Penn Battle II
- Thread starter saflyfish
- Start date
Personally I wouldn't touch a Penn reel for spinning if you are using braid, not even with another man's rod
I had the previous Battle 4000, after about an hour or so of spinning it starts to cast wind knots. Had one every second cast from there on, especially if I tried to punt it.
No, don't even try to blame anything other than that f&^ing reel, because replacing it with a Sustain 5000 and Sienna 4000 - 2 years gone by, not a single wind knot.
Same rod, same braid, same lures and same oke casting.
Now I can't really speak for the Battle II, but from my Experience and those of many others (read a few reviews on the Battle I) it has major problems when using braid:
-Inferior line lay (for thin braid at least)
-A flat spool lip
- No friction ring when the bail is opened (this often results with the handle turning due to conservation of angular momentum during the cast and has some unfortunate implications i.e. resulting with the bail closing mid cast)
-For the previous remark - yes you can remove the auto bail trip but the bail would also close too easily, a small knot or jerky cast would for instance be enough.
- The rotor would develop play and require regular retightening
All of this is completely unacceptable for a product that has reached the shelf. Especially at the price point it was introduced at, keeping in mind that the entry level Shimano Sienna has none of these issues.
Save yourself the money and buy another Stradic, its going to cost the same after about 2 hours anyway.
To be fair, the reel may have some application where it could be useful, but Okuma, Quantum and even Shimano/Daiwa have better contenders at a fraction of the price.
Rant over - Now I can go sleep.
I had the previous Battle 4000, after about an hour or so of spinning it starts to cast wind knots. Had one every second cast from there on, especially if I tried to punt it.
No, don't even try to blame anything other than that f&^ing reel, because replacing it with a Sustain 5000 and Sienna 4000 - 2 years gone by, not a single wind knot.
Same rod, same braid, same lures and same oke casting.
Now I can't really speak for the Battle II, but from my Experience and those of many others (read a few reviews on the Battle I) it has major problems when using braid:
-Inferior line lay (for thin braid at least)
-A flat spool lip
- No friction ring when the bail is opened (this often results with the handle turning due to conservation of angular momentum during the cast and has some unfortunate implications i.e. resulting with the bail closing mid cast)
-For the previous remark - yes you can remove the auto bail trip but the bail would also close too easily, a small knot or jerky cast would for instance be enough.
- The rotor would develop play and require regular retightening
All of this is completely unacceptable for a product that has reached the shelf. Especially at the price point it was introduced at, keeping in mind that the entry level Shimano Sienna has none of these issues.
Save yourself the money and buy another Stradic, its going to cost the same after about 2 hours anyway.
To be fair, the reel may have some application where it could be useful, but Okuma, Quantum and even Shimano/Daiwa have better contenders at a fraction of the price.
Rant over - Now I can go sleep.
saflyfish wrote:
The Penn Battle is a wind knot nightmare for light braid shore-based spinning applications. I used one before I switched over to the Shimano Stradic 5000.
Check out the Okuma Azores range of reel - very affordable with great line lay. Check on FB the fish Ewan Kyle has been catching with the big and smaller models recently!
The Penn Battle is a wind knot nightmare for light braid shore-based spinning applications. I used one before I switched over to the Shimano Stradic 5000.
Check out the Okuma Azores range of reel - very affordable with great line lay. Check on FB the fish Ewan Kyle has been catching with the big and smaller models recently!
Dr halibut hoffman
Moderator
My battle got 2 longfin in the 15-20kg range the last time it went out..And its line roller keeps on rolling and carbon drag keeps doing its smooooth thing and although I had nightmare teething problems with purefishing waiting for a part that I broke stupidly in the beginning, after that it has tanked along for 3 years or so and just caught fish after fish and not complained. It is not as smooth as my others but feels rock solid when a fish is on and is still tight and has no play internally. There is a bit of play starting in the bail arm from wear and tear and locked drags in shallow water 
but it doesn't seem to have any give in a direction that would impare the function or make anything touch that shouldn't. Anyway the gears look new inside and the AR is rock solid, even the finishing has held up to use on the boat and rocks and the reel is not heavy, not as light as stradics for sure, and the gear ratio is a pleasure to spin with. It was a couple of hundred bucks well spent.
Don't get me wrong, I love my shimmies and my stradic5000 is my baby, but just to give another opinion on the battles. The wind knot issue with these reels is an old story and was solved by underfilling the spool by 2-3mm and I have not thrown a windknot in a long time on any reel, been posted up here many times. Also I am giving an opinion on the original battle that I got 3, maybe 4 years back when it was under a grand. The newer models may be different and they are for sure more expensive now so factor that in. Anyway, my battle has been my backup for 3 years at least and serves as my boat spinner too and has serve it's purpose well I'll give it that.
but it doesn't seem to have any give in a direction that would impare the function or make anything touch that shouldn't. Anyway the gears look new inside and the AR is rock solid, even the finishing has held up to use on the boat and rocks and the reel is not heavy, not as light as stradics for sure, and the gear ratio is a pleasure to spin with. It was a couple of hundred bucks well spent.Don't get me wrong, I love my shimmies and my stradic5000 is my baby, but just to give another opinion on the battles. The wind knot issue with these reels is an old story and was solved by underfilling the spool by 2-3mm and I have not thrown a windknot in a long time on any reel, been posted up here many times. Also I am giving an opinion on the original battle that I got 3, maybe 4 years back when it was under a grand. The newer models may be different and they are for sure more expensive now so factor that in. Anyway, my battle has been my backup for 3 years at least and serves as my boat spinner too and has serve it's purpose well I'll give it that.
Dr halibut hoffman wrote:
You are absolutely correct about under-filling of the spool solving the wind knot issue. I was forced to do so, because the reel does not allow you to correct its horrible braid coning with spacing washers. Maybe the new Penn Battle has addressed this obvious flaw.
My battle got 2 longfin in the 15-20kg range the last time it went out..And its line roller keeps on rolling and carbon drag keeps doing its smooooth thing and although I had nightmare teething problems with purefishing waiting for a part that I broke stupidly in the beginning, after that it has tanked along for 3 years or so and just caught fish after fish and not complained. It is not as smooth as my others but feels rock solid when a fish is on and is still tight and has no play internally. There is a bit of play starting in the bail arm from wear and tear and locked drags in shallow water
Don't get me wrong, I love my shimmies and my stradic5000 is my baby, but just to give another opinion on the battles. The wind knot issue with these reels is an old story and was solved by underfilling the spool by 2-3mm and I have not thrown a windknot in a long time on any reel, been posted up here many times. Also I am giving an opinion on the original battle that I got 3, maybe 4 years back when it was under a grand. The newer models may be different and they are for sure more expensive now so factor that in. Anyway, my battle has been my backup for 3 years at least and serves as my boat spinner too and has serve it's purpose well I'll give it that.
You are absolutely correct about under-filling of the spool solving the wind knot issue. I was forced to do so, because the reel does not allow you to correct its horrible braid coning with spacing washers. Maybe the new Penn Battle has addressed this obvious flaw.
I have the Penn Battle II 8000.
I use it for Rock and Surf, not casting lures.
I used to have the wind knot issues, until I changed my rod.
I was using a multiplier rod and the small eye at the top was choking my cast.
Changed up and have not had an issue since.
SOLID reel when the fish is on.
Using 50lb braid on it, filled to the brim.
About 550m.
I use it for Rock and Surf, not casting lures.
I used to have the wind knot issues, until I changed my rod.
I was using a multiplier rod and the small eye at the top was choking my cast.
Changed up and have not had an issue since.
SOLID reel when the fish is on.
Using 50lb braid on it, filled to the brim.
About 550m.