We begged and pleaded, called in tons of favors, and unleashed spies who nosed around every nook and cranny of the Abu Garcia offices in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The efforts finally paid off and we got our hands on the new low-profile Revo Premier.

It was worth all the work and in our tests we found this reel to be a gem.

Smooth and Compact

The name Premier says a mouthful about this reel. We anticipated that, since there's a big buzz around this reel and all the pros are talking about it.

FLW Tour pro Chris McCall talked about its durability and lightness, but you have to put your hands on it to really understand that. "The castability and smoothness in both casting and retrieving are smooth as silk," McCall said. "I have small hands and I've always used top-end reels, but found the size could be a problem. Not with Revos. They fit my hands better, have plenty of power, and the quality is unmatched."

Gary Morgal at Abu told us: "At 6.3 ounces, this reel is super light and without all of the problems of magnesium composites. It's 27% lighter than other Revos, but that'll change on all Revos forthcoming. In general, the lightness makes fishing more fun."

The 6.4:1 gear ratio on the model we tested, six ball-bearings, and special and super-secret X-Craftic alloy frame make for one killer reel. Also notable is that Abu will roll the X-Craftic materials into all products in 2008.

Observations

Based on our tests, we noted:

  • The small profile and super-strong gears make this reel more like a winch than something you'd try to catch little green fish with. We found it to be smooth on the cast, it had zero slop when engaged, and was powerful in getting fish to the boat.

  • The carbon-matrix drag system is super smooth with zero rough spots, even when we cranked it all the way down. Abu said there's 74% more drag surface on this reel, and we found the adjustments to be simple. No herky-jerky drag on this baby. And the star-design drag-adjustment wheel can be easily loosened or tightened after the hookset.

  • The braking system is also state of the art, and the mechanical brakes were easy to set. The magnetic adjustment ranges from 0 to 8, which allows the angler to adjust cast control based on experience, wind conditions, and lure weight.

  • For the first time ever we opened and read the instruction manual all the way through. Even though it won't win any literary prizes, it's to the point and covers the necessary details. Just about every question an angler would have is covered in the manual.

    Notable

    > The Premier joins the existing Revo STX, SX, and S models.

    > A new saltwater Revo, called the Revo Inshore, is also available.

    > MSRP on the Premier is $259.99.

    > Many of the Premier's more technical aspects were explained in a recent Bass Buzz article. To read it, click here.

    > For more about Abu Garcia and its products, visit Abu-Garcia.com.