Maxel HY25-BG Hybrid Star Drag Reel - Black/Gunsmoke

I was honestly really excited about this reel when I bought it. It was small, lightweight, held a good amount of line, but then on my second trip out using this reel the gears started to grind and the reel stopped working. I was only catching Black Sea Bass off the coast of Cape Cod so there is no reason this reel shouldn’t have been able to handle it as they’re marketed for larger species of fish. Extremely disappointed. I was going to contact the manufacturer direct, however, they’re in China so no luck. I will be contacting TakleDirect tomorrow.

After 6 uses the antireverse has developed an intermittent malfunction. While using for bottom fishing, when adjusting your line after initial drop the handle will spin in reverse between 1/2 and 3 revolutions.

The reel is exceptionaly light. Has a huge amount of drag. That is where the glamour starts to fade. For a few dollars more you could get into a higher end reel that is smoother than silk. When winding this reel its a bit grainy.Haven't put this reel to through the rigors of fall fishing yet. To be continued ....

Have had this reel for the better part of a full season now and have nothing but good remarks for it - the drag is smooth and it holds up to rigorous saltwater fishing for Bass and Tog. Would highly recommend!

I fell in love with this little reel as soon as I laid eyes on it. The fit and finish is nothing short of perfection. This is the first star drag reel I have ever bought for vertical jigging for small tuna and it is a joy to use. After using nothing but lever drag reels it certainly feels different in use but it performs very well. It has more drag available that you should ever need for this size reel. It's a very light reel as well which is a big plus. It also has a silent retrieve which is a MUST for me personally. It feels as smooth as it looks. I would buy another one without a second thought unless I have a failure which I have had none so far.

Alright, let me get this out of the way, I put a beating on my reels, so my problems might not happen to everyone. I got two of these, the 25 and the 20 for blackfish and sea bass. For the short time that I had these reels, they were some of the best reels I have owned, but that title for me quickly ended. The 20 started having engaging problems after just 3 blackfish trips eventually ending in the drag failing and the handle spinning backwards. Then the 25's handle broke off while togging. Honestly, I really wish I could recommend this reel, it has an amazing design and fishes really well. Maybe I just pushed the reels too hard, but I feel like any sort of reel shouldn't start having major problems that soon. The accurate bv-300 is an amazing reel if you're willing to spend a little extra money and convert over to a lever drag. I have never had any problems with mine for the past two years despite using it for nearly everything in our Northeast waters.

This is a tiny reel with lots of power. Very smooth drag. Also, has a nice design feature.... you just press the thumb bar to free spool.

Used only for fluke and seabass so far, worked great. I expect it will work as well for blackfish.

great light heavy duty hardcore machine. winch up giant togs

Compact, smooth reel with a lot of guts!

I love reels and practically collect them. And I have them all. But this reel is one Im really excited about and looking forward to breaking in. Just the size and weight is amazing. Feels good in the hand and I love the push clutch. Very ergonomic and if it works half as good as it looks and feels, its a winner

excellent combination of light weight
and strength. Can handle fairly large
fish.