Abu Garcia BEAST LP Reels Product Review #abugarciabeast #abubeastreels

Reel Review

Upsized for Battle: Abu Garcia's New Low Profile Beast Trio

Date:	12/26/25
Tackle Type:	Reel
Manufacturer:	Abu Garcia
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.42 - EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

Introduction: It's been nearly twenty years since Abu Garcia debuted their REVO series of low profile casting reels making a splash with tiny powerhouses that delivered double the max drag performance of the competition. Now, from that singular platform targeted mostly at bass fishermen, the manufactured has grown their suite of reels to four distinct categories plus one legacy. There's the original REVO, the more budget friendly MAX, the flagship ZENON, the legacy Ambassadeur, and for those hardcore, heavy tackle, robust application fishermen, the subject of today's article BEAST.

Abu Garcia BEAST LP Reels Specifications
	BEAST 200	BEAST 300		BEAST 400
Rated Line Cpcty (lb/yds)	10/220	14/205, 17/170		17/205, 20/175
Line Capacity - Spool Volume	16 cm³	20.7 cm³		35.2 cm³
Retrieve Ratio	7.3:1	5.8:1	7.5:1	4.8:1	6.2:1
Inches Per Turn (IPT) - calculated	9.5-30.5	9.5-33.5	7-26	9-38	7-26
Weight	8.8 oz	10.8 oz		16.8 oz
Spool Weight	18 g	26 g		37 g
Handle Length	95 mm	95 mm		105 mm
Rated Max Drag	25lbs	30lbs		31lbs
Bearings	7+1
Bearings/Bushings per Knob	2 bearings
Origin	Made in Korea
MSRP	$249.95	$299.95		$349.95

Introducing Abu Garcia's suite of BEAST low profile casting reels

The Reels: Formerly a trim level within different lineups, as of 2025, Abu Garcia's BEAST now gets its own suite and is built for bigger and badder species than just freshwater bass. In the manufacturer's words, these are "all water reels." The suite includes three casting platforms and four spinning. The spinning reels range in size from 3000 up to 5000 while the low profile (LP) casting reels are offered in 200, 300, and 400 size variants in both left and right hand retrieve. The BEAST 200 is available in one retrieve ratio (7.3:1) while the 300 and 400 are each available in two (5.8:1 & 7.5:1 and 4.8:1 & 6.2:1 respectively).

From left to right, the 200, 300 & 400

While the 300 and 400 sized BEAST reels are larger than what I prefer for my freshwater angling pursuits, the 200, in terms of size, is right in line with what I'd expect from a reel with its size designation. The reels are finished in a kind of matte to eggshell dark grey similar to the REVO5 SX. They're pretty low key overall, save for the one characteristic that really stands out - these BEAST LPs have very large, somewhat teardrop shaped knobs.

I'm not much a fan of the oversized knob trend, so when I saw these large pom poms on the new BEAST reels, I dug in for what I felt was going to be a challenging review cycle. Zander on the other hand loves oversized handles and knobs, and especially on his big bait setups, and regularly switches out his handles and knobs on his reels with aftermarket options from DRT, Livre, Gomexus, and up comer Bass Espionage.

Zander hitting the road in his adventure van, an appropriately named Storyteller Beast. This is his home away from home when on the hunt for swimbait fish

Zander rigging up the Abu Beast reels in the STO Beast van

The Beast reels look right at home next to Zander's other big bait setups

Real World Tests: After some discussion about the knobs in the lab I tried to keep an open mind about the knobs, so after sizing these reels up, it was time to load some line and match them up with some rods. Fortunately, Abu Garcia was kind enough to send matching sticks from their new BEAST casting rod lineup, so my usual exercise of finding the right pairings was more or less moot.

The 300 matched with one of the new BEAST rods

We'll cover the sticks in a follow on article, but what I had on hand to match up with these BEAST reels were the new BSTSB75-6, BSTSB792-7, and the BSTSB802-8.

Zander liked the Beast 200 for throwing softbodied swimbaits like the Hatch Match 5" Godzilla Goby and the larger 300 size for slinging giant rats like the Illude Rad Rat Triple Double XL

Zander decided experiment with the 200 and 300 size reels on some of his more frequently used swimbait setups including rods from Megabass and Shimano.

The 400 locked and loaded in a rod holder waiting for a bat ray to take the bait - literally

Fishing line was another matter. The 300 and 400 hold so much line, I decided to keep things simple. Instead of my usual braid to leader strategy, I loaded the 300 up with straight 20lb Izorline XXX Super CoPoly (0.451mm diameter), and the 400 with P-Line CXX Copoly in 17lb (0.438mm diameter). For the 200, I reverted back and loaded a fresh supply of 80lb Sunline FX Braid finishing it off with a leader of Izorline XXX Super CoPoly in 20lb.

The 200 is the size that most suits my daily fishing needs

Casting: Abu Garcia relies on tried and true technology in the casting brakes for their new BEAST LP reels. For the 200, that means IVCB-6 similar to the BST200LP's smaller cousin, the REVO5. The BEAST 300 and 400 reels, however, feature the tried and true Abu Garcia Infini Brake System, a magnetic and centrifugal hybrid solution preferred by big bait slingers.

IVCB-6 brakes on the 200

Next: Retrieve, Power and Bat Rays?