The 13 Fishing Inception Sport Z is without a doubt the greenest reel on the market, let's see how well it performs

Impressions: The new Inception Sport Z wears a much more conspicuous green finish than the original matte grey found on the standard Inception. The new reel is bright, the kind of bright that you couldn’t ignore even if you tried.

The Inception SZ has a form factor that is very similar to the compact Origin Series

It doesn’t matter if you have ten combos on your boat deck, if one of them is the Inception SZ that is the one that is going garner the most attention from other anglers. Want to stand out even more? Combine the Inception SZ with a matching bright green Fate Black rod and you’re basically wielding a lightsaber.

Combine the Inception SZ and the Fate Black and you have a bright combo that will rival a lightsaber

While the original Inception features a traditional bearing design with 2 AB Bearings and 6 SB bearings the Inception SZ is much more of a hybrid, making use of a combination of traditional stainless steel bearings and the company’s proprietary CZB bearings (2 CZB+ 5 SSBB+ 1 A/R).

The Inception SZ also brings some of the brand’s more recent features and designs into the series, including the addition of the Beetle Wing rapid access sideplate, and the integration of the KeepR hook keeper into the bridge of the frame. Rather than replace the current Inception this new reel will co-exist with the grey colored original, offering anglers a more aggressively styled, higher performing, option.

The reel features EVA knobs and a clean green and black motif

Real World Tests: I received the Inception SZ from 13 Fishing prior to the reel’s introduction at the Bassmaster Classic and published a preview back in January this year. While the green finish is the most striking element of the reel what really makes it unique is that it delivers the company’s hybrid bearing configuration. This souped up Inception is really designed to be an everyday workhorse reel and over the last nine months I have fished the reel from Winter to Fall, targeting largemouth bass with a variety of different lines and techniques, and can finally report on not only how the reel performed out of the box, but has held up over time.

This is easily the brightest most attention grabbing combo I have ever fished

Casting: The Inception SZ channels the performance of higher-end reels in the company’s lineup, like the Concept Z, when it comes to casting feel and performance. Anglers that are familiar with the Concept Z baitcaster know that the CZBs are designed to reduce the surface area contact with the spool shaft, lowering friction, and improving overall casting distance.

The two CZBs in the Inception SZ can be found surrounding the spool to improve casting distance and feel