| Penn’s LiveLiner 760L: Freespooling Spinner
The biggest problem with spinning reels: the inability to freespool. Shimano answered that problem with their Bait Runner and Penn took a slightly different tact with their LiveLiner. Just one problem: the LiveLiner 560L was a relatively small reel, with a 240-yard line capacity of 15-pound test. Now, however, you can go after bigger game with the 760L LiveLiner. This is the heavy artillery of the spinning reel world, with a 300-yard capacity of 20-pound test. Load up with braid, and you’ll get 500 yards onto the spool.
You want to live bait for big fish, but you demand the ability to cast a spinning rig, as well? This one’s just the ticket. When you’re ready to live bait, there’s a rocker switch on the back of the reel you click down. That engages the freespool function, which can be tightened or loosened via a rear drag knob. The LiveLiner is unlike other spinning reels with a freespool function in that it doesn’t automatically engage the reel when you pick it up and turn the crank. This allows you to take up slack line without disengaging the freespool function, which is a great asset—just don’t forget to click the button before you try to cross Bubba’s eyes with a hook-set.
The 760L is a chunky rig, with an all metal body, aluminum spool, and five stainless-steel ball bearings. That’s because it’s based on the Slammer series reels, which are built to take serious saltwater abuse. The down-side is weight; the 760L comes in at a whopping 28-ounces. Hey—you want to shoot artillery rounds, you need a big gun. Big doesn’t have to mean slow, though. The 760L has a 4.7:1 gear ratio, so you can whoop big fish fast. And the full-length stainless-steel shaft should hold up for years. In fact, the longevity of the 760L will probably be measured by decades, not years—unusual in a marketplace where the tendency is to build disposable “units.” Other features include infinite anti-reverse, a balanced rotor for wobble-free retrieves, a stainless-steel bail and bail roller with ball bearing, and Penn’s HT-100 drag material.
Price: A hair under $200
The Highs: Freespool in a cannon-sized spinning reel. Hearty construction.
The Lows: Try a hook-set without manually clicking the rocker, and you’ll cause a bird’s nest. It’s on the heavy side.
Who Wants It: Serious live-baiters after beefy fish like trophy-sized stripers, or chopper blues. It would also be a good reel for live-baiting Florida sailfish.
Contact: www.pennreels.com |
