Making Victory affordable, Skeet Reese’s signature W&M baitcaster

Total Score: 8.08 - GREAT

Introduction: As far as big names in professional fishing go Skeet Reese is definitely among the bass elite, especially here on the West Coast. Over the last season Skeet partnered with W&M (Wright & McGill) to release new series of reels that are designed to pair perfectly with his popular line of rods. We take a look at Skeet’s latest black and yellow reel, the Victory baitcaster. 

Skeet's new signature reel, the Victory, from Wright and McGill

Impressions: Wait, wasn’t there already a Skeet Reese Edition reel on the market? Abu Garcia fans will remember that not long ago Skeet was fishing Revo reels that featured 11 ball bearings, a 6.4:1 gear ratio and a bright yellow center frame surrounded by black sideplates. This reel was considered by many to be a very refined but expensive offering, retailing for around $259 dollars.

At ICAST 2010 Skeet shows us the new prototype reels

When news first spread that Skeet was no longer with Abu rumors circulated as to which manufacturer he would partner with next. Shimano and Daiwa haven’t brought out signature reels and though they do work with the pros a partnership seemed unlikely, and joining KVD at the Quantum camp also seemed equally as improbable.

In the lab we take a closer look at a mass produced Victory reel

Who would have guessed that W&M would start producing signature reels? But if you think about it this partnership makes perfect sense. Skeet was already enjoying success on the rod side and by bringing both product lines under one roof it was possible to not only make reels that match up with the rods in terms of look and feel but also set a pricing strategy that would also be inline. 

Handles and knobs off...

The one thing we knew we could expect on any new Skeet Reese reel was plenty of his signature black and yellow motif and yet when Skeet showed us the new reels at last year’s ICAST the first thing we commented was just how little yellow there was on both the spinning and baitcast reels. The next thing that we noticed was the absolutely massive handle grips on the reels. Skeet explained that he liked to have plenty of surface area so it was quick and easy to grab the knobs when tournament fishing.

Inside we can see the main brass gearing which houses the drag system

Specification-wise the reels boasted some pretty good specifications, starting with the aluminum alloy frame and hande-side sideplate. The reel features a precision cut brass main gear and 11 stainless steel bearings and a Teflon drag system. The Victory baitcast reels launched with four configurations, a 7.0:1 and 6.2:1 retrieve ratio in both right and left hand retrieve.

The drag consists of a single Teflon disc sandwiched between the brass gear and steel washer