Penn Jigmaster

I just picked this up today at wal-fart for $25 as well as another Penn fierce rod and reel for $35
This was originally $109. It should make a designated setup for bottom fishing.

You can upgrade the spool to aluminum and add carbon washers and it'll last you a lot longer for not much more money.

Which Walmart? I'm tempted...

Good ideas on the upgrades, so not trying to argue, but what is the reel designation exactly? If it is in the 209/309 series (http://www.pennreels.com/products/reels/conventional-reels/level-wind-reels/level-wind) it already has the HT100 washers which I doubt you will ever have an issue with.

I don't have any experience with the aluminum spool but the composite one on my 209 is over 15 years old now (primary sturgeon reel with 50 lb braid) and going strong, fwiw.

[EDIT: I'm dumb, the 209 does have an aluminum spool. So yeah... it's durable. ]

I love Penn conventional reels! I have an old 60s-70s jigmaster sitting on my shelf I got at Goodwill I'm going to refurb, and I have refurbed my dad's old low gear jig master-type reel from Florida in the 70s. I also have the aforementioned 209 which has been the most reliable piece of fishing gear I've ever owned, and recently got a 309 for my wife's sturgeon and shared halibut rod. If taken care of they will never die. I recently started fishing one of their lower-end saltwater spinning reels and for the price it isn't bad either.

At the Walmart in tumwater. They are marking down all the old clearance fishing gear another 50%

I edited my post above. Whoops.

Too bad, out of my range. Great deal!. I might check my local store and see if they're marking anything down.

Its http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/14649603?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=41833582510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem

Ah ha, it's not a levelwind. Great! Less stuff to break/get jammed.

Per Penn website you've got the aluminum spool and HT-100 washers... I'd say with regular maintenance you'll have trouble outlasting that thing. Good find.

They did have a levelwind set up for $35

Good deal!

left hand retrieve also, very nice.

At first glance I thought the thread title said "Jenn Pigmaster"

I had many well worn and well loved Penn 500s thru the 70s and 80s, I even had a few in the 90s. Like an old pickup truck they'll always work, just don't expect much performance and you won't be disappointed.

Their basic flaw is single-bearing (bushing) design. Stress is taken by the axis of the spool. As a result plastic spools break. Solution - upgrade to Aluminum spool, Cha-Ching $$$$. With a stiffer spool in place stress is taken to the frame, it will twist and eventually bend the spool and/or spindle. Solution - upgrade to alloy frame bars, Cha-Ching $$$$. With a stiffer frame the stress is goes to the plastic cheeks and cracks develop where cheeks and frame bars meet. Solution - upgrade to alloy cheeks, Cha-Ching $$$$. You see where this is going by now? You've been down this rabbit hole before?

Good reels start at about $90 (Okuma Cold Water for example is the low range for me). Moving on up to a number of good choices in the Shimano series in the $130 to $200 range. Higher end models (calling $200+ higher end) have nicer bearings, smoother drag systems and higher quality finishes. A good $150 Shimano with upgraded drag washers is tough to beat and will last for years if you take care of it.

The bottom line is not loosing a 25 lb King due to reel failure when it hits mach 5 on a smoking run. If landing big fish is a priority then spend the money upfront on a good reel or it's likely all you'll have at the end of King season is a story of the one that got away.

My 2 cents.

Every time I read something like that all I can think is "wow these guys are so much more hardcore than me!"

Putting a $50 reel against a $200 reel is folly to begin with. Maybe for you dropping $200 on a reel is no big deal, but to some people it's the difference between being fishing and not. So my point is: in my way-less-extreme-than-you experience, the low-end Penns are a good value. You may get 20% more performance from a $200 reel but it costs 4x as much.

And my 209 still looks brand new (no bends) after 15 years and 100s of sturgeon. I mean seriously, what are you doing to your reels? Do you beef up the drag and then tighten it down past the original ability of the reel? I could see that bending the frame, since you're out of spec to begin with.

^^^ Always nay saying! I love it 

Wow guys. Just wow.

If you love the pig master 500 it's yours.  While your at Walmart take the opportunity to score these other great items from the past equally uncomplicated by the advances in engineering and manufacturing.
The Lava Lamp
Pet Rocks
Styx on vinyl
....and a double pack of Pop Rocks in both cherry and grape flavors.

Rock on.