NEW YEAR
NEW GEAR
lew ’ s custom lite spinning reel
At $ 159.99 MSRP , the new Lew ’ s Custom Lite spinning reel is in the conversation for best bang-for-your-buck reel on the market . It ’ s light ( 6.6 ounces for the 200 size and 6.9 ounces for the 300 ) and comfortable , boasts 10 + 1 bearings , a carbon fiber frame and rotor and buttery smooth 16- or 18-pound drag ( depending on reel size ) you don ’ t often find in reels at this price point .
The 200-size option adds 31 inches of line to the spool for every turn ( 32 inches for the 300 ) with a 6.2:1 gear ratio and 160 yards of capacity for 30- to 40-pound braided line . It ’ s a true do-it-all reel for nearly all spinning technique needs , and for the money ( and with the Lew ’ s one-year warranty guarantee ), it ’ s a quality option for both the casual bass angler and tournament professional alike .
$ 159.99 | lews . com
abu garcia zenon mg-x casting reel
profishiency krazy spinning reel
As flashy as they are unique , the aptly named Krazy spinning reels from Profishiency ( A12 and A13 models ) certainly stand out from the crowd – and that ’ s not a bad thing . In a market flooded with reels that fit a certain mold , these offerings from Profishiency open new doors for what a quality reel can look like .
Available at many big-box retailers as well as Tackle Warehouse , Profishiency aims to make quality gear at a great price point and make it appealing to anglers of all ages and skill levels . The A13 meets many entry-level specs ( graphite body , stainless steel main shaft ) while the A12 will check a lot of boxes for the seasoned angler looking for a little more in the way of durability and smoothness ( magnesium frame , aluminum pinion ).
Profishiency ’ s Krazy reels ( they also make casting reels ) aren ’ t a gimmick , and you shouldn ’ t be fooled by the loud , in-your-face colors . These are serious reels that should appeal to anyone who doesn ’ t mind bucking tradition in favor of style .
$ 89.99 – 149.99 | profishiency . com daiwa tatula 70sv casting reel
Designed to be the smallest , lightest and most comfortable casting reel Daiwa has ever produced , the Tatula SV 70 might just be the next great thing for BFS applications . At 6.5 ounces , the SV 70 packs some heavyweight features into a featherweight package including its “ Hyper Drive Design ” that includes four brand-new design elements to the Daiwa lineup ( Hyper Armed Housing , Hyper Drive Digigear , Hyper Double Support and Hyper Tough Clutch ). The SV 70 also features a newly redesigned T-Wing line guide system meant to alleviate some issues prior models had with allowing connecting knots to freely flow through the line guide .
Technical specs aside , here ’ s what you need to know about the Tatula SV 70 : It ’ s really light , super palmable and insanely well equipped for light-line , small-lure baitcasting applications previously relegated to spinning reels . Reasonably priced and packed with new tech , it ’ s worth checking out this winter for your coldwater finesse techniques .
$ 229.99 | daiwa . us
Truly a casting reel built for comfort and strength , the 5.1-ounce Zenon MG-X from Abu Garcia punches well above its weight class . While small and light , the MG- X version of the high-end Zenon lineup still features 15 pounds of drag and a spool that ’ ll handle 135 yards of 10-pound mono , so it ’ s not just relegated to light-line applications .
Abu Garcia touts a handful of proprietary design elements that make the Zenon MG-X worth the lofty price tag ($ 449.95 MSRP ) including the IVCB-4 braking system for ultimate adjustability and a Carbon Matrix drag system , aircraft-grade aluminum main gear and 10 stainless HPCR bearings ( plus a roller bearing ). If you need a do-it-all reel that can handle everything from BFS to flipping , punching and frogging , this is it . Available in left- and right-hand retrieve in 6.8:1 and 8.3:1 gear ratios .
$ 449.95 | abugarcia . com
60 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023