Penn Battle 2 Reviewed: Are These Spinning Reel Worth Buying?

Last Updated on May 20, 2019

Every fisherman is familiar with the Penn reels when it comes to inshore fishing. Penn has introduced many trending and popular fishing reels over the years. Penn Battle II series is one of the favorite reels of the anglers.

Quick Take

Available in a range of size from light 1000 to the bigger 8000, Penn Battle 2 is designed for fishing anything from trout to Barracudas.

The Battle II reels provide a great value of price for performance. They have workmanlike build quality with soft knobs that allows you to easily handle the reels with comfort. They are the cheapest Penn reel to feature the HT-100 drag system. The 3000 and 4000 sized reels are equipped with the anti-reverse feature.

Penn has upgraded their battle 2 BTLII5000 and battle 2 BTLII6000 reels with increased durability and smoother drag. You can choose from 1000-4000 series to throwing lures. Select one from the heavier 5000-8000 models to throw the bait and larger drag strikes.

Here is some features common across all sizes of Penn Battle 2.

Reel Handle PositionRight/Left
Drag TypeFront Drag
Drag MaterialHT-100 (carbon fiber)
Warranty1 year from date of purchase
FeaturesInstant Anti-Reverse

HT-100 is a lamination of carbon fiber fabric on large fiberglass sheets that are cut into strips. The different washers that complement the penn’s new designs are made from running these strips through a stamping die.

What size suits you?

Check the following table that compares all models of the Penn battle 2. (Bearings of all models are the same 5+1)

Penn ModelMono Cap
YD/LB
Braid Cap
YD/LB
Line Retrieve
(In)
Max DragWeight
(Oz.)
Gear RatioPrices
Battle II 1000275/2
135/4
105/6
160/6
130/8
110/10
22"9lb 8.15.2:1 Check Price
Battle II 2000240/4
180/6
125/8
210/8
180/10
165/15
30"10lb 9.86.2:1 Check Price
Battle II 2500255/6
175/8
140/10
240/10
220/15
160/20
33"12lb 10.36.2:1 Check Price
Battle II 3000200/8
165/10
120/12
250/15
180/20
130/30
35"15lb 12.36.2:1 Check Price
Battle II 4000270/8
220/10
165/12
360/15
260/20
185/30
37"15lb 12.86.2:1 Check Price
Battle II 5000225/12
200/15
135/20
420/20
300/30
240/40
36"25lb 19.85.6:1 Check Price
Battle II 6000335/15
230/20
210/25
490/30
390/40
335/50
41"25lb 22.15.6:1 Check Price
Battle II 8000340/20
310/25
230/30
475/50
390/65
345/80
44"30lb 30.25.3:1 Check Price

The larger sized reel models (6000 – 8000 size) have drag systems designed to withstand more line stripping you need to hook up on a large fish. You can easily fight large fish with the added line capacity to fish in depths of 100-200′. You will still have plenty of lines if a large fish starts ‘stripping’ line as they make their run.

The 1000 sized reel is very small with a minimal line capacity. These reels are generally adequate for the anglers who are aiming the smaller species of fish.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • It offers more support while handling heavy loads
  • Offers more support because of its metallic body
  • The line does not slip easily because of its rubber lining
  • Its engineered to last longer than the usual fishing lines
  • An instant anti-reverse feature is a great help during the fight with fish.
  • The smoother and constant retrievals through the techno-balanced rotor.
  • The soft-touch knob makes the reel comfortable to handle.
  • The metallic body maintains precision gear alignment.

Cons

The 5000-8000 sized models are significantly heavier. Some customers reported rough retrievals, wind knots, and noise after a while. There is a possibility of drag being stuck, the bearings wearing out, and a loosened spool after a period of use.

A closer look at Penn Battle 2 Reels of Different Sizes

Penn battle 2 2500 vs 3000

Penn battle 2 3000 review

Both are Small-Sized Models. Both have the same gear ratio of 6.2:1. Battle 2 3000 has a larger max drag of 15lb as compared to 12lb of 2500 model.

Both are mostly suited for light fishing in lakes, rivers, bays, harbors etc. You can catch Trout, Bream, Bass, Whiting, Perch, Flathead, and Luderick comfortably.

For the 2500 model, Suggested Braid is 5-12lb and mono is 2.5kg-4kg (5-8lb). You can use a rod in lengths between 6-7ft which have a line rating of around 2-5Kgs.

For the 3000 model, Suggested Braid is 6-14lb and mono is 6-10lb (3-5kg ). You can pair it up with a 6-7.5ft long rod with a line class rating between 3-7Kg. You can also use this reel model as a lightweight blackfish reel on 9-10ft rods with a 4Kg rating.

Penn battle 2 4000

Penn battle 2 3000 vs 4000The 4000 model is considered a medium fishing reel and is most suited to lakes, rivers, bays, harbors, light offshore boat fishing etc.

This size is popular to catch Morwong, Snapper, Mangrove Jack, Tailor, Bone Fish, Drummer, Barramundi, Cod, and Mulloway.

For the 4000 sized reel,  A 8-12lb (4-6kg) mono and braid of 8-20lb are suggested. You can pair it up with 6-7ft  medium action rods (snapper/Barra style) with a line rating of 4-10Kg. You can also use an 8-10ft light surf rod with a light line class rating of around 3-5Kg.

Penn Battle 2 5000 vs 6000

Penn Battle 2 ReviewLaunched in 2015, battle 2 5000 and 6000 are the popular sizes of this Penn series.

The battle 5000 size weighs 19.80 oz that is lighter than battle 6000 that weighs 22.1 oz.

The btl2 5000 can hold 300 yards of 30-pound braid whereas btl2 6000 ha capacity of up to 390 yards of 40 lb braid. The btl2 6000 also has a greater mono capacity.

There is a significant difference between the retrieve rate of both reels. The 6000 sized battle2 reel has a higher rate of 41″ while 5000 sized reel has a retrieval rate of 36 inches.

There are several features that both Penn battle reels share. Both have the same maximum drag of 25 lb and a gear ratio of 6.2:1. You can use any of these reels to catch small and large fish. The anodized spool has a rubber gasket to prevent the line from slipping so there is no need for backing.

Both reels have an all-metal design, stainless steel metal shaft, and 6 sealed bearings that provide superior corrosion-resistance and smoother performance in both fresh and salt-water fishing in the coasts and low country inlets.

Although they may feel a bit heavier to some people, no critical issues have been found with these reels.

Comparisons

Penn battle 2 vs Spin fisher

The spinfisher performs better in the surf fishing. It has better resistance to the water in the heavy splashing. It exerts a greater lockdown drag to hold the pressure of heavy braid and pull out a fish.

The Penn battle is good to use in the flats and throwing lures regularly. It provides a lot of drag for anything you will find in the flats and is water resistant unless the waves regularly go splashing against it with you standing in the surf.

The Shimano Sahara, symmetry or stradic are also excellent options to use for work in the flats,.

The affordability is the main reason people prefer to buy Battle-2 over the spinfisher. Anyone who has tested both reels would prefer the spinfisher to have in his arsenal for any situation.

Conclusion

The Penn Battle II  5000 and 6000 Reels are good investments for fishermen because of their proven performance and greater reliability. The quality and performance of these reels are not compromised for the affordable price it is offered at.

The Penn Battle 2 reels will be a companion of your fishing pursuits for a long time if you maintain it properly. The great customer service of Penn is available for the problem with the reel.

Check this article to learn how to catch bluefish

 

 

 

 

 

 

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