Hi! I got a penn jigmaster 500 and 500s for free the other day. i want to accutize them. What kind/type of fishing would this be good for? they are 4.1/1 ratio. what do you guys think?

replace the drags and washers, heres a good site to get some smooth ones. http://www.smoothdrag.com/price.html

after that get the proper accuframe and get set for fishing pretty much anything...

The 500 is a good 30# reel (about 300 to 330 yds.) Obviously, you can fish lighter or heavier test on it. 20-25# is too much capacity--you can fill with a cheap backing to take up the extra. With 40#, the capacity is down a tad from optimum and the drags are a bit light for it too if you get into some larger tuna, etc. but it will work for most situations.

Big Hammer Swimbaits-Hammerhead Jigheads
www.swimbait.com
Pro-Cure Scents
www.pro-cure.com

thanks for the advice! yeh ineed a 20-50lb rod too for yellows and albies. Imma prob fill it with 30lb. i have a 25lb jig stick already so this should do well with the rest of my stuff :)

oh, do you recommend new gears to up to 5.1 or leave the 4.1?

Thanks!
<josh><

Personally, I fish mine with the 4:1 with 30# as it's easier cranking big fish. FYI, on reels like the Shimano Trinidads and Toriums with 6:1, the gears are cut differently so that they don't bind under load--that's how they get away with a higher ratio.

Big Hammer Swimbaits-Hammerhead Jigheads
www.swimbait.com
Pro-Cure Scents
www.pro-cure.com

tru tru. guess you'd have more power with a lower ratio. more turns of the handle : turn of the spool. kinda like 4x4 :)

Good advice fongster. I just bought a 500 as a backup reel for deepwater norcal rockfish and lings. For this purpose I was thinking of not tweaking the reel at all. Do you agree?

Thanks.


Bob

I don't have any experience fishing the 500 for deep rockfish--only shallow water rockfish. You probably don't need to do anything to the reel (like accuframe, drags, etc.) as it is low-stress fishing. My buddy uses spectra with a short mono topshot on a 500 for a easy to handle deep rockcod outfit. He said he likes how you can feel the jig hit the bottom and also it tipping over, lol! Very sensitive, I'd say.

Big Hammer Swimbaits-Hammerhead Jigheads
www.swimbait.com
Pro-Cure Scents
www.pro-cure.com

I agree with your buddy. I fish it the same way.
Bob

500 is great.

No need for a frame, unless it eats line or does not seem to free spool good.

The Penn HT-100 work great, but the stock metal washers are junk.

Throw some smooth-drag metal washers with the stock ht-100 Penn drag, or Xtreme Smoothies.

Great al-round reel for so-cal offshore and near-shore stuff.
Yellowtail, tuna, bass.
I use 30 on mine.
I have a narrow version (501) for 20
and an a middle "albi-special" for 25


oh, for all-round use with 30lb, keep the 4:1