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PENN Battle IV Spinning Reels
Ugly Stik GX2 Rod

When I was a kid, my grandfather had an Ugly Stik rod and PENN reel. But the old man wouldn’t recognize the latest rods and reels from these two iconic brands.

Berkley Forward Braid on display at ICAST 2024 First Look: Berkley Forward Braid & PowerBait Drip Minnow

The Best New PENN & Ugly Stik Gear for 2025

PENN Battle IV Spinning Reels

PENN Battle IV reel on display at ICAST 2024
Feature photo: Kayak Angler Staff

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AMAZON BASS PRO SHOP CABELA’S TACKLE DIRECT

For 2024, PENN redesigned the Battle spinning reels with improved corrosion resistance including waterproof seals at the handle, dust cap and spool to completely prevent water intrusion, making them a perfect choice for a saltwater spinning reel. The spool is also redesigned to keep water out of the internal workings. A redesigned full metal body further prevents corrosion and looks cool.

The new Battle still includes my favorite features like the carbon fiber drag, CNC gears and stainless steel sealed ball bearings. Overall, we love this reel and included it on our buyer’s guide to the best saltwater reels as well as the best spinning combos. To encourage anglers to shop at their local tackle shop, PENN is offering a DX model with CNC gears in all models and a cool silver and blue finish at the same price as the standard black Battle IV. This DX will only be available at brick-and-mortar retailers.

With premium features packed in a good-looking reel, PENN managed to keep the price for a 2500 size below $130 and the giant 8000 only costs $179.

Ugly Stik GX2 Rod

Ugly Stik GX2 casting rod product image
Image: Courtesy Ugly Stik
Ugly Stik GX2 rod on display at ICAST 2024
Photo: Kayak Angler Staff

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PURE FISHING AMAZON BASS PRO SHOP CABELA’S CANADIAN TIRE TACKLE DIRECT WALMART

One look at the clear tip and the red and gold cross pattern wrap and I know I’m holding an iconic unbreakable Ugly Stik GX2 rod. But a closer look reveals an improved reel seat, tough and comfortable EVA grips and updated line guides to improve the durability and performance of the legendary Ugly Stik rod.

When I received a new GX2 rod and reel combo for testing and review, I was immediately impressed with the construction and looks. The Ugly Stik reel is smooth with an aluminum spool shaved and ported to save rotating weight. With a price under $50, the updated GX2 rod is a great bargain that will last a lifetime.

detail of Ugly Stik GX2 casting rod product image
Image: Courtesy Ugly Stik

Feature photo: Kayak Angler Staff

 

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Ric Burnley
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley has been kayak fishing since the dawn of the sport. In 2007, Burnley wrote The Complete Kayak Fisherman, with chapters on how-to make a PVC rod holder and glue a fish finder transducer to the hull. In 2013, he landed his dream job as editor of Kayak Angler magazine. Burnley is a regular contributor to Salt Water Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Outdoor Life, In the Bite and other print and online publications. Burnley lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, adult daughter, daughter’s boyfriend and daughter’s two cats. Experience In 2004, Ric Burnley stole his first milk crate from behind a 7-Eleven and fashioned it into a gear crate for his Ocean Kayak Prowler 15. Many years and many milk crates later, Burnley has witnessed the rise of kayak fishing from a bastardized fringe element to a legitimate industry with millions of devotees. The journey to becoming an angler started early in Burnley’s life. His father, Eric Burnley, is a renowned outdoor writer and former fishing guide, so the boy grew up in the cockpit of a charter boat and in the pages of national magazines. After college, Burnley lost easy access to his father’s boat, but not his passion for fishing. Once he had exhausted the limits of land-based angling, Burnley decided to try out a new thing called kayak fishing. About the same time, Burnley was looking for extra work to pay for his expensive addiction. His father, editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman Magazine, offered him freelance assignments for the weekly publication. That led to a position as regional editor at Salt Water Sportsman, publication of The Complete Kayak Fisherman and editorship of Kayak Angler. Meanwhile, Burnley and his partner-in-crime, “Kayak Kevin” Whitley were exploring the boundaries of kayak fishing. With the bountiful Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean as their playground, the two anglers were the first to target big red drum, cobia, trophy striped bass, monster black drum, sheepshead and many other species. Once inshore species were exhausted, Burnley loaded his kayak onto motorboats and fished for bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, king mackerel and amberjack. All the while, Burnley shared his experiences and knowledge with anglers through print, photos, video, radio, seminars and online. Almost 20 years later, Burnley continues to fish obsessively and share the stories. His recent projects for Kayak Angler cover the latest trends in forward-facing sonar and remote-controlled electric motors. Over the past two decades, kayak fishing and Ric Burnley have come a long way from PVC rod holders and stolen milkcrates. Education ● Radford University: BA English; Virginia Teacher’s License. Highlights ● Other Interests: Mountain biking, traveling, hiking, surfing and skateboarding ● Day Job: High School English teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students Fun Fact Ric’s name is a contraction of Eric. Ric is named after his father, Eric Sr. To differentiate between the two Erics, Mrs. Burnley removed her son’s E. To this day, she writes the boy’s name ‘Ric, with an apostrophe replacing the E.

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