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Penn Battalion Surf Rod Review

Penn Battalion Surf Rod Review

If you’re looking to hit the surf for some great fishing but unsure where to turn for your next rod, you’ll benefit greatly from this Penn Battalion Surf Rod Review.

The Penn Battalion is an excellent surf rod that is moderately priced yet still packed with features that will help you tackle those challenging surf fishing situations. 

Penn is a big name in the fishing world, and they’ve been cranking out great products since 1932. We respect Penn tremendously for their rods and reels, and there aren’t too many products they come out with that don’t impress us. 

The Bottom Line

  • It is an excellent value for a medium-priced surf rod.
  • Great strength and sensitivity
  • Perfect for heavier bait and large, heavy plugs
  • Quality construction throughout.

The Penn Battalion Surf Rod is great and is available here.

The Penn Battalion is a step up from the Penn Prevail surf spinning rod and is priced about $40-60 cheaper, but it also lacks some of the outstanding features we love about this rod. 

Let’s look at some things that impress us the most about the Penn Battalion surf rod.

First, look at the blank on which the Penn Battalion surf rod is built. It’s made of graphite composite material, which means it is a mixture of graphite and fiberglass. The rod is 70% graphite with 30% fiberglass. This combination is ideal because it gives you the perfect mix of power, strength, and lightweight performance. 

The graphite is lightweight and sensitive, which helps you feel the bite on such a large surf rod. The fiberglass helps complete the rod with the strength and power you’ll need to pull fish through the surf and over the sandbars.

Next, we’re looking at the gripping ability of this rod when you’re battling a fish. The grips are made of rubber shrink tube material that is ideal for surf rods.

The shrink tubes are durable, maximize the rod’s performance, and are easy to grip when your hands get wet and slippery from your last catch in the surf. You won’t have to worry about losing your grip and compromising your retrieval with the Penn Battalion surf rod.

Features

2-piece graphite composite blank

This rod features a 2-piece graphite composite blank. It incorporates the best of both worlds. With the Battalion, you get the strength and durability of a fiberglass rod (30%) with the sensitivity of a graphite rod (70%).

The rod comes in two pieces, which is optimal for transportation and protection. I generally keep my 12′ Penn Battalion surf rod tucked behind the rear seat of my pickup, so I am always ready when the opportunity presents itself.

Fuji® aluminum oxide guides

The stainless steel structure of the guides is solid and durable. They’re made with aluminum oxide, allowing the line to run smoothly through each guide without too much friction. These aluminum oxide guides provide smooth retrievals and casts for mono and braided lines. 

Fuji® reel seat

The seat on this reel is durable, strong, and lightweight. It’s black with Fuji’s DPS material, encompassing stainless steel hoods for security and stiffness. You want something that won’t move around or shift during each cast, and the Fuji reel seat has a proven track record of performance.

Rubber shrink tube handles

One of the most outstanding features of this surf rod is the rubber shrink tube handles. These handles provide the maximum amount of grip during wet and slippery conditions.

When you’re fishing the surf, you’re bound to get wet at one point or another, and if you are having a good day, you are bound to get plenty of fish slime on your rod handle.  To ensure that you maintain a solid grip on the rod regardless of the conditions, Penn has used this material, which is both durable and long-lasting over the life of the rod.

 Features at a Glance

  • 2-piece graphite composite blank
  • Fuji® stainless steel and aluminum oxide guides
  • Fuji® DPS reel seats
  • Rubber shrink tube handles for superior grip

So, at this point, you might be wondering if this is the right rod for you. If you’re asking yourself who this rod is for, let me help you answer that question.

First, if you’re an occasional surf angler who doesn’t care much about options and features, you might prefer a cheaper option like the Penn Prevail surf rod

Secondly, if you plan to take your surf fishing game seriously, you could even step it up with the Penn Carnage II surf rod. This one has a spiral graphite construction and has higher-end Fuji K guides with titanium frames and alconite inserts. The Penn Carnage II is the top-of-the-line surf rod from Penn. 

So the Penn Battalion surf rod is perfect for the fisherman or fisherwoman who fishes regularly and wants gear that will perform without breaking the bank.

You might want to pair the Penn Battalion with the Penn Spinfisher VI or the Penn Slammer III for spinning rod applications. Each of these reels is of the highest quality and pairs perfectly with the Penn Battalion for surfcasting. Typically, I would fish a 10′-12′ surf rod and pair it with a 4500 or 6500 size reel for most circumstances.

There are 11 different models of the Penn Battalion, with seven spinning rods and four conventional rods. The sizes range from 8 feet to 12 feet for some of the casting rods. For the most part, these are medium- to heavy-power rods.

The heavier the power of the rod, the larger the fish you will be able to handle. Learn how to choose a fishing rod here.

Field Test

I paired the BATSF2040S12 12′ spinning rod and put it into action with the Penn Spinfisher VI 6000. I loaded this front drag reel with 350 yards of 30-pound braid and was ready to hit the water. Let me tell you how thankful I was that the rod came in two pieces because I had my wife’s small Toyota Corolla, and there was no way I’d fit a 12-foot rod in that car easily. 

Where I was surf fishing, there was a ton of brush along the shore, so I decided to use one of my favorite lures from my friend Crazy Alberto Knie’s company, Tactical Anglers Jr. BombPopper, so I could get out to where all the fish were stacked up. With this 12-foot rod and a medium-weight topwater lure, I could cast extremely far and right where I wanted.

The combination of graphite and fiberglass in the construction of the rod allowed me to load up the rod and launch the lure every time without much effort.

The Spanish were running heavy that afternoon, and I could easily fish all afternoon with the lightweight rod. The rod was very comfortable, and the rod seat provided a very secure attachment for my Penn Spinfisher reel.

I always feel like the Fuji reel seats allow you to feel the bite much easier.  The Fuji guides also allow the heavier braided line to flow smoothly from the spool on all my casts.

I landed several Spanish in the 18″-26″ range throughout the day.  Later in the evening, as the sun set, I got a few reds to take the top water.  If you have ever had a redfish smash a topwater lure, you know how much fun that is.

Pros

  • Lightweight and durable surf rod
  • Great for beginners and experts
  • Affordably priced

Cons

  • Features don’t stand out much from the Penn Prevail II

Alternatives

If the Penn Battalion doesn’t seem like the right surf rod for you, don’t worry because there are plenty of other options. First, let’s take a look at the Penn Prevail. This rod is a step down from the Battalion in price but doesn’t step down too much in features. 

The Prevail is a two-piece graphite composite blank with rubber shrink tube handles. It also has aluminum oxide and stainless steel guides. Cutting the price nearly in half is starting to look good.

If I wanted to stay with the Penn brand and I wanted a slightly more excellent rod, more sensitive, and with somewhat higher-end components such as titanium guides and an EVA-backed, shrink-wrapped handle, then I would suggest you take a look at the Penn Carnage II surf rod.

Our last comparison, one of my favorites, is the St. Croix Mojo Surf Spinning Rods. These are premium SCII carbon fiber graphite with lightweight zirconium guides, Fuji DPS reel seats, and an xwrap cork tape handle. St. Croix rods are engineered to last; we love them here at Salted Angler. The price of the St. Croix is about 50% more than that of the Penn Battalion, but we think it is worth it to have a hand-crafted rod.

In Conclusion

The Penn Battalion brings a lot to the table, and overall, I love this rod. I think it’s incredibly comfortable, easy to fish with, and it pairs well with a couple of different reels, like the Penn Spinfisher VI or the Penn Slammer III.

My main issue is that I can’t see a significant difference between the Battalion and the Prevail for the additional price if you are an average person fishing only once or twice a month. 

While there may not be much difference between the two, the superior Fuji guides and reel seat make a difference if you fish regularly and put the rod through its paces day in and day out.

In conclusion, this is a very good rod for the price, and you would not be disappointed to add it to your fishing arsenal.