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Is my Abu Garcia Max STX bait caster reel good?
Hey there! Thanks for reaching out with your question about the Abu Garcia Max STX baitcaster reel. While the video context provided focuses on the Abu Garcia Max X, I can give you some insights based on my experience and the general reputation of Abu Garcia reels.
Abu Garcia Max STX Baitcaster Reel: Is It a Good Choice?
**1. Build Quality:
- Graphite Frame and Side Plates: Like the Max X, the Max STX likely features a graphite frame and side plates. This makes it lightweight and resistant to corrosion, but it may not be as durable as aluminum frames, especially under heavy use.
- Bearings: The Max STX usually comes with a higher bearing count than the Max X, which can provide smoother operation. Look for models with at least 5+1 bearings for a good balance of smoothness and reliability.
**2. Braking System:
- Magnetic Brakes: The Max STX typically features a magnetic braking system, which is user-friendly and great for beginners. This system helps control the spool speed and reduces the chances of backlash (tangles).
**3. Drag System:
- Drag Capacity: The Max STX often has a decent drag system, usually around 15 pounds, which is sufficient for most bass fishing scenarios. This is similar to the Max X and should handle topwater and treble hook baits well.
**4. Versatility:
- Gear Ratio: The Max STX usually comes in multiple gear ratios, providing versatility for different fishing techniques. A 6.4:1 ratio is a good all-around choice, but higher ratios (like 7.1:1) are better for techniques requiring faster retrieves, such as topwater or buzz baits.
**5. Price Point:
- Value for Money: The Max STX is generally priced slightly higher than the Max X, but it offers additional features and improvements that justify the cost. It's a solid choice for anglers looking for a reliable reel without breaking the bank.
Conclusion:
The Abu Garcia Max STX is a good choice for both beginners and intermediate anglers. It offers a balance of performance and affordability, making it suitable for various bass fishing techniques. If you're planning to use it for lighter applications like topwater or treble hook baits, it should serve you well. However, if you need a reel for heavy-duty techniques like frogging or punching, you might want to consider a reel with an aluminum frame for added durability.
If you have any specific questions about the Max STX or need more details, feel free to ask! Tight lines! 🎣
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Transcript
Video08:07
10:11
Best Budget Baitcaster | Abu Garcia Max X Review by DEBO'S Fishing → again it is a graphite frame and graphite side plate reel so that's common for you know bait casters in this price range again i didn't have any issues with it because i didn't have the drag fully locked down with treble hook baits and such you know when i was getting a fish instead of having it locked down like on a frog combo or something i would have it so the drag would pull out and i would tighten it a little bit right so i wouldn't recommend it for like punching heavy frogging heavy jigs anything where you're really going to be laying the stick to them and grinding them through stuff probably not going to last that long but keeping it to topwater treble hook baits this would be a good square bill rod it's got enough bend in it but still being that medium heavy i think you could horse some fish through some wood uh again not the heaviest all-around most beefy combo but for coming into 89 bucks using it for more treble hook baits where you're not completely locking down that drag i think this will do fine okay so what are my final thoughts on the abu garcia maxx reel and combo well starting with just the reel if you've only got about 50 to spend on this you know you can look for sales and i'm sure you can get it a little less
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Video03:14
05:10
Best Budget Baitcaster | Abu Garcia Max X Review by DEBO'S Fishing → uh and a lot of the you know some of the companies are even making 100 rods that are only a 24 ton graphite blank so it does only come with eight guides uh with the tip on it so it's not like you're getting a ton of guides not the highest quality guides i'm sure these are just stainless steel guides doesn't give any information about them just says stainless steel so for an 89 combo i think it's pretty good but i'm gonna break down all the pros and cons uh here coming up so let's start on a positive note and talk about uh one of the pros the thing that i was most surprised about when i took this out was how it casted now it's not the quietest you know it's not the most refined reel so i was like i don't know but as soon as i bomb that lure out there man this thing bombed a cast but again you know that's the bigger sixth since catwalk that's like a four inch topwater bait those cast a mile well i threw a number of different things on this the 90 size plopper uh that one tim plopper that you saw tied on me and dad were out that night throwing it i threw a quarter ounce buzzbait i even threw you know just like a regular chatterbait and swim jig and this reel handled oh those great
Transcript
Video00:00
02:11
Best Budget Baitcaster | Abu Garcia Max X Review by DEBO'S Fishing → what's happening fusion friends welcome to another episode today we are taking a look at what i believe to be one of the best budge bait casters and actually it's a baitcaster combo on the market right now which is the abu garcia max x as always i will give you an up close look at all the features on this i'll go over what i feel are the pros and cons to this rod and reel after using it for the past year and then finally i will give my closing thoughts on ah good bad maybe somewhere in the middle so enough yapping let's cut this lure off take the reel off of it go take a closer look all right let's start out with the bait caster itself this is a 59 bait caster if you buy these separate the baitcaster is 59 it's a four plus one bearing reel it does have the magtrack brake system which is the externally adjusted magnetic brakes here as you can see the side plate comes off inside is just the magnets and this is the exact same brake system that is on the revo x which is now a 120 reel the exact same brakes as on this 59 wheel i thought that was interesting now it does have a graphite frame and side plate uh it's got the large pvc knobs i really like the shape of these uh they're kind
Transcript
Video02:11
04:15
Best Budget Baitcaster | Abu Garcia Max X Review by DEBO'S Fishing → uh the brakes a decent drag good line capacity i think it's a good deal now skipping over to the rod this does come in a combo so you can't buy this rod separate they only come in the combo the 66 medium is a two piece i don't have that one i have the seven foot medium heavy which is a one piece uh rated for lures up to three fourths of an ounce and i really like it now uh it's i think it's just labeled as a fast to me it felt more like a moderate fast you can see when i'm setting the hook into some of these fish you can really put a bend into it which i like for treble hook lures so for the treble hook top waters it did well the rod does have a molded polymer custom grip with kind of this rubbery outside texture i wasn't a fan of that you can see it's already starting to kind of tear off a little bit i think over time that would probably just rub completely off i personally would have had the you know just the regular kind of graphite type handle here instead of the grippy stuff good idea but i don't think it's going to hold up the rod is a 24 ton graphite blank now again this is a 89 combo so a 59 reel that means this is a 30 rod
Transcript
Video10:07
11:53
Best Budget Baitcaster | Abu Garcia Max X Review by DEBO'S Fishing → there you know aluminum frame we can go down the line but for what it is at this budget price i think it's a good pick now again i want to reiterate i use this mainly for top water treble hook baits where you don't need to lock down the dragon you know like frogging or punching and heavy thick stuff treble hook baits where i'm gonna back that drag off a little bit because i've got those treble hooks like i had tied on here um i was throwing the whopper popper 110 the last time out with my pops and had a great done this cut a ton of fish on it that's a 110 plopper my favorite size to throw and handle this well so do me a favor comment below let me know what do you think of the abu garcia max x combo or is there a different piece of budget gear rod reel or a combo that you want to see me try out again i use this a lot last year i actually liked the combo a lot uh it wasn't one of those budget pieces that i tried once just to try it and do a review and say okay i tried it i used it a lot i took it a lot i wasn't afraid to you know break it or drop it or anything that's the nice thing with the budget stuff where if you have like a 300 reel
Transcript
Video01:05
03:18
Best Budget Baitcaster | Abu Garcia Max X Review by DEBO'S Fishing → of slick i'm not a huge fan of them i like the handles on the jaylee baitcaster that i showed you all a little while back better definitely a lot grippier and actually these two look a lot alike i wonder if i oh my golly look at that that's interesting this jaylee reel is 109. uh compared to this the maxx a 59 reel and the side plate fits it's the exact same frame size i wonder if it's the exact same uh composition if they're both the exact same graphite that's really interesting now these reels only come in a 6.4 to 1 uh retrieve which brings in 25 inches per turn it does come in a left and right hand model but that would be one drawback to this reel or this combo does have 15 pounds of drag which in my opinion is plenty enough i was using this for top water treble hook baits buzz baits a few other different things but had enough drag for me i wasn't locking it down and doing heavy frogging or anything so it definitely needed what i needed it to do this does have a capacity of 120 yards of 12 pound mono which is pretty standard for a reel this size again 59 is great for the value when i'm looking at something like this i'm trying to compare it to other reels in the same price point so for what you get
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