Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I would recommend this reel to anyone. It is not a top-of-the line reel that a pro would use. But I think it is all the reel most people need. Personally, I would save the money and buy more baits! More below. I am a bass fishing enthusiast -- I fish every week and more if I can. I use all types of baits from soft plastics to topwaters to jerkbaits and crankbaits. I have fished them all on the PMax. This was my first baitcaster. I have since purchased and used a more expensive Abu Revo STX reel. The Revo is a higher-end reel that is widely used by experienced bass anglers. The PMAX is the fast gear-ratio model, and most expensive reel in Abu's "standard" or "entry" level Max series. I have looked closely at intermediate-priced reels. In the context of my experience with both reels: 1. Feels very sturdy and well-made. Physically a solid reel. No sign of loosening, grinding, or any other negative attributes after several months of frequent use. 2. Performs suitably for a bass fishing enthusiast, serious enough to fish at least weekly. 3. Was fairly easy to learn on. To elaborate on points 1 and 2: after comparing with other more expensive reels, this feels every bit as sturdy, and perhaps even more. It casts a 3/8 or 1/2 oz jerkbait or crank a mile smoothly, and cranks smoothly. The drag is smooth, and the star clicks between settings precisely, like it does on a higher-end reel. I bought this reel not appreciating the importance of the brake and brake adjustment mechanism. If you are a rookie like I was - this is very important! Fortunately, the brake is very easy to adjust with just a turn of the adjustment dial. Not all reels have this type of easy adjustment dial, even some of the higher-end Abu Garcia reels. I found it's really important when you are learning to be able to make adjustments easily and quickly. I would not ever want to use a baitcaster without this feature. The more expensive reels have some more features. For example, the Revo has a sophisticated two-mechanism braking system that requires you to pop one side off the reel. For a hardcore angler this might be justified. The drags of more expensive reels also have a higher braking capacity than this does. This might come into play if you are catching monster stripers or huge catfish. But the drag is more than adequate for bass fishing. They might be made of more advanced and somewhat lighter materials - but this reel is still very light. The braking response of the PMax is not so different that it would justify spending much more on a reel. I don't see why a fairly serious freshwater angler for bass, walleye, or other game species less than about 10 lb or so would ever really need a higher-end reel. I can't imagine ever "replacing" this reel and taking this out of my arsenal of gear. The 7:1 gear ratio picks up slack on topwaters and jerkbaits quickly, but I also fish crankbaits on it without problems. I was coming from spinning reels, and had never used a baitcaster before this one. I found this reel fairly easy to learn on. My "teacher" has been You-tube videos and trial and error. I found that I backlashed quite a bit in the first week, but after some practice and adjusting the setup a bit, I was doing just fine and within two weeks was consistently casting 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz lures further than I can with any spinning setup. Backlashing was not the reel's fault - it was a matter of learning. I would not hesitate to buy this reel -- for a beginner looking for more bearings and a higher gear ratio, or for a permanent spot in the toolbox of a serious fishing enthusiast.