been awhile since i've done any serious photo shoots, but life is finally turning around to the point where i actually have some free time.  i thought that i would start with a quick review of a reel that ben tsutaoka just purchased.  you saw ben on our puerto vallarta trip last month.  



he found a pretty good sale on a gorgeous penn 30 vsx in silver and decided to spend a little christmas money.  now, joey did the full tear down on this reel and i just kibitzed.  here's the reel.  nice, huh!  nice on the outside and equally well designed on the inside.  we installed a signature "AT" handle grip, it spins like crazy, and the silver color looks really gorgeous!  it was spooled up with 350 yards of 100 pound jerry brown hollow, then another 150 yards of 130 pound JBH, and then finally a mono topshot.



the drag was set to 35 pounds at strike.  



just out of curiosity, i decided to check the drag settings at the various different numbers that penn engraved above the quadrant.  curiously, i got 20 pound of drag at the number 1 setting, 25 pounds of drag at the number 2 setting and 30 pounds of drag at the number 3 setting.  ok, that's pretty convenient.  



now back up to 35 pounds of drag at strike, then 40 pounds when you push the lever until lines up just over the locator pin, and finally 45 pounds at full.  



now, i would imagine that someone did this on purpose, but there is nothing in the manual that describes this.  you'd think that somebody at penn might say something if they went to all the trouble to design it this way.  well, maybe they won't say anything, but i certainly will......

to the folks at penn, well done!!!!!