After five years of only saltwater fishing here is what I’ve learned about my tackle. I recently did a complete overhaul on all my rods and reels. Ranked from best to worst are the Penn Spinfisher V SSV4500, the Shimano Sahara 4000, the Shimano Sonora 4000f, and Plueger President 6935X.
Penn Spinfisher V 4500 Long Term Test
Fishing Tackle Long Term Review
The Penn Spinfisher is the newest reel. It has seals around the drag and the main body. It has shown no wear at all. The internal Penn grease was still intact. I removed all the gears and found no detectable wear.
Shimano Sonora
Shimano Sahara
I’ve owned the Shimano Sahara 4000 and the Shimano Sonora 4000f since 2003 or 2004. Both have been used in freshwater until 2013 when I moved to Amelia Island. Neither has been opened and cleaned since they were new. I know that I should be cleaning them more often than every 14 years but it has been a good test to share with you. One of the reels was dunked in the Ft. George River for about 10 minutes in December 2017. It took me till May of 2018 to clean it. To my surprise, it looked great. Both Shimanos were in great shape. They are around 14 years old and still look new on the inside. Neither has any seals, they just fit together well.