Abu Garcia Revo5 Winch, it’s the Reel Deal!

Bathurst...

Back in my day (yea I know, I can hear you all saying here goes the old Boomer again, but hang in there) you were either a Holden or a Ford man. Or woman. The rivalry was fierce and come the Hardie Ferodo raceday........ sorry, Bathurst raceday, it was on like Donkey Kong. For what it’s worth darky was Team Blue Oval. But then a few other badges began sneaking in, teams like Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, Chev, Jaguar and even a bloody Volvo! And whilst they were neither blue oval nor red lion, they were quality teams and very professional outfits.

Which brings us to fishing tackle, and thanks for sticking with me. Without doubt, the Holden and Ford of the fishing scene has been the offerings from Shimano and Daiwa. Decades ago there was a smattering of other offerings, brands like Shakespeare, Mitchell and Penn were there, even the Aussie Alvey were about. But in fishing reels particularly, it was the Japanese offerings which went toe to toe in the fishing equivalent of Bathurst, it was a Shimano and Daiwa race to the finish line.

Today

These days the competitors are far more varied, and for those willing to deviate from the “big two”, there are some huge rewards in store. Don’t get me wrong, the offerings from Shimano and Daiwa are still excellent, but they’re not the “only” excellent reels in the glass cabinets now. We anglers have never been more spoilt for choice to be honest. With brands such as 13 FISHING, ATC, Okuma and Abu Garcia, if you can’t find a quality reel at the price point you’re comfortable with, well you’re not looking hard enough!

Abu Garcia have always had a great range of baitcaster reels to choose from. Their range of Swedish“round” reels have been around forever, and whilst the technology is now getting a little long in the tooth there are still swags of people who love them. The low profile range has newer technology and there has been a nice little range available to choose from. The “Beast” is a beauty and many of my Murray cod fishing friends run one or two these. I honestly don’t think you could kill them with a brick (the reels, not my friends)!

New Revos

Late last year it was one of the newest releases of baitcasters from the Swedish tackle brand ABU Garcia that caught my eye. In the blink of an eye darky was the proud owner of a flash new “Winch” baitcaster reel. What’s it like? Well read on, but first let’s have a glance over the new range.

Value adding to the existing range were the new Abu Garcia REVO (the generic ABU Garcia reel moniker) models, these the fifth generation. Priced from $199.99 (RRP), through to $499.99, there’s truly a reel to satisfy all budgets and tastes. It was the Winch which caught my eye however. I’m a Murray cod fisher (predominantly trolling lures) and my reels need to be fairly robust, with an exceptional drag. When the metre plus fish comes along, well let’s just say that is NOT the time to find out you’ve got the dodgiest reel with the notchiest drag in the boat!

Winchin’...

So lets have a look at the new Winch then shall we. Right off the bat, the Winch has a new look about it. Low profile baitcast reels from all brands have a fairly low slung, streamlined look, thus allowing the non winding hand to grip both rod and reel. This seems to enhance the control of the outfit, but more importantly the thumb is right there on point should a little “human drag” be required in a heavy fight. The alloy frame gives the optimum balance of strength and weight and it weighs in at a 220g, which is a fairly average for a reel in this class.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to my eye the Winch is a cracking looking reel. It’s taken the streamlining up a notch, with the top outer profile profiled in even more than a normal baitcaster, think Ferrari vs VB Commodore...... Ok, it’s not that stark, but it is very racey. It’s a serviceable satin black color, with some impressive ruby red highlights and details. The handles are a smooth composition, which suits me. The spool control is via the normal spool tension knob on the handle side (coarse control) with the click adjustable numbered fine control on the opposite side. The side plate is easily swung away, offering even more adjustment within, giving access to the adjustable brake knobs if you’re that way inclined. Darky is not, in fact most of my adjustment comes from the spool tension knob, but knock yourself out if you’re a twiddler. It’s all there for you and over runs should be something your mates get, not you.....

The beauty of the Winch is it’s retrieve rate, at 5.4:1. I view the old 6.3:1 as the middle ground in reel retrieves so the Winch is a little slower, and therefore aimed very much at those who like to cast and retrieve their offerings, particularly those that need a slow to ultra slow retrieve like the big swimbaits, plastics, spinnerbaits and the like. If this is your go, you’ll love the Winch. That said, you can of course wind that little bit quicker or slower as required. The Winch does make it very easy to get it right however. I don’t know about you, but ole darky gets a little excited and spins the handle a tad faster when he sees a fish on the tail of the lure. That’s often not what’s required, to get the bite......

Yea, that’s a drag....

And when that bite comes, you’ve got up to 25lb of drag pressure to play with. That’s outstanding for a reel of this size, and it should see ideal service fighting and stopping the biggest of Murray cod (or barra for that matter). Abu Garcia says it’s a “Power Stack Carbon Matrix Drag System”, which is great, but how does it stack up in use? Bloody good! Straight out of the box it’s a silky smooth drag as you’d expect, with a nice progressive increase from the click adjustable star wheel. I spooled mine up with 30lb braid and the side of the box tells me it takes about 175 yards at this diameter, more than enough for any style of fishing.

So how did it perform? I teamed it up with a Abu Garcia Salty Stage 7’ MH and it tossed the hard bodied lures about beautifully, with zero overruns once set up correctly, to throw the different lures I was using. It also saw service as a trolling outfit and completed this task very well too. At the end of the day, it was pretty hard to find any fault whatsoever in the Winch. It did everything which was asked of it, and it did it well. I’m not sure what more could be asked of a reel to be honest. I guess longevity could come into it, but that’s a revisit years down the track, not after a handful of outings. I’m renowned for treating all my gear with the utmost respect too, so if you’re looking for a “how much abuse can the Winch endure” type test, well I’m sorry......

Finally

Back to Bathurst. Without doubt, if you’re on the Holden or Ford teams you’re on a winner. But don’t forget the year Jim Richards and Mark Skaife pedaled the giant killing Nissan Skyline GT-R to the win (1992 youngsters, google it. Controversial yes, but they were the best outfit all day) An Abu Garcia from the Revo range could easily be your Bathurst winner. Your GT-R. In fishing terms. You know what I mean.......

At the recommended price point, the Abu Garcia Winch comes in at the top end of the range. Is it worth it? Well that’s up to you to decide, but for mine you’ll get the most up to date technology from one of the most progressive and innovative reel manufacturers in the world today, if you give it the nod. With that super effective 5.4:1 gear ratio, dare I say it, if “winching” Murray cod (or barra) out of the gnarliest of snags is your go, then the Abu Garcia Winch could be just the reel for you.

Drop in and see the knowledgeable McCreddens Fishing team, they have the full Abu Garcia Revo range, including the Winch and all the Revo 5 reel range. They'll take you through all the functions and features, to ensure you get the right reel, for your fishing scenarios....

darky out.....

Footnote: darky has no association with Abu Garcia, the Winch reel was purchased with his hard earned, either that or put on Mrs darky’s credit card for discovery at a later date.....