Penn Torque 100

I recently added a Penn Torque 100 (TRQ 100) to my collection, and it is a sweeeet reel, especially since I got it a half price! This smallest member of the first generation Penn Torque series is powerful and smooth. The large HT 100 drag stack generates more than enough drag right out of the box, and after tuning it with some Cal's drag grease, it's simply awesome.


True to its name, this little powerhouse has plenty of pulling power, even at its high gear ratio of 6.3:1. The heavy steel handle and large knob help turn the massive gear train with a smooth and powerful feel that make the reel a pleasure to use.

Out of the box, the spool bearings needed some tuning, having come with a bit too much grease from the factory. I simply wiped away the excess grease and added some oil and now the free-spool is fine.

However, while doing this first maintenance on it, I noticed that the heavily advertised "double dog" anti-reverse backup feature plugged in all the ads (and even written on the box), is not there.No, there's no "double dog", only one, and there's no place to add a second, so the parts were not left out accidentally at the factory.

There is no "double dog" here, only one.

Apparently, this feature is only absent on the Penn Torque 100. The Penn Torque 200 and Penn Torque 300 are as advertised with "double dog" anti-reverse backup. On a brighter note, the Torque 100 has the magnetic cast control, which the others don't.

Still, the Penn TRQ 100 is an awesome little reel, and it's built like a tank (and as heavy as one too, lol). The magnetic control makes it cast like a dream, and the gears and drag are massive and smooth. I have yet to test it on a really big fish, but have no doubt that it will perform great. So far only some small kingfish and grouper have fallen to it, and they came in easily. Tight lines!

This was a review of the Penn Torque 100 fishing reel.