Looking at getting a new reel and cannot decide if to stick with another abu 6500 or try a Penn 525 mag2. Looked at some older threads and seem to be mixed opinions about the Penns. Just wondering if anyone has made the change and regretted it or happy with the swap. I have the older penn 525 and think its a great reel. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks.
525 or 6500
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Joined
·
1,070 Posts
I had both those reels on my shortlist a few weeks back but I finally opted for an Akios 656CTM instead - so far so good - but they are all great reels.
:fishing1::fish::fishing::drunk:
G
Guest
·got both mate... 525mag2 very easy to use, and very forgiving(generally!) Tend to use these more often than not. but i can get more distance with the 6500 ct. And the 6500 does feel like a quality bit of engineering.
If your competent i'd go with the 6500.. Bit shaky i'd go with the mag2..
Like em both all said and done.
If your competent i'd go with the 6500.. Bit shaky i'd go with the mag2..
Like em both all said and done.
G
Guest
·having got the said reels, i would say it's down to the terrain your going to fish, clean/mixed Akios 656 CTM rougher ground 525, you best of both worlds 515
Joined
·
1,675 Posts
If you want a similar casting reel to the 6500 id go with the 515 mag2 not alot of diff between them just a better retrieve on the 515.
Joined
·
1,149 Posts
515's seem decent and cast well but only tried them for 3 outings so far.
Joined
·
203 Posts
The Penn 515 gets my vote over the 6500 holds more than enough line can be used for distance fishing over clean ground and very good for fast running tides with weed like dungeness and very good all round reel just clean out grease my had a load of blue grease in the bearings when I bought my 515s few years ago relubed with yellow rocket oil that's if there still the same fine them much easier to control with point 35 line and lower than the 525
Joined
·
16,536 Posts
What about the Saltist 20? It's the size of the 6500, holds more line than the 525, has the same retrieve as the 525 but is much better built! spend an extra £30 and get Chris Macey to monomag it! Awsome reels!
I bought the 525 mag2 as my first multiplier, and attempted to learn to cast with it, i stuck with it and after about a year I rarely had a birds nests however every now and then it would bite leaving me wondering why.
A few months back I had a shot of my pals abu 6500 rocket I was instantly impressed, smoother, easier to use, and in my opinion more forgiving than the penn, I bought a rocket that weekend and have been using it since.
Gutted to stick the mag2 in a box as a spare I decided to play about with it, I had already cleaned the bearings and got rid of the blue grease oiling with red rocket fuel when I had bought it, so I had a look at the magnets, I removed 2 of them, if you number them sequentially I removed numbers 1 and 3 leaving two magnets.
I used it this weekend and what a difference, I would say that it is twice the reel, casts better, smoother and a lot less jittery and noisy, full session mags backed of two thirds and no birds nests, a good day fishing.
This is my first post and this info is probably well known so it is aimed at beginners like me, hope it's ok!!
One last thing, now they are both casting well I would rate both reels highly, penn for heavy rocky marks and the abu for lighter sandy marks, this is because I think the penn has stronger gears and drag, cheers!
A few months back I had a shot of my pals abu 6500 rocket I was instantly impressed, smoother, easier to use, and in my opinion more forgiving than the penn, I bought a rocket that weekend and have been using it since.
Gutted to stick the mag2 in a box as a spare I decided to play about with it, I had already cleaned the bearings and got rid of the blue grease oiling with red rocket fuel when I had bought it, so I had a look at the magnets, I removed 2 of them, if you number them sequentially I removed numbers 1 and 3 leaving two magnets.
I used it this weekend and what a difference, I would say that it is twice the reel, casts better, smoother and a lot less jittery and noisy, full session mags backed of two thirds and no birds nests, a good day fishing.
This is my first post and this info is probably well known so it is aimed at beginners like me, hope it's ok!!
One last thing, now they are both casting well I would rate both reels highly, penn for heavy rocky marks and the abu for lighter sandy marks, this is because I think the penn has stronger gears and drag, cheers!
Joined
·
6,975 Posts
If you're winching fish up harbour walls or piers I would go for the Penn (or the Daiwa SLOSH) but for cleanish beaches then the ABU or Daiwa mags
Joined
·
2,844 Posts
If I could only have 1 reel it would be a 525.
Casts pretty good and can handle some abuse on the rougher stuff.
If your priority is distance on clean ground then go for the 6500 or a diawa equivalent as I feel they can cast a little further - although to be honest in fishing terms the difference is negligible.
If you need some guts to your reel then 525 all the way.
Casts pretty good and can handle some abuse on the rougher stuff.
If your priority is distance on clean ground then go for the 6500 or a diawa equivalent as I feel they can cast a little further - although to be honest in fishing terms the difference is negligible.
If you need some guts to your reel then 525 all the way.
Joined
·
15 Posts
I have one Penn Mag xtra and I believe it casts better than my other 2 penn 525.
Do you think that the penn 525 mag 2 is a better distance reel than the xtra?
Do you think that the penn 525 mag 2 is a better distance reel than the xtra?
Joined
·
15 Posts
anybody has both?
Joined
·
17,514 Posts
I'd just go for another Penn 525 - set up right they can cast just as far as any other reel - you wont see much difference over water. The Penn has the advantage that it can be used for just about anything - the 6500 would struggle on rough ground.
I've used 525s for close in bassing no problem at all so just be prepared to have an open mind about what gear you choose for different conditions etc and you'll find sea fishing doesn't need to be as expensive as you think
The amount of people I've seen using the latest super fast reels on piers fishing close in is quite staggering - you could use any reel for that
And there are loads of second hand 525 Mag Xtras on the market so you could probably get both the 6500 and the 525 for the price of a new 525 anyway....
I've used 525s for close in bassing no problem at all so just be prepared to have an open mind about what gear you choose for different conditions etc and you'll find sea fishing doesn't need to be as expensive as you think
The amount of people I've seen using the latest super fast reels on piers fishing close in is quite staggering - you could use any reel for that
And there are loads of second hand 525 Mag Xtras on the market so you could probably get both the 6500 and the 525 for the price of a new 525 anyway....
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
