# Penn Squidder. Unexpected.



## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

So i went fishing last night. Posted a report in the Maryland section. And i bought 2 nice conventional reels to try out for the first time.

I thought they would win me over in a heart beat. 

Nope.

Mustered up enough courage to cast my penn squidder on my okuma longitude. Firstly, i didn't think the mono would burn so bad. 2nd, i am so unused to casting like that, i didn't really know when to let go. Well, its safe to say that i was completely off. The 6 oz sinker got pounded straight into the sand a few yards away right in front of the pier. Just wasn't fair. I didn't know it was going to do me like that. Complete birds nest. Scrambled. 

didn't even bother trying the daiwa SHA. 

Well. Since old school ****ed me. 

I think i need some help. Yea, practice is one thing. But me going to the field and just casting, i would get a birds nest in 1 go. So if ya'll would kindly give me some pointers and teach me the same way you would teach driving stick. Slowly. in baby steps. 

thanks.


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## sirstreet (Dec 11, 2008)

Don't feel bad.if you wanna practice just come out wit me when you can come my way . FYI that sealine is a champ I've put plenty wins on it.


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## George Gravier (Oct 28, 1999)

I learned on a penn squidder, whether or not it be right or wrong I was told to tighten the bearing as tight as I could with just my fingers and let it fly, back then I used 25lb test and 50 pound shock which is a little more forgiving than say 17 or 20 lb test, with a little practice I could get pretty good distance off the pier (sandbridge), I used that reel for a long time and caught a few nice fish on it. Don't give up on it, it makes a pretty cool sound when you cast it, and incidently the sha is way easier to cast and control.....geo


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## PandaBearJeff (Aug 19, 2013)

sirstreet said:


> Don't feel bad.if you wanna practice just come out wit me when you can come my way . FYI that sealine is a champ I've put plenty wins on it.


yea sirstreet, i'll hit you up later in the summer.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

PandaBearJeff said:


> I didn't really know when to let go.


As for "when to let go", imagine yourself standing about 50ft away from a 5-story building. The "ideal casting angle" is 45 degrees. So, when you cast you would try to hit the top edge of your "imaginary building" ( 50ft up & 50 ft away = 45 Degrees ). When you cast, keep your eyes looking upward, aiming for that imaginary "target" and let her rip. Be sure to control Reel Overrun with your thumb, unless you have a mag-controlled reel.

Good Luck !


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## mully (May 15, 2013)

Load up that SHA with cheap mono of a heavier test then you intend to use. Use plenty of thumb pressure (on the spool flange so you don't scorch your thumb) to start, and as you get a feel for the reel you gradually use less pressure.

If your casting motion is good and you're hitting the cast at the right time then most backlashes will occur in the later part of the cast when the lead begins to de-ccelerate but the spool is still spinning fast. So as you improve you can let the spool run free at the beginning and start to feather the spool with your thumb as the reel starts fluff up.

As you develop your educated thumb you will blow up several spool of line, hence using the cheap stuff. Don't practice when you really want to be fishing or you'll just get annoyed.


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## John Smith_inFL (Nov 22, 2009)

A trick I learned with my wife that is only 5' tall . . . (and she does throw like a girl)
We went to the neighbors cow pasture, there are a few small oak trees maybe 20' tall.
I taught her how to throw OVER the tree - - - not around it, not through it - over it.
She is going from spinning gear to her first casting - a vintage Penn 209.
which is of course way too big for her, but, she loves it...... I have a ABU 5500 ready for when she is ready to step down.
it took some doing, but she finally got it right. and now she takes that experience to the beach
and does quite well on accuracy and distance. but she still gets some really nasty back lashes !!!


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Sounds like a late release, so your spool had plenty of time to speed up but the weight stopped short and the spool kept going. As others have said, aim high, that might help. Since you grounded your lead so soon it is tough to say whether your form is good or bad.
Go to a field and toss some up and away. It all could just have been your release, so don't get discouraged.


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## ez2cdave (Oct 13, 2008)

I still throw 140 Squidders, among other reels ( 525 MAG, 535 GS MAG - UK Knobby Version, 555 GS, SEALINE 30SHA, CALCUTTA 700S ). In fact, my Breakaway BGSW-1209 has a 140 Squidder on it, with spools using 17#, 20#, & 25# Monofilament . . . Love those SQUIDDERS, even if they are "Old School" ( So am I . . . LOL ! ).


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## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

put red brake blocks in the SHV and set the spool tension to begin with to where it has the slightest knock when you moved the spool side to side and just a tad tighten it back up ... remember just a little bit. be smooth when you cast ... squidder isn't the best reel to learn with


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## BLACK ADDER (Nov 15, 2006)

Have a squidder of about forty years which still works well. I put static magnets in, added AN EXTRA WASHER AT THE SPOOL TIGHTENING SCREW, and use it for my grandkids. BTW, I always found that ,as much as I tightened the screw on Squidder,the 500, or Surfmaster, you still had to thumb the snot out of them.(When I started using them,almost nobody used monofiliment....it was all Dacron or "squidding line". I am suprised I still have a thumb! ) I tried adding an extra washer,which makes all the difference. I cast the Squidder now without backlash and without thumbing (much). 
And study the Off The Ground cast....The smoothness of that cast, with a good loading on the rod and good release point, will REALLY help make the Squidder a fishable reel. 
I fish year around, with Sept/Oct devoted to red drum, and the rest of the year focusing on monster blue catfish in the James River. I find I can be MUCH more relaxed using an old Squidder on some muddy riverbank than one of our good reels. And have yet to be overpowered by cats up to 50 lbs.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

PBJ, don't feel too bad about it, I have yet to get the hang of casting the Penn reels I have either! I can cast my ABU reels fairly well, but not the Penn's. I have several, 209's. 309's, a 109 & a few others. They're great for vertical bottom fishing from a boat, pier or light trolling, but for me, not so great for casting!


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## Jersey Hunter (Jul 26, 2009)

PandaBearJeff said:


> Firstly, i didn't think the mono would burn so bad.


I found once you get braid wet it's a lot cooler on your thumb.


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