ARK Fishing Gravity 1 Arkk Casting Reel Product Review #arkfishinggravity1 #arkgravity1

Reel Review

A Reel that Fishes Above Its Price Point : ARK Fishing's Gravity 1 (continued)

Power: Matched with ARK's Cobb 2.0 Flippy Floppy casting stick and fished in heavy cover situations, I was quite surprised by the leverage this budget friendly little reel afforded me. Whether it was pinning fish to the matts or pulling them up and over the top, I was able to grind and wind with the ARK Gravity 1 quite successfully.

A look inside reveals a brass gear

Nestled within that gear is a single, composite drag washer described as a non-asbestos gasket

Drag: Nestled within that brass main gear of ARK's Gravity 1 casting reel is a single, composite disk of undisclosed material that delivers smooth resistance. The drag is rated to only eleven pounds of maximum pressure, but that's usually plenty if your pursuing those green fish with large mouths. The importance here, again, is in smooth and consistent resistance.

This Gravity 1's drag is rated to eleven pounds of maximum pressure

Design & Ergonomics: ARK Fishing's Gravity 1 casting reel is about as bare bones as you can get. Equipped with just four bearings and one anti-reverse roller bearing around the drive shaft, this is not a reel to fill up the stat sheet. But it's not intended to either. What it is, is a very comfortable reel to fish coming in at just over seven ounces in weight (7.3oz), the carbon fiber frame and sideplates are molded into a very easy shape to palm.

The reel tipped our scale at 7.3oz

Normally the handles and knobs on the more affordable reels feel like leftovers from the clearance bin at the factory, but the Gravity 1's handle has a cutaway and the knobs are similar or the same as those found on the Gravity 5 and above. For those who still care, the reel's dragstar is ratcheted, but the cast control knob is not.

The spool checked in at 16 grams

Price & Applications: ARK Fishing retails their Gravity 1 casting reel for just $79.99. There is only one retrieve ratio available, but it is built in both left and right hand retrieve and suitable for a good range of applications.

ARK Fishing retails their Gravity 1 casting reel for just $79.99

Ratings:

ARK Fishing Gravity 1 Casting Reel Ratings (?/10)
Construction/Quality	A good, solid reel all around that doesn't hollow or feel like it has a lot of cheaper components, save for the thumb bar	7.5
Performance	Felt right at home from the get go. Performed reasonably well in all areas. Simple, and reliable magnetic braking system, ARK's Gravity 1 casting reel delivers predictable performance casting and pitching baits from about three eighths of an ounce on up	8
Price	Excellent price point	9
Features	About as simple as they come.. simple but reliable	6
Design (Ergonomics)	In hand and while fishing, feels like a reel that costs a bit more. Asymmetrical design may not visually appeal to everyone but feels good in hand	7.5
Application	A good, general purpose reel	7.5
Total Score		7.58
Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! For More Details of the updated rating system visit our explanation here

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus	Minus
+ Fishes above its price point	- Only one retrieve ratio
+ Non-budget knobs	- Asymmetrical frame styling may not be for everyone
+ Asymmetrical design feels comfortable when palmed
+ Excellent price point

Conclusion: ARK Fishing's Gravity 1 casting reel is a prime example of a product that is greater than the sum of its stats. Normally, reels in this class either feel heavy and clunky, or light and plastic. The Gravity 1, for the most part, conveys none of that. The one spot where I'm reminded of its price point is in the plastic thumb bar, but that can be forgiven because when the reel is nestled in my palm and my thumb is grasping that top bar, I actually really liked the way the reel feels in my hand.

In the world of budget friendly reels, ARK Fishing's Gravity 1 delivers an uncommon experience

Take that thought to the other side of the reel and the knobs ARK is using on the Gravity 1 are spot on - thin, comfortable, with good tactility. Something that is very uncommon on a budget friendly reel. Put some bearings under the knobs to bump the stats up and retail for the Gravity 1 could probably be bumped up, but we are glad to see Ark value reel that fishes more like a mainstream offering. ARK Fishing did a nice job with this reel. If you're looking for a casting reel that won't break the bank and fishes above its price point, the Gravity 1 is worth a cast.

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