The bolts are designed to be put in the grooves one way. They have a flat spot that allows them to move further outboard. We messed with one at BassPro today after watching this video last night and were able to put it on an 11’ Breakwater. When the counter worker first installed it, we had the same issue you’re experiencing. Took the bolts out and rotated them and it fixed the issue. I don’t know if this was your or anyone else’s issues, but it’s worth noting/looking into.
Nice reel and a good review. I seriously regret not buying the Squall 15 Casting Special before they rapidly sold out in 2020. The Gen 1 Squall 15 has served me very well for years, and this II CS model is a nice improvement - more line, 5 lb. more drag. I won't make the same mistake twice.
My favorite "Guy" for reviews .. I took on your style of honest review and video sharing for my platform... Great video.. Fish on! Tight Lines! ---OFD 🎣
With the fathom cs, for the knob I believe you can rotate the plate so the knob is in a better position, the writing will be upside down but it should works fine
I have that exact same setup, both rod and reel. I use shrink tubing on the ends of the reel foot and it seems to work just fine. Just enough so that the reel foot fits a little snug and then tighten down. No need for the reel clamp.
You can get the parts from Penn to change that big knob on the fathom to the dial type and it's two parts. The dial you turn and a screw. And it's basically flush to the side plate.
awesome review man. i have to admit, the sound of the spool spinning during casting sounds so satisfying. the performances on the casting is quite impressive too. hope to see some epic fishing action from you haha
The Penn fathom ll casting special. We don't use the reel clamps when fishing with beach casting /surf casting rods. The clamps are normally used on boat rods. Providing your reel seat is wide enough to take the reel foot. You don't need the clamp.
Love your channel mate,not having a go at Penn as it least they listened, but amending the issues with their top line reel with the next model down the line seems a bit strange.Obviously in the short term it is cheaper to re tool the squall production line.
@@BeachBomberFishing hey my longest cast on the fathomll is 138yards (sinker no bait). I’m looking at some of those low profile squalls now. I like mag only brakes and I think the squalls are mag only and the fathom low profiles are dual brakes.
Easy solution for the screws. Take a Dremel tool or a small file and file about a 1/16 to 1/8 to the sides. You will not weaken the clamp. It only take a few minutes. Like fishing improvise.
Great review. Reel seat issue: possibly designed to fit on raw blank. In the Northeast, where most guys fish Van Staal, they use black electric tape, no reel seats or clamps. Lighter weight, more continuous rod flex, and no wobble or play in the rod to reel fit.
@@sentient8146 Do you fish out of Montauk Point, Long Island ? I could be wrong but that is my recollection. The rods had no reel seats. The locals may have used some form of reel clamps, but not that I ever noticed. Just a lot of black electric tape.
@@otroflores91 I use coasters but I see on the latest Century rods there using a locking sliding seat I think its Fuji. I have seen others that lock when the reel is secured.
@@BeachBomberFishing, thanks man. I dont own any baitcaster or conventional reels because I'm kind if intimidated on the maintenance. It would be nice to see a tutorial of it being done correctly.
A couple years ago at the Fred Hall show I went to the pin display and spoke with the available staff and expressed my dissatisfaction with one of the models of reels, the sales person or rep was so rude!!! I simply asked her why this model had so many problems? But his answer was, maybe you shouldn’t be so cheap and buy a better model and you won’t be having problems ! So I guess they don’t stand for their less expensive reels only the high dollars. I will never buy another pin reel again. My collection of pins including 30 SW Santa will be replaced by Shimano !
God damn it man I really spent $280 on the fathom and I just wanted something simple for the beach. FML, Carlos you better chill bro finna make me buy all the damn penn reels
Man, i’m not trying to talk smack but you’re voice and the music in the background reminds of The movie Surfs Up when Tank is showing off his trophies lol
idk an avet cost almost the same but has way better components an is built to last an can really crank down on them as well an fit tons of line especially if ur using braid with floro or mono topshot
@@BeachBomberFishing yea that kinda true but ive seen plenty of guys use avets for surf fishing but mainly those raptors which are like 300 dollar so way out of price range compared to this reel but u gotta take a look at those new Avet reels coming out they look nuts
Hey bro, do you think it’s possible to cast a reel that has no mag at all? I have a squall (no mag) and have been wondering if it’s worth trying at the beach.
@Brandon C, yes but find a good rod to pair with, make sure the rod loads weight well to get the most out of your cast, theyres guys casting old school penn senator 6/0s and 80lb mono almost 130yrds, its all about technique and a good rod, id start of with straight mono, more foregiving if you do birdsnest
Thanx for the review, good to know about the reel foot issues, I have HDX, LDX, and CCP rods. I think I'll pass and stick with my all metal Akios, Avet, and modded Abu reels.
I purchased both the fathom cs and squall cs to compare them both and I’d say that the fathom does have better bearing and construction design was thinking of returning it to Amazon to buy another squall but idk lol
@@gonzarb93 tbh bro I own both and they both spin fast af for over a minute but the fathom can hold more line capacity and I love the aluminum frame but both are great choices
HI there. What diameter rod real seat will fit between the bolts? I'm really interested in this real but this issue could be a deal breaker. I will measure the 10ft Okuma Razor rod I was thinking of using. It has a fuji reel seat which is small. Thanks for the great video. It was very helpful. I think Penn needs to take their blinkers off.
How did you get the grease out of the reel? Does it have to be disassembled to clean the guts? Please demonstrate putting the reel on the rod. Thanks man
Great channel, super helpful videos, appreciate what you do very much, thank you! Question, what is the inside distance between the screws on the reel foot? I'd like to pick one up, but want to be sure it'll fit on my rod before I do. Rod is an Ocean Master.
Great review man. Question, why does your Squall 2 have white lettering, while all the ones I see at the store and online have gold lettering. I think the white looks pretty darn cool, but can’t find that. Thankyou!
Thank you for your reviews Very informative. I'm gutted that they don't make these in left hand wind Here in New Zealand its really hard to interest the shops or importers to obtain LH casting reels I have a factory Penn LH wind Jigmaster 500, but as it has no braking system, its often birds nest city here LOL Keep up the good work and take care Cheers Pete
I purchased them both was lucky to order the fathom off Amazon but it was out of stock at the time so I waited like 6 weeks but I’ve used it for quite some time and the fathom has a aluminum construction but both have shielded bearings but tbh just get the squall it’s so lighter and you can change out your bearings when they get old at any reel repair store
@@leonardothelion9091 I settled for the Squall 15 cs. My local tackle shop had one and after 10 minutes of it came along with me. What a difference those magnets make! I can’t go back to normal.
@@BeachBomberFishing yeah looks the good, just trying to figure out why we don't use them in Australia, we just use egg beaters. The guy in the tackle Shop says it's too windy here for conventual reels.
i have the spool tension knob tightened all the way. no play in spool. 4 ounce weight drops and does not nest. mounted on 12 ft penn rod. i can throw 50 to 75 yards max. no birds nest at all. once i loosen the spool tension knob a little i get birds nest when i throw it unless i keep my thumb on the spool. i want to get more distance but it birds nest city. any tips thx
big problems I have with this reel: 1. No level-wind. 2. Spool play. Is this an issue with the design? Or did the host simply not bother to properly adjust the drag? That's why you got a birds nest, by the way. 3. No level-wind. 4. Short foot. 5. No level-wind.
1.Level wind would be counter productive on a surf casting reel. Levelwinds have been known to break if the line gets tangled on it. 2. The spool is loose because I loosened it up to allow the spool to spin much more freely. You can tighten the spool as needed to eliminate spool play.
Dear Mr Whats is the Best size 15, Squall or Phathon? I notice the modes SD for SDCS is difference, i need to buy with a 100% correct because i will buy on ebay, i live in Brasil and hee Penn does not have official sellers. Thanks!
I think it might be a good idea to take a page out of the South African surf fishers book , as they seem to have revolutionised surf fishing , with impact sinkers, assassin surf rods and low mount overhead reels , you see if you really want to cast distance you need to try casting an overhead on a low mount rod , it opens your casting swing and smothers it out meaning the tend to flick the cast over a shorter arc is eliminated meaning smoother longer cast and no overruns , high mount rods with overhead reels it and always has been totally wrong
@@ShorrockPaul the reel is mounted in a lower position and you cast with opposite hands , I do this with all reels for heavy surf fishing , so with an eggbeater type reel , casting over your right shoulder your left hand controls the line release after the cast with the rod in the fishing position having your reel hand lower is actually more comfortable , have a look at a channel called zoo look fishing , it explains it better when you can see it
I just bought my second penn 15cs the spool seems to have more drag then the other. I had everything backed off and it still seems to have to much drag when casting. Do you have any suggestions???
I'm in Houston, I normally fish in Galveston, Jetties,Freeport ect, I'm going to start hitting some of these inland spots locally like you. I need a break from Saltwater.
Why do you need the extra security of the reel clamp? You're only fishing 20 lb test The Reel clamp is an option for those rods that don't have a reel seat built into the rod
The review I've been waiting on you to do. I knew they were coming out with the second generation of the squall but also seen some one post on Facebook about the Cs. The reel foot is not an issue for me being I will be getting a new rod to pair this reel with when I get one. Also I just got a abu 7k with the centrifugal brake what would be some mods to get some more distance but still keep the level wind?
Nice breakdown of the reel but there is nothing wrong with the foot spacing or that stupid reel clamp shit. I put the reel on a Carolina Cast Pro 12oz. heaver, 11 ft. medium heavy Tica, and a Century Surf Machine Max and that thing is tight on all of 'em. Why would you want a clamp on a reel anyway on a surf rod .. makes it a pain in the ass to change rods in changing conditions. If you have a decent rod with a good reel seat the clamp is a waste of time and effort to even put on. Best thing to do out of the box is to clean the factory lube out and put some multiplier rocket fuel in it. Only thing I'm not sure I like about it is the clicker thing on the star drag ... still a very nice reel at a great price point. Penn will sell a ton of these and raise the bar a good bit for the $$... jmho .. thanks for the vid and tight lines from the OBX.