It' fairly clear to me, however, which of the two brands sucks more than the other.

:laughs: :rolleyes: :smash:

what about tica:D

Ticas BLOW. :laughs:

Well...there goes all the penn z's.

I'll back you on that.SOOOO overpriced for what you get
Granpappy's 704,now there's a reel.
A VS is like a Jaguar:when it works it works great,when it doesn't its in the shop.Either way you pay BIG.
A 704 is like a classic American muscle car:when its runnin' you can beat anything out there,when its not you can fix it yourself and be out there beatin'em the next day.Either way you pay a WHOLE LOT LESS.

Buzz-erd, GREAT anology (sp?) on the Penns and the muscle car!
Yep, love my Penns.

Karl thanks.And its absolutely true.
The ONLY person who'll say its a lame analogy is the person who went out and THREW his money away on a VS.

I think a Porsche might be the better comp for the VS. A Porsche can be a pain in the ass but it can get up and go too. So can the VS and a lot of people lust after it. But while all you are beatchin about your cars, I'm going to climb into my "SUV" Calcutta 400 and just try to keep the sand out :D

Seriously - IF I could afford one and fished spinning I might get one but it's a non issue and for as little as I fish spinning (more of a loaner rod) I have a 6500SS Penn... More than enough...

im glad I got my VS reels
I could care less what others think
im the one out there
I hate 704s I like 705s:D
I cant wait for the co to come back so I can throw some more money away:rolleyes:

Dave, where can I find a lefty?

Well, there are a few lefty 100's at Fisherman's World in East Norwalk, CT. (203) 866-1075. Actually, I think there's only one left.

And they're out of Penn 704z's. Some whore hogged them all. :D

VS? i was considering abt buying one from erikt, but it's way too pricy for me. until im done with school and find a decent job and a place to live and a 4x4 to drive, then im gonna get one.

so FWW, tell me, i shldnt bother myself with vs?


Bill, i lost one of the ball bearing on my br. is it bad?

Joseph, check your pm's.

im waiting for it...

ben what is it a 150g???

Dave-

They're both black. I think 100 and a 150.

the 150 is that a lefty?

I think so. Call them and give them a holler, ask for Nick, Scott, or Gilberto. Or Ricky.

Jeez, I only told you a million times about the freakin' thing. :smash:

:smash: no, you told me 2 million times

BM - there is a lefty 150 at river's end in old saybrook CT. at least it was there last sunday morning.

Toby, they don't last very long there! :devil: :D

i know that you are a conventional guy. but i'll have to agree on the 6500ss so far it has withstood my punishment! but i'm still only a rookie compared to most of ya here about only 100+ maybe a little more cause when i joined this place there was 600 look at it now ! always fished baitcaster for the largemouth but guess i'm afraid to go all out and let it fly with conventional. guess after all those years i'm still worried about fixin the birds nest while everyone else is catching biggin's!!!! i will be asking questions about which ABU to buy or best bet do a search.. this topic i'm sure has been gone over at least 100 times.

A can is still the most reliable caster out there for bait fishing . Can even hold it underwater for ever as long as you cut a couple holes in the bottom for drainage when getting out of the water .
You can drink its contents on the way out to the jetty .
You can even recycle it for a nickel when your done fishing !
And most importantly very light weight !

Chris, what's your favorite kite string to use on your can? :laughs:

O.K. chris and wee-wee, i deserve the heckling for posting that after an evening and early morn of too many cans!!!! :smash: i was trying to replace my fluids after a day in sun, might have overdone it!!!

Wee ,BM and buzz-what are some of the problems you have with the VS reels? I was thinking of getting one. then I heard they are selling the company again. I figure I 'd wait. Are the older models better than the new ones?

My biggest problem with VS is not with the design (judged by some to be imperfect) or the reliability (the new generation ones I own are fine) or the service...but the stability of the company.

If VS goes under, it's possible that those of us who own (and love) them would be stuck with very expensive (and eventually leaky) paperweights.

Wee-makes sense especially with the maintenance plan for the warranty. I did hear through the grapevine there is an offer on the table. Hopefully they will get something done.

im sure they will be back
what will be around in ten years a nautil or a vs
plus Ya reel wont melt if You leave it on Your dash:laughs:

Just pray it don't leak oil when you leave on the dash. :laughs:

i dont care I have oil in the back of my truck and a adjustable wrench
maybe we can dunk a 650 in rubber and call it water proof:laughs:

How about a 250 lefty.

I got 5 705's collecting dust.

I need another 250.

piano wire .

I've left my 250 on the dash in 100+ degree heat. No leaks.

I also put it in the freezer to see how stiff it would turn in cold weather. No leaks from that either (and it's very stiff at zero degrees :D )

Originally posted by Tattoo


I got 5 705's collecting dust.




Ya wanna sell one?

My analogy stands.Point proven.Every VS owner in this thread is trying justify the money they've wasted.

Yeah, all VS owners are a bunch of wankers. :laughs: :p

the only money i wasted was on a tica and a nautil
its not about money:smash:

exactly, BM. the people that say someone spent "too much money for a reel" cause they bought a VS are the same people that give people crap for buying a porche. generally they are just jealous that they can't afford one themselves. what right does ANYONE have saying someone else waisted money on certain fishing gear? if it is justified to the buyer, more power to them! i love my van staals. they take the abuse i dish out, and come back for more. i have fished all the other reels from penn to nautil to ahab to crack, and none of them are even close. i will continue to buy van staals until they are all gone. and service is no longer a problem for me, as i have just about all the after market suppliers and parts list compiled. the more people sell theirs off, the happier i am. :D go ahead, fish your reel of choice whether it costs you $5 or $500, just keep on fishin'.

Originally posted by Buzz-erd
I'll back you on that.SOOOO overpriced for what you get
Granpappy's 704,now there's a reel.
A VS is like a Jaguar:when it works it works great,when it doesn't its in the shop.Either way you pay BIG.
A 704 is like a classic American muscle car:when its runnin' you can beat anything out there,when its not you can fix it yourself and be out there beatin'em the next day.Either way you pay a WHOLE LOT LESS.

t.lapinkski read the above quote from my first post.Its not about being jealous,I'm certaintly not jealous of you.I have a great job,I can afford a fleet of VSs if I wished to.
And yes it is about the money,why waste it when you don't have to.And EVERYONE has the right to say that someone else has wasted their money,we do live in America.
Have a good day,go catch some fish.

Originally posted by t.lapinski
service is no longer a problem for me, as i have just about all the after market suppliers and parts list compiled.

Uh, Toby, care to share that list with the rest of us VS-owning wankers? :D :smash:

Everyone has something in their garage, basement or closet that I could say they wasted money on.

Maybe it's a $200 pair of loafers or a tailored suit, where I could say a $40 pair of Thom McAnns or a set of Haggar separates would do ya just as well.

Maybe it's a hand made shotgun that cost $1000 where you could get a good Remington or Mossberg for half the price.

Maybe it's a $200 Hammer bowling ball instead of a $30 Brunswick--hell, why not just use the free house balls?

When you bought your last new vehicle, did you throw money away on custom wheels, custom trim, a better stereo system or radio, cruise control, power locks/windows/seats, a sunroof, or any other "convenience" items that don't affect the vehicle's performance?

Originally posted by Mike P


When you bought your last new vehicle, did you throw money away on custom wheels, custom trim, a better stereo system or radio, cruise control, power locks/windows/seats, a sunroof, or any other "convenience" items that don't affect the vehicle's performance?

YEP :D:happy:

Oh boy, Slip - what did you buy ??

Slip is a Yuppie
i didnt know i bought my reel cuz o money.
i thought i bought it to fish
:wall: :wall: :wall:

Its nice to fish with nice stuff...
I got toys in my attic...
:bounce: