Testing the new Revo 5 Rocket
If you have the need for speed, Abu Garcia’s new Revo 5 Rocket is sure to impress. In Australia we often joke that red is the fastest colour, but when it comes to the new Revo range, it couldn’t be truer.
Mangrove jack anglers who put thousands of casts a day underneath the overhangs will have more time for an extra cast before the boat moves out or range. With a super-fast 10.1:1 gear ratio, you can quickly and easily pick up line and cast those frogs back in quicker than ever!
If your one of those guys or gals that loves their “bling”, you won’t go past the eye-catching candy apple red finish of the rocket. But beauty isn’t only skin deep, this is a reel that is saltwater ready and upon the first few months of testing we left salt on the reel for a week at a time after continuous casting in the Hinchinbrook channel and there was no corrosion present when we finally opened it up.
Drag pressure remained consistent and smooth throughout the time catching barramundi up to 120cm in length and didn’t show a glitch. With 18lbs of max drag, there’s plenty of stopping power to put the brakes on a good fish attempting to get back home. The oversized paddles and thick 95mm carbon handled proved its weight in gold on hot or wet days. The Asymmetric design gives a more compact body and decreased weight, providing comfort in the angler’s hand all day long. With the smoothness of 11 bearings there’s no cheap flaws.
The casting system utilises an IVCB -4 braking system which is four automatic centrifugal brake weights and an external magnetic cast control, along with your traditional spool tension knob on the handle side plate to keep casting consistent and very adjustable to each given situation.
While testing, we paired the reels with a mix of 20-50lb braid and used a 2-5kg 6’6” Veritas PLX Elite Edition and the Veritas Tournament 6’2” 2-5kg rods for skip casting frogs. We stepped it up to the 4-8kg 5’8” Veritas Tournament Elite for casting Berkley Pro-Rigs in impoundments or to fish holding deeper in the estuary.
By Ryan Tully – Abu Garcia Pro Team