im starting to get some rods for offshore trolling which one would you recommend. Or should i go with TLD2's

They all work

The new V series Penns are very nice. Very smooth reels with good drags. I've never had a problem with any Penn I've ever used. I think you'll be satisfied with the new ones and the older ones.

I have had problems with drags on 2 of the TLD 50's and had an 80 Tiagra lock up on me. Hand lining a fish in sucks. Both were easy fixes. You will probably get more bang for your buck going with the TLD's. I think you would be satisfied with either of these reels.

In my opinion the V series and the Tiagra are great reels. The TLD are nice durable reels for the $. I like all 3. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Brian

BTW, what will you be targeting?

tuna dolphin wahoo ... not really marlin

If you are looking for cheap then go with the Penn 50TW on boatersworld.com they just took the price down to 399 after I bought 2 new ones at 499 just a month ago . If you buy them online they have no sales tax and free shipping....cant beat that deal. I have never had a problem with them.

For the majority of offshore fishing in this area, you really don't need the heavy gear. I've cranked in a 40 lb yellowfin on 80 and 130 lb gear and it just doesn't compare with the same fish on a Penn 6/0 Senator or a TLD 25. If you are targeting blue marlin and bigeye or bluefin tuna, or plan on fishing the Big Rock or other big tournaments, then go heavy. Otherwise 25 to 30 lb gear will give you a lot more play for the dollar. Invest in a couple of 50 two speeds for the heavy work (TLD's are nice and less expensive than the pretty gold reels) on the deep shotgun and pitch bait positions, and go lighter with the rest. That's my opinion. One other thing. In 25 years of offshore fishing I have never lost a fish of any type due to a reel malfunction on my Penn Senators. That includes all four blue marlin I have caught (300 to 450lbs) personally.

I have 4 penn 6/0's i use. BPS had a combo I bought for 125.00. Penn slammer rod which look almost the same as penn Senator rods except cost half the price.

Gold looks pretty, I have one Penn international. When either the Senator or the international gets hit the result is usually the same the fish hits the gaff.

It is nice having lever drag reels to visually know where your drag is set at. If I was to add more reels they would be TLD25's.

Im poor so I can use the reels for stripped bass and Drum as well as YFT.

Eric

Welcome to the board!

I've used a lot of reels and I've sold a lot of reels. Penn Internationals and Shimano Tiagras are both great products. The new TLD's probably give you the most bang for the buck. For my own personal reels, I completely re-outfitted with all Avets this past year. So far, I haven't had any problems, but they haven't been tested too hard at this point.

You might want to jump on someone else's boat and learn the ropes and get a feel for what you like before you buy. Most guys are willing to help.

Bill

i always go toward shimano for my reels

i thank they are more reliable

Penns are easily serviced worldwide. Shimanos are tough, wear resistant and have smooth drags which take far more abuse than their line class would indicate. We have both and use them both all the time. Unless you have money riding on the fish you bring in, TLD 25s are pretty standard fare that perform well in many areas, and a lot of fun even with some larger fish. Only change is to buy a good "performance handle" for the 25s. It's another $45, but gives you a real cranking advantage. TLD 25s are our reel of choice for White Marlin also. You will have to evaluate what most of your fishing will be. Good luck.
Dave

I have a couple of internationals, but I also have several Penn 9/0's which I bought for a fraction of the price and for what I catch they seem to work just as well.

You can get them from Boater's World online for $139.

I have both Shimano and Penn International.The Shimanos have a more advanced drag system .Penns drag system gets a bit tighter as the washers expand from friction.The Shimano have a spring encapsulated in oil helping the drag to stay smoother and more consistent.Keep in mind that all reels drag increases as the spool diameter gets smaller.I have caught alot of fish over the years with Penn reels but I think Shimano has the edge right now.Tiagra series are nice they have a better handle right out of the box.The drag lever is ratcheted on the new models it keeps them from slipping the older tiagras did have a problem with the lever moving while trolling caused by boat vibration.The new ratchet drag system solved the problem.

Hey I dont know what size you are looking for but boaters world is selling TLD 25s on a decent stand up rod for $179.00.....pretty sweet deal considering most places sell TLD 25s by themselves for 180.00. We bought six. and you can get a sweet extended warranty at boaters world that will cover anything including if you hook into a whale and it rips the guts out of your reel and snaps your rod boates world will give you a new one(it is legit). And I am a shimano fan because they are known to produce some of the most well engineered products in the world aside from fishing and they hang their reputation on that.
-Thom

6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other.but don't rule out AVET reels check them out.i have 6 exw 40/02 & one 50 there smaller &lighter in hand, better drags and you can drop them in a bucket of soap and water.you can't do that with a penn or shimono.i also have 900 yd 80# braided & 100yd 80#mono on them which is an a$$ load of line and 2years ago i landed a 230# bigeye with a 40. AVET has a video where they hook up to a car drive away at over 55mph penn is smoking,shimono is hot and AVET isn't even warm. bye the bye if you buy 6 or more there only 290.00 each the 50 was full price but with the discount it came out to be free and put 300.00 back in my pocket

FYI-I just got word from a distributor that the TLD 25's are in short supply, so if you want them you should get them quickly, or you may have wait til after the season.

I fish with both. I can go either way. BTW if anyone is interested I have a TLD 80 - new in the box - I can let go for 750. IT has never been mounted- its a nice real. send me an email if you are interested jdyvaman@yahoo.com. John