Preliminary review, Revo Rocket Hyperspeed

[cport]

I took the new frogging outfit out for a spin at Horseshoe Lake on Sunday. Spooled the Revo with 12 lb mono back and 50 lb Power Pro. The first thing I noticed was how light my rig was. With the reel coming in at 6.75 oz, and the Mojo Bass MHF 7'1" at 4.2 oz, the whole thing is just .05 under 11 oz. What a difference the lighter weight makes when throwing for a considerable amount of time.

My first cast was a disaster; in my excitement, I forgot to engage any of the centrifugal brakes, and ended up with a spectacular bird's nest! After picking at the mess for about 5 minutes, I cleared the spool, engaged two of the six brakes, and was back in business. The removable side plate is not hinged like my Curado K, it comes completely off, so be careful. I do like Shimano's little switch on the bottom of the side plate better than the springed crossbar method employed by Abu, but that is personal preference; the mechanism is easy to engage and appears solid. The magnetic brake adjustment, however, is far superior in my opinion; Shimano (my Curado K version) has the very tiny thumb wheel on the underside of the reel and is hard to adjust, whereas the Abu is very easy to adjust on the side, has clicks for each setting, and has a much wider range.

So, with the brakes set, I cast my Spro Bronze Eye 1/2 oz frog; there was a strong headwind, so I had a tiny bit of backlash. A few clicks of the magnetic brake system, and I launched the next cast. And boy, did it launch!  I was able to consistently throw the frog 30 to 40 yards with little effort. I am very pleased with the casting ability of this reel. I cast the frog for about one hour, and again, the light weight of my rig made it easy. I was able to walk the frog effectively, and reel in quickly to make another cast if my cast was errant. Very smooth retrieve, no sloppiness or noise.

Unfortunately, I didn't catch anything, so I was not able to evaluate the drag system. I did get one large blowup, but the fish knocked the frog clean out of the water! I followed quickly with a fluke, but no luck.

So far, this reel (and rod) seems to be worth every penny the monkey culled from my wallet. Will update this thread with drag info as soon as I hook a big momma.

[Lipripper]

Chris thanks for the review and for the report and sounds like once you got the setting just right you didn't have anymore trouble with it.  Sorry you didn't catch any fish and since your such a good sport and I got more ink in for my printer now here ya go just for you 

[Mike Cork]

Thanks for the in depth review.

[SFL BassHunter]

Thanks for the review!

You know, people will tell you all day that a well balanced rod is more important than a light rod and reel.
I saw BAH!
Yes a well balanced rod and reel is critical, BUT a well balanced rod and reel that is LIGHT, is 10x better.

I can add 2 or 3 hours of frogging to my day on a lighter setup than I can on a heavier one. It makes that much of a difference when you've got a bad back.

That is one thing I loved about my Lews Team Lite for frogging. Together with a 4oz rod I could use it almost all day long.
As much as I love the Tatula CT it is slightly heavier at 7.4oz. The rod is light but I would benefit from a lighter reel.

One thing I plan on doing to maybe put that Piscifun reel to the test is throw some 50lb braid on it and throw a frog. It's less than 6oz.

[cport]

Chris thanks for the review and for the report and sounds like once you got the setting just right you didn't have anymore trouble with it.  Sorry you didn't catch any fish and since your such a good sport and I got more ink in for my printer now here ya go just for you 

Gee, thanks Lip, you're all heart...

[SFL BassHunter]

Chris thanks for the review and for the report and sounds like once you got the setting just right you didn't have anymore trouble with it.  Sorry you didn't catch any fish and since your such a good sport and I got more ink in for my printer now here ya go just for you 

You know Lip, you could upload the blank diploma and just modify it on the pc. Take a screenshot and upload it here. You don't actually have to print them out every time.

[Lipripper]

Gee, thanks Lip, you're all heart...

Your Welcome
Not to worry I will print one for myself after my first trip out of the year and I don't catch one either. 

[LgMouthGambler]

Awesome! Yes, that Rocket has pretty much all of the top features you can ask for out of Abu. Believe it or not, but being as light as it is, that reel has aluminum frame AND sideplates. It was probably one of the greatest offers being that we got them for $130!  Glad you are liking yours, cause I havent had much of an opportunity to play with mine yet. Hopefully soon though.

[SFL BassHunter]

Awesome! Yes, that Rocket has pretty much all of the top features you can ask for out of Abu. Believe it or not, but being as light as it is, that reel has aluminum frame AND sideplates. It was probably one of the greatest offers being that we got them for $130!  Glad you are liking yours, cause I havent had much of an opportunity to play with mine yet. Hopefully soon though.

It's amazing that they were able to build it with aluminum frame and sideplates and make it that light.
Well done on their part. 

[LgMouthGambler]

It's amazing that they were able to build it with aluminum frame and sideplates and make it that light.
Well done on their part. 

Yep, its based on the Aurora, which is the top of the line JDM Abu. We just got it with a different paint job, and faster gears.

[cport]

Yep, its based on the Aurora, which is the top of the line JDM Abu. We just got it with a different paint job, and faster gears.

Honestly, I can't believe how lucky I got to be able to get that. I would never be able to afford a higher end reel like that. I was stretching my budget for the 180 I paid for the K, let alone 300 for a regular priced Rocket Hyperspeed.

[Oldfart9999]

Very nice review!! Congrats on a great reel and start of you mancave wallpaper!!! I just try not to tell Lip when I catch the stinky kitty!
Rodney

[Lipripper]

Very nice review!! Congrats on a great reel and start of you mancave wallpaper!!! I just try not to tell Lip when I catch the stinky kitty!
Rodney

Now Rodney would I do that to you   

[Oldfart9999]

Now Rodney would I do that to you   

Damn skippy you would!!! In a heart beat!!!
Rodney