Best Offshore Spinning Reels You Can Find in 2023

Last updated on December 21st, 2022 at 12:05 pm

When it comes to catching big and strong fish in rough and tough offshore environments, the Standard spinning reels don’t stand a chance. Anglers require proper gear that is built to withstand any kind of heavy abuse and is powerful. What type of reel can do that? The answer to this question is “Offshore reels.” 

Offshore reels could be spinning or baitcasting reels, but our focus will be on the best offshore spinning reels in this article. As the name indicates, these are upgrades of spinning reels. They are tough, strong, durable, and powerful, making them a bit more expensive than standard ones, but we all know that quality comes at a price. 

In this article, we’ve made a list of the five best Offshore reels you can find in 2022. We’ve also reviewed each product which will help in your decision-making process. Before beginning, I would like to assure you that our list is totally unbiased and honest. None of the brands pay us, but buying from our links gives us a little commission. Our team tried their best to help you people, which is our main goal. So without wasting more time, let’s get on with the list. 

Top Five Offshore Spinning Reels:

Here are the top five offshore spinning reels of 2022. Every product is great in terms of value providing and durability. Moreover, these Offshore reels are a part of many angler’s arsenals. 

IMAGE	PRODUCT	SHOP
Best Fishing Line	Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reel Benefits: A sight for sore eyes, Solid construction, Durable and Long-lasting, Smooth performance, Strong and Powerful, Superline spool	Shop Here
Saltwater Spinning Reel	Shimano Saragosa SW Saltwater Spinning Reel Benefits: Corrosion-resistant, Powerful and Strong, Durable and Long-lasting, Protected with X-shield, Super smooth performance, It comes in beautiful silver color, Reliable X-touch drag	Shop Here
Spinning Reel	Van Staal VR150 Spinning Reel Benefits: A sight for sore eyes, Fully sealed and corrosion resistant, Strong and Powerful, Smooth and Fast, Comes with a bail-less option, Suitable for both saltwater and freshwater	Shop Here
SW Spinning Reel	Shimano Stella SW Spinning Reel Benefits: Completely waterproof, Strong aluminum body, Lighter than its competitors, Super smooth performance, More durable than any other reel, Almost zero chances of back play, Powerful drag to target anything, Available in different sizes, One of the best offshore spinning reels	Shop Here
Slammer Spinning Reel	Penn Slammer III Spinning Reel Benefits: Full metal construction, Powerful Dura-drag, CNC gear technology, Smooth and Strong, Line capacity rings on top and bottom, Available in different sizes, Water-resistant, One of the best offshore spinning reels, e-for-money product	Shop Here

These products are, without a doubt, a few of the best offshore spinning reels. Their customers are satisfied with the performance, and our team of experts also recommends these products for a better fishing experience. 

1. Penn Spinfisher VI Spinning Reel

Starting our list with the champion of spinning reels, Penn Spinfisher VI. This reel satisfied a vast majority of anglers around the globe. Whoever used it loved it. Penn has a history of providing the best spinning reels in the market, and Spinfisher VI is no exception. All the new features and excellent durability make this reel is worth every penny. 

Quick Features: 

• IPX5 sealed spool and body
• HT-100 carbon fiber drag system
• Metal construction
• CNC gear technology
• 5+1 Sealed bearings
• Superline spool
• Stainless steel ball bearings
• Manual bail trap
• Powerful spinning reel

Specs and Details: 

Construction: 

Penn never disappoints its customers in terms of durability and the design of the reels. Penn Spinfisher VI is built with solid and lightweight materials. As a result, it is light, stylish, and durable. It also makes the reel suitable for various fishing conditions. 

Drag:

Spinfisher VI features a standard HT-100 drag system, which is smooth and powerful. It gives you enough stopping power to catch big game fish. The HT-100 also makes the reel super smooth so that you will have no complaints regarding its performance. 

Ball Bearings and Gear Ratio:

This monster hunter comes with 5+1 stainless steel ball bearings. It makes the reel smooth as butter. Also, the bearing drive is sealed to protect it from dust and other particles. 

Different models of this reel feature different gear ratios, but we’re only concerned with the high models. Spinfisher VI comes in 5.6:1, 4.7:1, and 4.2:1 gear ratios. 

Spool:

The Spinfisher VI also features a superline spool which is more than just good. It means you can cast more than 100 miles without any maintenance. How good is that for an offshore spinning reel?

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2. Shimano Saragosa SW Saltwater Spinning Reel

The second reel on our list is one of the people’s champions, Shimano Saragosa SW. This reel is undeniably one of the best offshore spinning reels available in the market. Unsurprisingly, this Shimano product satisfied a huge sum of anglers around the globe. Let’s have a look at the reasons why.

Quick Features:

• Strong XT7 graphite body
• Good-looking design
• The powerful cross carbon drag system
• X-shield technology for durability
• X-ship for smoother gear performance
• CF forged aluminum spool
• Propulsion line management

Specs and Details:

Construction:

As you know, construction is the most important thing to consider in an offshore spinning reel. These have to be strong and suitable for tough saltwater environments. Shimano Saragosa is built with strong materials, making it a perfect choice for rough and tough conditions. Its construction makes the reel withstand every kind of abuse for almost a lifetime. 

Drag:

An offshore reel has to be loaded with a strong and powerful drag, allowing anglers to target big fish like tuna. Just like other high-end Shimano products, Saragosa SW comes with a strong cross carbon X-touch drag system that knocks out big species easily. It’s also smooth, so you will not have any difficulties using it. 

Ball Bearings and Gear Ratio:

The smoothness of a reel depends upon the number of ball bearings. As mentioned earlier, Shimano Saragosa SW is smoother than its competitors due to 5+1 ball bearings. These make the reel perform flawlessly in any fishing condition. 

This brilliant offshore spinning reel features a 4.9:1 gear ratio. It enables the reel to fight big fish power easily. Besides, this reel features X-ship that makes the reel even more smooth and fast. 

Spool: 

Shimano Saragosa SW comes with a forged aluminum spool, offering smooth retrievals along with maximum durability. 

X-Shield:

Shimano added its X-Ship technology to Saragosa SW to make the product more durable. It places sealing gaskets and O-rings in the critical areas to protect it from water and sand. How good is that?

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3. Van Staal VR150 Spinning Reel

This reel is by far the nicest reel I have ever had in my hands. Van Staal VR150 looks incredibly amazing. We can call it the most good-looking offshore spinning reel in the world and one of the best offshore spinning reels. It is a fine example of engineering, and as soon as you hold it in your hand, you’ll like it. The Van Staal VR150 is designed for targeting big offshore fishes. Let’s dig more about this beast.

Quick Features:

• Machined 6061 aluminum body
• Spiral-bevel gear system
• Powerful Drag
• Waterproof and Corrosion resistant 
• Fully sealed body and spool
• Smooth and fast performance

Specs and Details:

Construction:

As mentioned before, construction is the most important thing in a reel. Manufacturers build a strong reel for offshore fishing because of the environment and conditions. Van Staal VR150 is constructed by strong forged machined 6061 aluminum, making the reel solid and light. It also makes the reel durable and suitable for offshore fishing. 

Drag:

Van Staal VR150 features a carbon fiber drag system which is good. The reel offers a max drag of 35 pounds that is enormous. With this much power, you can take down any bad boy of water. The VR150 drag is not the smoothest, but it’s fine with me. 

Ball Bearings and Gear Ratio:

This amazing Van Staal reel features lots of bearings for smooth performance. The reel comes with 13 bearings. Isn’t it brilliant? Moreover, the bearing quality is also good for a longer reel life. 

VR150 comes with a 4.8:1 gear ratio. It makes the reel fast and suitable for offshore fishing by making it the best choice to fight and take down big fish.

Spool: 

This beast of a reel also comes with a decent spool. It allows anglers to cast further and deeper along with the smooth line retrieval. Its spool makes the reel a great reel for those who fish in different conditions and hunt down different heavy species.

Bail-less Option:

Another great feature of Van Staal VR150 is the bail-less option. The bail arm of this reel is strong and smooth, and I believe it’s great. However, if you are a fan of the bail-less technique, then you’ll love this reel even more.

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4. Shimano Stella SW Spinning Reel

Next stop on our list is the King of best offshore spinning reels, Shimano Stella SW. This reel is also known as the Legend of saltwater. Shimano Stella SW is undeniably the best reel available in the market. Obviously, the best product comes at a huge price. In this review, we will go through its details and find out if it is worth spending a thousand dollars. Let’s go.

Quick Features:

• Strong aluminum body
• X-Rigid rotor, body, and handle
• Propulsion line management and spool lip
• Cold forged aluminum spool
• Ceramic coated spool
• DLC line roller coating 
• X-Shield and X-Protect
• X-Ship
• Paladin gear durability
• 14+1 ball bearings
• Dyna-Balance
• Fluidrive

Specs and Details: 

Construction: 

Shimano Stella SW is built to last for a lifetime without compromising its performance. The reel is solid, and as soon as you hold it, you start to like it. It has a strong aluminum body which makes the reel long-lasting and durable. The X-Rigid body, rotor, and handle reduce flexing in the reel, which means all the cranking power goes to gears to make it even more powerful.

Drag: 

This thousand-dollar reel comes with a brilliant X-Tough drag, undeniably the best and most powerful drag Shimano has ever offered. Even more, this drag system is one of the smoothest available in the market. It can easily deal with the high speed and power of fish like giant tuna. 

Ball Bearings and Gear Ratio:

Stella SW features 14ARB+1RB bearings for extremely smooth performance. 14ARB means it features 14 anti-rust bearings to increase the durability of the reel. Shimano Stella SW also features a one-way roller bearing to set the hook without back play. 

The reel also comes in different gear ratios to be suitable for various fishing conditions and environments. It comes in 4.4:1, 4.6:1, 4.9:1, 5.6:1, 5.7:1, and 6.2:1, depending on the size of the reel. 

Spool: 

Shimano Stella SW offers a cold forged aluminum spool which is undoubtedly the best. It is designed for infinite strength and power to make the reel even better. The CF aluminum spool is better than both die-cast aluminum or graphite spools. 

X-Ship: 

The X-Ship technology of Stella SW eliminates rotor flex and twisting. This technology also provides smooth and power cranking action. 

X-Shield and X-Protect:

The combination of x-Shield and x-Protect makes Shimano Stella SW the best waterproof offshore spinning reel. There’s a series of O-rings and gaskets located in the most critical areas. These rings and gaskets ensure that water, sand, and dirt are not welcome in the reel. How brilliant is that?

Other Features:

• The reel also has a propulsion line management system made of the spool with a longer stroke design and a new spool lip. It makes the casting easy.
• Stella SW comes with Paladin gear durability enhancement which makes the reel long-lasting. 
• The Septon handle grip of this reel makes sure your hand doesn’t slip. It is also very comfortable. 
• Fluidrive II makes the gear of the reel more smooth to give you a better fishing experience. 

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5. Penn Slammer III Spinning Reel

The last stop on our list is another one of the best offshore spinning reels, Penn Slammer III. If you are looking for a mid-range spinning reel for heavy offshore duty, then my advice is to go with the Slammer III. It can serve its master in a very smooth way for a long time due to its durability. Let’s see what else it has to offer.

Quick Features: 

• Full metal body
• IPX6 sealed body and spool
• Sealed dura-drag system
• 6+1 stainless steel bearings
• CNC gear technology
• Manual and dual bail trip

Specs and Details: 

Construction: 

As you already know, construction is the most important thing in a spinning reel, and we’ve mentioned it many times. The Penn Slammer III features a full metal body, side plate, and rotor. It makes the reel durable and long-lasting. We all want that, don’t we?

Drag: 

Penn Slammer III features the awesome dura-drag. It’s actually the first reel to offer this incredible drag that is now considered even better than HT-100. Even more, the washers are coated with special materials for longer reel life. 

The Dura-drag is powerful. It can easily win fights against tuna and catfish. Moreover, the drag is also very smooth, so you don’t have to worry about it. 

Ball Bearings and Gear Ratios: 

Penn reels are famous for their smooth performance. That is due to the number of ball bearings they offer. Slammer III is another Penn’s smooth reel that offers 6+1 ball bearings. Also, these are sealed for better and long-lasting performance. 

The reel features different gear ratios, which makes the reel suitable for various fishing conditions and environments. Slammer III comes with a 6.2:1, 5.6:1, 4.7:1, and 4.2:1 depending upon the size of the reel. Grab whichever suits your conditions. 

Spool: 

The Penn Slammer III features a brilliant aluminum spool that is durable. It also adds a little bit of strength and power to the reel due to its design. A standard 4500 Slammer III will allow you 300-350 yards with a 20-pound braided line which is amazing. If you want a reel for little offshore jigging, then this 4500 Slammer III will get the job done. 

Other Features: 

• The Slammer III features CNC gear technology that guarantees cracking power will last for a very long time. 
• The body, drag, and spool of the reel are sealed. It makes the reel more durable.
• The spool of Penn Slammer III is braid ready and has line capacity rings on top and bottom to see how much line you have on the spool.
• The small sizes come with an automatic bail trip, while the large ones come with the manual. 

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The Final Verdict: 

Not everyone can do offshore fishing. It’s an art of masters. If you are reading this, then it means you are one of the finest anglers in your region. You surely are aware that offshore fishing requires quality gear. We tried our best to provide you a list of them. These products are the best offshore spinning reels available in the market. Grab one and make your trips worth remembering. 

If you have something to tell regarding these offshore spinning reels, please tell us in the comments. We wish you all the best for your offshore fishing trips. Goodbye.