I recently purchased a Penn 309M Level Wind reel from a local shop. I mounted the reel on a rod last night and started to put line on it. The level wind went across the face of the reel and then back to the left and then stopped moving. When I turn the handle on the reel the spool turns but the worm gear for the level wind doesn’t move. This is a brand new reel!! I just took it out of the box. What a piece of junk. How is the Penn 309 going to hold up with a fish on?? Good thing I only bought six of them…
Oh, and the local shop owner was great – He told me to send the reel to him and he would drop a replacement in the mail. Better than Bass Pro? I think so!!!!
