Tackle Junkie: Abu Garcia Revo Premier

When I was a kid in the mid-1970s, I learned how to cast a fishing lure with my trusty Zebco closed-face spincast reel. The real apple of my eye, however, was the gleaming Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5000C reels my dad and uncles wielded. From my perspective, that’s what a true angler utilized to catch bass.

Those old-school Ambassadeur reels were state-of-the-art at the time. Built like tanks, they lasted forever, and we caught loads of bass with them. In hindsight, they were also rather heavy and prone to monstrous backlashes that my dad would patiently pick out as I acquired the skill to use them effectively.

Fast forward roughly 50 years to the newest baitcaster from this legendary reel maker, the Revo Premier. The fifth generation in Abu Garcia's Revo lineup is everything those old-school Ambassadeur reels were not: lightweight and ergonomic, with huge cranking handles and high-speed retrieves.

Upon unboxing the Revo Premier, it looks like a sports car, with a clean gunmetal gray finish and subtle red accents. The large 95 mm cranking handle is hard to overlook, as are the oversized padded knobs. On the water, these features make the reel feel powerful in your hand, as the low-profile reel can handle any technique you want to utilize. I’ve always appreciated a reel frame that is adaptable to multiple rods for a variety of techniques, and the new Revo delivers. This baitcaster pivots easily from heavy-duty tactics to casting lighter lures with ease.

The 20-pound drag won’t slip when setting the hook in close quarters with braided line, but Abu Garcia has also built in a “clicker” drag for an audible response when a fish surges while using lighter fluorocarbon lines.

Ergonomically, the Revo Premier is second to none in comfort, accentuated by the asymmetric body design that allows your thumb to rest comfortably across the top of the reel during the retrieve. The low-profile design allows the reel to nestle comfortably within the palm, regardless of hand size.

Ten ball bearings plus the roller bearing gives the Revo Premier quiet, silky-smooth casting and a nearly silent retrieve. Should you need to access the brake under the side plate, the gull-wing design pivots the sideplate cleanly away without fear of dropping it in the water.

The latest Revo is offered in both right- and left-handed models and in 6.7:1 and 8.1:1 retrieves. Like many modern baitcasters, the Revo Premier is impressively lightweight at 6.6 ounces without the line.

The MSRP of the Revo Premier is $299.95, which is at the upper end of the range between $250 to $300 that hardcore anglers look to spend to gain a solid return on investment for years to come.

It’s been fun for me to look back at the old Ambassaeur reels now resting on my shelf and think of all the great fishing trips with my dad, uncles and grandpa all those decades ago. Holding the new Revo Premier from Abu Garcia gives one the same sense of durable quality that will last for many years to come.