If you like what you see, visit www.amazon.com/shop/ishwithfish for ALL the gear I use, review, and approve. These affiliate links directly support future content. Gratitude! 🙏 -------- one thing i edited out (cut for time) was a balance test ... if you hold the BG by the reel foot so it's parallel to the ground, you'll notice it's pretty bottom-heavy; i attribute that to the larger body, bigger gearing and light graphite spool. if you do the same to the battle, you'll notice it holds perfectly level; i attribute that to the smaller body and alloy rotor. the difference *may* make a difference in casting, but tbh i think that has more to do with the rod you're pairing with. just an fyi. personally i prefer the Battle II for surf casting because it's a better balanced reel on my battalion and in a smaller form factor, and the bail mech is much better and never prematurely trips. also, while the BG is consistently heavier than the Battle II (4000 size BG 14.3 oz vs Battle II 12.8 oz) i glossed over it because it's a small difference and the salt isn't a place for weight weenies. if you must save ounces, try a Penn Clash or any of the newer Daiwa LT reels.
Weight makes a big difference to me as I have ongoing shoulder issues. For that reason I went with the lightest quality reel I could find that would not break the bank and I ended up getting a stradic 5000. The shimano 5000 series is equivalent to other manufacturers 4000 series when it comes to line capacity & for weight it came in much lighter at 11.3oz. I need a backup reel and will likely go with the BG over the Battle.
When I turned 5 in 1979, my dad asked what I'd like for my birthday. He took me down to K-Mart and I picked out a Diawa Combo. That rod and reel was used throughout my childhood, my young adulthood and into my 30s before I had to retire it. Only once had I had an issue.... the grease had dried out and I sent it in to Daiwa. They completely serviced it and sent it back free of charge. They have a lifetime customer here. Glad they are still rocking it. Thank you for the review!
I have a penn battle 6000 (lasting six seasons) now and a Shimano spheros 6000. The battle and the spheros has seen some use and the only time I had to take apart either was this season. There was a feint clicking in the drag / bail system and had to strip the battle down. It’s been dunked and bashed around on boats on many occasions. I’m all I’m very happy with both reels!
Man, I bought a battle 2 5000 and the same day after catching a few fish, the bail broke on me. I can see the housing separated and the spring came out, returned it to Dick's and the store associate told me he sees that issue with Penn all the time. I guess they don't make it like they used to before. Gonna give the Daiwa Bg a try.
I own both reels in various sizes. The BG has superior bearings and the drag is smoother. Overall, I think the BG is a better reel. Only complaint about the BG is that the bail wire could be beefier. I take the bail trip ramps off my reels to prevent premature closure on casts.
@@Birkulumiste7 i bought the BG-3000 to test it out in the Ocean last year, seen about 45 days in salt water on a kayak, getting destroyed by stripped bass, and albies and it's still working pretty smoothly, the drag is still stable, all around really good for something you could get for a 100, but personally it's a little too heavy for kayak fishing.
@@Birkulumiste7 well if you're looking to surf cast on piers and stuff, i don't see why you would want something that small, since it could be easily spooled if you manage to hook onto something that could take lines, when its not fully spooled
Penn battle ii is in my opinion the best spinning reel made for the price. Ok. I've used both these reels in 2000, 3500, 4000 and 5000 size the past year salt and fresh water after my opinion/post above. I've taken them both apart to oil and grease and I've changed my opinion. I really like The Diawa BG. I've caught myself reaching for the Diawa when on the same rod. The Diawa is noticeably lighter, slightly better looking and also noticeably smoother than the Penn. Both are fantastic reels and probably the best reels available under $100 This is a spot on video review.
Yeah the diawa is actually going feel smother longer because of that extra bearing while the Penn is running on a bushing so after a year its going to feel like a zebco reel.
No. Price point. BG is too far ahead. Best budget reel and in top 5 best reel in the world. Battle ? So sorry lad. Penn have good name. Old reels have better quality than today's reel. My old BG, Ryobi,Tica is 30-40 YO. Got the BG4500 because of twin stopper
This was one of the best reviews I've seen, very thorough. Excellent job. I have been eyeing these two reels for sometime. I just recently purchased the Battle II 6000 for jigging. I haven't used it yet but I am sure I will enjoy it. I will certainly consider the BG for my next purchase. Again, great job.
Great comparison. I have both reels. Both are fantastic. BG is a little beefier and seems to have more power behind it. Also a little heavier. Penn battle ll is lighter but feels really good from cast to cranking in fish. I reach for my battle ll first but love both.
I have all Penn's, mostly the Spinfisher from the greenies to the V.I have a whole set of Battles no trouble at all.I have a Clash 2500 and 4000.I love these 2 reels,very lite.The new pursuit are the best buy for your money that the 3 series with HT-100drag.
Read Alan Hawks reviews on the BG. He is a reel connoisseur and expert on reels. The BG has internal gears that are found in high end reels and he pretty much said Daiwa is actually losing profit on these reels at that price point. BG is absolutely a much better buy over the Battle 2. Hands down the best $100 reel you can buy in the world
He didn't say that, they don't have the gearing from high end reels they have cast zinc which is the cheapest standard construction although they are very well made zinc gears and they definitely are not losing money on them think about how or why they would do that for a second
Alan Hawk recomienda el Daiwa BG del 2016, es el segundo mejor carrete de ese precio porque el primero es el Shimano Spheros SW A. Alan Hawk así los califica y ese hombre no deja escapar una en sus análisis
I love my BG reel , i have always bought Penn reels . I saw the Bg on sale so i decided to give it a try, and i am sold on it. I just can't believe how smooth it is . I just bought my second one
Thanks for the great video!I checked both out yesterday, in size 5000. I was amazed at how much larger, in every way, the BG was compared to the similar sized Battle II. In the BG series, it's a BIG jump from the 4000 to the 5000.Like you, I find the sturdier bail of the Penn appealing. The Daiwa bail seems relatively flimsy compared to the rest of the reel. That, however, isn't enough to tip me in favor of the Penn. Crank the BG and crank the Penn, and the choice is clearly the BG, to me. So much smoother and quieter than the Battle. The Battle is a fine reel, but the BG is an incredible value.
Thanks for the awesome review. Was thinking of getting a second Penn Battle 2 - 8000 series for crabbing. After watching this video for the 3rd time, I decided to go with the BG8000. Also, thanks for the amazon link. Will be getting more from your link once I get into striper and perch fishing.
Hi Ish, Good review. Two additional features on the BG. I have the BG3000 and it has a ball bearing on the spool main shaft ( under the drag washers) and a rotor brake that comes on when the bail is open. It slows the rotor spin when casting to prevent the bail from closing during the cast. I don't know if the Battle II has them. The large main gear on the BG is made of machined aluminum, not zinc. Thanks, Mickey
great feedback, thx. i think i forgot to mention the rotor brake, good catch. re the main gear, i went by alan hawks assessment that the bg main is zinc and not alu as advertised. hoping by now daiwa is actually using alu. i opened a newer saltist and it was def alu.
I'm just back from Baja where I used a Battle II 5000 series for surf fishing. I used an 11 foot rod to cast, among other things, a 2.25 oz skimmer lure called a "Cabo Killer." With this combo I caught roosterfish, several types of snapper, leopard grouper, corvina... At one point, a serious roosterfish ripped off about 100 yards of line. The Battle II handled it with no problems. I caught a LOT of good fish on this reel. I would definitely consider buying another. In fact, I'm considering it right now. There's a good chance that I will... maybe one size up to better handle those roosters...
I have both of them. Diawa 3BG 500, Penn Battle II 4000 sizes. They are both excellent. Built like tanks, they are smooth and very strong. The Diawa in the 3500 is roughly the same size as the Penn 4000. The Diawa overall a better reel.
I have them both too...Functionally...I find them the same while fishing...the big difference I notice is when cleaning them at the end of the day...I have never been a fan of the holes in the Battle's spool. Salt water gets dropped on the back side of those holes and makes it a little harder to clean...I like the SSVs better overall with their solid spools. The same with the BG...other than that...they are both excellent reels for a $100 bucks...it is indeed a great time to be a fisherman!
@@shawnweed265 heres a hack fpr you at the end of your trip soak your reel dont spray it soak it in warm water and re oil it every few times it will last along time
I have the battle 8000 its held to to sturgeon fishing on the fraser river for a few years now ..... caught several over 7 feet long (200+ lbs) in strong current .... its a great reel and I don't see it failing any time soon
the intro music gave me a wave of warm air. easy to watch a video with that. 5:32 i watched a guy at the jetty lose a big 10 dollar paddle tail cause he didnt open the bail all the way, but i still love my BG.
Phil McRackin I only use penn fishing rod and reel I mean the slammer and penn international rod I have 3 set of rod and reel from penn none of the, from Walmart , I just purchased the Daiwa BG4000 with the Penn 1 piece 8-17 lbs medium action for fishing porgy and love it .
i have the 1000 battle 2 . i have it paired with a shimano exchege 7ft telescopic rod. i do a lot of backpacking and camping. i bought it because of the build. other reels i have owned get bent and broken. it is the toughest reel i have ever owned. it got dropped off a bridge onto some boulders. about a 30 to 40 foot drop. with only minor scratches. i was pleased to see it did not break or bend the bail or handle. the rod was colapsed and also managed to surive. it really takes a beating on a daily basis by getting smacked around and not getting cleand very often. i think twice i rinsed it out since i have owned it. mind you i do more salt water fishing than fresh.. its been with me everywhere i go for the past year . i cant say enough good about it.
Daiwa makes the best reels at this price point. Penn is a close second, but definitely not as good as a diawa. I've also tried Shimano but thought it was junk. I have a diawa bg for spinner, and diawa saltist for conventional. Love them both.
Great description on both reels! I've had lower end Daiwa product and struggled with it, but I accept it was lower end. I have the Penn Battle II 4000 and 5000 (long cast surf) and love them both. My fishing group here in FL is high on the Daiwa BG...I guess I'm just into Penn's HT-100 drag plus heavy click you get when you open the bail. That sound just means have fun casting to me. PS - If you kayak fish....here's the Penn inshore triple threat. Conflict 3000/7' TFO M/MH for 1/8oz. weighted hook jigs. Spinfisher V 3500/Redbone 7' M carolina/dropper rig for live bait. Battle II 4000/Falcon Coastal X9 7' MH popping cork. All balanced so choose what works that day, covers every application and works for me!
+i_fish interesting, never heard of it. i noticed a lot of baitrunners that aren't marketed in US are carp-specific reels heavily marketed in Europe and Asia. check eBay? if i come across one, i'd love to check it out.
there are many places to buy it. Check a major EU vendor that ships to US and is reliable (www.pecheur.com). They have deals on it. But no reviews of feedback of any kind. Looks great on paper and price came down a lot... still don't know..
So I have the battle2 3000. For the most part I like it but adjusting the drag when I have hooked-on takes way too much time, too many turns, meaning, it's not as responsive in getting to the right tension. Is it just mine or is anyone else having this issue? BTW, I've caught huge fish on it with just the 3000 model spooled with 25lb braid.
I have 15 penn battle 2, first thing to go is the main gear, I admit we use the hard for charters, second thing to go is bailspring. Bg seems to be bit more rugged.
I have both and both are super solid reels I don’t see a problem with the bail..I don’t use it or need a heavier bail? I have 4500 and 5000 bg and a 6000 battle btw I manually trip my reels and prefer it that way
@@ishwithfish lol I bet when I upgrade to the saltist, I'll probably start wanting the beefy bails. I have a back bay on backorder, it has the air bail, I believe, and i could get a better opinion on the bail when it comes in. Dude since the surf is so rough, I'm binging all your review vids instead of snaring lol
Owned and killed many fish on the Penn Battle II 6000 since 2014. For saltwater fishing, with a limited budget, I’d never buy anything else. The Battle II is a Tank.
Love your vids but dont forget that Penn's top-of-the-line drag system is called Dura-Drag . Keep the vids coming they are very informative and easy to view and understand !!!
+Gerald Velasco you're totally right, Dura-Drag is a step up from HT-100, my bad. and thx for the compliment! i have a bunch more reviews in the queue, including a Slammer III which includes Penn's true top of the line Dura-Drag system.
I've been using my BG's.......And there nothing in my opinion better in the world of price features quality strengths options versatility power longevity speed Spin on roter to nob and PRICE......absolutly will IN ALL aspects of Choose BG OVER PEN......hands down I have so many video of the BG......THAT there is no end to the better or best design features of the BGs.....so happy....IT WAS CREATED....damn😀😀!!......
Jose García for me it up to how your fishing style is.....if you want long long looong lasting reel Penn Spinfisher is the way to go it has a record of longevity just like the old Black Gold Daiwa( witch they Stop Producing)...but if your looking for speed in terms of line retrieve...BG 4000....would be the choice......If you looking for line capacity both are equal....but as far as casting BGs have a larger spool for easier casting....and much much less line coil...or tight turns as the spool digs deep on the Spinfisher. But if your a caster the BG is much easier to turn do to the air Rotor....so it's easier on the hands and wrist....so that my impute as to what you might be looking in features 😀😀
Thanks for a great job. I have four Battle II 's I bought for the boat. However, a recent trip down to the Gulf of Mexico I took with me a Battle II, size 4000. This trip was this past July, mid month. For about a week the wind came blowing hard out of the west. The gulf actually had waves. As I fished with the reel I was slapped a few time by some 3 foot swells. The reel got splashed a few times. Never dunked. Rinsed it off each with a fine mist (fresh water).Wiped down the outside with WD-40. The reel was placed inside my SUV, I am sure it got warm in there with the FL sun. The third day the reel felt like it had sand inside. It even made a strange noise. Took it apart and cleaned it. Its better,but not like when it came out the box. You thoughts?
hi, thx for the feedback. sounds like saltwater got inside, evaporated in the heat, and the salt crystallized. if you repacked it with penn blue grease, it might feel sluggish cause that stuff seems to have a high viscosity. i'd strip the gears and center spool shaft again with dawn and use cal's grease. i over apply near the seams to act as a barrier, even if it spins a tad slower, but with the cal's it should spin smoother than the penn stuff. hope this helps!
I will do it tonight and let you know. Whats funny is that I was also using a Penn 750SS, it got dunked and its fine. ( same trip and conditions) Something to be said for big and simple. thanks....
I have both , I like both. I fish heavy salt. If I know I’m gonna beat the crap out of my reel I’m taking the penn cause it’s easier to take apart and service. if I’m looking for more finesse and don’t have to worry to much about conditions I’m taking the BG. It’s a toss up just depends on your application.
Bought 3 Penn battle two 4000 and one 5000 both the 4000 main gears are striped within the first year.... the 5000 is on my surf rod, which gets less usage time so it's still operational. Spring is upon us so let's see if she'll last lol
yup, i heard about the pot alloy mains failing. my friend using a 6000 for crabbing and the main stripped in one season. my 4000 main is showing a bit of pitting but still spins fine, we'll see how long it lasts too lol
Great review & comparison. I chose the Penn.., simply because of owning 4 Penn reels. I keep them clean and I know how to repair them when needed. I also own a 2004 Shimano 1000. Great reel to catch bait fish. Again.., great review. Thx
Just picked up a BG5000. 40 lb braid.Pairing it with a Daiwa Proteus 7'6" med heavy fast. Should be a worthy combo for jigging big Lings. Very smooth feel
thx man, pretty cool my little reviews get this kind of support! i have a couple more reel reviews to post soon, been getting more and more samples and high-end loaners, stay tuned
I use a BG 2000 for finesse bass fishing and can't say enough good about it. It doesn't break the bank and fishes like a reel twice in price plus a couple extra ounces and it's even easy to clean. The Penn Battle II is not a bad reel either, but it has some pretty tough competition here.
Have the BG but looked at the Battle ii recently and was really impressed. I really don’t think you can go wrong with either reel at the price. I usually use a stradic anyway which blows them both away at throwing artificials. I’d probably go BG though.
The stradic with it's poly carbonate body? Not so good under heavy loads... There's torsion which pulls the gears out of line leading to wear... Metal body reel will last longer
thx dhf, it is homework lol, these reviews take more time to produce than my fishing vids sometimes. but if they lead to a better informed buy, i've done my job.
Dear Ish with Fish. I bought two battle 2 6000 recently and both reels have sort of crack at the top end of the bail arm. Can you please check and share whether this is a manufacturing defect with all reels or mine are lemons. Thanks.
@@ishwithfish This is what am talking about. Dont know whether to keep or return. drive.google.com/file/d/1glq6uAacL-cbpwGlZ-YsJNBT9Mi4Ewcf/view?usp=sharing
@@ishwithfish Ok so as I had to decide whether keep them or return, so had to some investigation on youtube. Almost all videos I have seen have this on the top of the bail arm. Heres the summary of my investigation. drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YxV51ZhL0E8N2QzR2SkG2iKB_baQTagw?usp=sharing
if these get submerged at all they will seize, eventually. they can only take hard splashes but not submersion. I've had to rebuild my battle a few times. if you dunk often, esp sandy water, consider a ssvi, tsunami salt-x, or van staal vs or vsx.
Great comparison in many levels. You make a blanket comment at 6:22 about not using the auto trip on the bail, claiming it’s bad for the reel; why is it bad for the reel?
thx for watching. the auto trip mechanism is a small pin that rides up a ramp on the inside of your rotor. over time, esp with sand and salt exposure, those little mechanics wear our and can compromise the bail. higher quality reels aren't as affected, cheap ones are. if you get in the habit of manually closing the bail each time you'll extend the life of your reels👍🏼
Thanks for your response!I understand what the auto trip mechanism and how it works, but I guess I still don't understand how it is bad, or how they "compromise" the bail. If the auto trip eventually wears out, just treat the auto trip bail as a manual.I agree with every one of your thoughts on the strengths and the weaknesses between the two reels; I went with the BG, and just ordered one today.Keep the faith!
I want to know if the Diawa line capacity is true. I really like the Peen bail. I have a Peen z714 and you hzve to auto trip the bail you can't do it by Han. But it is built like a tank. But in my newer reel I trip.
it would be good if you're using swimbaits. but if you're mostly throwing bait (squid, shrimp, etc), the BG would be better. the 4000 BG has a more powerful gear ratio and would be easy to crank a fighting fish vertically through kelp and over rocks. the thinner stainless steel bail would also keep it's form a bit better than the thicker battle ii aluminum bail. check out all my gear reviews at www.amazon.com/shop/ishwithfish
1st off excellent video.. just wanted to add that Daiwa "Hard Bodyz" actually indicates the process of anodizing the body and body cover. Anodizing adds to the protection of the body in the form of making it corrosion and scratch resistant.. Pretty big deal for those that use their reel in a saltwater environment.
+Chris L thx for the compliment. i came across this while researching 'Hard Bodyz' www.daiwa-cormoran.info/dw/en/67/352/5,1,98,74,74,1__products-knowledge.htm and to me it's specific to their alloy production process, not the anodization step (i forgot to mention the BG is anodized, oops). either way, you're right in that the anodization step is awesome, imo superior to the battle ii paint and will hold up to corrosion very well.
Thanks for the follow up! Makes me feel even better about the construction of the reel itself. I have a 2500 and a 4500! Best bang for the buck! Tight Lines!!
There's a daiwa copy BANAX SX series. The copy of old BG. Double annodiised body. High quality products. So robust like BG. Developed cult status. I own one it's 40YO and working fine. It's heavy No problem in hauling monster. I also got some new BGs.I got 6 Daiwas of my 30 reels
Just bought a BG 4000 after watching your video! Quick question. I have been fishing all my life but was always confused on how to pair a reel to a rod properly. I have heard that you match the max drag of the reel to the line weight of the rod and if the drag falls within the range, the rod and reel are compatible. The other method is you match the line that will be used on the reel to the line weight of the rod. Which one is the correct way?
hi, awesome buy. so when i consider reel to rod pairing, i think of 3 things. max drag of reel to line weight of rod, weight of reel itself, and angle of reel arm to first guide. it's tough to compare virtually, i like to match in store if possible. re the bg, just know it's bigger and heavier than average reels in it's size range, average angle to first guide so pretty versatile.
@@ishwithfish Thank you so much for the reply. One last question. If the max drag was used to pair reel to rod, does the line weight used for the reel need to match within the line weight of the rod? Thank you.
In another vid a guy recommended adding an additional washer to the BG which come in the box , this fixes the line lay . I have done it however yet to see results.
Muhamad Aliff Jamaluddin yes the washer made the line lay on bg perfect also take into account braid thickness mono thickness !! If I go thinner on the braid o will remove the washer .. I think 🤔
In England the Penn Surfblaster 8000 is incredibly popular, but I opted to go for a Battle 2 7000, because I just didn't like the surfblaster. No complaints yet, I went and bought a 2nd one!
Nice detailed review. I own a couple different sized B2's and love them in the surf. To me these two reels are like Coke and Pepsi , its personal preference. Penn Slammer3 ❤ but that's another story 😀
As of right now there's only a $10 difference at full MSRP between the Daiwa BG and Penn Battle III reels...however Penn does offer a dealer exclusive Penn Battle III DX for the same price through smaller Penn vendors, the DX version has some upgrades for all sizes including CNC brass gearing for even the smaller models as well as an upgraded drag and additional spool bearing. I picked up the 2500 Penn Battle III DX for $120 shipped, got it on a St. Croix 6'6" medium rod and love the setup...I just ordered a Fenwick HMG 6'9" medium light rod and will try pairing that with a Daiwa BG 2000 for mostly freshwater pan & bass fishing. From looking at and holding both reels in hand at Bass Pro, I think both reels offer a great value especially if you can catch either one on sale.
I have a Battle II and I have to agree with your decision to go with the Daiwa. I really like my reel, but when you're constantly casting and retrieving, it tends to be a little bit of a hassle with the heavier body and larger gear ratio to reel in. It takes much more force and makes the reel feel unbalanced. I'm also not a huge fan of the grip, either. I would much rather have the grip on the BG because I have rather large hands.
I own a 4000 BG and 2500 BG i think it is , i use the smaller for trout and it is amazing the size of trout i pulled in , i got a 16pound yella belly on my small BG when flicking lures for red fin , you cant beat the BG Tight lines Sparetimefisho
Good review that matches both my and my two sons observations. I own Penn Conflict, Battle and Battle 2 reels. I had been happy with Penn and always thought they were fine low priced reels. Then I picked up a Daiwa BG 3000 reel at B.P. and gave it a spin. Wow, what a difference in feel, both balance and smoothness. Brought it home and loaded it with 20lb braid. My two sons both will now both grab the rod with the Daiwa over the rods with either of the Penn battle series reels. When you are casting lures with the Daiwa for a few minutes and then you use either of the Penn’s you notice right away that the Penn reels take much more effort to reel in, thus creating hand fatigue. No one in my family wants to fish with the Penn Battle reels anymore. I am going to either sell or shelve both Penn Battle reels and replace them with Daiwa BGs. The Penn Conflicts will stay in use as both of mine (4000 and 8000) have a very smooth feel, similar to the new Daiwa BG3000. Merry Christmas.
Wow! Impressive video sir! I haven't seen any better reviews with all pertinent and salient issues identified. I believe Alan Hawk would be proud. Kudos! Keep up the good work.
You know there both very good reels and I always lean towards penn because I own the battle and fierce and recently got the pursuit 3 and the conflict I've had them for past few years and fish everything with them I have nothing bad to say other than there's not enough hours in the day to use them so id recommend the Penn's anyway of the week
i was high on the kodiak for the first 60 hours, in my experience it held up for 60 saltwater hours. then the roller bb went out (kastking sent replacement roller bb), and then the rotor developed a clicking sound i can't quite find. having less hours on the battle ii and bg, i can say the bg is best of the 3, and since daiwa and penn provide parts support through authorized dealers, those reels would have a longer service life.
Corrosion resistance and bearings sucks on the battle....all the lubing after every trip helped but I’ve given up on it after the bearings started failing.... got the BG some while after and it getting heavy saltwater use with ten times the hours I’ve had on the battle....it performs and looks like new yet.....FYI
Always been a Penn/shimano guy for SW but ive gotten myself into a situation where I have to start going after small and big mouth bass and Walleye/Saugeye, where should I look?
i'd say stick with shimano, they make much better finesse stuff than penn. based on budget, a sienna sedona stradic will be light years ahead of penn in terms of weight and how smooth everything feels.
Great comparison vid. Thumbs up and subscribed. If I am surf fishing and need to cast as far as I can with a 10ft rod using 3oz weights. Do you think the Penn battle 2 or their new Spinfisher Vl long cast would be further in distance then the Daiwa BG? I know the Daiwa BG has a special spool that helps with distance.
thx for subbing! having used long cast reels in the past for 6 oz crab snares, there's a noticeable difference. i get about 10% further casts on average, helps for crabbing but can make a big difference for surf fishing. the late generation daiwa reels including the bg definitely have spools that are optimized for farther casts, but can't really compete with a conical long cast spool. the line literally flies off those reels. if you're mostly launching big bait and waiting for bites, and willing to spend the extra $50, i think the SSVI LC or Conflict II LC is best for you.
I will get the SSVl LC 5500 since its more water resistant then the Conflict ll. Do you think the Shimano C14+ Ultegra 14000 would be a better option then even the Penn? It has super slow oscillation 5 but I dont think the ultegra 5500 has it.
I just got a bg and a Fuego LT intending to send one back. Sending back the Fuego. I do agree that the bail mech is not great, I only fished once but I haven’t had any issues. Other than that I love the thing. Just wondering why you say that the penn battle 2 is faster when the bg actually takes line in quicker, who cares how many spook rotations?
the fuego is a tiny bit smoother than the bg. the mag seal at the smaller rotor prob contributes to lower start up inertia, so you get the feeling of a smoother spin. under load though, the bg will probably feel smoother since it's a lot more rigid. the fuego lt 2500 xh on my lamiglas X11 has become my go-to surfperch setup, super light and smooth.
If you like what you see, visit www.amazon.com/shop/ishwithfish for ALL the gear I use, review, and approve. These affiliate links directly support future content. Gratitude! 🙏
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one thing i edited out (cut for time) was a balance test ... if you hold the BG by the reel foot so it's parallel to the ground, you'll notice it's pretty bottom-heavy; i attribute that to the larger body, bigger gearing and light graphite spool. if you do the same to the battle, you'll notice it holds perfectly level; i attribute that to the smaller body and alloy rotor. the difference *may* make a difference in casting, but tbh i think that has more to do with the rod you're pairing with. just an fyi. personally i prefer the Battle II for surf casting because it's a better balanced reel on my battalion and in a smaller form factor, and the bail mech is much better and never prematurely trips. also, while the BG is consistently heavier than the Battle II (4000 size BG 14.3 oz vs Battle II 12.8 oz) i glossed over it because it's a small difference and the salt isn't a place for weight weenies. if you must save ounces, try a Penn Clash or any of the newer Daiwa LT reels.
Ish With Fish have you tried the daiwa lexa, if so what do you think about it
+Brandon Saelee yes! i have a Lexa Winn 300 7.1 LH. review is coming, in the meantime you can see it in action in my 'Wok-Fried Tacos' lingcod vid.
Weight makes a big difference to me as I have ongoing shoulder issues. For that reason I went with the lightest quality reel I could find that would not break the bank and I ended up getting a stradic 5000. The shimano 5000 series is equivalent to other manufacturers 4000 series when it comes to line capacity & for weight it came in much lighter at 11.3oz. I need a backup reel and will likely go with the BG over the Battle.
+limirl great point, i didn't consider anglers with physical limitations where a few ounces add up. ill note that for future reviews, thx👍
@@limirl - I like your thinking. I also find myself fishing with a 5000. I like this size.
When I turned 5 in 1979, my dad asked what I'd like for my birthday. He took me down to K-Mart and I picked out a Diawa Combo. That rod and reel was used throughout my childhood, my young adulthood and into my 30s before I had to retire it. Only once had I had an issue.... the grease had dried out and I sent it in to Daiwa. They completely serviced it and sent it back free of charge. They have a lifetime customer here. Glad they are still rocking it. Thank you for the review!
sounds like a winner, thx for sharing👍
One thing I think missing is which is easier for owner maintenance ?
I just picked up the bg5000 combo and I love it. First quality reel I’ve had
great choice!
I have a BG 5000 and I absolutely love it, great reel.
I have a penn battle 6000 (lasting six seasons) now and a Shimano spheros 6000.
The battle and the spheros has seen some use and the only time I had to take apart either was this season. There was a feint clicking in the drag / bail system and had to strip the battle down. It’s been dunked and bashed around on boats on many occasions.
I’m all I’m very happy with both reels!
bro why do i enjoy how you explain it on your videos. clear, precise, clarity.. you could do commercial.
Man, I bought a battle 2 5000 and the same day after catching a few fish, the bail broke on me. I can see the housing separated and the spring came out, returned it to Dick's and the store associate told me he sees that issue with Penn all the time. I guess they don't make it like they used to before. Gonna give the Daiwa Bg a try.
Penn Battle ii 4000 combo for only $83 on Amazon right now
Tuan Nguyen bg’s are great! I have a 4000
I bought a Battle 2 and it only lasted 3 months. Turned into a coffee grinder
I own both reels in various sizes. The BG has superior bearings and the drag is smoother. Overall, I think the BG is a better reel. Only complaint about the BG is that the bail wire could be beefier. I take the bail trip ramps off my reels to prevent premature closure on casts.
How did you remove the bail ramps
Dont listen to this rubbish .@@Useraccount7415
I bought the BG because of your video and I'm really happy with it. Thanks for the review!
awesome, glad to have helped
which model? Is it still good? how many times you fish? At sea?
@@Birkulumiste7 i bought the BG-3000 to test it out in the Ocean last year, seen about 45 days in salt water on a kayak, getting destroyed by stripped bass, and albies and it's still working pretty smoothly, the drag is still stable, all around really good for something you could get for a 100, but personally it's a little too heavy for kayak fishing.
@@pohau80 i want the 2500. For my 240cm rod (14-40 gram cw)
@@Birkulumiste7 well if you're looking to surf cast on piers and stuff, i don't see why you would want something that small, since it could be easily spooled if you manage to hook onto something that could take lines, when its not fully spooled
Penn battle ii is in my opinion the best spinning reel made for the price.
Ok. I've used both these reels in 2000, 3500, 4000 and 5000 size the past year salt and fresh water after my opinion/post above. I've taken them both apart to oil and grease and I've changed my opinion. I really like The Diawa BG. I've caught myself reaching for the Diawa when on the same rod. The Diawa is noticeably lighter, slightly better looking and also noticeably smoother than the Penn. Both are fantastic reels and probably the best reels available under $100 This is a spot on video review.
Yeah the diawa is actually going feel smother longer because of that extra bearing while the Penn is running on a bushing so after a year its going to feel like a zebco reel.
@@slyarsenal How? Maybe if you dont know how to use a reel then yeah, it is.
@@slyarsenal not really ,made in china,ur a big pile dude
I always wanted a penn but I tried the diawa 4500 love it so much more
No. Price point. BG is too far ahead. Best budget reel and in top 5 best reel in the world. Battle ? So sorry lad. Penn have good name. Old reels have better quality than today's reel. My old BG, Ryobi,Tica is 30-40 YO. Got the BG4500 because of twin stopper
This was one of the best reviews I've seen, very thorough. Excellent job. I have been eyeing these two reels for sometime. I just recently purchased the Battle II 6000 for jigging. I haven't used it yet but I am sure I will enjoy it. I will certainly consider the BG for my next purchase. Again, great job.
thx so much. both are great buys, having used both i lean towards the bg, but both are great utility reels.
It got twin stopper for bigger size. Will kill those battle.
Just got my Penn Battle II 4000 reel. It was great to hear your analysis of the reel and really helped to learn more about it. Great job!
right on thx! some decent discounts on the battle ii nowadays since the battle iii is out👍🏼
I have been using shimano spheros and penn battle ll 's for my inshore work in the past. Just got a BG. Awesome reel, smooth as butter...
Great comparison. I have both reels. Both are fantastic. BG is a little beefier and seems to have more power behind it. Also a little heavier. Penn battle ll is lighter but feels really good from cast to cranking in fish. I reach for my battle ll first but love both.
Great review! I ordered the BG 5000 yesterday. I wanted the manual bail this time.
I have all Penn's, mostly the Spinfisher from the greenies to the V.I have a whole set of Battles no trouble at all.I have a Clash 2500 and 4000.I love these 2 reels,very lite.The new pursuit are the best buy for your money that the 3 series with HT-100drag.
Read Alan Hawks reviews on the BG. He is a reel connoisseur and expert on reels. The BG has internal gears that are found in high end reels and he pretty much said Daiwa is actually losing profit on these reels at that price point. BG is absolutely a much better buy over the Battle 2. Hands down the best $100 reel you can buy in the world
He didn't say that, they don't have the gearing from high end reels they have cast zinc which is the cheapest standard construction although they are very well made zinc gears and they definitely are not losing money on them think about how or why they would do that for a second
Got the 4500 twin stopper after reading his review. BG name is also legendary and have cult status everywhere !
Well said.. I've had a Penn battle 2..i now have a Daiwa BG.. Much more powerful and bigger line capacity than the battle
Alan Hawk recomienda el Daiwa BG del 2016, es el segundo mejor carrete de ese precio porque el primero es el Shimano Spheros SW A.
Alan Hawk así los califica y ese hombre no deja escapar una en sus análisis
I got the pen battle 2 got the 4000 and 5000 for salmon fishing had them for four years and they are awesome no problems.
How big salmons you drag with this? I purcheised bg 4000 today and aither for salmon fishing :)
I love my BG reel , i have always bought Penn reels . I saw the Bg on sale so i decided to give it a try, and i am sold on it. I just can't believe how smooth it is . I just bought my second one
Same here...I love Penn, but just bought this Daiwa.
Thanks for the great video!I checked both out yesterday, in size 5000. I was amazed at how much larger, in every way, the BG was compared to the similar sized Battle II. In the BG series, it's a BIG jump from the 4000 to the 5000.Like you, I find the sturdier bail of the Penn appealing. The Daiwa bail seems relatively flimsy compared to the rest of the reel. That, however, isn't enough to tip me in favor of the Penn. Crank the BG and crank the Penn, and the choice is clearly the BG, to me. So much smoother and quieter than the Battle. The Battle is a fine reel, but the BG is an incredible value.
thanks for the feedback, i agree on all your points!
Thanks for the awesome review. Was thinking of getting a second Penn Battle 2 - 8000 series for crabbing. After watching this video for the 3rd time, I decided to go with the BG8000. Also, thanks for the amazon link. Will be getting more from your link once I get into striper and perch fishing.
Coza King Yep. Didn’t know it was gonna be that big. It should be great for bringing up 2-3 🦀’s on a snare. Gonna give it a try on Monday. 🤙
Wow, thanks for the terrific description of these machines. I have a clear understanding of what I want now. Very well done.
@SunsTo7 which one dude you get?
@@707SonomaComa Daiwa BG
I bought the BG 4000 & BG 4500 , BG 4000 for Porgy ( scup ) black sea bass and the BG 4500 for blackfish and stripper bass .
Hi Ish, Good review. Two additional features on the BG. I have the BG3000 and it has a ball bearing on the spool main shaft ( under the drag washers) and a rotor brake that comes on when the bail is open. It slows the rotor spin when casting to prevent the bail from closing during the cast. I don't know if the Battle II has them. The large main gear on the BG is made of machined aluminum, not zinc. Thanks, Mickey
great feedback, thx. i think i forgot to mention the rotor brake, good catch. re the main gear, i went by alan hawks assessment that the bg main is zinc and not alu as advertised. hoping by now daiwa is actually using alu. i opened a newer saltist and it was def alu.
Hi Ish, Love your videos and reviews. Thanks, Mickey
One of the best review videos I’ve seen, thanks!
I'm just back from Baja where I used a Battle II 5000 series for surf fishing. I used an 11 foot rod to cast, among other things, a 2.25 oz skimmer lure called a "Cabo Killer." With this combo I caught roosterfish, several types of snapper, leopard grouper, corvina... At one point, a serious roosterfish ripped off about 100 yards of line. The Battle II handled it with no problems. I caught a LOT of good fish on this reel. I would definitely consider buying another. In fact, I'm considering it right now. There's a good chance that I will... maybe one size up to better handle those roosters...
awesome feedback, thx so much!
Battle is cheaper to repair or replace parts on.
you want all life repair one reel or after 8 years buy a new one
I have 2 BG 1500’s for my trout rods and love them!
Great video!
Do you have a side by side teardown video of them?
I thought the Battle has a brass main gear. Maybe that's only in larger sizes.
I have both of them. Diawa 3BG 500, Penn Battle II 4000 sizes. They are both excellent. Built like tanks, they are smooth and very strong. The Diawa in the 3500 is roughly the same size as the Penn 4000. The Diawa overall a better reel.
agreed. thx for your input!
I have them both too...Functionally...I find them the same while fishing...the big difference I notice is when cleaning them at the end of the day...I have never been a fan of the holes in the Battle's spool. Salt water gets dropped on the back side of those holes and makes it a little harder to clean...I like the SSVs better overall with their solid spools. The same with the BG...other than that...they are both excellent reels for a $100 bucks...it is indeed a great time to be a fisherman!
@@shawnweed265 heres a hack fpr you at the end of your trip soak your reel dont spray it soak it in warm water and re oil it every few times it will last along time
Excellent review!! I own both and cant really decide which one I would pick if I had to chose one.
I have the battle 8000 its held to to sturgeon fishing on the fraser river for a few years now ..... caught several over 7 feet long (200+ lbs) in strong current .... its a great reel and I don't see it failing any time soon
BG 4500 up have twin stopper. No fail anti reverse !
Drag is smooth
the intro music gave me a wave of warm air. easy to watch a video with that. 5:32 i watched a guy at the jetty lose a big 10 dollar paddle tail cause he didnt open the bail all the way, but i still love my BG.
I would love to try out the Daiwa 4000 I have been using too much Penn .
There's no such thing as too much using anything. If you're using a walmart kids rod, you're fishing alot! Woohoo! Hahaha
Phil McRackin I only use penn fishing rod and reel I mean the slammer and penn international rod I have 3 set of rod and reel from penn none of the, from Walmart , I just purchased the Daiwa BG4000 with the Penn 1 piece 8-17 lbs medium action for fishing porgy and love it .
i have the 1000 battle 2 . i have it paired with a shimano exchege 7ft telescopic rod. i do a lot of backpacking and camping. i bought it because of the build. other reels i have owned get bent and broken. it is the toughest reel i have ever owned. it got dropped off a bridge onto some boulders. about a 30 to 40 foot drop. with only minor scratches. i was pleased to see it did not break or bend the bail or handle. the rod was colapsed and also managed to surive. it really takes a beating on a daily basis by getting smacked around and not getting cleand very often. i think twice i rinsed it out since i have owned it. mind you i do more salt water fishing than fresh.. its been with me everywhere i go for the past year . i cant say enough good about it.
great feedback, thx!
I use Daiwa my wife uses Penn battle II .. Both are really nice reels
Daiwa makes the best reels at this price point. Penn is a close second, but definitely not as good as a diawa. I've also tried Shimano but thought it was junk. I have a diawa bg for spinner, and diawa saltist for conventional. Love them both.
Great description on both reels! I've had lower end Daiwa product and struggled with it, but I accept it was lower end. I have the Penn Battle II 4000 and 5000 (long cast surf) and love them both. My fishing group here in FL is high on the Daiwa BG...I guess I'm just into Penn's HT-100 drag plus heavy click you get when you open the bail. That sound just means have fun casting to me. PS - If you kayak fish....here's the Penn inshore triple threat. Conflict 3000/7' TFO M/MH for 1/8oz. weighted hook jigs. Spinfisher V 3500/Redbone 7' M carolina/dropper rig for live bait. Battle II 4000/Falcon Coastal X9 7' MH popping cork. All balanced so choose what works that day, covers every application and works for me!
awesome arsenal, thx for sharing! yup, that Penn 'click' is second to none, a big reason why i use the Clash in the surf.
Have you tried daiwa's Magsealed Biatrunner? That's the one im interested in but no information anywhere. It is called carpizm 4500.
+i_fish interesting, never heard of it. i noticed a lot of baitrunners that aren't marketed in US are carp-specific reels heavily marketed in Europe and Asia. check eBay? if i come across one, i'd love to check it out.
there are many places to buy it. Check a major EU vendor that ships to US and is reliable (www.pecheur.com). They have deals on it. But no reviews of feedback of any kind. Looks great on paper and price came down a lot... still don't know..
Besides the handle and the spool, what is different between the Pursuit III and the Battle II?
I think the big difference is the pursuit iii has graphite body, battle ii aluminium.
So I have the battle2 3000. For the most part I like it but adjusting the drag when I have hooked-on takes way too much time, too many turns, meaning, it's not as responsive in getting to the right tension. Is it just mine or is anyone else having this issue?
BTW, I've caught huge fish on it with just the 3000 model spooled with 25lb braid.
In Sa , we are expreriencing issues with the drag spool tensioner knob wearing out on the BG . Anyone else have the same sort of issue ?thank you .
I have 15 penn battle 2, first thing to go is the main gear, I admit we use the hard for charters, second thing to go is bailspring. Bg seems to be bit more rugged.
I have both and both are super solid reels
I don’t see a problem with the bail..I don’t use it or need a heavier bail? I have 4500 and 5000 bg and a 6000 battle btw
I manually trip my reels and prefer it that way
i like thicker bails i guess. big fan of the daiwa air bail on the saltist👍🏼
@@ishwithfish lol I bet when I upgrade to the saltist, I'll probably start wanting the beefy bails.
I have a back bay on backorder, it has the air bail, I believe, and i could get a better opinion on the bail when it comes in.
Dude since the surf is so rough, I'm binging all your review vids instead of snaring lol
Owned and killed many fish on the Penn Battle II 6000 since 2014. For saltwater fishing, with a limited budget, I’d never buy anything else.
The Battle II is a Tank.
do you know how to remove the auto trip bail? if do could you do a video tutorial for it. thanks
Hey idk if anybody's gonna read this but could you compare the penn battle 3 with the daiwa BG see if they're more alike
Bump
Can you compare the Battle II vs the pflueger supreme
Love your vids but dont forget that Penn's top-of-the-line drag system is called Dura-Drag . Keep the vids coming they are very informative and easy to view and understand !!!
+Gerald Velasco you're totally right, Dura-Drag is a step up from HT-100, my bad. and thx for the compliment! i have a bunch more reviews in the queue, including a Slammer III which includes Penn's true top of the line Dura-Drag system.
I have Penn battle 2 from 3000 -6000 some 5 years old no problems ! surf fishing is hard on a reel, want to try the BG though
I've been using my BG's.......And there nothing in my opinion better in the world of price features quality strengths options versatility power longevity speed Spin on roter to nob and PRICE......absolutly will IN ALL aspects of Choose BG OVER PEN......hands down I have so many video of the BG......THAT there is no end to the better or best design features of the BGs.....so happy....IT WAS CREATED....damn😀😀!!......
MyFishing Addictions i get the feeling the anglers that love their BG, like, LOVE their BG. i guess a great reel will do that😊
what about penn spinfisher? i want a bg4000 or spinfisher 4500...
Jose García for me it up to how your fishing style is.....if you want long long looong lasting reel Penn Spinfisher is the way to go it has a record of longevity just like the old Black Gold Daiwa( witch they Stop Producing)...but if your looking for speed in terms of line retrieve...BG 4000....would be the choice......If you looking for line capacity both are equal....but as far as casting BGs have a larger spool for easier casting....and much much less line coil...or tight turns as the spool digs deep on the Spinfisher. But if your a caster the BG is much easier to turn do to the air Rotor....so it's easier on the hands and wrist....so that my impute as to what you might be looking in features 😀😀
Thanks for a great job. I have four Battle II 's I bought for the boat. However, a recent trip down to the Gulf of Mexico I took with me a Battle II, size 4000. This trip was this past July, mid month. For about a week the wind came blowing hard out of the west. The gulf actually had waves. As I fished with the reel I was slapped a few time by some 3 foot swells. The reel got splashed a few times. Never dunked. Rinsed it off each with a fine mist (fresh water).Wiped down the outside with WD-40. The reel was placed inside my SUV, I am sure it got warm in there with the FL sun. The third day the reel felt like it had sand inside. It even made a strange noise. Took it apart and cleaned it. Its better,but not like when it came out the box. You thoughts?
hi, thx for the feedback. sounds like saltwater got inside, evaporated in the heat, and the salt crystallized. if you repacked it with penn blue grease, it might feel sluggish cause that stuff seems to have a high viscosity. i'd strip the gears and center spool shaft again with dawn and use cal's grease. i over apply near the seams to act as a barrier, even if it spins a tad slower, but with the cal's it should spin smoother than the penn stuff. hope this helps!
I will do it tonight and let you know. Whats funny is that I was also using a Penn 750SS, it got dunked and its fine. ( same trip and conditions) Something to be said for big and simple. thanks....
haha agreed. i have a Penn 850SS and Daiwa BG60, i can't seem to kill them either :)
I’m getting the penn battle 2 6000 pairing with a berkley inshore med-hev 7’6
sounds like a heavy duty setup! 20 lb+ fish no problem.
I have both , I like both. I fish heavy salt. If I know I’m gonna beat the crap out of my reel I’m taking the penn cause it’s easier to take apart and service. if I’m looking for more finesse and don’t have to worry to much about conditions I’m taking the BG. It’s a toss up just depends on your application.
Bought 3 Penn battle two 4000 and one 5000 both the 4000 main gears are striped within the first year.... the 5000 is on my surf rod, which gets less usage time so it's still operational. Spring is upon us so let's see if she'll last lol
yup, i heard about the pot alloy mains failing. my friend using a 6000 for crabbing and the main stripped in one season. my 4000 main is showing a bit of pitting but still spins fine, we'll see how long it lasts too lol
Great review & comparison.
I chose the Penn.., simply because of owning 4 Penn reels. I keep them clean and I know how to repair them when needed. I also own a 2004 Shimano 1000. Great reel to catch bait fish.
Again.., great review.
Thx
Go BG...less repairs !
Just picked up a BG5000. 40 lb braid.Pairing it with a Daiwa Proteus 7'6" med heavy fast. Should be a worthy combo for jigging big Lings. Very smooth feel
good choice!
Been waiting for this all week! Great comparison. Keep up the good work man! Made my day!
thx man, pretty cool my little reviews get this kind of support! i have a couple more reel reviews to post soon, been getting more and more samples and high-end loaners, stay tuned
Ish With Fish hopefully a VR50 review coming soon? Keep up the videos brotha I always look out for them
Oscar Garcia yes! i have someone who promised me a loaner, hopefully it comes through.
I use a BG 2000 for finesse bass fishing and can't say enough good about it. It doesn't break the bank and fishes like a reel twice in price plus a couple extra ounces and it's even easy to clean. The Penn Battle II is not a bad reel either, but it has some pretty tough competition here.
right on, thx for the freshwater perspective, appreciated!
Have the BG but looked at the Battle ii recently and was really impressed. I really don’t think you can go wrong with either reel at the price. I usually use a stradic anyway which blows them both away at throwing artificials. I’d probably go BG though.
The stradic with it's poly carbonate body? Not so good under heavy loads... There's torsion which pulls the gears out of line leading to wear... Metal body reel will last longer
A+ review! So glad I have someone to do all the reel homework for me.
thx dhf, it is homework lol, these reviews take more time to produce than my fishing vids sometimes. but if they lead to a better informed buy, i've done my job.
Die Hard Fishing tackle Advisors. .Much better ish.so bias
Just picked up a new Penn Battle 2 3000 for $90. Thanks for the review. My grandpa is a Penn guy and didn't want to feel his wrath. Lol.
haha good call👍🏼
Picked up the 4000 model on eBay for $81
Ish, I don't use spinning reels for fishing but I do use them for crab snaring. I'm looking for a 4000 right now. These both look good. Any opinion???
go with the bg 6500 for snaring, great spool size and gear ratio for winching in crabs👍
The BG looks cooler, so I'm buying that one :)
Dear Ish with Fish. I bought two battle 2 6000 recently and both reels have sort of crack at the top end of the bail arm. Can you please check and share whether this is a manufacturing defect with all reels or mine are lemons. Thanks.
I've never heard of that issue, sorry man, could be a defective batch😬
@@ishwithfish This is what am talking about. Dont know whether to keep or return.
drive.google.com/file/d/1glq6uAacL-cbpwGlZ-YsJNBT9Mi4Ewcf/view?usp=sharing
@@ishwithfish Ok so as I had to decide whether keep them or return, so had to some investigation on youtube. Almost all videos I have seen have this on the top of the bail arm. Heres the summary of my investigation.
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YxV51ZhL0E8N2QzR2SkG2iKB_baQTagw?usp=sharing
How will these handle surf fishing. I mean standing in the waves and getting the reel submerged sometimes?
if these get submerged at all they will seize, eventually. they can only take hard splashes but not submersion. I've had to rebuild my battle a few times. if you dunk often, esp sandy water, consider a ssvi, tsunami salt-x, or van staal vs or vsx.
Im in a tossup between bg4000 and the kastking kapstan. I live in florida and do alot of soft plastic jigging and pompano jigs. What your thoughts
Great comparison in many levels. You make a blanket comment at 6:22 about not using the auto trip on the bail, claiming it’s bad for the reel; why is it bad for the reel?
thx for watching. the auto trip mechanism is a small pin that rides up a ramp on the inside of your rotor. over time, esp with sand and salt exposure, those little mechanics wear our and can compromise the bail. higher quality reels aren't as affected, cheap ones are. if you get in the habit of manually closing the bail each time you'll extend the life of your reels👍🏼
Thanks for your response!I understand what the auto trip mechanism and how it works, but I guess I still don't understand how it is bad, or how they "compromise" the bail. If the auto trip eventually wears out, just treat the auto trip bail as a manual.I agree with every one of your thoughts on the strengths and the weaknesses between the two reels; I went with the BG, and just ordered one today.Keep the faith!
good, detailed review. was thinking about Penn fierce 2, but after this review; might get the battle 2 instead
After this review, I bought the battle II 4000! Feel so smooth, can't wait to use it. Trying to pair a good rod with it.
I want to know if the Diawa line capacity is true.
I really like the Peen bail. I have a Peen z714 and you hzve to auto trip the bail you can't do it by Han. But it is built like a tank. But in my newer reel I trip.
the daiwa capacities are accurate if you have them pro spooled with thinner more expensive braids👍🏼in general tho, by hand you can get really close.
My BG4500 have more lines than Shimano Sargosa 6000. It's huge capacity
would the penn battle 2 be a good reel to pair with the offshore angler power stick for fishing jetties for rockfish, lingcod, cabezon
it would be good if you're using swimbaits. but if you're mostly throwing bait (squid, shrimp, etc), the BG would be better. the 4000 BG has a more powerful gear ratio and would be easy to crank a fighting fish vertically through kelp and over rocks. the thinner stainless steel bail would also keep it's form a bit better than the thicker battle ii aluminum bail. check out all my gear reviews at www.amazon.com/shop/ishwithfish
i am using swimbaits mostly so i will use the
1st off excellent video.. just wanted to add that Daiwa "Hard Bodyz" actually indicates the process of anodizing the body and body cover. Anodizing adds to the protection of the body in the form of making it corrosion and scratch resistant.. Pretty big deal for those that use their reel in a saltwater environment.
+Chris L thx for the compliment. i came across this while researching 'Hard Bodyz' www.daiwa-cormoran.info/dw/en/67/352/5,1,98,74,74,1__products-knowledge.htm and to me it's specific to their alloy production process, not the anodization step (i forgot to mention the BG is anodized, oops). either way, you're right in that the anodization step is awesome, imo superior to the battle ii paint and will hold up to corrosion very well.
Thanks for the follow up! Makes me feel even better about the construction of the reel itself. I have a 2500 and a 4500! Best bang for the buck! Tight Lines!!
There's a daiwa copy BANAX SX series. The copy of old BG.
Double annodiised body. High quality products. So robust like BG. Developed cult status.
I own one it's 40YO and working fine. It's heavy No problem in hauling monster.
I also got some new BGs.I got 6 Daiwas of my 30 reels
Just bought a BG 4000 after watching your video! Quick question. I have been fishing all my life but was always confused on how to pair a reel to a rod properly. I have heard that you match the max drag of the reel to the line weight of the rod and if the drag falls within the range, the rod and reel are compatible. The other method is you match the line that will be used on the reel to the line weight of the rod. Which one is the correct way?
hi, awesome buy. so when i consider reel to rod pairing, i think of 3 things. max drag of reel to line weight of rod, weight of reel itself, and angle of reel arm to first guide. it's tough to compare virtually, i like to match in store if possible. re the bg, just know it's bigger and heavier than average reels in it's size range, average angle to first guide so pretty versatile.
@@ishwithfish Thank you so much for the reply. One last question. If the max drag was used to pair reel to rod, does the line weight used for the reel need to match within the line weight of the rod? Thank you.
In another vid a guy recommended adding an additional washer to the BG which come in the box , this fixes the line lay . I have done it however yet to see results.
line lay problems are on the penn, bg fill spool perfectly while penn have trouble filling the top, meaning poorer casting (theres a video on it)
So how's the result?
Muhamad Aliff Jamaluddin yes the washer made the line lay on bg perfect also take into account braid thickness mono thickness !! If I go thinner on the braid o will remove the washer .. I think 🤔
In England the Penn Surfblaster 8000 is incredibly popular, but I opted to go for a Battle 2 7000, because I just didn't like the surfblaster. No complaints yet, I went and bought a 2nd one!
thx for the feedback man, b2 is a great reel. although that Surfblaster looks awesome though :)
Nice detailed review.
I own a couple different sized B2's and love them in the surf.
To me these two reels are like Coke and Pepsi , its personal preference.
Penn Slammer3 ❤ but that's another story 😀
+John Rich i actually have an s3 5500 on the bench, should have an overview out soon👍
Battle hands down best reel. I own 5 of them. 2500-5000. A beast of a reel.
As of right now there's only a $10 difference at full MSRP between the Daiwa BG and Penn Battle III reels...however Penn does offer a dealer exclusive Penn Battle III DX for the same price through smaller Penn vendors, the DX version has some upgrades for all sizes including CNC brass gearing for even the smaller models as well as an upgraded drag and additional spool bearing. I picked up the 2500 Penn Battle III DX for $120 shipped, got it on a St. Croix 6'6" medium rod and love the setup...I just ordered a Fenwick HMG 6'9" medium light rod and will try pairing that with a Daiwa BG 2000 for mostly freshwater pan & bass fishing. From looking at and holding both reels in hand at Bass Pro, I think both reels offer a great value especially if you can catch either one on sale.
Amazon prime day has big sales on Penn battle II today!!
Can i pair a penn battle 2 3000 with a st croix mojo inshore medium heavy rod
go with a 4000 with the mh. i have a 7' med paired with a 3000 conflict and it feels great.
I have a Battle II and I have to agree with your decision to go with the Daiwa. I really like my reel, but when you're constantly casting and retrieving, it tends to be a little bit of a hassle with the heavier body and larger gear ratio to reel in. It takes much more force and makes the reel feel unbalanced. I'm also not a huge fan of the grip, either. I would much rather have the grip on the BG because I have rather large hands.
Frank Concemi fyi you can always upgrade grips
I own a 4000 BG and 2500 BG i think it is , i use the smaller for trout and it is amazing the size of trout i pulled in , i got a 16pound yella belly on my small BG when flicking lures for red fin , you cant beat the BG
Tight lines
Sparetimefisho
We use the pen battle 2 for most of our fishing thanks for the info looking to find out about the bg.
It will lose the battle to BG. 4500 up have twin stopper.
Good review that matches both my and my two sons observations. I own Penn Conflict, Battle and Battle 2 reels. I had been happy with Penn and always thought they were fine low priced reels. Then I picked up a Daiwa BG 3000 reel at B.P. and gave it a spin. Wow, what a difference in feel, both balance and smoothness. Brought it home and loaded it with 20lb braid. My two sons both will now both grab the rod with the Daiwa over the rods with either of the Penn battle series reels. When you are casting lures with the Daiwa for a few minutes and then you use either of the Penn’s you notice right away that the Penn reels take much more effort to reel in, thus creating hand fatigue. No one in my family wants to fish with the Penn Battle reels anymore. I am going to either sell or shelve both Penn Battle reels and replace them with Daiwa BGs. The Penn Conflicts will stay in use as both of mine (4000 and 8000) have a very smooth feel, similar to the new Daiwa BG3000.
Merry Christmas.
great feedback, thx! happy holidays🎅
Wow! Impressive video sir! I haven't seen any better reviews with all pertinent and salient issues identified. I believe Alan Hawk would be proud. Kudos! Keep up the good work.
thx for the kind words! i have a bunch more reel reviews coming soon, some known and some unknown, stay tuned.
You know there both very good reels and I always lean towards penn because I own the battle and fierce and recently got the pursuit 3 and the conflict I've had them for past few years and fish everything with them I have nothing bad to say other than there's not enough hours in the day to use them so id recommend the Penn's anyway of the week
How do these reels compare to the KastKing Kodiak? They go for around the same price.
i was high on the kodiak for the first 60 hours, in my experience it held up for 60 saltwater hours. then the roller bb went out (kastking sent replacement roller bb), and then the rotor developed a clicking sound i can't quite find. having less hours on the battle ii and bg, i can say the bg is best of the 3, and since daiwa and penn provide parts support through authorized dealers, those reels would have a longer service life.
Corrosion resistance and bearings sucks on the battle....all the lubing after every trip helped but I’ve given up on it after the bearings started failing.... got the BG some while after and it getting heavy saltwater use with ten times the hours I’ve had on the battle....it performs and looks like new yet.....FYI
agreed😊
I also have an ambassador 7000 on a 7 foot 6 inch Duckett silver rod. I love it too.
I use a penn battle 6000
What size reel and rod for fishing off cliff open sea waters : depth 100 feet fish: grouper and red snappers max weight 50lbs...advise
the BG is just f'n beautiful. I have a jdm 4000H and 6000
Always been a Penn/shimano guy for SW but ive gotten myself into a situation where I have to start going after small and big mouth bass and Walleye/Saugeye, where should I look?
i'd say stick with shimano, they make much better finesse stuff than penn. based on budget, a sienna sedona stradic will be light years ahead of penn in terms of weight and how smooth everything feels.
Great comparison vid. Thumbs up and subscribed. If I am surf fishing and need to cast as far as I can with a 10ft rod using 3oz weights. Do you think the Penn battle 2 or their new Spinfisher Vl long cast would be further in distance then the Daiwa BG? I know the Daiwa BG has a special spool that helps with distance.
thx for subbing! having used long cast reels in the past for 6 oz crab snares, there's a noticeable difference. i get about 10% further casts on average, helps for crabbing but can make a big difference for surf fishing. the late generation daiwa reels including the bg definitely have spools that are optimized for farther casts, but can't really compete with a conical long cast spool. the line literally flies off those reels. if you're mostly launching big bait and waiting for bites, and willing to spend the extra $50, i think the SSVI LC or Conflict II LC is best for you.
I will get the SSVl LC 5500 since its more water resistant then the Conflict ll. Do you think the Shimano C14+ Ultegra 14000 would be a better option then even the Penn? It has super slow oscillation 5 but I dont think the ultegra 5500 has it.
I just got a bg and a Fuego LT intending to send one back. Sending back the Fuego. I do agree that the bail mech is not great, I only fished once but I haven’t had any issues. Other than that I love the thing. Just wondering why you say that the penn battle 2 is faster when the bg actually takes line in quicker, who cares how many spook rotations?
can't go wrong with BG! on paper the battle is the faster ratio, but in real world performance the bg is the fastest 4000 between the 2 models.
If your still around, how does the feugo lt compare to the bg smoothness wise?
coolkid6364 I couldn’t really tell a difference they were both smooth but I’ve heard people say the fuego was slightly smoother than the bg
@@justinf6758 thanks for the reply
the fuego is a tiny bit smoother than the bg. the mag seal at the smaller rotor prob contributes to lower start up inertia, so you get the feeling of a smoother spin. under load though, the bg will probably feel smoother since it's a lot more rigid. the fuego lt 2500 xh on my lamiglas X11 has become my go-to surfperch setup, super light and smooth.
Line capacity is key and the BG seems to have a taller spool which increases my cast distance with lighter weights.
Can you use it for musky in fresh water that is BG ?
yes, but a 300 size baitcaster is preferred👍
Nice reel.. i just got my BG8000 today. Just can’t wait to fish.
I know its not meant for it but I use my penn battle 2 medium heavy combo for catfishing and it works like a charm
Me too ! Catfishin is hard on things ! My Penn pursuit , and battle are slayers !
Thanks for video, it really helped me to decide ,
Good luck 👍