PENN Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel w/ Fenwick Elite Rod: The Perfect Redfish Combo!
Keith Lusher 06.12.24
Living along the Gulf Coast, there are certain setups that rise to the top of the list when it comes to targeting certain fish. Having the right rod and reel for a specific species can make the difference between a successful trip and struggling. Take, for instance, redfish. These fish are in a class of their own when it comes to size and strength.
I’ve grown up fishing for these fish that call the shallow marshes of Louisiana home. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about these fish, it’s that you better bring the best equipment to the battle, or these fish will embarrass you.
I had the chance to try out a new redfish setup this week when I made a trip to the marsh along the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. I paired a PENN Spinfisher VII Spinning Reel with my new Fenwick Elite Rod and headed to a deep canal that winds from the marsh and into the lake. It’s called Todd’s Bayou and is infamous for producing quality inshore species such as speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. On this trip, I was specifically targeting redfish.
I started early in the morning as June can make for uncomfortable conditions as early as 9:00 a.m. As I opened up the motor and cruised along the Lake Pontchartrain shoreline, I scanned the bank for the entrance to Todd’s Bayou, and after a 15-minute boat ride, I arrived at my destination.
The water was pouring out of the bayou, and there was plenty of baitfish scattering across the surface of the water, which is always a good sign. I threw down my trolling motor and began working both sides of the bayou, being that Todd’s Bayou is only about 50 feet wide.
Having tried out numerous rod and reel combos, I knew exactly what I was looking for when it comes to specific qualities in a redfish setup.
My first concern was the rigidity of the reel. PENN has always provided a stout saltwater reel, and I wasn’t surprised to learn that the PENN Spinfisher VII displayed no flex after casting and retrieving numerous times. The CNC Gear technology has always been a strong point for PENN, and this reel seems to be continuing PENN’s reputation for making rigid reels.
As I moved deeper into the marsh, I found my first redfish and was able to test the combo’s drag and overall strength. I was throwing a Berkley PowerBait Saltwater Bonga Shrimp when a redfish threw a wake in the process of chasing it down. The redfish made a hard initial run where I was able to hold on and absorb the energetic fish surge away from me. The HT-100 drag system, made with carbon fiber washers with a max drag of 25 pounds, handled the run incredibly as the line released from the spool smoothly without any sporadic jerks.
While reeling the fish in, the reel rotated smoothly, which has never been a problem with PENN reels. The six ball bearings were more than enough to make this happen.
Ask any inshore saltwater fisherman, and they’ll tell you one of the most important qualities of a reel is its ability to withstand saltwater. The PENN Spinfisher VII seems like it was specifically made to handle the salt. The IPX5 sealing kept the guts of the reel completely separate from the outer shell. So whether it gets hit with a wave, or you let it ride in the spray all the way home, you don’t have to worry about saltwater getting into the gearbox or drag system. This is really important to me when finding a good redfish reel.
As for the Fenwick Elite Rod, I was happy with its ability to fight the fish for me. Let me explain. I chose the 7’6″ length rod specifically for this type of fishing because I wanted to match a strong rod with good parabolicity to the reel. I would highly recommend considering this when looking for your next redfish rod. The Fenwick Elite was VERY impressive with how it handled the redfish. In fact, the reel’s strength combined with this rod made the fish actually feel smaller than it was. As I was fighting the fish I thought it measured maybe 18 inches but it turned out to be larger. I was able to boat-flip the 23-inch redfish when I got him to the boat.
As I worked my way back to the duck pond where the bayou starts, I was able to boat four more redfish with this masterpiece of a combo and caught my limit. I worked my way back out and caught three more for fun. My biggest redfish was what is considered a bull red that measured 28 inches, and it was no problem for this rod and reel.
In the end, I was thoroughly pleased with my new redfish combination and recommend the rod and reel for anyone who is targeting redfish or any larger inshore fish. It’s going to be hard to find another combo that’s better in my book!
