When I got home yesterday, there was a small box on the front porch. Forgotten what I had ordered, I was puzzled for a moment. Then, inspecting the shipping label, I was reminded of the reel I pre-ordered a few weeks back—the FIN NOR Offshore 9500 spinnning reel.
I opened the packaging to find a nice black box with gold printing. I was really excited like a little boy in a candy store. This reel was big. Bigger than the Shimano Stella 16000 and the Penn 9500.
My first impression was that this reel can handle big fish. It has a big 2 ½-inch diameter drag washer behind the spool and 3 more drag washers the same size as a US quarter. I spooled this reel with 100 yards of 200# spectra to test how much drag it would generate. I lifted 30# dead weight and have about ¾ turn to total lock down.
I noticed this reel doesn’t have an instant anti-reverse and it comes with only a single anti-reverse pawl. The bail arm feels weaker than the Shimano Stella 16000. And, there is a spool sleeve between the spool and drag washers that is made of plastic. This area is where the most heat is generated, making me question whether the plastic spool sleeve will melt on a tough battle. Only time can tell.
Over all this is a decent alternative to high-dollar spinning reels on the market. At $169 including shipping it’s definitely a bargain compared to the Accurate TS30 at $800, the Shimano Stella 20000FA or PG at $600-800, and theDaiwa Saltiga 6000GT at $500-700.
If you have a tight budget and are looking for a big game spinning reel, this may just be the best bang for your bucks.
Pro
1. $169 price tag
2. Readily available
3. Big drag surface
4. Nice rubber grip
5. Big stainless steel gearing
CON
1. No instant anti reversed
2. Bail arm feel weak
3. Plastic drag knob
4. Plastic spool sleeve
I opened the packaging to find a nice black box with gold printing. I was really excited like a little boy in a candy store. This reel was big. Bigger than the Shimano Stella 16000 and the Penn 9500.
My first impression was that this reel can handle big fish. It has a big 2 ½-inch diameter drag washer behind the spool and 3 more drag washers the same size as a US quarter. I spooled this reel with 100 yards of 200# spectra to test how much drag it would generate. I lifted 30# dead weight and have about ¾ turn to total lock down.
I noticed this reel doesn’t have an instant anti-reverse and it comes with only a single anti-reverse pawl. The bail arm feels weaker than the Shimano Stella 16000. And, there is a spool sleeve between the spool and drag washers that is made of plastic. This area is where the most heat is generated, making me question whether the plastic spool sleeve will melt on a tough battle. Only time can tell.
Over all this is a decent alternative to high-dollar spinning reels on the market. At $169 including shipping it’s definitely a bargain compared to the Accurate TS30 at $800, the Shimano Stella 20000FA or PG at $600-800, and theDaiwa Saltiga 6000GT at $500-700.
If you have a tight budget and are looking for a big game spinning reel, this may just be the best bang for your bucks.
Pro
1. $169 price tag
2. Readily available
3. Big drag surface
4. Nice rubber grip
5. Big stainless steel gearing
CON
1. No instant anti reversed
2. Bail arm feel weak
3. Plastic drag knob
4. Plastic spool sleeve
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