Abu Revo Inshore first impressions

My Inshores finally arrived, and I couldn't wait to try em out.  Opening the box the first thing you will notice is that these reels are DINKY.  Nicely made, very light, super smooth.  Spare "power handle" is included...so far so good.

I scampered down to Outdoor Pro to get them loaded with braid.  The box says they will take 185 yds of 12, which is equivalent to 50# powerpro.  Decided to try 40# Stren braid...only took 100 yds...WTF!  Loadd the next one with 30# Power Pro...140 yds.  Better but nowhere near the advertised capacity.  I'm not as happy at the moment.

Brought em home and put one on a Trevala 70ML.  Picked it up... This setup is so compact and light its ree-dick-you-luss.  Tied up a swimbait and packed it into the truck.

Out on Tomales I tossed a 1 oz swimbait off and on for about 6.5 hours.  Casting is beautiful, smoothness is simply unbelievable.  The combined ease and lack of fatigue from this light rod/reel combo is nuts.  I am getting happier.

The rod went skunked for the day, but time will tell if the capacity issue is meaningful.  This dinky rig makes up to 25#s of drag, so even at 10#s I don't see much around here giving it much of a workout.  I will beat these up on the Islander and hopefully get a better feeling as to how they handle a "real" inshore fish.  At the moment I am optimistic.

I have a revo as well, not sure if it is the inshore one. I have not had a chance to try it yet, I will unleash it at BAMIII I think.

I used a revo last season for metalheads. Great little reel, but like you noticed it doesn't hold much line.  Besides that I was impressed. I haven't seen the inshore one yet though. I guess it bigger?

Same reel with salt compatible parts.  The spool has a small arbor so more capacity too.

How does the capacity compare to a 5500?

Same reel with salt compatible parts.

Thats a definite plus over the other revos.  When I got around to replacing my set up that "walked away" at the Mendo CSBA tourney, I picked out an SX revo.  After one plugging session (in the bay), the reel gummed up and the gears wouldn't engage the spool properly, even though it was thoroughly rinsed down afterwards.

After a near complete tear down and a little TLC, it was back up and running.  As smooth, if not smoother, than right out of the box, not counting the stench of skunk wafting from it (still ).

Besides that, I've been very happy with the reel.  I've only used it for throwing lures, so line capacity hasn't been much of an issue for me, can't say anything one way or the other on that.

How does the capacity compare to a 5500?

No where near as much as a small arbor 5500, but about the same as a Record 5500.  Much smoother and better ergonomics though.

call me a philistine, but it still seems like over-engineering and too many bearings for salt water kayak fishing.

I have replaced a few frozen bearings in my ambassadeurs (each time with grease packed ceramic ones which have not had to be re-replaced) and each time I'm thankful that there's only two ball bearings and one roller bearing.

they are the things that go when your reel gets dunked in salt water or even too much freshwater.

the 'shielded' bearings in those salt-compatible reels will still fail. water will get into them.

personally I think the salt-water compatible revo will be the cheap one they come out with in a year or so that has just two spool bearings and an instant anti reverse (IAR) roller bearing, which you replace with grease packed versions when they fail.

btw, what is in a record spool that the arbor is so much larger I wonder?

an old style 5500 holds a lot of 30lb braid, almost 300 yards.

sean, up there where the fishing is great, you hardly need it but fan casting a swimbait on a lighter head and retrieving it across the bottom does seem to have moved me from 1 fish bottom-troll events to 3 fish bottom-troll and cast events in not-so-fishy santa cruz at times, so if you are ever marooned in santa cruz, bring your 1oz swimbait and revo and good attitude and have fun with the 1.5lb brown rockfish.

J

J-I spent the 1st day do just that...fan casting a 1 oz swimbait for the ghost.  No takers. It was amazing for the job.  The price is on the high side, I did not pay full price for mine.

FYI the Record no comes in a small arbor model too.

Probably a good thing that the small arbor is available since line capacity is an advantage of the round reels.

There is also a small difference between the new no-crush angled-arbor spool on all the 2007 and up ambassadeurs and the old straight small arbor, but that is probably not real measurable in terms of line capacity.

I have replaced a few frozen bearings in my ambassadeurs (each time with grease packed ceramic ones which have not had to be re-replaced) and each time I'm thankful that there's only two ball bearings and one roller bearing.

John, how are you destroying all these bearings.  I've had exactly 1 bearing seize up on me in the last 20 years.

-Allen

here

I have replaced a few frozen bearings in my ambassadeurs (each time with grease packed ceramic ones which have not had to be re-replaced) and each time I'm thankful that there's only two ball bearings and one roller bearing.

John, how are you destroying all these bearings.  I've had exactly 1 bearing seize up on me in the last 20 years.

-Allen

tip wrap, followed by reel dunking. I've had 4 rusty ones in 2 reels. I've never had it cause the reel to seize up.

you might have more bad bearings than you think. many reels still work with frozen bearings, they just cast a bit worse.

if you dunk a reel, the bearings stand a good chance of rusting so they don't turn anymore. the spindle
may still turn in the bearing.

so it'll just feel like your reel needs cleaning. which it does, and needs new bearings too.

John

Yes, but if they're not seizing up, and I'm not casting so much, is it really that big of a deal?

Also, I do maintenance on some of the reels regularly, like the ones that I cast alot, and I don't see anything in there that concerns me.  But I don't tend to dunk my reels either.

Granted some people like their reels to work to perfection, but for the most part I just don't see it being that much of a problem.  Except of course when I was in AK this summer and I toasted a TLD15 (the one bearing that seized up on me) and gummed up a spinning reel.   

-Allen

Yes, but if they're not seizing up, and I'm not casting so much, is it really that big of a deal?

Also, I do maintenance on some of the reels regularly, like the ones that I cast alot, and I don't see anything in there that concerns me.  But I don't tend to dunk my reels either.

Granted some people like their reels to work to perfection, but for the most part I just don't see it being that much of a problem.  Except of course when I was in AK this summer and I toasted a TLD15 (the one bearing that seized up on me) and gummed up a spinning reel.   

-Allen

No, it's not a big deal. I'm just saying that with 10 bearings or whatever, that revo is not going to stay so smooth and unless you run a bearing company, once it goes down hill, it's staying there. That was my original point.

with a 3 bearing reel, you can make it better than new and afford to keep spares on hand and even know how to replace them yourself.

long live the C3!    and www.mikesreelrepair.com as a source for replacement parts and upgrades!

As for dunking reels, just when I haven't done it for several months, I lend out a reel and somebody else does it. Then there's my kids...

J