How good of a cranking reel is the Revo Winch?

[drenner43]

So I've got all STX's right now but I was thinking about getting a few winch's for my cranking rods. So, how good are they? Would you rather have a winch on your cranking stick over an STX? Or should I just stick with what I have?

[lil_man72]

the stx is a better reel, but if your looking for a lower gear ratio the winch is a great reel also.
i've just used the 6.4:1 premiers for deep cranking.

[Altro Cat]

I use a winch for deep cranking. With the combination of longer handle and lower gears you don't even notice the added resistance of the big lipped deep divers.

TW has the Gen 2 winches on sale right now for 159.99$ and with the Black Friday sale there will be an additional 20% off of that.

[KCL655321]

Big, heavy resistance baits I don't know how it could get better than the Gen 2, works them like butter. It's very limited is it'd downfall, as the PitchNFlip brakes aren't very versatile for casting, but works just fine when you start throwing 1/2oz plus baits. I'm betting the Gen 3 will be more versatile in the under 1/2oz range with dual brakes & probably handle the heavy workers well too, with bigger main gear, although it has a smaller handle than the Gen 2.

[drenner43]

I guess I should also mention that the majority of my cranking is shallow cranking down to 10 or 12 feet with very little deep cranking, with that in mind would you rather have the STX or Winch?

[drenner43]

Any other input?? Stick with the STX or Winch?

[Tavery5]

Any other input?? Stick with the STX or Winch?

You should be more specific about which reels it is that you are looking at. There is a lot of difference between the Gen1,2,3 STX and also The Gen1 and 2 Winch.

If it's a dedicated crankbait setup, why not go with the Winch, it will cover your needs easily. If you are going to use it more as a multi-purpose type setup, the STX may be the better option.

Saying the STX is a better reel than the Winch is like saying the pliers are a better tool than the screwdriver. Each has it's place.

[drenner43]

I have all Gen. 2 STX's and would be looking at the Gen. 2 Winch's also. This will be on dedicated cranking sticks

[drenner43]

I completely forgot the Winch has a different brake than the STX. how is the brake on the winch compared to that of the STX? I have never owned or used a winch

[Joey]

Definitely a good cranking reel, but what do you guys think about using it as a swimbait reel?
Little off topic... just curious

[leighton03]

Personally I have had Gen 1, 2, and 3 STX's and also Winch's, and I love them all. However, like other people have said it depends on how you intend to use them. If you are dedicating rods and reels just for cranking set ups I would def go with the Winch! I love my STX reels, they are a better all around reel, but for crankin, you can't beat the Winch. It casts just as well as the STX and with the lower gear ratio and power it has makes a long day of crankin much easier! Before I finally bought my first Winch I was throwing cranks all day with the STX and it would really wear me out throughout the day due to the constant resistance while turning the handle. But with the Winch you can't feel any of the resistance on the handle while bringing in your crankbait. Also the lower gear ratio will slow the speed of your bait down, without having to really think about slowing down your retrieve. And for me this is a big plus because I have an extremely hard time trying to tell myself to reel slower while crankin...but this reel will take care of that for you. And as far as the breaking system goes, I have never missed the extra magnetic break on the Winch. You can dial in the centrifugal breaks inside and be good to go. So like others have said, if you are dedicating rods to just crankin I would def go with the Winch...but if you still want the set up to be an all around set up, I would prob stay with the STX....just my opinion on the matter though, everyone is different!

[drenner43]

Well I bit the bullet and bought a winch off of a super guy on here to try out. Haven't received it yet, should have it in a day or 2. Looking forward to trying it out. It is going on a dedicated cranking stick I'm currently having built so it'll be a whole new world with it and the new stick. I can't wait to get them together and try it out. I like you have a hard time with my STX making myself slow down and reel slower so this should be a huge help!

[The Doc]

I have 23 revo reels all different gens and models. I use a winch for deep divers and a rigs and STX for shallow cranks. You can't go wrong with the winch for cranks especially around the 10 foot and deeper zone.

[drenner43]

Got it today, can't wait to use it, hopefully i'll really like it. I'd imagine i will!

[dcorp]

Definitely a good cranking reel, but what do you guys think about using it as a swimbait reel?
Little off topic... just curious

I have a couple that I use for paddle tail swimbaits like the basstrix minnows. Its great when you really want to slow down your retrieve. I've also used it for larger swimbaits like the Hudd 68's and even the 8 inch hudds. It handles those baits just fine, the problem is line capacity. With all the leverage you get from an 8' swimbait rod and #65lb braid.... doesnt leave you with much on the spool.
I found that it works great fishing swmbaits from a kayak where your not really going for longs casts. When I'm in my boat I use a Abu c3/c4.