Abu Garcia’s Revo SX is one handsome low-profile baitcasting reel Fresh from the box. It only weighs 7.8 ounces, making it feel almost weightless when mounted on a rod. It’s comfortable in the palm of your hand during casts and retrieves. And it works smoothly, as you’d expect any new reel to do.
I recently tested a Revo SX that sported a 7.3:1 gear ratio, bringing about 30 inches of line with each complete turn of the handle. Abu Garcia also offers the reel with a 6.6:1 gear ratio.
In many of my Bassresource.com forum postings that discuss reel drag, I’ve recommended a setting between 3 and 4 pounds, depending on the rod's action and power. However, I know many bass anglers like to “crank ‘em down,” and you certainly have the chance to do that with this reel. Its drag can provide a whopping 24 pounds of stopping force! You’ll need a rod with the action of a broomstick if you select that setting.
I spooled my Revo SX with 30-pound FireLine Ultra 8, a new offering from Berkley, whose diameter is the same as 12-pound test monofilament. That means there is room for about 145 yards on the reel. I mounted it to a GLoomis GLX BCR854. I exclusively use this fast action and powerful 7-foot 1-inch casting rod for pitching jigs and weighted soft-plastic lures.
The first lures I tried were a ½-ounce jig and a Strike King Structure Bug, a soft-plastic creature-style lure. But before I started fishing, I wanted to see how far the Revo SX could cast. A jig is a very aerodynamic lure, so the first cast was a monster. You don’t always need maximum distance, but it was nice to know you have that capability.
Overall, my Revo SX performed flawlessly. Pickwick Lake produced a couple of nice bass, which gave me a taste of how the reel’s drag felt. I was impressed, and I think you will be, too.