Vintage conventional reels

Heavy revolving-spool saltwater reels with a star drag: the Penn Senator sizes from 4/0 to 12/0, the Penn Squidder, Jigmaster and Long Beach, and the big Ambassadeur 7000 and 9000. Most of the Penns have no level wind, so the angler lays line on the spool with a thumb, and they are built around drags that can handle big, fast fish. Penn introduced the Senator in 1936 and still sells it, and parts for most vintage Penns remain easy to find, which makes them rebuildable working reels rather than shelf pieces.