Abu Garcia Max X Low Profile Baitcast Fishing Reel

I’ve been a spinning guy my whole life. When I recently decided to buy my first baitcaster, I went to all the online forums and tried to decipher what I should spend my money on. Well, I quickly found out that if I spent anything less than $150 on a baitcasting reel, it would be a complete waste. I might as well tie a string to a can opener, and fish with that! Fortunately, I’ve been through this before with other hobbies, so I decided to ignore the haters, and spend a measly $40 on the Black Max. And I made the right decision!If you’re a beginner, trust me, the Black Max should be your first baitcaster. It’s smooth, casts far, and has plenty of drag. Sure, it takes some practice to learn how to use a baitcaster. I used cheap mono for a while until I got comfortable with it. But after a few fishing trips, I made the switch to braid, and haven’t looked back! Yes, you will get a few backlashes in the beginning. It’s not as big a deal as you might think. Just start with a tight tension knob, and then loosen it up over time. You’ll pick it up pretty quick.I now have two of these reels. They are on $40 Berkley rods, and guess what? I catch fish! And I mean, a lot of fish! Big fish, little fish, in between fish… they don’t seem to mind that I’m using cheap equipment. My PB is currently 6 lbs, 2 oz, using my trusty Black Max.In all seriousness, if you’re a pro, go ahead and spend the bucks on high dollar stuff. Or if you fish several times a week, I can see investing more. But for the weekend angler, this reel is perfect!P.S. if you are right handed, and you’ve spent your whole life turning the reel on spinning gear with your left hand… buy left handed baitcasters! You’ll thank me later.Update: 4 months later, I now have 3 of these, they’re still awesome!2nd update: It’s been 8 months since my last update to this review. I’ve been using my 3 Black Max reels for everything… Texas rig, jigs, lipless cranks, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits… you name it. All 3 reels are just as smooth and strong as the day I took them out of the box. I’ve performed minimal maintenance, and I’m fairly tough on them. But they are rock solid! If you’re on the fence about this one, don’t be! Just buy one and try it out. But beware, they’re so good, you might end up buying several more!Last update: I thought I would provide one more update… 2 years later! My Black Max reels are still amazing! I haven’t cleaned them, lubed them, or ever taken them apart to work on them. They are still smooth, strong, and work great. Still hands down, the absolute best beginner reel on the market. And experienced guys will love them too!