# Saltist 30H vs. Penn 525 Mag



## TideJones (Aug 29, 2008)

I am ready to pick up my birthday present. 

I had pretty much made up my mind on a 525 mag. However, when I went to pick it up (Atlanta BPS) they did not have one. The guy at the counter suggested I look at the 30H. First time I held one. Feels good. Seems smooth. Good looking reel. Now I need help. 

I would appreciate some positives and negatives on each reel. Would really love to hear from folks that have used both. If you had your choice, which one would you take?

Looking for a good balance between distance and power.

Thanks for your input.


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

They are both good reels.

Keep in mind the 525mag is the same size as a 20H. They are both 17lb class reels. The 30H is a 20lb class.

I feel the 20H and the 525mag cast about the same, maybe a slight edge to the Penn. However, I'd pick up the 20H before the Penn any day of the week. It's just what I prefer.

I own two 525mags, two 20Hs and two 30Hs. My favorite reel to fish with out of the three is the 20H. It casts great and fights a fish very well. The 525mags I own are a lot more fragile and prone to breaking down when a little sand and/or water gets on them. They don't get much use any more, and I wouldn't buy another one. 

I do like the 30H for cobia due to it's line capacity, but I prefer to cast its little brother.


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## eric (Oct 24, 2007)

its like the issue of newells 220 or 229 . 
id take the newell over the penn though..
but would take a 20h or 30h before all that too.

if you want a 30h comparison, you need to look at the penn 535 instead.
which is ALOT stronger and durable then a 525.


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

I aint sure what dream world ya'll fish in but the Penn drag kicks @$$... none better out of the box then the ht100... it holds 275 yards of 15# test, 240 yards of 17# tritanium plus... carries 6 ball bearings plus an IAR bearing all well shielded... the 525 Mag rules... the diawa sha, shv 20 or 30 wishes it could even come close to the Penn in castability or durability... if ya'll are getting all that salt and sand in your reels ya need to take a serious look at what you're doing out there... 

Penn an American icon for more then 50 years...


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Also...525 Mag still made in USA!


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

I am trying to think where the 525 rules I just have not seen that. I think the saltist 30 is a better reel, cast better ,holds more line and hey it looks better too.

9rock


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## sirstreet (Dec 11, 2008)

Saltist hands down


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## Moon (Feb 24, 2007)

Saltish 20 is a great reel. Great drag and easy to cast. Diawa SHA or SHV is like a tank on the beach. Sand/water and they keep on working. We have seen a lot of citation drum caught on these Diawa reels without a failure. Drag very, very smooth. Both are good reels, but very experienced friends that have surf fished for many years have all stopped using Penn and are now fishing Diawa. I own 2 saltist 20's, 4 sha and shv 20's, 5 sha and shv 30's and one sha 40 and never had a problem. Diawa makes a great reel for a good price.


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## Jackman1950 (Sep 28, 2008)

*Like them both*

I use my 525's when I'm fishing hard and not spiking the rods to wander off throwing my spinner for fluke, trout, spanish. I can cast the Penn better. The Saltist is sweet too and has a heck of a nice clicker when I am spiking the rods. Then there's my Abu's, tricked out by Bills Reels. They are my favorites for getting the bait out there. Just got another one this winter. Fully tricked out, including the new fishing Benfield side plate. That'll be the 1st one used in 2 weeks. Starting to count the days now. May 9th can't come soon enough! 

Anyhow, if this is your 1st conventional go with the Penn. Easy to use and after the 1st day you'll be fine. Not made in China! Once upon a time they were made right down the street from where I grew up in Philly.


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## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Moon said:


> Saltish 20 is a great reel. Great drag and easy to cast. Diawa SHA or SHV is like a tank on the beach. Sand/water and they keep on working. We have seen a lot of citation drum caught on these Diawa reels without a failure. Drag very, very smooth. Both are good reels, but very experienced friends that have surf fished for many years have all stopped using Penn and are now fishing Diawa. I own 2 saltist 20's, 4 sha and shv 20's, 5 sha and shv 30's and one sha 40 and never had a problem. Diawa makes a great reel for a good price.


Ever own or cast a 525?


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## Clyde (Oct 18, 2003)

Rockfish1 said:


> I aint sure what dream world ya'll fish in but the Penn drag kicks @$$... none better out of the box then the ht100... it holds 275 yards of 15# test, 240 yards of 17# tritanium plus... carries 6 ball bearings plus an IAR bearing all well shielded... the 525 Mag rules... the diawa sha, shv 20 or 30 wishes it could even come close to the Penn in castability or durability... if ya'll are getting all that salt and sand in your reels ya need to take a serious look at what you're doing out there...
> 
> Penn an American icon for more then 50 years...


So what kind of crack are you smoking today?????


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## Moon (Feb 24, 2007)

No, but several good fishing buddies have owned a 525 and all now fish with some type of Diawa. As I said, both are good reels. Never figured I needed one because the Diawa reels do everthing I expect from a reel. I have several good friends that have fished the beaches of Hatteras for 20 to 30 years. They all use Diawa reels, so about 6 or 7 years ago, when I started fishing Hatteras, I figured Diawa was the way to go. I have never been sorry. I am sure the Penn 525 is a fine reel, just never had a good reason to own one. If I were not sure which reel to buy, I would find someone that owned each and cast each if possible. I do like the saltist reels better that either the sha or shv due to the placement of the handle. I am a Diawa man and a Ford man , just like some might be a Penn and Chevy man. All great products. Test drive each reel before you purchase is the best advise.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

I have a Diawa 30H that I choose over the 525mag because of the heavier line capacity. So far it's been an excellent reel. It easily whipped the pants off of a 30" striper I hooked into two weeks ago. I brought that fish from 70yrds out to the seawall in under 3 mins. Poor fish didn't know what hit her and when I put her back in the water she was still fresh as a daisy.
On the other hand any fish smaller on that reel would be boring to catch. I guess you just have to figure out what your target species is and make your choice based on that


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

Rockfish1 said:


> I aint sure what dream world ya'll fish in but the Penn drag kicks @$$... none better out of the box then the ht100... it holds 275 yards of 15# test, 240 yards of 17# tritanium plus... carries 6 ball bearings plus an IAR bearing all well shielded... the 525 Mag rules... the diawa sha, shv 20 or 30 wishes it could even come close to the Penn in castability or durability... if ya'll are getting all that salt and sand in your reels ya need to take a serious look at what you're doing out there...
> 
> Penn an American icon for more then 50 years...


now ive got nothing against the 525, good reel good drag, will definately outcast the daiwa 20s or 30s..mag system great in the surf, not affected by water like the daiwas brake system.had a few, sold em or traded em all off

but if ya aint gettin sand and salt in the reels you arent fishing same way we are...if you can keep your reel dry waist deep on a sand bar 60 yards from shore(or more) with waves crashing on you...wading chestdeep maybe to get there...sand flies around, its gets inplaces...i lay my daiwas in the sand it dont matter..wash the sand off with a dunking in the big blue....ever use your rod as a pushpole? gotta do what ya gotta do...daiwas sha/shv/slosh(cant speak for saltist but id imagine its same)take the sand n salt better than the 525. period. 

and nothing better than ht100? avet, accurate, shoot theres nothin wrong with the felt shv/sha/slosh drags...not saying their better,prolly arent, but no way in hell theres a big enough difference in performance to matter when drum/cobia/striper fishing,

after that being said, to answer origional question..cant go wrong with a saltist 20 or a 525..even a 30 is a good reel and can cast fine...youll be happy with either, both have their good points, and both catch fish. be a ho, buy em both


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## redhorse9902 (Jan 5, 2008)

*Daiwa saltist 20*

Moon let me cast his 20 when trying out a rod and it sold me, right there. Am in the process of finding me one at the right price.


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## Lynn P. (Sep 7, 2007)

If it's a line capacity issue like for cobia, etc. then the Saltist 30 is the way to go but as far as casting, catching 50# drum, any striper I've seen in 35 yrs. then I'd go for casting distance. I can throw my 525 and 20h farther. I like the drag better on the 20h--each to his own preference.


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## ematsuda (Feb 9, 2009)

Love the Saltists (have the 20 and 30), but they can't cast as far as the Penn out of the box. It needs to be dialed in by adjusting how much braking you need either by the centrifugal brakes or do what I did - I put a small rare earth magnet in it. It casts GREAT now. With that said, it's a MUCH smoother reel than the Penn and it's a lot nicer to look at.


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

sold my 525s and bought 20's.
To my surprise I casted 15' further with the 20.
nothing too wrong with a 525 but I like and think the 20 is a better reel.


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## mud (Sep 23, 2007)

525 old school
Saltist 20 and 30 new school


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## Finaddict4u (Jan 9, 2009)

I have both, but fish "big fish" the Saltist I love the clicker on it for night time fishing as well.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Rockfish1 said:


> Penn an American icon for more then 50 years...



*Maybe* in their mind, .. Next time you're down,I have three 525's to sell ya... 

Started fishing over 30yrs ago for drum,cobia,kings,ect here.. Started with squidders,they had plastic spools,casted ok, but would explode if you got a big fish on.. Tried steel spool,ok drag,but casted crappy..
Went to jigmasters with aluminum spool,casted ok,but drag really s*cked.. Went to abus for many yrs,decent drag out of the box,but deteriorated quickly,and you had to keep tearing down to keep clean.. Caught a lot of fish on those abus..When I was introduced to the diawa sl30 many yrs ago by Russell Warren,I put my abus in a box and bought diawas.. Been buying them ever since.. Bought 3 525's cause they were suppose to be "all that" when it came to casting.. Won't even go into what I experienced with the pretty gold international reel,that was made for fishing drum..  Found out that the diawas I had been using were more trouble free out of the box,didn't have to tear them down all the time just wash with fresh water,and they cast just as well,imo.. Now have used the saltist for a season,and it is "all that",imho... Many of the charter guys that deep jig here,catch some nice fish on those reels loaded with braid.. 

Only penn I use now is the slammer,sofar so good...


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## Franklin7X57 (Aug 5, 2006)

only thing to add is: I have small hands. The older daiwa with the gearbox was hard to grip, the penn with it's faults, does sit lower on the rod. I haven't tried saltist because I'm not going to buy anything new until the beach issues are worked out.
So it you use a large diameter rod or have small hands this is something to check out.


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

ematsuda said:


> Love the Saltists (have the 20 and 30), but they can't cast as far as the Penn out of the box. It needs to be dialed in by adjusting how much braking you need either by the centrifugal brakes or do what I did - I put a small rare earth magnet in it. It casts GREAT now. With that said, it's a MUCH smoother reel than the Penn and it's a lot nicer to look at.


how'd you put the mags in.


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## TideJones (Aug 29, 2008)

*Thanks for the help.*

Looks like it really is between the 20H (not the 30H) and the 525. Based on what I am hearing both are decent reels. I am leaning toward the 20H (55%-45%). Just paid a visit to our local Boater's World. All reels are 30% off. Of course they had neither of my choices. However they indicated that they would be getting a shipment of reels from some of their "coastal" stores in the next week or two. I will visit them again soon.

By the way, all of their fishing stuff is 30 or 50% off.


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

Hope you enjoy which ever one you choose


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## gvick (Jun 14, 2007)

*525 vs 30*



Moon said:


> No, but several good fishing buddies have owned a 525 and all now fish with some type of Diawa. As I said, both are good reels. Never figured I needed one because the Diawa reels do everthing I expect from a reel. I have several good friends that have fished the beaches of Hatteras for 20 to 30 years. They all use Diawa reels, so about 6 or 7 years ago, when I started fishing Hatteras, I figured Diawa was the way to go. I have never been sorry. I am sure the Penn 525 is a fine reel, just never had a good reason to own one. If I were not sure which reel to buy, I would find someone that owned each and cast each if possible. I do like the saltist reels better that either the sha or shv due to the placement of the handle. I am a Diawa man and a Ford man , just like some might be a Penn and Chevy man. All great products. Test drive each reel before you purchase is the best advise.


I have both reels....the penn 525 is a great piece but after buying the Daiwa, I would have to say it is the better reel. I can throw the Daiwa farther and enjoy reeling the Diawa better.


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## SALTSHAKER (Dec 5, 2002)

Have both, just got the 20h, love it, like the penn, but the diawa just fits my fishing style more with less problems.... salt


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## Hannibal (Aug 10, 2007)

Have several of both. After my last OBX outing, I clearly professed that I was selling my 525's. I still haven't (I am partial to them just the same - it was my first - lol). I originally bought a 525 Mag due to it's supposed ease in casting. You could dial it in, etc. I liked it when I got it. Ended up buying a used 30H not too much after that (to expand my collection) and instantly loved it. It casts just as good as the 525 Mag (though you have to be a touch careful ............ where the 525 allows you to slow down with the settings). The 30H holds more line which is nice for the "if" chance of getting into something BIG. A HUGE plus for me is the clicker. All my 525's had them when I bought them - but after a few uses, they seemed to gone away. Out of the box, the clickers were so-so at best but they quickly lost their "loudness". The 30H's are still as loud as ever. 

Bottom line, they are both good reels. If I was empty handed on the beach one day and someone offered me up a loaner of either a 525 or a 30H - I wouldn't be worried about it at all. Both can get you to fish and get fish up on the beach just fine. 

For me though, when it comes time to make my next purchase, I will be looking harder at the Daiwa's.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

Saltist 20H - All aluminum housing. Centrifical breaks. A little heavier

Penn 525 MAg - Graphite housing. MAg breaks. A lot lighter.

Rock - paper - scissors...different strokes fer differnet folks.

I surf fish Saltist 20H ...



Here's one to stir the pot... teh new only available in the Motherl-land, Daiwa 7HT Millionaire... casted one over the weekend on a 1569... pure joy. Had the setting at 6 and did not get that fluff when the sinker landed. Amazing.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Nserch4Drum said:


> Here's one to stir the pot... the new only available in the Motherl-land, Daiwa 7HT Millionaire... casted one over the weekend on a 1569... pure joy. Had the setting at 6 and did not get that fluff when the sinker landed. Amazing.




Funny you should mention this.....On another board Wheat was talking of the one he was waiting on. I saw one on another board at a righteous price compared to the cost new from across the pond. I bought it and took to Hatteras this weekend to try out. Wind was blowing a stiff 15 or better into my face with the mag set on 6. Throwing 8oz there was no fluff. Ended up on a mag setting of 2 before the bad fluff really started showing up. I can say this is the smoothest, quietest and easiest throwing out of the box reel I have ever had in my hands.


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