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Penn Reels

Penn Reels are fishing reels which have been used for saltwater fishing for over seventy-nine years. They can be used for all types of saltwater fishing, from inshore fishing to deep sea fishing.

History
Otto Henze, a German immigrant, came to the United States from Germany in 1922. At the age of 25, he worked as a machinist for the Ocean City Reels Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his time at the company, he developed the dream of creating his own company which would manufacture fishing reels of all types and would hopefully set records one day. In 1932, Henze did just that. He rented a place located on a 3rd floor loft on 492 North Third Street in Philadelphia from a general machinist company, William Schmitz & Company. Then, Henze began working and successfully completed his first two models, the Model F and the Model K.  In February 1933, the first Penn Reels were sold to a company in Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania, the Miller Auto Supply Company. After this sale, the Penn Fishing Tackle Company took off. Within the next year, Henze had developed designs for twice the number of Penn Reels. Even though this was during the Great Depression, Penn reel sales were not hurt because fishing provided a way for coastal families to eat. Due to the booming business, Henze continued to develop plans for new Penn Reels. In 1942, the company moved to a new location on West Hunt Avenue. In 1948, Otto Henze passed away of a sudden death. After Henze’s death, his wife Martha took on the responsibility of the company by becoming the President. The company grew and expanded not only locally but also around the world due mainly to her managing skills and willingness to succeed. The company grew under her managing skills not only locally but also around the world.

Early Reels
After creating his company, Henze formulated plans for the first two model reels, the Model F and the Model K. The Model F weighed twelve ounces with bakelite side plates. This model was a surf reel used mainly for surf fishing. A surf reel is a fishing reel designed to cast far, typically from a beach. The Model K had almost the same parts as the Model F except the Model K had a lever type free spool with metal reinforced plates. The plates on this model made it more durable and the lever type free spool allowed the spool to turn freely. There were two versions of the Model K Penn reel. One version of the Model K had a star drag and the other did not. The star drag allowed the fishermen to tighten the spool to prevent backlash. In 1933, he gave the three Models names. The Model F became known as the Sea Hawk. The Model K with the star drag was called Long Beach and the one without was called Bayside. He named the models after Long Beach and Bayside, cities of the Atlantic and Pacific coast. The naming of the models, based on coastal cities, helped show Penn Reels were primarily used for saltwater fishing. This made sense because Penn’s first reels were made for bay or surf fishing.

In 1936, the “Senator” was introduced as a revolutionary reel made to catch the most challenging game fish. The reel became popular for setting new fishing records all over. The “Senator”, to this day, is still a popular reel, known for its quality and reassured dependability. The “Senator” features high speed retrieval ratios, displaying different size gears, which take in line faster. These reels also contain stainless pinion gears, which will never rust. This reel can be used for all types of fishing but is most commonly in charter fishing. Charter fishing is where a person pays to go out on a boat and fish.

In 1938, the “Squidder” surf reel was introduced. This reel is known for its vast casting capabilities. After this reel Penn became a leading manufacture in quality saltwater fishing reels. This model of Penn reels became the most popular by anglers and charter boat captains. Today, there are a few models of the “Squidder” still around, all known for their high performance.

Modern Day
In 2003, other tackle companies, such as Sea Striker Inc. and Master Fishing Tackle, bought the Penn Fishing Reels Company. Then, in 2007, the company was sold again to K – 2 Incorporated. In 2006, Penn’s Torque reel was named the America Sport fishing Association’s Saltwater Reel of the year. Penn Reels hold a unique place in saltwater fishing reels; over 1,400 world records using a type of Penn Reel can be found in the IGFA. Today there are currently over 220 different model Penn Reels being manufactured.