Penn has to come up with something big to bring it back from where it is now, dontcha think? :gf:

Oh well, at least I picked up a minty-fresh 706 and a few Slammers. :hee:

So does this mean the Z series is going by the wayside.Do I have to pick up a few more an some of the parts that go with time.Is it finally the end of the 706z areal thats been my staple in the surf for many yrs?

What are the most important segments to address?

1) Freshwater bass guys?

2) NE saltwater surf fishermen?

3) Boat fishermen?

Who thinks #2 is the least important here volume-wise? Are we the pimple on the arse of an Elephant? :ss:

At a svelt 250+ lbs. I prefer to think of myself as a Boil.


But you are right, on that list freshwater Bass guys top the list of importance in the eyes of the manufacturers, and we, sadly, are #3

I'm sure Penn has some marketing research data on this. I wonder if BK would like to share it w/ us.

We are probably number 7 as you can likely scare up a couple more market segments. However, we ARE the segment where Penn cut its teeth and we ARE the segment that launched saltwater fishing's popularity as our forefathers were the ones of Saltwater Sportsman and the tourneys and the make of Penn in a way...

I think we are becoming increasingly irrelevant as a viable segment.

Anyone who wants to sell to us will be a specialty niche manufacturer or a smaller product line in a company with a large fishing portfolio.

Anyhoo, w/r/t to Penn ... I'll say again.

Production cost: Work in process?
Positioning: In the middle between value and high-end (excl. Int'l line)
Innovation: :sleeps:
Marketing : What marketing?

:eyes:

I think it's good that Penn has a new marketing guy that shows some interest in what the customer thinks, but it's going to take a lot more than that to turn the Penn ship around. Knowledgeable fishermen have been complaining about the same problems for years . . . and a lot of it was very fixable stuff. Unfortunately, Penn did nothing to address the problems and comes off as a company too stupid to get out of its own way. I've been surprised they've retained as much loyalty as they have - that's a real tribute to the patriotic sensibilities of fishermen.

I swore the 5500SS was the last Penn reel I'd ever buy, what a piece of junk! I ended up buying a 560 Slammer and I've been mostly satisfied with it - not a perfect reel, but I think it's a pretty good value compared to other reels in the same price range. Without the Slammer series Penn's surfcasting presence would be limited to greenie parts on E-Bay by now. I hope Penn can turn it around, and I think a lot of other fisherman feel the same way. But if they don't, there won't be many Penn loyalists left to attend the funeral.

BK??
 

Penn is not going to be made in USA anymore.... so... therfore, the girls in the ads have to take off the flag bikini's :kewl:

John... FWW---> both correct, we are probably a low priority as a group, but like John said, how did they get to where they got... bring back the US made coffee grinders, but update them... and for a low priority segment, we sure do get worked up over high end stuff, liike the VS, and Saltiga offerings, so target us something mid range-high range, with the aforementioned specs.

:kewl: You're doing a good thing stepping up, we're a pretty tough crowd :vamp:

But if you guys could follow through or even proto some of Mike p's suggestions as well as the others on the board that'd be excellent. I mean FFS you're PENN! EVERYONE has seen, touched, used a squidder, everyone has owned a 704/706 at one point, they're the workhorses('course we tweak 'em) but they're the workhorse. You have an audience, bounce ideas man! Best of luck... oh yeah I like my 7500's just fine :D ffs you got guys who designed bridges in school, Im quite sure you can get one of those cad monkeys to design an effective sealed drag...

He sold me one last summer. My wife chose a Stradic 8000. When both reels are side by side, there's no way you're ever gonna convince me the Slammer is a better reel than the Stradic. Bearing in mind that I'm a Penn loyalist, or used to be. If you're seriously comparing them to the Stella or Saltiga, your credibility just went the way of the Titanic :rolleyes:

Also, for a roller bearing anti-reverse, there's just enought back-slap there to be an annoyance. Same with the SSgs I've picked up and turned.

I propose that Penn change its name.

Instead of Penn, it really oughta be Chen.

:bl2: :think:

Hey Ben, add an "i" into that and it becomes french for "dog"! :D

ooohhh I feel a Chinese joke coming on, but since Alberto is lurking I'll behave. :angel:

Yeh Ben, you just can't offend the Chinese, eh?

Sigh.

Whither Penn?

Could it use a management enema of some kind?

Or maybe an R&D emetic, it seems the company keeps resorting to putting its finger down its proverbial throat to regurgitate the same old thing...

What is the end game for this company?

Do I smell an exit strategy for this tired old brand?

Think Shimano, Daiwa, or W.C. Bradley would step up to the plate to gobble it up while there is still some franchise value?

Is resistance to consolidation truly futile? Will Penn be assimilated into the hive?

Will Wee Wee ever shut up?

Inquiring minds wanna know.

:angel:

I'm still looking for the pictures of that real cool tricked out and drilled 706 a guy posted on SOL a couple years ago. Anyone have those pics??

http://www.stripersonline.com/cgi-bi.../1/35820.html?

Slip - that one is close but I htought there was another one just as detailed....

ain't sol .. but...
 

http://surftalk.njtackle.com/showthread.php?t=263

scroll thru the thread... starts out about cooler racks, but morphs into a Van Penn Thread

That one is schweet too...

That is the type of stuff I want to get into doing eventually. Making good reels better with a few upgrades. Paul

I have a couple ideas too :hee: hehehehe.... But I have no talent :crying:

God willing if I get my home shop set up by the end of the year we will talk. Could start on the space in a few month's if it is financially feasible. Going to be looking for lots of ideas. Paul