Penn Fathom

[Scott McKee]

I picked up a Penn Fathom FTH400LPHS reel a few months ago. Tonight I spooled her up. 

The reel looks like a Abu Beast with Penn guts.  (They are both owned by the same company, I think.) It's built solid and looks cool with its red accents.  The gear ratio is 7.6:1 and it weighs 14.3 ounces. It has both magnetic and centrifugal breaks.  Apparently this is Penns first musky sized low profile reel, along with the less expensive Squall series.  I paid about $280 for the Fathom.

After I put on my mono backing and my main 80# braided line I started playing with the drag.  I tightened the drag about 10 clicks and pulled line out.  Much to my surprise the lined pulled out way too easily.  I tightened the drag maybe five more clicks.  Same thing.  Another five settings yielded the same result.  I was  getting nervous at this point.  On my Lexa 400's I would have bloody hands by now.  It was only after I tightened the drag down to the point where my fingers hurt doing so, was I completely unable to pull line out.  Is that a little weird or is it just me?  Do the Beasts respond in similar fashion?

I'm not too sure about this reel anymore.  I'll give her a bunch of spins early.  I'll keep you posted.  If I were you I'd avoid the Fathoms until I test drive this one.

Should of bought a Beast, but I wanted to be different... Difficult is more like it.

[John Pensyl]

Yea not normal, I've got 5 beasts that are all 6+ seasons old and they are still unstoppable tanks with great drags.  Loosen the drag just a tiny bit, tie the line to something and reel like hell causing the drag disks to engage.  Sometimes after taking a reel apart the disks need to seat and believe it or not this works.  May be a dud tho.