Repairing of Penn Senator 9/0

Penn Senator 9/0

It was like a scene from the “Wicked tuna”, only at the Adriatic Sea close to Bar in Montenegro. After almost eight hours of fighting a fish, Peen Senator 9/0 failed at its only weak point.

Author: Igor Peric

Penn Senator 9/0 – older model made in USA - has been brought broken and unusable after long fight at sea – the shaft was completely blocked. To make the situation even worse, a tuna succeeded to escape just before landing due to leader break. It was like a scene from  the “Wicked tuna”, only at the Adriatic Sea close to Bar in Montenegro. After almost eight hours of fighting the fish, Penn Senator 9/0 failed at its only weak point.

Repair service

Senator was all in pieces when has been brought to be repaired, disassembled by its owner. That is a least wanted situation for every repairman – it’s neither fun nor easy to assemble a reel that someone else took apart.

In my experience, a Senator is an old design star drag reel and I expected no problems in servicing. Attention should be paid to some details; patience is needed as well as knowing how to “synchronize” elements of drive and drag. 

Shaft and bridge

Drive gear had all teeth in place. Internal parts was covered with fine brass dust – the product of friction which caused heating of the drag, disks and drive gears – witnessing the Senator’s long fight with big tuna.

Before the problem was closely analyzed, everything leaded to conclusion that part which failed was bridge with sleeve.

New bridge with sleeve (on the left)

Deformation that caused gear blockage

Dismounting an old sleeve from a bridge to mount a new one  would be inefficient in this case and final result would be questionable.

The best solution was internet shopping for bridge with sleeve. Following photos show other parts of the reel and can help to recognize a bridge position:

Part of the housing that holds drive gear

Spool release lever elements

Bridge, shaft, drive gear, drag elements, drag star...

... and all apart 

This gear drives spool

Finishing touch

When assembling the reel, the most challenging part could be placing the anti-reverse dog back to its position. It is needed to be placed properly and spring loaded.

Placing of the drive gear in its "pocket"

Before that gear shaft is taking its place, then bridge with sleeve takes its position but need to be rotated and moved aside so anti-reverse parts could be mounted.

Little tactic is needed for this: one hand holds pinion yoke and pinion while other hand put other parts in their positions. It could be difficult for the first time so taking a look at following photos can, hopefully, facilitate all process.

Anti-reverse elements setting 

Dog took its place 

Bridge rotated until all four screw holes are visible

From the other side: screws join housing and bridge with drive elements in between

Thin layer of grease covering a frame  

Spool goes back to its place...

... as well as drive mechanism...

... and Penn Senator is in one piece again.

The reel is tightened thanks to new parts and now works properly. Penn Senator is ready to fight and land some other big fish.

Rearming the lures

Only saltwater fishermen know how salt can have devastating effect on the tackle. Showering with fresh water after every fishing trip is a must if we want our reels and rods to last longer. It doesn’t work so good with hooks – they can last a bit longer but the possibility to lose the “fish of a lifetime” rapidly rises with every next fishing trip.

Usually, small markets imply poor supply – that’s how it goes in Montenegro. We are lucky to have friends abroad and they have a good will to send us a tackle of good quality, as well as a tackle which quality we would like to test. Few days ago we have received a package with singles and trebles inside. On the next photo you can see Decoy Pluggin Single 27, Decoy Y-F33R Drillinge and VMC Cone Cut 8573 RD Barbarian. 

Megabass Vision 110 SW armed with new trebles

Lures Way in English

It’s been 5 months since we launched our blog and we are easily gaining momentum. Every day we have more and more readers all over the world. Having in mind that Montenegrin language is specific and some words could be difficult to understand even for other Ex-Yugoslavian nations, we decided to translate in English some of the already published and every future post.

Small part of the Montenegrin coast

In pages and lines of the blog we are going to share our experiences and opinions about all important aspects and elements of successful fishing with different type of lures: tackle, techniques, weather conditions, ecology…You can read how to choose right lure, adequate rod and reel. We will open and disassemble as many fishing reels as we can so we could suggest the best quality for the price.

We will also report from our fishing and publish interesting photos so we can give you substitute of the excitement that reel drag sound brings, until your next fishing.

Hope you'll enjoy reading our posts. Tight lines!

Barracuda

Max rap 15 in the jaws

Sphyraena sphyraena – European barracuda, škaram, škarm, luccio di mare... Whatever the local name is, there is something special about this fish’s appearance and habits making it exceptional target for every spin fisherman. Although it’s not as strong as leer fish or bonito, large barracuda could be a big challenge. Let’s see why.

author: Igor Perić

The sea is calm. Sound of the smallest fish splashing is heard half a mile away. Eyes trained to register every move easily spot the track left on the water by the dorsal fin just a second before the fish disappears again in the darkness. Tide is slowly coming in and all that I expect is a light breeze to make the ripples. All preconditions are met that “something” runs from the shelter of the darkness to attack the lure.

First few casts give no results. Neither lure switching makes fish to bite. Nothing happens in the sea. Then minutes later something is going on again – the long underwater shadows are diving suddenly making the ring-waves on the surface. Tension is rising - bite fish stick very close to the dock wall opening and closing their mouths rapidly, obviously scared.

The moment later, characteristic “eight tracks” appear on the water surface out of the lures range. Feeding frenzy is starting – long silhouettes armed with strong teeth are cornering bite fish. That’s barracuda!

European barracuda, skaram, skarm, luccio di mare... Whatever the local name is, Sphyraena sphyraena is domestic species and one of the few species of barracuda that swim in the Adriatic.

Mystic

There is something special about this fish’s appearance and habits making it exceptional target for every spin fisherman. Although it’s not as strong as leer fish or bonito, large barracuda could be a big challenge. Why is that?

There are few reasons. Barracuda’s body is designed for the high-speed attacks in all directions. Elongated jaws are armed with strong, sharp and big teeth making barracuda able to attack prey in any direction, like a crocodile.

Jaws designed for hunting are powered by spindly, elegant and striped body. This beauty among sea predators is most active during morning and evening twilights what is making it a mystic and exotic game.

From dusk till down...

Barracuda can be fished very well but you have to find right fishing spot – harbor walls, dock and cliffs with deep water just underneath. Around these spots, during the morning twilight specially, barracudas approach the shore to feed with bite fish which try to find the shelter from abyss and jaws.

When non fishermen people talk about barracuda they usually imagine Sphyraena barracuda - the biggest species in this toothed family – that inhabits all seas on the planet. Laymen don’t know that barracuda inhabits Adriatic as well.

For this reason the domestic barracuda (skaram) is a bit neglected. Even the fishermen very often discuss differences between the skaram and the barracuda. Discussions are encouraged by some ichtyologycal data which are not so clear. The theory even says that skaram can have up to 8 kg in weight.

Barracuda family

During the last decade or so several species of barracuda inhabit the Adriatic. Among them is Sphyraena viridensis (Yellowmouth barracuda, bikuda), which in Atlantic grows up to 10 or 12 kg. It’s very hard to notice the difference between the European and the Yellowmouth barracuda since they share same habitat.

European barracuda has scales all over the gill cover

The only significant difference can be noticed on the gill cover’s preoperculum. European barracuda has small scales all over the gill cover, while Yellowmouth barracuda’s preopeculum has no scales.This is not of big importance for fishing pleasure, but could be interesting for those who want to know more about fish they’re after.

When you are targeting big barracudas lures of choice have to be long and slim. Small lure can be smashed by the barracuda jaws and you can be left with nothing but the plastic head hanging on the snap – scene just like in cartoons. I’ll quote one of my fishermen-friends: “big lure for big fish”. Even 18 cm long lure seams small in the barracuda’s jaws.

That would be all for now. Hope you’ll enjoy Lures Way team’s photos.

Author holds barracuda

Barracuda attacked Yo-zuri

Spinning from the beach - Duo vs barracuda (photo: M. Sakovic)

Small barracuda caught while trolling

Tackle:

(spinning)

Rod Daiwa powermesh 10-35

Reel Shimano rarenium 4000 fa

Braid  PowerPro 10 lbs

Snaps Daiwa D Snap, @Chelsea and Kahara

Lures – Bassday logsurf 144, Max rap 15, Ima Ko 130s, DUO tide minow 125, Nabarone 125, Yo-zuri magnet minnow 125 diet, Duel aile minnow 9 cm...

(trolling)

Falcon boat 12-30 lbs

Daiwa BG 90 

Stren 20 lbs 

Husky jerk 10 DD