These seven new, heavy-duty, big-fish spinning reels, introduced at this year’s ICAST show, run the price gamut from less than $100 to $800. Many would be good choices for a growing fraternity of enthusiasts of jigging and popping, though such spinners are also favored in many bait fisheries. One of the ultimate tests for any heavy-duty spinner would be taking on bluefin tuna for anglers throwing big poppers off California, the Carolinas and the Northeast. Some of these spinners are available now; others will be available later this year.
Cinnetic Cinergy Devil 5500
Key Features
Sealed aluminum body and side plates, 8 + 1 stainless ball bearings
Advertisement6 high-resistance drag washers; manufacturer says air-cooled drag system offers 45 pounds of max drag
Weighs 20.5 ounces; 5.7-to-1 gear ratio; holds 275 yards of 12-pound mono
Daiwa Saltiga BJ 3500H
Key Details
13 ball bearings, one-piece frame design
Max drag 22 pounds
Weighs 15.2 ounces; 5.7-to-1 gear ratio; holds 300 yards of 12-pound mono
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Okuma Ceymar 65
Key Features
8 bearings, corrosion-resistant graphite body
CFR Cyclonic Rotor Flow significantly increases air flow through ported spool rotor
AdvertisementWeighs 20.7 ounces; 4.8-to-1 gear ratio; holds 310 yards of 15-pound mono or 375 yards of 30-pound braid
Okuma Makaira 10000
Key Details
10 bearings, Hydro-Sealed aluminum body
Carbonite high-output drag with pre-set system (as with a lever-drag reel)
Weighs 28.2 ounces; 4.8-to-1 gear ratio; holds 340 yards of 15-pound mono or 290 yards of 65-pound braid
Penn Conflict 5000
Key Features:
Penn’s lightest spinner ever with a Rigid Resin RR30 body and rotor
HT-100 carbon fiber drag, Superline Spool
Weighs 14.4 ounces; 5.6-to-1 gear ratio; holds 200 yards of 15-pound mono or 300 yards of 30-pound braid
Penn Slammer III 8500HS
Key Features
New IPX6 Sealed System keeps water out of the gear box; Dura-Drag system
Aluminum body, CNC all-brass gear technology
Weighs 30.8 ounces; 4.7-to-1 gear ratio; holds 310 yards of 30-pound mono or 600 yards of 50-pound mono
Shimano Sustain C5000XG
Key Features
Aluminum Hagane body construction with a cold-forged aluminum drive gear
Magnumlite low-inertia rotor, Cross-Carbon drag
Weighs 10.1 ounces; 6.2-to-1 gear ratio; holds 195 yards of 12-pound mono or 200 yards of 30-pound braid