HookedOnFishingBoats.com presents:

The Avet had no problem with this big black drum.

            A buddy of mine drives nothing but Ford, eats red meat seven days a week, and has been in the marine corps for two decades; naturally, he’s always fished with American-made fishing tackle, too. But that’s becoming tougher and tougher to do these days. So when he set out to find a new high-speed jigging reel, his choice was easy: an Avet LX, “proudly designed, machined, and assembled in the USA” as they say, topped the list.

After playing with one of these puppies for a while, I was convinced it was a good choice – the lever drag is as smooth as they come, the 500 yard of 25-pound test mono capacity is perfect for loading up on 50-pound braid, and the 6.0:1 retrieve rate is ideal for a jigging rig. Construction is also top-notch, with a one-piece anodized aluminum frame, eight stainless-steel ball bearings, and an included anodized aluminum rod clamp. The LX weighs in a 22-ounces, so it’s light enough to swing all day without tiring out, too.

The big surprise here, however, comes when you price the reel out. Despite being made in the USA—doesn’t everyone say that stuff we build here is more expensive?—the LX can be found for just a hair over $200. That makes it one of the least expensive reels of its caliber.

What about longevity? I haven’t banged one of these reels around for years on end, so I can’t tell you it’ll last forever (or won’t.) But I put in a call to a friend who’s had one for several years, and he gave it a thumbs-up. His set of two has been offshore dozens of times on the hunt for mahi-mahi and school-sized yellowfin, and has been used near shore for black drum up to 80-pounds, cobia in the same size range, and countless chopper bluefish. Net result? Zero failures. Oh yeah—and he happens to drive a Honda.