The Very Best New Baitcasting Rods and Reels from Tackle Test

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The Game & Fish Tackle Test team did its due diligence in determining the elite performers in its annual gear reviews on new rods and reels.

During a week of testing in the central Florida, the team examined more than two dozen baitcasting rods and reels before handing out its Editor’s Choice and Great Buy awards (featured below).

Products were scored by each tester from 60 to 100 in five categories. Those scores were then averaged to determine overall scores (see the scoresheets here).

• PERFORMANCE: How well the product meets its intended purpose, along with how well it held up to the rigors of the test.
• BUILD QUALITY: The quality of the materials, construction and fit and finish, along with the efficiency and ease of operation of the mechanical features.
• ERGONOMICS: The overall comfort of the product, especially over the course of extended use.
• AESTHETICS: The degree to which the product is appealing to the eye.
• VALUE: Bang for your buck.

The product with the highest overall score in each class earned our Editor’s Choice Award. The product with the highest Value score in each class receives our Great Buy Award.

Editors Choice Rod | Okuma X-Series

If it’s been some time since you’ve considered the Okuma brand of fishing rods, let the new premium X-Series serve as your reintroduction.

The all-black rod with minimal lettering emits elegance. Once in hand, it becomes evident the X-Series is more than a pretty face. Not only is the rod amazingly lightweight, it also has a satisfying quickness at the tip when hurling a 3/8-ounce bladed jig toward a lily pad field. The rod tip jumps to life during the retrieve as the staccato action of the jig transmits through the blank and into the angler’s hand.

An explanation of the components that produce the X-Series’ airy weight and crisp feel can get technical, but these features are worthy of detail to appreciate the build quality. The Japanese Toray carbon blank is enhanced by overlaid fibers at opposing 45-degree angles, adding hoop strength and responsiveness.

Ultra-lightweight Fuji KW concept guides prevent slack line from wrapping at the bases of the guides, a common issue with limp braided lines. The exposed blank within the Sea Guide carbon reel seat further maximizes sensitivity and comfort for the angler.

A tapered high-grade cork handle adds to the pleasing ergonomics of the rod while contributing aesthetically by contrasting with the black rod blank and black EVA foam butt section. The fit and finish of the components appears excellent, and Okuma is backing its X-Series rods with a limited lifetime warranty.

• Related: See All of Tackle Test's Rod and Reel Reviews

There are six rods in the casting series, ranging from 7 feet to 7 feet 6 inches in various actions. (The X-Series also includes five spinning models.) Our demo rod was a 7-foot, medium-fast model that touched all the proper flex points for its designated action. The test model has an MSRP of $279.99—quite acceptable for the high-end performance, look and feel of the X-Series.

It’s apparent the Okuma team went all-in when developing the X-Series. The rod impressed us throughout testing, walking away with our Editor’s Choice award.

Editors Choice Reel | Lew’s Custom Pro Gen 3

If ever there was a baitcasting reel with an easy button for hassle-free casting, it’s the new Gen 3 version of the Lew’s Custom Pro. Lew’s touts the new ParaMag ITB (Inertia Transfer Braking) of the Gen 3 as the highest quality cast control on the market. It’s a claim that’s hard to refute after hours of use in strong winds.

The unique ParaMag ITB is a fully magnetic, frictionless brake, that uses no centrifugal brake shoes to slow the spool. Instead, within the sideplate of the reel is a series of radially aligned magnets that deploy outwardly as the spool rotates.

Working in conjunction with the magnets is a small gold disc on the palm side of the spool that is driven by inertia to extend or retract during the cast. Together, the parts composing the ParaMag ITB produce incredible casting distance while remaining whisper quiet and offering an experience as close to “thumb-free” casting as a bass angler can get.

Externally, the bronze finish of the reel frame is easy to pick out in a crowd of baitcasters. Up close, the reel has an extremely low profile that fits deep in the hand. Weighing a mere 5.6 ounces, the downsized Custom Pro rivals some of the finest BFS reels on the market.

The weight of the reel is reduced thanks to an aluminum frame and carbon sideplates, but make no mistake: The Custom Pro is no finesse reel. With a big 95 mm aluminum handle, it has plenty of cranking power, and the beefy 20-pound drag won’t slip on a close-quarter hookset.

• Related: Tackle Test's Winning Baitcasting Rods & Reels

The Lew’s designers went all out on small details, including useful items such as a line reminder dial on the tension knob and a hook keeper that flips in and out for stowing a lure. Lastly, a handy Speed Knot feature in the spool allows quick and immediate spooling of the line.

The Custom Pro Gen 3 holds 95 yards of 12-pound fluoro and is offered in gear ratios of 6.8:1, 7.5:1 and 8.3:1 in right-handed models and 7.5:1 in the lone left-handed model. An MSRP of $279.99 is well within reason for a reel of this caliber.

Great Buy Rod | Pflueger President XT

The feel and performance of a quality bass rod is satisfying, but when the rod in hand costs less than $80, it can make you downright giddy. That’s exactly how we felt about the new Pflueger President XT.

The rod is notable not just because it’s budget-friendly; lots of bass rods can make that claim. The team found the President XT to be adequately sensitive when fishing a bait and that it assumed a deep parabolic bend when fighting a bass. The rod had such an impact on its evaluators that we double-checked the price to make sure we had it right.

A pleasing look and feel makes it seem as though the President XT costs twice the asking price. The appearance doesn’t distract with over-the-top graphics or loud color schemes; instead, the handsome blue blank is accentuated with classy silver script that’s kept to a minimum. The cork grip, foregrip and butt cap cleanly complement the finish of the blank.

For $79.95, one wouldn’t expect to find a long list of high-end components. However, the various parts that make up the President XT offer a no-nonsense approach to building a solid, versatile and inexpsensive baitcasting rod. The blank is 24-ton carbon that has no pretense of being the lightest on the market, yet it felt well balanced and flexed just right when attempting to accurately land a lipless crankbait within tight alleyways of vegetation. Stainless steel rod guides with hard zirconium inserts won’t burn or cut braided lines. The ergonomic reel seat allows finger access to the blank, and the tapered cork grip is comfortable in hand.

There are just three baitcasting models in the President XT line, but they serve a wide array of techniques. A 6-foot-6-inch medium action, a 7-foot medium action (our test model) and a 7-foot medium-heavy, all with extra-fast tips, can handle everything from fast-twitch jerkbaits and “chunk-and-wind” moving baits to soft plastics worked along the bottom.

We couldn’t be more impressed with the value found in the Pflueger President XT, an indisputable choice for our Great Buy award in baitcasting rods.

Great Buy Reel | Shimano SLX XT A 150

Shimano’s SLX series has long been considered a solid reel platform at a very affordable price, but Shimano has now pushed its high-end Silent Tune technology, found in the Curado series, into the new SLX XT A, solidifying it as one of the best bargains in baitcasting reels.

Silent Tune stabilizes the spool bearings throughout the cast, providing longer casting distance, quieter operation and a smoother reeling experience over prior iterations of the SLX. At only $129.99, other premium Shimano reel technologies are understandably absent in the newest SLX, but what’s included makes for a rock-solid baitcaster.

Shimano’s popular SVS Infinity dual-brake system has proven extremely reliable across multiple Shimano reel platforms, resulting in precise cast control. The oversized adjustment dial on the palm plate of the new SLX turns easily to tweak the magnetic brake, while the centrifugal brake is accessed quickly under the swing-away palm plate.

The SLX XT A has a 150-size frame that’s compact and comfortable when palmed. Its 7.2-ounce weight keeps the SLX from becoming a burden during a full day on the water. The reel holds 110 yards of 12-pound fluorocarbon and is available in right- and left-handed models.

The aluminum Hagane reel frame offers excellent rigidity that won’t flex under the heavy load of a big fish in thick cover. Gear ratios including 6.3:1, 7.2:1 and 8.2:1 make it versatile enough for almost any technique, and the 12-pound drag is well-equipped to handle bass and other freshwater gamefish. Aesthetically, the SLX features a light gunmetal gray finish on the reel frame with royal blue accents and understated white lettering.

With a smooth, quiet performance that rivals many higher priced competitors, the Shimano SLX XT A left the test team raving about its value. It’s a superb example of a do-it-all baitcaster at a bargain price point, making it our choice for the Great Buy award.