As a kid I grew up surfing and fishing and didn't really get into spearfishing until right out of high school. Mainly I was dunking and whipping. Although I didn't catch too often I always enjoyed throwing out the lines while hanging out with family and friends. I can clearly remember my first Ugly Stick fishing pole and Penn Fishing Reel. Because it was what I grew up, it's still what I use today.
As I started to learn different techniques such as jigging and plugging I still kept to the ugly stick and Penn Reel combo. Gary introduced me to jigging and the first day I was instantly hooked. I remember catching a Kahala, Bonito & Omilu all within an hour.
After many fishes, screamahs, stuck in the reefs and exposure to the salt and sun eventually your reels will need some extra TLC (tender love & care). I am no pro by any means when it comes to taking apart a reel and inspecting the parts, but I had the time to attempt to give my Penn Battle II 4000 & Penn Spinfisher V 6500 some care. By taking it apart piece by piece I was able to find problems in the reels just by opening it up. The Penn Spinfisher reels have a gasket/o-ring that protects all the inside gearing on the reel that I found broken in my feel and was an easy fix to replace. Watch below:
As for my Penn Battle II 4000, Joe actually landed a beautiful Weke Nono with that reel but had the hardest time fighting the fish. The reel would only crank quarter turns and would feel like it skips then reels again a quarter turn. Luckily enough he was able to land the fish, but after that I did some inspecting to find the problem. Watch below:
As I mentioned earlier, I am no expert when it comes to taking apart a fishing reel and putting it back together. These reels have lasted me 6-8+ years so far and plan to run them till the gears fall off. I am very open to recommendations and tips and look forward to purchasing a Shimano Saragosa to try something new when its time.
Nothing beats the feeling of stoning a fish with a speargun or 3-prong, but I gotta admit the tug is the drug.