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Reel Review


Ardent's Tour Reel Series Offers an "Edge" for Anglers (continued)

 

Durability: The Ardent Edge Tour has held up well throughout a complete season of use and we have not encountered any performance related issues whatsoever. The aluminum drive gear has also held up well, as has the carbon based drag system. On the outside of the reel we had a little bit of paint come off the lower side of the reel but overall the Edge Tour has resisted boat rash very well. Ardent backs the reel up with an excellent 3 year warranty which is also much longer than most competing reels. 

 


A look at the inside of the non-handle sideplate

 

Price & Applications: It seems every day there are more and more companies moving their manufacturing overseas, not only in the fishing industry but in all segments where price is a key factor to consumer adoption. Does Made in America still mean something to Anglers here in the U.S.? There are many anglers that would say “absolutely yes,” but not at the expense of all the other factors including performance, innovation and quality.

 


Even the knobs are branded Ardent

 

Personally I find it very admirable that Ardent continues to design and manufacture reels here domestically. To compete at the lower end of the spectrum the company has introduced the “Evercast” brand which does leverage overseas manufacturing, but the Ardent brand and the new Edge Series of reels are all still built right here in America. It was a smart move on the part of the company to go the design board and create an ergonomic platform then introduce a complete series that leverages the same tooling and is differentiated by feature-set and finish. Ardent did right by anglers by introducing these reels with a range of retrieve speeds and both right and left handed retrieve.

 


The Ardent Edge Tour is proudly made in the USA

 

Ratings: (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):

Ardent Edge Tour Casting Reel Ratings (?/10)

Construction/Quality Ardent has come a long way and the aluminum based Edge Tour delivers when it comes quality use of materials. this is a solid reel that is built like a tank 8
Performance The reel is a very good caster and excels at long distance but is a little more finicky to dial in than some competing reels. There is a slight amount of backplay in the handle shaft but overall performance is very good 7.5
Price A little more expensive than some of the competition but anglers that put a premium on "Made in America" will appreciate the fact that this reel is homegrown 7
Features When it comes to features even though the Edge Tour is missing a drag clicker it gets a "excellent" score with innovative additions like DTT and the line test indicator 9
Design (Ergonomics) Ergonomically speaking the Edge is not a super lightweight but it is respectable and the reel's profile makes it easy to palm and fish for extended periods 8
Application The Edge Tour is good for both freshwater and inshore applications but it is good to know that the company also offers an inshore specific model for those anglers that focus on inshore species. Overall this reel is able to run the gamut of bass applications and our high speed test reel was great for working plastics when power fishing and ripping reaction lures. 8

Total Score

7.91
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable!
For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

 

Pluses and Minuses:+

                 Plus                                    Minus

+ Innovative features like DTT - Absence of clicking drag star
+ Powerful gearing and smooth retrieve - A "good" price but a little more expensive than competing reels
+ Real carbon elements are light and durable  
+ 3 Year Warranty is better than industry average  


Conclusion: Ardent has demonstrated time and time again that they can build both reels and accessories that have innovative features. The Edge Tour makes use of high quality components and the DTT technology and line test indicator are welcome additions that add value and create a more differentiated package. This is certainly not just another “me-too” reel, and anglers will find the Edge Tour really does deliver when it comes to casting, retrieves and doling out reliable and consistent drag pressure.

 


The Ardent Edge Tour makes use of quality materials and packs in innovative features like DTT (Drag Tracking Technology), a carbon fiber drag star, and a line test marker

 

While there are many hits with the Edge Tour there are also a few misses. The overall weight of the reel still leaves some room for improvement where many competing offerings are finding ways to shave an ounce here and there, and the lack of an audible drag clicker on a reel of this price point is a downer. The overall construction and design of the Edge Tour is very good and save for these few refinement gripes the reel offers a compelling package for anglers that are looking for a solid workhorse reel capable of both freshwater and inshore use.

 


The Edge Tour is a quality reel with plenty of features, if it just had that drag clicker it would be truly great, but in the current form this reel is worthy of consideration and simply the best Ardent reel we have fished to date

 

Ardent has come a long way not only with the Tour model but with the entire Edge Series. These are the best low profile baitcasters from the company yet and with so many choices to select from there is an Edge for every application and price point. The Edge Tour model in particular is a good choice for anglers that want a reel that delivers plenty of features at a reasonable price point. With the complete Edge lineup Ardent has introduced a “sharp” series that is certainly worthy of consideration if you are in the market for a reel that stands from the apart from the field in design, feature-set and even origin.

 

Looking for the Ardent Edge Tour Reel?
Try Tackle Warehouse.


 

   

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