the VR and even Salt X can. I would have rather seen Penn upgrade the Torque 2. It really just looks like Penn took a Slammer frame, upgraded the sealing and used SS main and pinion. I know a couple guys who dunk their slammers without thinking twice and dont tear them down afterward but they still run fine. If the ipx6 is good enough then the only advantage is the SS which is available in the slammer DX for at least 200$ less then Authority. I live about 40 mins from Penns HQ in philly and I like their reels so I wish them the best.

[@gabrielduarte3904]

it baffles me how they can award a reel, for whatever application, as "best x reel" without even fishing it or testing it in any shape or form.. i mean, in paper, many reels may sound great, but when the rubber hits the road, is when you find out if the claims are true or not, and that only comes from fishing the reel day in and day out for a while

[@eves08109]

Yes I agree but if they are basing this on the success of the Slammers I can understand.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@gabrielduarte3904]

@@Saltstrong its not on you, its on the fishing industry/trade show. you are just reporting, you did not gave away the award..

[@johnsurf509]

How much??

[@Saltstrong]

We unfortunately do not have them for sale on our tackle shop, we would recommend searching Google or Penn directly for more info!

[@jeepxj4bt]

Okuma has stainless steel gear and pinion

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jalaludinibrahim8381]

Cannot fight with shimano and daiwa reel.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@geoeconomics5629]

Reel for offshore use

[@Saltstrong]

Thank you for watching!! If you would like to find more tips and tactics, we have a massive library on our website along with a search feature to let you quickly filter down to find help you're looking for, so just go to www.saltstrong.com/ and use the Search feature in the top menu. Note: If you don't see the exact answer you're looking for, just leave a comment in the post that most closely matches up with your search and one of our coaches will respond to your question... our coaches only make time to answer questions that get submitted to our website.

[@paulmoss7940]

5 to 6 hundred is a deal breaker.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@tracereed7457]

Penn is farrrr behind Shimano and daiwa. I made the mistake of buying a slammer 4 and it’s already giving me issues. My BG is a fat better reel for half the price

[@fieshyfish]

What sorts of issues?

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@tracereed7457]

@@fieshyfish I was reeling in a 30ish in black drum and I kept hearing rattling noises. Turns out the part that holds the spool to the body (I don’t know much about the internals) snapped completely in half. I have pictures and videos to prove it. I contacted Penn and they said they will replace it but it’ll be around 3-6 months before they get me a new one. Not very happy at all

[@tracereed7457]

I completely trashed 3 spinfishers after they released the spinfisher vi. Just moderate surf fishing. Nothing crazy. My BG, spheros, and saragosa have had 0 issues with way more abuse

[@bigsea1306]

I love Penn reels I live at the coast, but would never pay that price being built in China

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@NoBrakes23]

It sounds like an awesome reel, but I can't get over the fact that it looks like a knock-off amazon brand's imitation of a Daiwa.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@DanZiegner-ln3fl]

Man, that is a fantastic reel, too bad that I won't buy it. Made in the USA for me.

[@Saltstrong]

Sounds good!

[@rudeman1914]

Avet makes stainless steel gear.

[@fieshyfish]

So do fathoms 😂 this is a spinning reel not a conventional.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@tunanorth]

Avet does not make spinning reels.

[@dougbeale4847]

The reels don't make him smile so can't be that good....haha

[@Saltstrong]

H aha - It is serious business!

[@michaeltca3103]

Nice! -- QUESTION -- What exactly does 2500 or 3500 measure on a real. Please be specific. Is it a width? Is it a length? What does that number mean specifically.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the question. Please check out the full blog on our website and post your question there. That way, Justin can respond directly back to you with his feedback. You can find it here: www.saltstrong.com/articles/penn-authority-overview/

[@michaeltca3103]

@@Saltstrong ..why not simply give the answer here? Isn't that easier for everyone since you posted the video here? I don't understand this.

[@tunanorth]

It does not mean anything specific. About 30 years ago, all of the major reel companies got together, and agreed on a "standardized" consecutive sizing system, starting with an arbitrary size at 1000, and moving up consecutively. It didn't take long, but the various companies started moving to their own size system, so the numbers are now only meaningful within a given manufacturer's lineup.

[@Tight--LiNeZ]

The spool cosmetics & construction are a real let down in person. Doesn't feel, look or seems made any better made than a Battle III's spool construction (apart from the drag mechanism & clicker obviously), sadly. I have handled it & it's nice, but not at that price point. It won't compete with a Shimano Twinpower or Daiwa Certate, unless the sealing is super important for your kind of fishing, and then you'd just buy a Van Staal or ZeeBass, which are even more made for that style fishing, at that price point. I was hoping for a new American made Penn Torque 3, and pray this isn't going to be a Chinese made replacement for a Torque 3. It does not feel like a $1000 reel at all like they said. A tad up from the Slammer 3 & 4, but not as different as the price point suggests. A nice product, but over priced...

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@valentinmalinin]

When you don't know how to save weight and you have to drill drive gear... 500$ for Penn spinning reel is just as funny as 500$ for Lew's baitcaster. Get your self a Saragosa or a Saltist...

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@jayzhou104]

Throw this in the trash and buy a twin power or saltist mq and save $200 and still better 😂

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching

[@comfortablynumb9342]

I love Penn reels, but I can't spend over $500 for a spinning reel.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@eves08109]

You probably don't even need to.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

@@eves08109 right, the cheaper ones work just fine. My old 430SS lasted 25 years before it was stolen, and it caught lots of snook, a cobia, and lots of other fish.

[@eves08109]

Exactly, this is an upgrade for a certain kind of fishing. If you truly only need a Spin Fisher or Battle or even a Fierce or even a Pursuit you definitely don't need to spend this kind of money for that kind of fishing.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

@@eves08109 I'm pretty sure my $64 Penn will last a long time, probably decades.

[@Distantttt]

i like penn but man….i personally think this is doomed to fail

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for watching!

[@eves08109]

This is just an upgrade for certain anglers

[@reeltomeal]

Nothing comes close

[@Saltstrong]

Great reel!

[@reeltomeal]

@@Saltstrong yep they're really hard to fault

[@1FishinAddict]

Lol Stella wannabes. Simply a slick paint job and stainless gearings aren’t anything new. Blah.

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for your feedback.

[@xiaoxiaoreed8012]

A disappointing review by saltstrong, just sounded like a sales pitch.

[@Saltstrong]

We are sorry you feel that way. Our goal is to provide up to date info on products. Email us at [e-mail] if we can help answer any questions.

[@THEBLACKANARCHIST]

Over priced but not quality

[@Saltstrong]

Thanks for the feedback!