Penn 855LC line counter reel???

[Hook-out]

Am thinking about this reel for trolling for walleyes. Has anyone used one, and how is it for value. What would be a reasonable price for one.

Thanks,
Hook-out

[Scott F.]

The Penn 855LC works differently from all other linecounters on the market. All mechanical linecounters suffer innacuracy because the counter is geared to revolutions of the spool. One revolution of the spool equals X number of feet. Problem is that one revolution when the spool is full is quite a bit different than when the spool is 3/4 full. Penn has taken care of the problem by using a system which actually counts the line as it is being spooled and records that in the electronic processer. To make a long story slightly shorter the Penn is extremely accurate. One foot equals one foot. No more lucky lure syndrome. The reel costs a little bit more than other counters but is worth the extra $. You can find the reel for $135-140.

Good Luck
Scott

[don]

i use the 47 lc diawas and love them

[cisco]

I've never really cared if my Penn line counters are right on the gnat's butt -- the numbers are really only reference points. If I read 173 and take a fish at 173 then I can go back to 173. Who cares what the actual footage is?

[Scott F.]

You are right that you can put your lure back to the same spot. However, if you have two or more trolling setups and they aren't all speaking the same language you will often end up with a lucky lure. Ever wonder why one line was catching fish?

Also, if you are reading off of one of the crankbait charts to figure out how much line to put out to reach a certain depth most anglers don't realize that mechanical linecounters lose about 10% in the first 150 feet of a full spool. The reason for using linecounters all along is that they make trolling easier on us. The Penn just makes it that much easier.