Reaction Tackle StreamX Baitcaster Review

Reaction Tackle has become a big player in the bass fishing industry. They make a wide variety of products, the latest of which is a number of rods and reels.
Before, the release of these products, I had used and loved a bunch of their terminal tackle products, as well as their braided fishing line which is what they are best known for.
So when they released a brand new product line of rods and reels, I was very excited, but a big skeptical because building a high performing reel is a bit harder than line and terminal tackle.
And the first of baitcasting reel that I got was the StreamX model.
StreamX Baitcaster Specs:
- Gear Ratio: 7.5:1
- 7+1 Ball Bearings
- 13 lbs of Drag
- 6.1 oz
- Price: $35.99 on Amazon – $45.99 on RT website
General Overview

I have been using the StreamX reel for about a month now and feel like I have a very good feel for it. Of course, this is a budget reel, so I never expected it to be the most premium, Cadillac of baitcasting reels.
But for the price point that it sits in, the StreamX has been very impressive. While fishing with it, you don’t realize at all that you are using a budget reel.
The casting, construction, and performance are quite good and I haven’t had any issues with the StreamX thus far.
Ball Bearings
The StreamX comes with 7+1 (or 8 total) ball bearings which is actually very good for budget reels. The majority of other budget reels on the market have less than that, with 4-5+1 being kind of the standard range.
So the StreamX feels very smooth and even on a very long cast or when fighting a fish. So at a 35-45 dollar price point, I was very impressed and a bit surprised at how high the ball bearing count was on the StreamX.
Drag
The drag on a baitcasting reel generally isn’t quite as important than on a spinning reel. Because you generally won’t be fighting the type of fish that rip drag on a standard baitcasting bass setup.
But, the important part that you want to keep in mind about a baitcaster’s drag system is the “Max Drag”.
The max drag is how much power it takes to still pull out line when the drag is tightened all the way down.
The max drag on the StreamX is 13 lbs. That is fairly low as far as baitcasting reels go.
Now that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just means there are some limits to what you can do with the StreamX because it only has 13 lbs of max drag.
Essentially, you won’t be able to pull harder than 13 lbs of force. So I wouldn’t recommend that you make the StreamX a frog or heavy flipping reel.
If you are fishing a frog or flipping rig in very heavy cover/vegetation, you often need to apply a lot of pressure do pull the bass out of thick vegetation and structure.
And with only 13 lbs of drag, the drag will probably slip on you and make it very difficult to pull a bass out of the thick stuff.
But for all of the more open water, sparse cover fishing scenarios, the drag is not a problem at all and will serve you just fine.
Magnetic Braking System

The magnetic braking system is what helps you to not backlash during the second half of your cast (the spool tension knob helps during the first half).
The StreamX comes with a 0-12 braking dial. Now there are only actually 10 magnets inside the reel, but 0-12 is just the measuring gauge that is labeled.
Now I definitely noticed that you do need to engage at least half of the brakes in order to not backlash all the time.
Even if you have the spool tension set correctly, the StreamX is definitely prone to backlashing unless you crank up the magnetic brakes a bit.
But as long as you do that and are careful thumbing the spool, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.
Casting / Backlashing

So first, when it comes to casting distance, the StreamX is actually very good. I have found that I can bomb cast baits quite far.
Of course, not as far as with a premium, high end baitcaster, but as for a budget reel, it is about as good of casting distance as you can get.
Now when it comes to backlashing, the StreamX is a bit prone to backlashing like I touched on above. I would recommend utilizing the magnetic brakes to prevent excess backlashes, but the tighter your brakes get, the less casting distance you will be able to get.
So if you still want to cast really far with the StreamX, you definitely need to be good at thumbing the spool so that it doesn’t overrun.
Now I have been fishing baitcasters for a while, long before they get as advanced and high end as they are today, so I am already used to thumbing the spool pretty much all the time.
But if you are a beginner fisherman or just getting into baitcaster fishing, the StreamX definitely isn’t the most forgiving reel in terms of backlashes.
But as long as you are confident manually controlling the spool a bit, the SreamX is definitely quite manageable and can still cast lures very far.
Materials / Construction

I have been very impressed by the overall construction of this reel and I have found that it is definitely in the top tier amongst budget baitcasting reels.
Starting with the materials, pretty much all the externals are made of metal, including the drag and reel handle base.
The trigger also feels very solid and doesn’t have any jiggle to it which is something I have found is common in budget reels.
And even many of the internals are metal from what I saw when I opened up the reel a bit. The reel handle knobs have a slight wobble or jiggle to them but that really isn’t too big of a deal.
And the handle itself feels very solid, so I don’t foresee any issues with the handle coming lose or anything.
Overall, the construction of the StreamX is one of my favorite parts about the reel and coming in at only 6.1 oz, it is very impressive.
My Personal Opinion
After about a month of fishing and testing this reel, I definitely like it a lot. Again, as long as you don’t expect it to perform like a premium baitcasting reel worth hundreds of dollars, I think it definitely exceeds expectations and is certainly one of the better budget reels on the market!
Reeling this In
Reaction Tackle made a bold move by expanding beyond their popular lines and terminal tackle, and with the StreamX baitcasting reel, it looks like their gamble has paid off.
While its 13 lbs of max drag and slight tendency to backlash mean it’s not ideal for heavy-cover flipping or a beginner’s first reel, its overall performance is remarkably strong for the price.
With an impressive 7+1 ball bearing count, solid metal construction, and excellent casting distance, the $35−$45 StreamX is easily one of the best budget baitcasting reels you can buy.
Reaction Tackle has proven they can deliver quality and value even in a more complex product category, making the StreamX a top choice for anglers looking to add an affordable, high-performing reel to their arsenal.
Also Read: Reaction Tackle ReactCast Baitcaster Review
