Penn Squall II Level wind

Overview

The PENN Squall II Level Wind is a saltwater conventional multiplier reel built for boat, bottom and offshore fishing. It combines a lightweight graphite frame and sideplates with a forged and machined aluminium spool, giving anglers a reel that stays manageable in the hand despite its heavy-duty drivetrain.

At the core of the Squall II sits a high-strength marine-grade bronze-alloy main gear paired with a stainless-steel pinion, a step up from PENN's entry-level conventional reels. A 3+1 shielded stainless-steel bearing system (4 bearings total) keeps the retrieve smooth, while PENN's HT-100 carbon-fibre drag washers deliver up to 14.9kg / 33lb of maximum drag across every size in the range.

The range spans four sizes – 15LW, 20LW, 30LW and 50LW – each fitted with an automatic Level Wind and Line Capacity Rings. Rather than each size simply offering more drag power, PENN has kept the 33lb drag figure constant and instead scaled up line capacity and physical size as you move through the range.

Perfect For

Because the Level Wind mechanism distributes line evenly across the spool during retrieval, these reels are particularly well suited to boat fishing, bottom fishing, wreck fishing and trolling rather than dedicated shore-casting work.

The compact 15LW suits lighter boat work, drifting and bait fishing where anglers want the Squall's drag and drivetrain without needing huge capacity. The 20LW is a natural all-round UK boat size, comfortably holding 455yd of 50lb braid, while the 30LW retains quick 4.9:1 gearing for heavier boat and wreck fishing. The 50LW is a specialist heavy offshore reel, capable of holding 665yd of 100lb braid for anglers who genuinely need very high heavy-line capacity.

Technical Insight

The graphite frame and sideplates keep overall weight down while the marine-grade bronze-alloy main gear and stainless-steel pinion provide a stronger, more corrosion-resistant drivetrain than PENN's brass-geared Warfare II. The forged and machined aluminium spool adds durability under the loads generated by the HT-100 carbon drag system.

PENN's Fast Gear Access Sideplate is designed to make routine maintenance more angler-friendly, allowing easier access to the drivetrain for cleaning, inspection and lubrication than a conventional reel where reaching the gears normally requires more extensive disassembly. Combined with the 3+1 shielded stainless bearings and visual Line Capacity Rings, the Squall II is built to keep performing through repeated saltwater use.