3 Generations, 2 Brake Systems, 1 Solid Reel : Abu Garcia's Revo STX

Total Score:7.93 - GOOD

Introduction: Casting reels priced in the range of $180 - $210, give or take a few dollars, seem to be the real sweet spot amongst majority of consumers looking to spend a little money for quality, but not looking to let things get out of hand with super high end gear. Not long ago, this was the segment of the market dominated by certain little green reel, but back in my tackle “wonder years”, this was the price point for that reel’s more refined sibling, the Shimano Chronarch. Thanks to a host of contributing factors, this specific segment of the bait casting reel market has seen quite a bit of turmoil in recent years and over the last four to five a familiar name has re-risen to the top. Twenty to thirty years ago, Abu Garcia’s product was once regarded as the best “money could buy” and thanks to their Revo-lution, the company is once again making product to which the every day angler is paying close attention.

We are now in the third generation of Abu's Revo-lution and so far, both the Premier and S models seem to have delivered on expectations. Thanks to recent surveys on our Facebook page and discussion forums, however, it appears consumers' thirst for knowledge and information about the entire Revo lineup has not yet been quenched. No, it sounds like the reel most people want to read about sits smack dab in the middle of the Revo lineup, resting comfortably within that $180 - $210 price range. We just happen to have been fishing this very reel over the last several months and here now is our take on Abu Garcia's workhorse bass reel, the Revo STX Baitcaster.

Performance: The primary testing grounds for our Gen 3 Abu Revo STX was the California Delta. I purchased two of these reels to test and fished them with braid, fluorocarbon and nylon monofilament to get a sense of their versatility. If you're a regular reader of our site, the first thing you're going to notice is that both reels are right hand retrieve models instead of my preference, left hand retrieve. I actually purchased these reels as loaners to my brother for a trip we were to take together last Fall, but those plans fell through so I moved the reels into my regular review rotation. I actually fish both styles of reels, but my brother can only operate the right hand retrieve models.

Retrieve: The Revo STX comes in three different retrieve ratios (6.4:1, 7.1:1, 8.0:1). I only acquired two models to fish, but by measuring the spool's inside and outside diameter, we're able to calculate the IPT range you can expect from each model which will of course vary depending upon how much line you have out. These numbers are presented in the reel specification table at the beginning of the article.

In terms of actual feel during the retrieve, the STX is smooth but lacks that rock solid feel you get from some reels. I attribute this to the reel's weight and carbon sideplates. On average, heavier reels just feel more solid in hand during retrieve, and composite materials in the frame and sideplate only serve to further separate you from that rock solid feeling. It's the price you usually have to pay if a reel that is light in weight is your preference or goal.

Drag: Looking at our Sweet Drag Performance Chart above, you can see the drag on the Revo STX is very smooth and consistent. There is some fade at higher settings (top two curves, light blue and purple) and at the harder pulls (third column of curve), but overall the peaks an valleys are minimal.

The maximum drag advertised by the manufacturer is 20 pounds. The max we were able to generate on the Machine with a finger tight drag star was a split hair over 10 pounds. If this rating is important to you, then it's something of which to take note, but for my style of fishing, how consistent a drag performs is far more important than a maximum rating. Even in situations where I do want to lock down my drag, for bass fishing, 10 pounds is more than sufficient.