Abu Garcia Max STX Low Profile Reel, Low Profile

At first, I was a little skeptical because I've never owned a reel of this brand. I mainly use Lew's brand reels. I am happy to say that this is a very nice fishing reel for the price. It feels high-quality and the braking system works well. This reel has a very interesting feature called a flipping switch that most fishing reels do not have. When you engage the flipping switch on the fishing reel, the spool release button will return to the closed position as soon as you lift your thumb off of the button. This means that you do not need to turn the reel handle to re-engage the spool. so far I am very happy with this fishing reel. The real feels very smooth and makes no strange noises. Overall, I think this is a fishing reel. I will keep for quite a while and use very often, especially when flipping baits into close cover. One last thing I want to add is that this fishing reel casts very well on a side arm or overhand cast, but remember like with any baitcaster, you need to thumb the spool to prevent a backlash. That being said, the spool tension knob is effective in combination with the braking system. I've found that turning the brakes completely off is absolutely effective for flipping baits into close cover as long as you thumb the spool. For longer casts, you should have no problem, relying on the brakes and a very white amount of thumb on the spool to prevent a backlash.

Great casting reel. Have been an Abu fan for a long time.