Abu Garcia Begins the Countdown to Liftoff with the 10.1:1 Revo4 Rocket

Total Score: 7.83 - GOOD

Introduction: The race for highest speed, low profile baitcasting reel has accelerated since ratios crested 6.6:1. For a year or two, we had incremental increases above 7.1:1, then after engineering allowed manufacturers to crest 8.0:1, the count up has accelerated another notch. Today, we're here to discuss the very first 10.1:1 low profile baitcasting reel on the market. Here's our look at Abu Garcia's Revo4 Rocket.

Impressions: Those familiar with Abu Garcia's line of Revo, low profile baitcasting reels know the manufacturer essentially uses the same frame and sideplate design throughout the lineup and simply swaps components (most notably the braking system and drag stack) to achieve different levels of performance at different price points to define the suite. It's quite obvious and if you didn't know that before, you do now. I bring this up here to simply point out the Revo4 Rocket is a very familiar shape and profile.

Introducing the 10.1:1 retrieve ratio Abu Garcia Revo4 Rocket

The Revo Rocket made its debut during the Gen 3 iteration of Abu Garcia's Revo Suite. At the time, it was the very first low profile baitcasting reel to crest eight point whatever, and featured a 9.0:1 retrieve ratio. It was essentially an STX with a souped up transmission, so when I first laid my greedy little enthusiast paws on the new Rocket, I was excited, expecting it to have the same upgrades as the Revo4 STX.

The Rocket is essentially a Revo with a souped up transmission

The one upgrade I was hoping for the most was the incorporation of the manufacturer's IVCB-6L braking system in the Rocket. Unfortunately, the Revo4 Rocket comes with the same Infini (magnetic + centrifugal) braking system as the previous generation and now offered in the SX lineup.

Spooled with some Sunline Sniper BMS for our tests