# 525MAG too tough?



## MeanJean (Feb 2, 2005)

I had something happen today I didn't think could happen. A salesman tried to talk me out of buying a 525. His reasoning was that he feels casting reels will only frustrate people that don't use them daily (His idea of daily is basically every week). Last year I started using a caster for largemout bass but that little thing fits in the palm of my hand. I don't expect to buy a 525MAG, run down the beach and heave one like superman but I would hope with practice I could eventually be somewhat efficient. Lead-in to my question - How long did it take you guys to learn to cast without blowing up and do you have suggestions for practicing? Also let me know if you agree with the salesmans thinking of 'Baitcasting reels are only effective for practically everyday fisherman'?

Any thoughts are appreciated.


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## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

> 'Baitcasting reels are only effective for practically everyday fisherman'


Pfffftttttttt!!!!!
sounds like somebody was trying to sell ya something ...
the 525 mag takes some getting used to , but if ya put the HO upgrade in it it really cuts down on the 'professiolal overruns' .
i've had mine longer than i can remember , but it still gets the better of me on occasion  . matter of fact all my conventionals do  ...
if ya want it but it ; sounds like you were dealing with an elitist fisherman ...... if ya don't fish every day , i guess you can't fish at all in his eyes  
derf


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## pumpkinboy (Jul 18, 2005)

it didn't take long to become ok with my first, a slosh 30, once I was told to install the brakes.  

Then it is just pratice and have fun.


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## Custer (Jun 14, 2001)

wonder what kinda markup he had on spinnin gear...


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

hey that guy was full of crap


i find conventions much easier to use than a baitcaster(bass reel)

they are NOWHERE near as fast...


on your next trip somehwere use a 525 or diawa and within that week you should be fine. it took me about 3 days of hard fishing to really get ok with my first diawa. but yes, you will afro your reel on occaision no matter how good ya get. they are not hard, go ahead and jump on the boat, and tell the guy at the shop that your not a griswald and you want a damn 525


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*I remember my first conventional..*

A squider..  I had to wrestle with that thing for at least 3 wks before I could make that heavy metal spool stop backlashing.  

The equipment available today,mag 525,penn international,diawas 30 or 20,or the abu,you should have no problem whatsoever.. That guy be full of himself,maybe a "legend in his own mind"..


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

*a525*

MJ get ya a mag. 
They can be tamed till ya get used to it. The HO update, or just get ya some magnets from the Radio Shack and put a couple in. I would get the mag, use it and enjoy it. But don't get it where ya talked to that guy... Like to deal with people who know what they are talking about


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## b3butner (Oct 1, 2003)

*Buy it.*

That is a hard reel to beat. I have 2 of them. One is a bit on the wild side. I love my 525's. I do reccomend The HO convesion. It will give you more control. Your salesperson by the way is an idiot.


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

If you can throw a baitcaster for bass, then the 525 shouldn't give you much trouble....And as someone else said, get yourself a 525....BUT NOT at the store with the A-hole behind the counter.....


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## The Bucket (Mar 4, 2001)

MJ,

Three to six months +/- given going at it right regular (1-3 times week) & don't agree w/salesmens "daily" opinion of conventional reels as it depends on what of each kind ($$$) ya buy, your inclination, skill/fishing level, etc. However, think/agree that generally spinning reels are easier to learn especially for lure fishin' vs. baitin' up.

Should you attempt to go conventional for dunkin' bait from the sand or planks, make it an easy start on your wallet and casting effort w/Diawa Slosh20 & 10' Tica rod. Then when your burning it/that up you can score the high dollar custom and magged out $$$ reel  

Should you end up w/spinners only, you can get the 10' Ande rod w/Silstar Vertex 50 for sixty bucks or get extreme w/the Van Staal-St. Croix combo for `round a grand plus  

FYI, I started on a big Olympic spinner, then graduated to a Squidder ~ what a treat. Regardless of my walkin' in knee deep snow make sure you have the proper line (lb test) for reel and plenty of it for the learning curve  

Go fish, cast, and have fun  

`bucket


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## MeanJean (Feb 2, 2005)

You guys are great, thanks for the opinions.


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

What a salesman.I am also salesman and I haven't fished since last New Years.I throw Abu 6500s,7000s,and Daiwa SLX30SHVs.Going back to Hatteras in a couple weeks and if I don't throw here,it will probably take me about a half dozen practice tosses on the beach to have all those reels dialed in for fishing.

Practice everyday? Excellent joke or idle chit chat from a salesman tryiing to steer you toward what he wants to sell you.The heavy,repetitive practicing is reserved for competitive casters.

Like someone else said,if you already throw one for bass,you just have to adjust for the heavier weights and rods for saltwater.The 525,although I don't own one,is an excellent reel(I'd prefer the SLX20SHV due to its smoother drag and clicker)


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

I've got a Penn 545GS spooled with 500something yards of 50lb braid on an 11'4 Team Daiwa in the truck now. I just got it, and over the weekend I went to cast for the first time, in a field, to see what the thing was capable of. In five minutes I was heaving a 5oz. weight 110 yards, IMO you can't ask for much mor than that. The 525mag should cast even more easily! Just make sure you go heavy on the thumb if you're throwing big weights.....I did manage one hell of a backlash when I lightened up on the thumb pressure to see if I couldn't get it to go even further.


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

Carolina Rebel 

If you are using any thumb then you don't have the reel dialed in and you are loosing distance. Please don't fish next to me with that setup, braid and crowds don't work well together.. What you have done is make the weakest link your rod. personaly I like the weakest link to be my line.. JAM


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

*mag reel*

MJ one more thing I forgot... when you first start with the conventional regardless if it is the penn or the diawa, don't fill the reel all the way. If you are going to have a problem, and you shouldn't a full reel spins faster and can open the door for some nasties... keep her a little low for the first time or so and I am sure you will have no problems what so ever... salt


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

MeanJean said:


> I had something happen today I didn't think could happen. A salesman tried to talk me out of buying a 525. His reasoning was that he feels casting reels will only frustrate people that don't use them daily (His idea of daily is basically every week). Last year I started using a caster for largemout bass but that little thing fits in the palm of my hand. I don't expect to buy a 525MAG, run down the beach and heave one like superman but I would hope with practice I could eventually be somewhat efficient. Lead-in to my question - How long did it take you guys to learn to cast without blowing up and do you have suggestions for practicing? Also let me know if you agree with the salesmans thinking of 'Baitcasting reels are only effective for practically everyday fisherman'?
> 
> Any thoughts are appreciated.


There is a tackle shop in this area that always tries to talk me out of Penn reels. They have no idea at all how much time I've fished Penn reels with no failures. Try 58 years!!!
They tried to talk me out of buying a 525 mag. I bought it anyway and is the best casting, heavy duty reel that I've ever had. I have nearly 50 Penn reels. Just look who helped develop these, a world champion caster.
Mine cast great right out of the box!!! I use it on 8' through 12' rods and from 1 oz. to 10 oz. with as much as 6 oz. of bait.
I'm sure that they would try to talk me out of another one.
JERKWADS!!!
I think its probably that they don't make as much profit on Penns as they do on the other stuff they are pushing.


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## mdram (Jul 18, 2005)

they try to talk you out of penns so you hafta keep coming back and buying a new real. the penn should last 15, 20, or more years.


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## Zombie (Jul 26, 2005)

me lernin on the 525 with no H.O. conv. Can get alittle wild at times when I pushit but practice and you'll have it . sometimes it amazes me or waz that my accidental beginners great form  Oh yeah its on an OM heavy. Sweet.


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

The rod is the XH model, rated to 50lbs. I can tighten the free spool adjustment down as far as it will go on that reel and it's still not nearly enough to prevent overspin, so I have to use alot of thumb. I thought perhaps this was normal for this reel, but I'll shoot Penn an e-mail to check. I picked the reel up at a great discount because it was a display model, so it might have a problem. Regardless thanks for your input, and don't worry about me fishing next to you on a crowded beach. When the surf fishing's crowded, I'm deer hunting.


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## creek (Dec 16, 2003)

CR post your question on the site below, you will get the main man for Penn Reels. MJ I fish with a group of conventional guys who fish one week out of the year and they have no problems. They blow up less than me, but then I push it a little harder. Go for it 525 Mag is a great reel.

http://neilmackellow.sea-angler.org/


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

SALTSHAKER said:


> MJ get ya a mag.
> They can be tamed till ya get used to it. The HO update, or just get ya some magnets from the Radio Shack and put a couple in. I would get the mag, use it and enjoy it. But don't get it where ya talked to that guy... Like to deal with people who know what they are talking about


please explain"HO" upgrade, and approx cost of upgrade.


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## mdram (Jul 18, 2005)

i think he emans the upgrade by
http://www.hatterasoutfitters.com/


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## BaitWaster (Jan 8, 2004)

Take the link and click on "Misc" then "Reel Candy".


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

BaitWaster said:


> Take the link and click on "Misc" then "Reel Candy".


Thanks, I checked out the link and don't think I can justify spending almost as much as I paid for reel on the upgrades since i only will be using it as an anchor set up 15 -20 times a year.


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## chest2head&glassy (Jul 2, 2002)

fishloser said:


> Thanks, I checked out the link and don't think I can justify spending almost as much as I paid for reel on the upgrades since i only will be using it as an anchor set up 15 -20 times a year.


Huh? The HO mag kit (for the 525) is $20.


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## chest2head&glassy (Jul 2, 2002)

To answer the original post's question:
I started with slosh30 and it took me 2 weekend trips to the island (that would be pea island so I didn't upset the natives) to get it dialed in with which brakes to use. When I picked up the 525, I found that easier to cast than the slosh.


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## ReelinRod (May 29, 2003)

Rebel,

The spool sideplay adjustment isn't really a casting control. Overtightening it, to the point where that tension slows the spool is just killing the bearing on the far side.

I would take the bearings out, wash them with kerosene and re-lube with some heavier oil. Oil is the primary means of spool control from release to spin-up. 

That's true even on a magged reel and will speed the learning curve of casting a 525 or slosh. Get that fast oil out and practice with some thicker stuff first. Shoving a HO kit in there won't cure release blow-ups, magnets have no influence on a spool at start-up; high rotation is what creates the eddy that slows an aluminum spool.


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

chest2head&glassy said:


> Huh? The HO mag kit (for the 525) is $20.


 magnets are $20, plus $40 for bearings


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

fishloser said:


> magnets are $20, plus $40 for bearings


I just did the mags, left the stock bearings in.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

mags is all u need.

if u cant cast a 525w the HO conversion... its gonna be hard finding something you can


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## CrawFish (Sep 23, 2003)

NTKG said:


> mags is all u need.
> 
> if u cant cast a 525w the HO conversion... its gonna be hard finding something you can


Well, not the one that you magged on top of the HO conversion.  I casted mine at zero when no or light in the face wind.


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## fishloser (Jul 18, 2002)

NTKG said:


> mags is all u need.
> 
> if u cant cast a 525w the HO conversion... its gonna be hard finding something you can


 Since I learned with a squidder, and am quite good with conventional reels skipping jigs under boat docks, I think I will be able to master the 525. Operative words are "I THINK."


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

> conventional reels skipping jigs under boat docks


You ain't got nothing to worry about.


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

mdram said:


> they try to talk you out of penns so you hafta keep coming back and buying a new real. the penn should last 15, 20, or more years.


 I have several over 40 years old in perfect mechanical condition. Lube and late model drag washers are the only improvements. I caught a citation flounder last year on a 55 year old Penn #180!


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