I got it back into the boat quickly, rerigged, and had the lure back in the sweet spot while the bass was still hot and bothered. When I fished with OL’s gear editor, Scott Einsmann, I had a bedding bass swipe at a soft plastic stick bait and mess up the rig. Obviously, in that case faster is better. The goal is to get the lure out there into the strike zone, see if there’s a willing taker, and then get it back in for another cast. Most of the spinning applications I utilize are presentations where the rod does most of the lure manipulation-dropshots, wacky worms, Ned Rigs.

The 7.6:1 gear ratio is a sweet spot for a wide range of techniques. Read Next: Best Spinning Reels for Bass What the Abu Garcia RKT SP Spinning Reel Does Best The largest fish I landed on this setup was a 5-pound largemouth that ate my Senko under a boat house. I tried it with various line combinations, including 8-pound test fluorocarbon, 10-pound test copolymer, and both 10- and 15-pound test braided main lines with fluorocarbon leaders of various lengths and strengths. It balanced well with a number of medium-light to medium-heavy rods already in my possession and I was anxious to get it out on the water. Still, I have to admit to being wowed when pulling this reel out of the package. Also, if you get tired by a day of casting a reasonably light spinning outfit, you need to go back to the gym. On some past reels where manufacturers have tried similar strategies, the result has been all sorts of sharp edges and nooks and crannies that catch both line and fingers in awkward ways. I’m all for stripping away weight where possible, but not at the expense of strength or function. It’s right on par with the Shimano Stella (7.4 ounces) and Daiwa Certate (7.4 ounces) at more than $200 cheaper than the Daiwa and $600 cheaper than the Stella. The size 30 RKT weighs in at a light 7.6 ounces, which a generation ago would have been unthinkable. They also look somewhat like the company’s premium Zenon models, which cost over $500 apiece, more than twice as much as the RKT. The first thing I noticed when I took the RKT reels out of the box was the “race car red” coloration. Testing the Abu Garcia Revo Rocket Spinning Reel in the Field The Revo Rocket’s red color is as striking as its specs.

Nine stainless steel bearings plus one roller bearing.

Revo rocket