Any Opinions On The New Revo Baitcaster?

Opinion? Of course I have an opinion. It's very pretty. There, that's my opinion. :rolleyes:

The above is true, but my actual opinion is: don't buy it for the kind of inshore fishing we do here on LI. But not because it's not a sturdy reel, because it is. It's that ridiculously fast 7.3:1 retrieve ratio that will have you pulling hooks on fluke and wearing your wrist out grinding 4oz bucktails back to the boat all day long.

This reel is part of the Revo Gen5 series from Abu, which is pretty much the same thing as the Gen4 Revos, which are/were bullet-proof, unlike the P.O.S. Gen3's which were terrible, for a couple of reasons - all of which were addressed with the introduction of the Gen4's.

I know this because I own both a Gen3 and a Gen4 Winch - and the differences are the substitution of a beefy brass main gear in place of the Gen3's stupid aluminum main gear which sheds teeth like my old collie shed fur. Also, the fixing of the Gen3's crappy free spooling mechanism that would malfunction if you so much as looked at it. Both of those issues were redesigned in the Gen4 and so they turned a POS into a gem.

Now back to the reel you asked about. What I recommend instead of that reel is a Gen5 Winch, which features a reasonable 5.4:1 retrieve ratio. I use this (in the earlier Gen4 version) on my favorite jigger, a Palmarius slow pitch #3. At $229, it ain't cheap, but it's less pricey than a Tranx 200, I believe.
1722544338059.png



Or, if you're feeling a little "budgety," the RevoX in the 5.4:1 ratio is essentially the same reel as my Gen4 Winch - and a freakin' steal at $120.
1722543718297.png

Orrrrr, if you're in love with the paint scheme of the Revo Inshore - and just can't live without it, we could go with that reel, call Abu in Spirit Lake, order in the Winch 5.4:1 gear set, and do the old "Lepre-swap." Done it many, many times, on all sorts of reels, including Daiwa and Shimano - for all sorts of somewhat shady characters, myself included.

Annnnd, there are lots of sexy upgrades that we can add to any of these reels, if you so desire. I know a bit about that subject as well. 8-)
 

Fishing Reports

Latest articles

Back
Top