PENN Battle II Spinning Reel Review
PENN Fishing tackle has been around for a long time and over the years has made some of the greatest fishing tackle of all time; I’ve still got PENN reels my grand farther used and they still work great! If you are a avid fishermen, I’m sure you have noticed that PENN has been working hard on some new and exciting products lately. PENN has had great success with the Battle line of spinning reels, this well built and affordable spinning reel has been hard to beat! If you enjoyed the PENN Battle like I have, you’re going to love the new PENN Battle II line of spinning reels.
The new Battle II comes in eight sizes to cover almost all fishing scenarios; inshore, near shore and offshore; with the new 2500 size the inshore anglers will love it! As we all know braided fishing line (superline) has gotten very popular for all types of fishing. Hey its great stuff, small in diameter and super strong; but its hard on reels IE: gears and drag systems. The Battle’s full metal body, side plate and rotor will keep precise gear alignment even under heavy loads. And with PENN’s legendary HT 100 drag system which is keyed in the new Battle II’s; not only will this reel have a strong drag system it will last many hard fishing seasons. All Battle II’s come with braid ready spools, no backing needed for these spinning reels; you can put braid right on the spool with no worry of line slippage.
Cap and Stats:
BLTII1000: Mono cap yds/lb: 275/2 135/4 105/6 Braid cap: 160/6 130/8 110/10 Bearings 5+1 Max drag: 9lbs Ratio: 5.2:1 Weight: 8.1oz
BTLII2000: Mono cap yds/lb: 240/4 180/6 125/8 Braid cap: 210/8 180/10 165/15 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 10 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 9.8oz
BTLII2500: Mono cap yds/lb: 255/6 175/8 140/10 Braid cap: 240/10 220/15 160/20 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 12 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 10.3oz
BTLII3000 Mono cap yds/lb: 200/8 165/10 120/12 Braid cap: 250/15 180/20 130/30 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1 Weight: 12.3oz
BTLII4000 Mono cap yds/lb: 270/8 220/10 165/12 Braid cap: 360/15 260/20 185/30 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 15 lbs Ratio: 6.2:1
Weight: 12.8oz
BTLII5000 Mono cap yds/lb: 225/12 200/15 135/20 Braid cap: 420/20 300/30 240/40 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 19.8oz
BTLII6000 Mono cap yds/lb: 335/15 230/20 210/25 Braid cap: 490/30 390/40 335/50 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 25 lbs Ratio: 5.6:1 Weight: 22.1oz
BTLII8000 Mono cap yds/lb: 340/20 310/25 230/30 Braid cap: 475/50 390/65 345/80 Bearings: 5+1 Max drag: 30 lbs Ratio: 5.3:1 Weight: 30.2oz
Key Features to the PENN Battle II Spinning Reel:
• Full metal body, sideplate and rotor keep precise gear alignment under heavy loads
• Superline Spool™ – No backing needed because of the rubber gasket keeps superline from slipping
• Machined and anodized aluminum spool
• HT-100™ Keyed carbon fiber drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads
• Stainless steel main shaft
• 6 Sealed stainless steel ball bearings
• New paint process to stop paint lifting and chipping.
• Infinite anti-reverse
• Heavy-duty Aluminum bail wire
• New spool design that’s helps with less wind knots and has line capacity rings.
I was on the test team when PENN first started to design the new Battle II line of spinning reels. When I first got the reels, the look of them is clean and well built. The Battle II is noticeably super smooth out of the box, but what I found was after months of use, it’s still super smooth! I caught loads of flounder, redfish and striped bass on my test reels and fish after fish the Battle II’s stayed smooth.
As a full time fishing guide, outdoor writer, seminar speaker and tournament angler; I’ve seen quite a few spinning reels. Day in and day out, I fish with spinning reels and my clients use them too. When I look for a spinning reel, I look for the one that has a good price and built well enough to last through a long day of a guided fishing trip or a super long day of a tournament. Over the years of fishing, I’ve found that you get what you pay for in any fishing tackle, but who wants to pay “too much” for tackle; no one! You want a spinning reel that will stay smooth and have good smooth/strong drag season after season; right? If this sounds like the reel you are looking for give the PENN Battle II line a try.
If you have any questions about the new PENN Battle II or any PENN product, let me know and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Thanks for reading,
Capt. Jot Owens
www.captainjot.com
