Penn 209LC General Purpose Level Wind, 290yd/20lbs, 209LC review and price compare 2025- fishinghub

Brand	Penn
Material	Stainless Steel
Hand Orientation	Left Hand
Handle Material	Stainless Steel
Item Weight	0.59 Kilograms
Bearing Material	Stainless Steel

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Used by professionals worldwide
Made using only the highest quality components
Tested for quality and durability
Machined and anodized aluminum spool
Machine cut brass main gear
Precision-machined stainless steel pinion gear
HT-100 drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads
Stainless steel reel stand

From the manufacturer

The 9, 209, and 309 level wind reels are legendary for their versatile performance. Anglers worldwide have found their reliability and incredible toughness is at home anywhere - fresh or saltwater, casting or trolling. The popularity of these reels is unwavering, even though the design and look date back to the early 1940's with a simplistic, functional, and durable reel that is extremely capable.

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.85 x 4.9 x 4.5 inches; 1.31 Pounds
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 209LC
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ September 30, 2004
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Pure Fishing
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001RDKVW6
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China
Domestic Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
International Shipping: This item can be shipped to select countries outside of the U.S.

Q:

Does this reel have the line out clicker?

Answer: Yes it does have a nice loud clicker

Answer: The answer to your question is YES.

Answer: Yes

Q:

any backlash issues with this reel?

Answer: These are trolling or mooching reels. If you turn off the clicker and are dropping your bait with any amount of weight, you can get a birds nest (backlash) if the reel is allowed to over spool. Usually the result of an unskilled operator or not paying attention to your baits decent. The very nice thing about Penn 309,209 and 109 (m) reels are the ability to easily disassemble and repair / service the reels.

Answer: Not after you get used to casting a conventional reel. This doesn't have the break systems you might be used to on a baitcaster meaning it takes a bit more skill to use, but once your thumb is "educated" in controlling the spool making long casts is no issue.

Answer: No ,I have not had backlash issues however, I don't cast in the ocean, I typical drop to bottom and then crank up to 200 feet and wait for hits if no bites on bottom. I fish Pacific Ocean, Southern California.

Answer: No, have never had any backlash problems with my reel,not even during a Tug of War between me and a 20 Kg Yellowfin ( I won )

Answer: No, but I use it for trolling not casting. Used for salmon in North West.

Answer: No

Q:

Does it come in left-hand retrieve/ How much does it weigh?

Q:

How many ball bearings

Answer: I believe it has two ball bearing, used the reel last month on the ocean(Oceanside,Calif.) feet deep is a plus especially when boat drifting off declining ledges in the ocean. very pleased with reel.

Answer: I believe this has 0 ball bearings.

Q:

is this reel the smaless in this type of reel

Answer: Yes it is the smallest of it's type yet very reliable.

Answer: There is one size smaller...can't tell you the number, it's at the lake. We troll for white bass and stripers on a large open water lake. I use the smaller one, my wife uses this one. Not convinced the counter is of any value. I like Penn's specifically for trolling. I've had mine for 15 years and still going strong.But there is one smaller, don't know if its still made, though.

Answer: Yes, I believe it is

Q:

how much does it weigh?

Q:

Can i use it for saltwater ? made in ? whats the reels size on 20/30/40 ??? ^^^^

Answer: You sure can use in salt water. After all its a Penn. Line weight depends on what you're fishing for. I have 15 lb test on mine and I've 40 lb stripers with no trouble. It also has an excellent drag feature which you can adjust on the fly.

Answer: all that information is in the discribition on the amazon site

Q:

I am looking for a good size for lead core line capicity of 100 or more yds can you recommend?

Answer: No. With backer, leadcore, and leader it's too small. Good reel for mono

Answer: I tried it on one and I would have to say no, the reals I bought from cabelas would be a better fit for that, forgot model number

Q:

what is the gear ratio of this reel?

Answer: it is not a high-speed real. I don't know the exact ratio but the person at the bait shop who added the line wanted to sell me a high speed reel. I've been completely satisfied with it

Answer: 3.2 to 1

Q:

Is this reel a direct drive (does the handle turn as you let line out)?

Answer: No good

Q:

What model number is this? Is it a 320 or 309?

Answer: 320

Answer: It's 209 model

Answer: It's a 209 model.

Q:

Can the line counter be removed if it is not needed?

Answer: I don't know. Why buy a line counter if you don't nÃ©ed it. If you need one some times just ignore the counter

Q:

What is the country of origin?

Answer: Any 209 after 2005 are made in China

Q:

The picture is a right hand reel but description says left. Which is it?

Answer: it is right hand

Q:

Can you used braid on this reel?

Answer: Works well with braided line, yes.

Answer: Yes it works great with braid line

Q:

What is the difference between 209 series vs warfare and squall series?

Answer: The best way to tell the difference is to take the specs. from all three reels and compare the difference. The 209 is pretty much a basic reel; the others are a better quality.

Q:

what dose level winds means ?

Answer: It just means that there is a devise on the front of the reel that the line feeds through. As you reel in, it moves back and forth across the spool allowing the line to be wound in uniformly or level on the spool.

Answer: It means that when reeling in the line it automatically keeps the line level on the spool so it doesn't get tangled up. And you don't have to manually keep the line even on the spool.

Answer: The level wind is the guide in front that goes from side to side to let the line out and retrieve it makes sure the fishing line is evenly distributed on the reel.

Q:

How does this reel differ from a Penn 320 gt2lc? It looks very similar. I ran a search on ebay for a Penn 320 gt2lc and got your ad.

Answer: well besides the cost being almost double, the gear ratio is 4:3:1 on the 320 and 3:2:1 on the 209.line retrieve is 25" on the 320 while 19" on the 209 and the max drag on the 320 is 12 and 10 on the 209. hope this helps.

Answer: I have never used the reel you mentioned. When I bought my reel, I was aware of the quality of Penn reels and wanted a line counter to be more accurate to get to the depths needed to be where the fish have been located on the sonar. I matched it with an Ugly Stick medium heavy at 6'8". I have had more bites and caught more fish with this combination than ever before. The "feel" of the Ugly Stick and the ability to get to the right depth for my use was incredible. The reel fit my needs for salmon fishing, mainly off charter boats at Westport, Washington. Roger

Q:

Can you use lead core line

Answer: I cannot answer that, but I do know that you can use mono or braid, so lead core shouls spool OK.

Answer: It is not adviseable. Gets tangled way too easy.

Answer: Sorry, I do nopt have the answer, I have been using monafiliment 30LB test line.JIm N.

Answer: Yes but with backer it needs to fit in the reel. Probably five color will work with backer

Answer: Yes but only about 5 colors plus backing

Q:

does this reel come in left hand retrieve

Answer: Unfortunately, we only have the reel in right hand retrieve.

Answer: No it does not, sorry...

Q:

What's the maximum drag on this reel?

Answer: As with all reels,maximum drag should NEVER be more than 2/3 rds of the breaking strain of the line used.

Q:

will this work for a dipsy diver or is the drag not enough?

Answer: I don't see any reason why it won't work fine with a dipsy diver; it has plenty of drag.

Q:

Does this reel have a line distance counter?

Answer: Yes it has a line counter. I fish the Pacific ocean, the counter is helpful when bottom fishing using depth finder to hit hollows where fish located on screen. Also, use to top water fish controlling distance off bait from boat.

Answer: The one I have doesn't but they may have models that do. It works really good and has been a real work horse this past year both in fresh and salt water.

Answer: Yes, it does.

Answer: Yes

Answer: Yes it does

Q:

Is this a good reel for trolling for tuna, king mack, and dolphin?

Answer: extremely good for trolling 20 to 30 lbs mono or braid ( 10 to 15 Kg ) when you say Dolphin I hope you mean Dolphin Fish real name Mahi Mahi.

Answer: I use it for spring salmon (king or Chinook). Might be a bit lite for anything over 40-50 lbs. Very dependable reel for my uses.

Answer: I don' really know. We fish Lake Michigan for lake trout, brown trout and king salmon. Works good on 10 to 15 lb fish for us. Good reel for the price. I don't know if your fishing salt water

Answer: I use the rod for ocean bottom fishing, it is not heavy duty with limited line and weight only to 30lbs. the meter goes to 600 feet. Would not recommend for larger fish over eight pounds. Good luck.

Answer: I'm sure that it would be suitable for that purpose, but, I use this for reef/wreck fishing. It's dependable and the drag system is very good. You wouldn't need a line counter for trolling, but it works quite well. As with all line counters that rely on reel revolutions to measure the line, it won't be precise with all diameter lines and as the line deploys off the reel, the counter will over-estimate the amount of line played out at deeper depths.

Answer: No not even close it would not hold up to one fish

Brad : just wha I expected from Penn

Nice stipper reels. Now if I CAN JUST LEARN HOW TO CATCH MORE FISH ON A REGULAR BASIS. WILLPURCHASE MORE

Amazon Customer : Line counters are junk!

Ordered 6 of these. All of them have glue on the lens of the counter. 1 of them the counter does not work. Ordered a replacement and it came in 3 days. Took it out of the box, and the counter doesn’t work on that one also. I now have no faith in the other 5 that I have already spooled up. Returning all of them and gonna buy the Acuma CW-203d. Penn dropped the ball on these reels!

Randy Ferraro : Penn, The Conventional Reel

This review is for the Penn 209LC. I bought a couple of these to troll for Striped Bass, and they work awseome! They cast heavy 2oz plus lures with little problems. Getting up to 110-120 feet casts according to the line counter. Now I have read the reviews, and the people that are complaining about inaccuracies may have their expectations a little high for a line counter. It is just a gauge to stagger multiple rods when trolling, or setting approximate depth with your dipsy diver. It is not supposed to be a laser accurate measuring device calibrated by the thousandth of an inch. My examples are within 3-4 feet accurate at 100 ft of line. Lots of factors can contribute to inaccuracies like a slick wet line, or abrasive braid. That is not the point, the line counter helps you get a quick estimate with instant feedback to help you make adjustments on the fly without having to remember how many color bands of line you counted off on each reel. I bought one of these reels new, and one from Warehouse in newish/used condition. The new one arrived flawless and worked perfect out of the box, All I do is oil it about every 20-30 hours of use, 1 drop under each cap. The Warehouse specimen arrived in a non-servicable state, when adjusting the spool side play to the correct amount, the bail would not let out, and the crank was almost seized up. I disassembled and found a piece of the pinion gear near the slotted part, peeled back and lodged into the slot, I removed the bur, filed, and reassembled; now it works just like the new one. Seeing this condition makes me believe there may be some quality control issues, but anyone familiar with a Penn reel (I have fished them since over 30 years ago) would have no problem resolving small issues like this. Which brings me to my next point, this reel needs to be maintained to continue to deliver trouble free service. It needs oil, it needs the tension set on the spool properly with slight, but minimal side travel. The drag clutches wear and adjustments are needed. The person that purchases this needs to love conventional reels and not mind working on them from time to time. This one is still great because you can get all the parts for it. It is the reel I grew up fishing, and it is the only conventional reel I really want. For reel.

Mike : Two Stars

Was too large my needs.

Robert L. Johnson : Old school that works.

This product does what the none line counter model does plus the bonus of a line counter. Just simple and functional.

David Hanna : Five Stars

caught a fish right away works great

Dennis : Great price

Great trolling reel for large catfish.

NavyRooster : Once in a Lifetime Disappointment for a Sailor

I bought this reel about a month ago. I am currently deployed in the Navy and have the opportunity to fish off the back of the ship. I bought for use as a trolling reel and put on about the max line it could hold. The first time I put a little over half the line in the water the reel wouldn't even spin the spool. I checked the drag made sure everything was tight. Ended up flipping the spool release multiple times and finally started to reel in. Over the course of about 4 times trying to get this thing to work I've decided to send it back. The most disheartening part about it, is that this probably is the last time that I will be able to fish like this, two, that everyone told me to go with a Penn cause they are the best, and three, to be so frustrated that at this point I don't even want to go back out there. Personally I wish that Penn would see this review and be like, you know what sailor in the Navy serving our country in harms way, let us hook you up. Unfortunately like most things in this world its about money. I will just send this reel back, attempt to search around all while not being able to fish, in probably some of the best Mahi and tuna waters in the world. Maybe I should have just spent the 300 bucks that I don't have on one of their reels that actually work.

Greg : just what I ordered

I think this item will work out fine for my uses. It is very heavy duty and I'm sure that I will be able to use a long time.

Randy Ferraro : Penn, The Conventional Reel

This review is for the Penn 209LC. I bought a couple of these to troll for Striped Bass, and they work awseome! They cast heavy 2oz plus lures with little problems. Getting up to 110-120 feet casts according to the line counter. Now I have read the reviews, and the people that are complaining about inaccuracies may have their expectations a little high for a line counter. It is just a gauge to stagger multiple rods when trolling, or setting approximate depth with your dipsy diver. It is not supposed to be a laser accurate measuring device calibrated by the thousandth of an inch. My examples are within 3-4 feet accurate at 100 ft of line. Lots of factors can contribute to inaccuracies like a slick wet line, or abrasive braid. That is not the point, the line counter helps you get a quick estimate with instant feedback to help you make adjustments on the fly without having to remember how many color bands of line you counted off on each reel. I bought one of these reels new, and one from Warehouse in newish/used condition. The new one arrived flawless and worked perfect out of the box, All I do is oil it about every 20-30 hours of use, 1 drop under each cap. The Warehouse specimen arrived in a non-servicable state, when adjusting the spool side play to the correct amount, the bail would not let out, and the crank was almost seized up. I disassembled and found a piece of the pinion gear near the slotted part, peeled back and lodged into the slot, I removed the bur, filed, and reassembled; now it works just like the new one. Seeing this condition makes me believe there may be some quality control issues, but anyone familiar with a Penn reel (I have fished them since over 30 years ago) would have no problem resolving small issues like this. Which brings me to my next point, this reel needs to be maintained to continue to deliver trouble free service. It needs oil, it needs the tension set on the spool properly with slight, but minimal side travel. The drag clutches wear and adjustments are needed. The person that purchases this needs to love conventional reels and not mind working on them from time to time. This one is still great because you can get all the parts for it. It is the reel I grew up fishing, and it is the only conventional reel I really want. For reel.

David Hanna : Five Stars

caught a fish right away works great

Mike Whitehead : NOT a quality product!!! ????????????

Both reels I bought came to me broken and had gear jamming issues... poor choice. I have returned both to Amazon.

ILA D. : VERY GOOD QUALITY!

VERY GOOD QUALITY !

Ripple : Screws fell out!

Make sure all the screws are tight before using!!!! The line guide quit working on the first reel I bought on my first trip out with it. Sent it back to Amazon and they gave me a replacement. 3 screws fell out of the next reel the first time I took it out. Going to send that one back and hopefully I can get a refund. I've decided to spend a little more and get something that works. If you are going to buy this reel I would take a flat head screw driver and make sure all the screws you can access are tight.

Ray : Four Stars

Ok real not the highest of quality that I was expecting.

Caliken : The line/depth counter works fine. This is a replacement

The reel binds or locks up during retrieve, and the line guide does not move side to side reliably. The line guide would stay at one side of the spool for one or two seconds before it moves again to the other side of the spool. The line/depth counter works fine. This is a replacement, and it exhibited and same symptoms described above; as encountered with the first reel. What happened to Penn? The reel will be returned...

Amazon Customer : One Star

It was broken when it arrived

Ron : Five Stars

Looks like a pretty good product, arrived on time as advertised.

Fishing Texas : Reel is nice, counter is so-so.

Line counter is cheesy but it works, reel is great.

David Hanna : Five Stars

caught a fish right away works great

Owhatagoosiam : Another good Penn reel

This is not a Fin-Nor, but it's a whale of a lot less expensive, and it performs flawlessly. The level wind is a nice touch and the line counter reads a good estimate of the distance. The line counter counts the reel revolutions for distance, as all mounted reel line counters do, so it gets off a bit as the diameter of the reel/line combination decreases. A more accurate line counter will measure the line as it spools off the reel, but they are a pain in the ...back, so I'm happy.

Ron : What a great reel for the money

What a great reel for the money. I have a couple of real old Penns. I use them in fresh water only. Can't wear them out.

henry turner : There's a nice spin back after you lock reel

Product is not what I thought it should be for the price. I was excepting MORE ball bearings for $65. There's a nice spin back after you lock reel, but the reel and drag works great. Caught my first fish on it while walleye fishing, but it was a sheepshead, lol. Thanks.

David C : Great value

Great value. Quality.

M. W. : Broke the first time using it. Can't return it.

Broke the first time I took this fishing. Level wind stuck and then plan broke off. I was on a full day trip, stuck on the boat for 12 hours with no reel. Went fishing 30 days after I bought it on amazon. So according to their return policy I can't return or replace it. I feel robbed. Total waste of time and money. Save yours!

jamesnicholl : Excellant Penn reel with feet depth counter

Reel is exactly as advertised. Excellent Peen reel quality. I ordered especially for the feet depth counter for bottom ocean fishing.

Penn 209LC General Purpose Level Wind, 290yd/20lbs, 209LC review and price compare 2025

Product overview

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From the manufacturer

product description

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Questions about Penn 209LC General Purpose Level Wind, 290yd/20lbs, 209LC

Does this reel have the line out clicker?

any backlash issues with this reel?

Does it come in left-hand retrieve/ How much does it weigh?

How many ball bearings

is this reel the smaless in this type of reel

how much does it weigh?

Can i use it for saltwater ? made in ? whats the reels size on 20/30/40 ??? ^^^^

I am looking for a good size for lead core line capicity of 100 or more yds can you recommend?

what is the gear ratio of this reel?

Is this reel a direct drive (does the handle turn as you let line out)?

What model number is this? Is it a 320 or 309?

Can the line counter be removed if it is not needed?

What is the country of origin?

The picture is a right hand reel but description says left. Which is it?

Can you used braid on this reel?

What is the difference between 209 series vs warfare and squall series?

what dose level winds means ?

How does this reel differ from a Penn 320 gt2lc? It looks very similar. I ran a search on ebay for a Penn 320 gt2lc and got your ad.

Can you use lead core line

does this reel come in left hand retrieve

What's the maximum drag on this reel?

will this work for a dipsy diver or is the drag not enough?

Does this reel have a line distance counter?

Is this a good reel for trolling for tuna, king mack, and dolphin?

Product reviews of Penn 209LC General Purpose Level Wind, 290yd/20lbs, 209LC