Penn SLAIV6500DX Slammer IV DX Spinning Reel

Penn SLAIV6500DX Slammer IV DX Spinning Reel

by Penn
Price: $349.95
Model
TD Code
Gear RatioRetrieveMono Capacity
(yd/lb)
Braid Capacity
(yd/lb)
BearingsRetrieve RateMax Drag
(lb)
Price
SLAIV6500DX
PEN-2004
5.6:1Right/Left390/12
345/15
205/20
485/30
410/40
335/50
942in42$349.95 USD
The Penn Slammer IV DX takes Penn's class leading Slammer IV up a notch. The Slammer IV DX has incorporated CNC Gear Technology and upgraded material. This material for the main gear and pinion is ultra durable stainless steel to give best in class durability, all while retaining the smoothness you have come to expect. The additional bearing rides in the spool so the Dura-Drag(TIVl) is dually supported, and Penn has included a spare Hypalon handle knob for ultimate comfort on the water.

  • 9+1 Sealed Stainless Steel Ball Bearing System (2 bearings in the spool)
  • Hypalon spare handle knob
  • Improved IPH6 sealing
  • Hydrophobic bearing in line roller
  • Slammer Drag System with Dura Drag
  • Reduced rotor weight
4.5 Stars based on 10 reviews
By Dillon
Brooklyn, NY
I like the reel but there are a couple of improvements that could be made.
June 15, 2022
The reel is very smooth but after a night out, you need to wash it or the line roller will become noisy. It has gotten to the point where I had to take it apart and service it to get rid of the noise. The only real issue I have was this drag knob catching the line and creating wind knots that snaps when casting. If you don't manually pick up the line and put it on the line roller, it will be caught by the drag knob and sit on the spool edge. This is especially troublesome when fishing in the dark. I've had my line snapped 3 times within a week with this issue, which can really ruin your trip.
Pros
  • Very smooth reel.
  • I've pulled in over 50 striped bass for the season ranging from 15 inches upwards to 40 inches without any issue.
  • Solid build rod that puts up with the punishment
Cons
  • Noisy line roller after water from the line wets it
  • Drag knot catching the line unless you manually pick it up and put it on the roller.
By Christopher K.
NY
Amazing reel
June 9, 2022
Love this reel Works flawlessly.
Pros
  • Light weight .Drag is amazing
Cons
  • None
By Dan
Pa
Grinding noises within a month
May 25, 2022
I bought this reel mid April and with in three weeks it make a loud grinding noise when fighting even a small fish. It's not very convenient to have to send a brand new reel in... I haven't even called penn yet, I'm disgusted this is the second penn reel this has happened with for me.
Cons
  • Broken pretty much out of the box
By Justin
Kamikaze Japan
Better than a Japanese made Shimano
May 19, 2022
Beats my Shimano made by Japan. Much happier with this over my Shimano I had before. Great bearings and came smooth out of the box.
Pros
  • Smoother than the Japanese Shimano reels
Cons
  • Hard to find in stock they sell fast.
By YMX
JAPAN
YMX
April 17, 2022
From Japan
This model will probably not be imported to Japan, and even if it is, it will not be cheaper than buying it from Tackle Direct.
(Although, on the contrary, you can buy Shimano Stella SW in Japan for less than in the U.S.)

First of all, this is made in China, but if you don't mind that, the PENN Slammer 5500 DX is wonderfully comfortable to wind, and if you can get it at this price, you will be happy even if it is not a Stella SW!
I can expect the durability of stainless steel gears in addition to a winding feel that is comparable to the Stella SW8000HG that I have, which is probably the same size.

Unfortunately, however, the 4500DX, which I purchased later in the day, was disappointing to wind up with, as it seemed to be made in China, not quite the same line!
It looks like it will be reborn with Japanese bearings and the latest lubricant service.

Is the bearing standard for this reel metric?

Looking forward to seeing the 2500DX in stock.

ymx
Pros
  • As for the 5500DX, you can expect great winding comfort and durability with stainless steel gears.
Cons
  • Made in China
  • The Chinese cut corners where you can't see them.
By H
Fillet
Great boat or bank reel
April 14, 2022
Good for bank surf fishing and salt water deep sea. Good quality is smooth
By Will
Creekside California
Great jetty fishing reel
March 16, 2022
Good for jetty fishing and pier fishing. Smooth reel and handle are improved. Braid ready reel.
By Pierce
Singapore
High Speed
November 16, 2021
They dont have HS in the DX models?
By Jay
Coos bay
dx slammer is great option
November 13, 2021
salt or fresh its a great option for fishing. I like the dx better than the standard
By Dave
Barnegat Light, NJ
3500 Pre-Release
October 25, 2021
Went out on a local charter whose captain also happens to run a great tackle shop and is a big Penn dealer in the North East. The Penn rep had dropped this off the day before and I got to take the first few fish with it. A monster Bluefish in the 30†range hit it first and I made quick work out of it with the 3500 size reel. It got a couple small runs on be but the drag was set pretty tight, and no doubt this could have handled bigger and more powerful fish. Smooth operation all around.
1 Question & 1 Answer
Steve
from Gulf Breeze, Florida asked:
June 11, 2022
Looking for a recommendation on the best rod to pair with the Slammer IV 6500 DX for offshore. Mostly fishing gulf coast FL for red snapper, grouper, etc on bottom or free lining live bait on the surface. 
1 Answer
Hi Steve, We recommend looking at the Star Paraflex Rod in the heavy and Xheavy ( https://www.tackledirect.com/star-paraflex-spinning-boat-rods.html ) or any of the Star Sequence Boat rods ( https://www.tackledirect.com/star-rods-sequence-boat-spinning-rods.html ) as a start. Please let us know if there is anything else we can assist you with!
Submitted by: Huy - TackleDirect Customer Service on June 17, 2022

#HookedOnTD

Show off your fishing gear investment. Please post images and videos of your fishing gear, apparel, catches and lifestyle shots on and off the water. Let's see what you've got for a chance to win FREE gear! You can use #HookedOnTD or UPLOAD YOUR IMAGE HERE to make it onto our product pages or gallery. See something you like? You can shop directly from the images we post when gear we sell is featured!