Company: PENN Fishing Tackle Mfg. Co. · Founded: 1932, Philadelphia · Parent: Pure Fishing · Category: Electric reel batteries
PENN doesn’t sell a general-purpose electric reel battery. What it sells is a battery system for its own reel, the Fathom Electric. The reel runs on a 12V system with a 5Ah lithium-ion pack that clips into the reel itself, so there’s no battery box and no cable on deck. PENN also sells a spare battery, a single and a four-bay charger, and two corded “batteries” that replace the pack and run the reel from boat power.
This review covers what comes in the kit, what each accessory costs, what run time owners report, and when you’d want the corded option instead.
Company overview
PENN was founded in Philadelphia in 1932 by Otto Henze and is now part of Pure Fishing. Its address is 3028 West Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132 ((800) 892-5444). The Fathom Electric is PENN’s cordless electric reel, sold in 30, 50 and 80 sizes. Every Fathom Electric uses the same battery and chargers, so one spare fits all three reels. For the reels themselves, see our PENN Electric Reels review.
At a glance
| Brand | PENN (Pure Fishing) |
| Battery | FTHSPAREBAT, 5Ah lithium-ion, fits in the reel |
| System voltage | 12V (per PENN) |
| Weight | 907 g listed by Capt. Harry’s (PENN doesn’t publish it) |
| Chargers | 1-battery (FTH1BATCHRG) and 4-battery (FTH4BATCHRG) |
| Corded options | 10 ft cord with ring terminals, or 10 ft cord with Hubbell plug |
| Works with | PENN Fathom Electric 30, 50 and 80 only |
| Spare battery price | $119.95 (PENN, September 2026) |
The Fathom Electric kit: reel, battery and charger
Images: PENN
PENN sells the Fathom Electric two ways. The reel only comes “without battery or charger,” according to PENN. The Reel Kit includes the reel, a “5AH lithium ion battery” and a “Single Battery Charger.” PENN describes the pack as “fully integrated and replaceable,” and says the motor and battery compartments are IPX6 sealed.
| Model | Reel only | Kit (reel, battery, charger) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom Electric 30 | $779.95 | $949.95 | $170 |
| Fathom Electric 50 | $839.95 | $1,009.95 | $170 |
| Fathom Electric 80 | $899.95 | $1,069.95 | $170 |
Prices from pennfishing.com, September 2026. Tomos Tackle listed the 50 kit at $1,019.95.
The kit costs $170 more than the reel alone. Buying the battery ($119.95) and single charger ($119.95) separately would cost $239.90, so the kit is the better deal unless you already own PENN batteries. The reel-only version makes sense as a second or third Fathom on a boat that already has batteries and a charger, or if you plan to run it corded.
Fathom Electric spare battery (FTHSPAREBAT)
Images: PENN
PENN calls it a “Direct replacement for OEM Fathom® Electric lithium ion battery. Perfect as a replacement or as a spare so you never run out of power.”
| Spec | PENN FTHSPAREBAT |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 5Ah |
| Chemistry | Lithium-ion |
| Voltage | PENN lists a “12V System”; the pack’s own voltage isn’t published |
| Weight | 907 g (Capt. Harry’s listing) |
| Charge time | Not published |
| Max current | Not published |
| Charger | Not included |
| Price | $119.95 (PENN, Capt. Harry’s, Tomos Tackle, September 2026) |
PENN showed the spare battery as out of stock on its own site in September 2026. Capt. Harry’s and Tomos Tackle had it listed at the same $119.95. CharkBait notes the reel has internal flash memory that keeps depth and line capacity data “even when swapping batteries between drops.”
Chargers
Images: PENN
| Model | What it does | Price (PENN) |
|---|---|---|
| FTH1BATCHRG | “Replacement single battery charger for Fathom® Electric” | $119.95 |
| FTH4BATCHRG | “Quad battery charger allows for charging of (4) Fathom® Electric batteries at once” | $229.95 |
PENN doesn’t publish charger output or charge times for either model. The quad charger is the one to buy if you run two or more Fathoms and carry spares. It charges four packs overnight from one outlet.
Corded power: running a Fathom off the boat
Images: PENN
If you don’t want to manage packs, PENN sells two corded units that slot in where the battery goes and run the reel from the boat’s 12V system.
| Model | Cord | Ends in | Price (PENN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTHCORDBATT | 10 ft | Ring terminals (“attach your own plug”; plugs not included) | $46.95 |
| FTHCORDBATTHUB | 10 ft | Hubbell plug, for “pre-wired boats” | $94.95 |
Beach Bum Outdoors listed the ring-terminal cord at $44.95 and the Hubbell version at $84.95 in September 2026. TackleDirect had the Hubbell version in stock at $94.95.
Many Florida deep drop boats already have Hubbell outlets at the gunwale for Daiwa, Shimano or Elec-Tra-Mate reels. On those boats the Hubbell cord turns a Fathom into a plug-in reel for about $95. The ring-terminal cord suits a separate lithium or AGM battery box, or a boat you’re wiring yourself.
How long does a 5Ah Fathom battery last?
PENN doesn’t publish run time or drops per charge. Here’s what we found from other sources:
- CharkBait (retailer) says the batteries are “mostly rated for 10-15 drops with a heavy 5lb weight.”
- A reviewer on PENN Australia’s site, fishing up to 400 m with 80 lb braid, wrote: “we have been averaging 3-4 hours of battery life in these depths.” Used as a teaser reel, he did “two back-to-back full-day trips” without charging, helped by the reel’s hibernate mode.
- A verified buyer on pennfishing.com said they’d done “4 to 5 trips without even having to recharge” on an FTH80EL. PENN’s page doesn’t say how deep they fished.
- On The Hull Truth, a marine dealer doubted the capacity, saying 5Ah “would last about 5 minutes on my boat.”
For comparison, dedicated deep drop packs are two to three times bigger: the Abyss Deep-Drop is 10Ah and the Black Oak LED Deep Drop is 10Ah. Our take: for a full day of repeated 600–1,000 ft drops for tilefish and grouper, carry at least one spare pack per reel, or run the reel corded.
Choosing a PENN power setup
| How you fish | Power setup |
|---|---|
| One Fathom, occasional deep drop trips, small boat or kayak mothership | Kit battery + one spare ($119.95) |
| Two to four Fathoms, full days on the ledge | Spare per reel + 4-battery charger ($229.95) |
| Boat already wired with Hubbell outlets | FTHCORDBATTHUB ($94.95), batteries as backup |
| Separate lithium or AGM battery box, or DIY wiring | FTHCORDBATT ring-terminal cord ($46.95) |
| Kite or teaser reel | Kit battery with hibernate mode |
These setups are our suggestions, not PENN’s.
Care in Florida saltwater
- PENN rates the motor and battery compartments IPX6, which covers spray and hosing, not submersion. Rinse gently with fresh water and don’t dunk the reel.
- Dry the battery contacts before swapping packs on deck. Spray and wet hands are the main risk.
- Keep spares out of direct sun in a dry box. Hot consoles in summer are hard on lithium-ion.
- Charge after each trip. PENN doesn’t publish storage guidance, so check the manual that comes with the reel.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Truly cordless: the battery lives in the reel
- One battery and charger fit all three Fathom sizes
- Kit pricing makes the first battery and charger cheap
- Corded options for boats with Hubbell outlets or a battery box
- Quad charger for multi-reel boats
Cons
- 5Ah is small for all-day deep dropping; plan on spares
- PENN publishes no voltage, current, weight or charge-time specs for the pack
- Proprietary: the batteries only fit Fathom Electric reels
- Spare battery was out of stock at PENN in September 2026
PENN vs. other electric reel batteries
| Brand | Battery | Fits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| PENN | 5Ah lithium-ion, in-reel | Fathom Electric only | $119.95 |
| Abyss Battery | Deep-Drop 10Ah, 14.8V | Daiwa, Shimano and others | $299.99 |
| Black Oak LED | 10Ah LiFePO4 | Daiwa, Shimano and others | $274.50 sale / $343.13 |
| BatPower | ProF 7.8Ah / 15Ah | Daiwa, Shimano and others | $179.99–$369.99 |
| Batterysmith | 3,500–20,000mAh, 14.8V | Daiwa, Shimano, Banax Kaigen | $129–$349 |
None of the third-party packs plug into a Fathom Electric. If you want a bigger battery for a Fathom, the route is PENN’s corded unit wired to a larger battery.
Where to buy PENN Fathom Electric batteries
Manufacturer
- PENN · Spare battery · 1-battery charger · 4-battery charger · Corded battery · Corded Hubbell battery · Reel Kit
Florida
- Capt. Harry’s Fishing Supply, 8501 NW 7th Ave, Miami, FL 33150 · (800) 327-4088 · captharry.com: spare battery
Other US retailers
- Tomos Tackle · tomostackle.com: spare battery, chargers, corded units, kits
- TackleDirect · tackledirect.com: Hubbell cord
- Beach Bum Outdoors · beachbumoutdoors.com: battery and cords
- CharkBait · charkbait.com: reel kits
Verdict
PENN’s Fathom Electric battery isn’t something you shop for on its own. It’s part of the reel. The in-reel 5Ah pack makes the Fathom the tidiest electric setup on deck, and the kit makes the first battery and charger inexpensive. The trade-off is capacity: 5Ah is half what dedicated deep drop packs carry, and PENN doesn’t publish run time or electrical specs. For serious Florida deep dropping, budget for a spare per reel and the quad charger, or plug in with the Hubbell cord if your boat is wired for it.
Deep-Drop.com rating: Convenience 5/5 · Capacity 3/5 · Value 4/5 · Spec transparency 2.5/5 · US availability 4/5
FAQ
Does the PENN Fathom Electric come with a battery?
Only the Reel Kit does. It includes a 5Ah lithium-ion battery and a single charger. The reel-only version comes “without battery or charger.”
How much is a spare PENN Fathom Electric battery?
$119.95 at PENN, Capt. Harry’s and Tomos Tackle in September 2026. The charger is sold separately.
Can I run a Fathom Electric off my boat’s battery?
Yes. PENN’s FTHCORDBATT ($46.95) has a 10 ft cord with ring terminals, and the FTHCORDBATTHUB ($94.95) ends in a Hubbell plug for pre-wired boats.
How many drops does a Fathom battery give?
PENN doesn’t say. CharkBait says 10–15 drops with a 5 lb weight, and a PENN Australia reviewer averaged 3–4 hours fishing to 400 m.
Specifications and prices were checked against pennfishing.com, pennfishing.com.au, Capt. Harry’s, Tomos Tackle, TackleDirect, Beach Bum Outdoors, CharkBait and The Hull Truth on September 28, 2026.