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440 SSG Spinning Reel

20K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  86WHALER 
#1 ·
(from Penn web site)
Spinfisher® SSg GraphiteBased on consumer feedback and popular trends in the Spinning reel market, the Penn Spinfisher® SSg Graphite is a rebirth of the popular graphite bodied Spinfisher® SS Reels.New Features include the following...
* Techno-Balanced™ Rotor
* Leveline™ Spool Wrap System
* Lightweight, Ergonomically contoured frame.
* Stainless Steel Main Shaft
* Five Stainless Steel Ball Bearings plus one Infinite Anti-Reverse Roller Bearing
* Sealed Drag Knob
* Penn Power Drag
* Smoother Drag Performance
* Corrosion-Resistant, Gold- Anodized, Machined handle
* Fail-Free Bail Spring Penn Leveline® wrap system

And if all this wasn’t enough, the new SSg also features a Trip Friction Ramp that prevents premature bail trip
 

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#2 ·
I've only had this reel for a few months and only used it a handful of times. Giving it a med-high rating for now, counting on Penn reputation for quality and longevity to keep me happy for a long, long time. Will revisit this post as I get more experience with it.

Its not the lightest reel I've ever used, not the smoothest reel I've ever used, but definitely solid. Still getting used to the size and feel - all of my prior spinning gear is lightweight/ultralight freshwater.

Showing no signs of stress from its initial shots at salt exposure.

Foot construction is heavy - not sure if that's a result of the graphite construction or just beefy by design. It would not fit in a number of (cheaper!) spinning rod seats that I tried it in. Wound up having to take a rod that it would fit into, which is causing me some consternation now that I've been out with the combo. Kind of a "hidden cost".

Does not have an anti-reverse switch (unless its hiding from me). Only has 1 gear - forward... If you like to backreel, this one isn't for you. If you hate it when you accidentally bump the AR switch and tangle things up, you might love this one.

The fail-free bailspring certainly has not failed. If anything its a little on the strong side for my tastes so far. Like I said, still getting used to my first inshore spinning setup.

I expect it to give me many years of faithful use and earn the '8' rating I've already given it, or even get better with time.

***** Update 1 year later *******
Still a fine, no-maintenance reel. If I was to do it over again, I'd probably go with a 430 size for inshore reds, trout and flounder. Haven't done any surf fishing that would justify a larger reel.

***** Update Sept 2011 ******
Have not been to the salt nearly as much the last couple years. Started using it for striper drifting/trolling in freshwater and occasional bass fishing.

Cooling a bit on this reel's behavior with braid. This reel is pretty bad about allowing the line to loop around the drag dial above the spool, which will catch up to you with nasty tangles if you're not paying attention. The line also catches on the bail wire and doesn't always slide onto the roller guide. Happens much more often than on other (smaller, freshwater) reels. Suspect some of this is from using small diameter braid - wouldn't be nearly as bad with stiffer, larger diameter mono.

Still strong as an ox, still unaffected by salt, storage, age. Dropping my rating to a 7, based on my own usage.
 
#3 ·
I think this reel is a great piece of machinery. It has performed flawlessly on the 7 foot medium action Ugly Stik lite that I have it paired with. I like the graphite body, although some might like the metal body better, the graphite won't suck the heat out of your hands during a colder day of fishing, if you fish during the winter. I casts great, reels in smooth and the drag is one of the best. It's not as smooth as some of the other reels in the price range, but it's not far off from them either, and I honestly think it's made of better components. Anodized handle and spool along with stainless shaft keep it corrosion free. It requires very little maintenance, just a quick rinse and an lube job once a year and you'll be set for years of dependable performance. The only reason I'm not giving this a 10 is because it doesn't have a line keeper on the spool. When I get back from a day of fishing in saltwater I like to cut the lure off, rinse the lure, reel back the remaining line and clip it to the spool. Then as I rinse the reel I also turn the handle to spin the housing to make sure anything that might have gotten in a crevice gets worked out.

The previous reviewer suggested that although he liked the reel he might go with the 430 size instead for inshore. That's fine and a friend of mine thinks the same as him, but I've always fished inshore, light/medium tackle and I think this is the perfect size for inshore. I mean no disrespect Jeff.

If you hook into a good size drum, you want the extra spool capacity this reel has (i.e. 200 yards of 10 pound mono) as opposed to the 430 spool which holds 200 yards of 6 pound mono. Each person has their own preferance, some like a lighter feel and lighter equipment, I prefer a light to medium feel on mine for inshore. The 430 would make an excellent light/ultralight reel though, IMO.
 
#4 ·
These are great reels for the $. I get them new on Ebay and don't pay more than $70. I have 4 young boys and need something durable that doesn't break the $. The ugly stik rods and the Penn ssg reels are and awesome combo for any crew. I have 440ssg for fresh and inter coastal, 550ssg for inlets and near shore and a big ole 950ssg for surf casting. Now don't get me wrong, I have a salty carrot with a US Reel super caster on it, among others, but I'm just waiting for it to snap. I've already had to replace the rotor once on the reel. It all comes down to your needs, usage, and bells whistles your used to. These are some good reels in my humble opinion. Tight lines.
 
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