ZO2PRO

I own lots of reels from ultralight spinners to heaving baitcasters and these sit somewhere in the middle. I use spincasts when kayaking down rivers because I can operate them with 1 hand leaving my other hand free to control the yak, etc. They never tangle and work with any lure weight (i.e. light stuff for streams). Unfortunately, the cheaper Zebco models simply do not hold up over time when used in frequent casting applications. I've gone through too many 33's (and micros) to count and could barely make it through a summer with the cheaper models before cranking/casting became so rough as to be unusable.Enter the Omega line! The bearing system and brass drive is built to last even when used heavily in casting applications. Out of the box, these reels are just as smooth as my expensive Shimano baitcasters. Plus, they cast a country mile and never tangle or catch on the edge of the spool cover (no plastic!).Pros:The oscillating spool actually does work. With the cheaper models, landing any fish over a pound (or getting snagged) would screw up the line on the spool. The Omega does a much better job keeping the line nice and even for long, smooth casts in between fish.The ball bearings and metal gears are silky smooth (not unlike a baitcaster) making it much easier to detect bites and get the fish in.The drag works smoother than the cheaper models (although still not as good as a baitcaster). Dialing in the correct setting on the cheaper models can be frustrating (and hard on the finger). The drag roller and the drag itself works much smoother on the Omega.These are relatively lightweight.The push button is sealed (rubber cover) so dirt and sand cannot get into the gear chamber like it did/does on the 33's and cheaper models.As with all Zebco's, these are very easy to disassemble for cleaning and service.Cons:I wish the gear ratio were just a tad higher. The 3.4 actually does a decent job and is a good middle ground and very versatile, but I would prefer something right around 4 to 4.5. That said, the Bullet with the higher ratio is not as smooth as the Omega, so given the choice, I would prefer to keep the smoothness of the Omega over the higher ratio.The drag, while smooth, is a little on the weak side. Even at the max setting on the dial I cannot get the line to fully lock to the point I can break the line without the drag activating. Technically, some might see this as a Pro since we don't want our line breaking while on a fish right? I personally would prefer a slightly stronger drag.Overall, these have a quality feel and there really isn't anything else out there better in a push button spincaster.

I purchased this Omega Pro as a backup for another Omega Pro (size 30 rod and reel combo) that I purchased back in 2022 and have absolutely loved fishing with these past few years. This reel gives me both the spare ez change line spool and extra double end reel handle that were not part of the Omega Pro rod and reel combo. This particular reel arrived on time was nicely packaged in its box and just as described by the seller in the listing.Spincast reels may be unfairly labeled as only for beginners and/or children but reels such as the Omega and the Zebco Bullet (which I also own and enjoy using, particularly with topwater lures) are definitely crafted to a much higher level than an entry level spincast reel. The Omega is ultra smooth on retrievals and a joy to cast. I have never had any problem with line twist, gear jams, etc that I have encountered with some of my other spinning and baitcasting reels. When I just want to get in a no-stress, no finesse fishing session I often find myself reaching for my Omega Pro or Bullet.I'm looking forward to many more years of enjoying the Omega Pro.

Update March /2017: After watching what was happening on our fishing trips, my wife decided to again try using an open-faced spinning reel. She quickly grew to appreciate the ease of casting, smoothness, and drag reliability of the open-face. With these incentives she's pretty well mastered her Shimano. With no further use for the Z02PRO rig I gave it to our next-door neighbor. He loves it. Momma's happy, neighbor's happy..........everybody's happy!We jig fish for trout with ultralight rigs. My wife just couldn't get the hang of using an open-faced spinning reel. I bought a cheapie spincast combo for her to try out and she liked it. After researching everything available I settled on this reel for her. As I unpacked it I was impressed with the packaging, the instructions, extra handle and spool. The smoothness of the reel was OK but not as good as it should be. Very often new reels are not properly lubricated so i immediately took it apart to make sure. There is a paragraph on the instruction sheet titled "RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE". It shows a picture of the disassembled reel along with points for oil and grease. Problem is they don't tell you how to get the back cover off so you can do it. You have to unscrew the front cover and spinnerhead, then remove the spool. This will reveal the 2 screws holding the back cover in place. Once the back cover is off you're ready to lube the reel. My reel had the typical blobs of grease here and there but there were parts of the gears that were dry. I spread the existing grease around making sure all gears were coated. I then oiled all bearings and shafts I could get to with Quantum Hot Sauce reel oil. Its expensive but its AMAZING stuff. After reassembly the reel was so much smoother running, a huge improvement. The next step was to remove the horrendous line that comes on the reel. It looks like coiled copper wire.......and feels like it too. I replaced it with Trilene XL monofilament (4 lb test for our type of fishing). The next chore was to find a proper casting rod to mount it on. There's thousands of casting rods available but virtually none made for light spincasting. I ended up getting a 6ft BassPro MicroLite. This makes a good combination with the ZO2PRO. My wife loves her new rig and can get excellent distance with a 1/16oz jig. She's gone from catching virtually nothing to really doing well. On our last 3 trips to the lake she's caught a total of 28 trout including a 21in (approx 4 lb) brown trout. She really loves this reel. For her I'm giving it 5 stars. Me? Not so much. While I think this is the best spincast reel on the market, that's still not saying much because they're all pretty poor. The ZO2PRO is an improvement but still has a lot of cheapness about it. The fit of components is pretty sloppy. The drag wheel is poorly located and drag action isn't very reliable. If your drag setting is important then you'd better check it often. The "Level-Wind Oscillating Spool System" isn't level winding. The spool moves fore and aft a measly 1/8in and the line forms a mound in the center of the spool. However, I do have to say the reel casts very well and the wife has had zero problems with line handling inside the reel. The quick change spool is a great feature and the spare spool is a nice touch. The spare spool is either carbon fiber or plastic and doesn't fit the shaft nearly as well as the metal spool installed on the reel. The extra handle is nice but the handle thing is really weird. The double handles curve outward from the reel and feel pretty good. The single handle, for some reason, curves inward and interferes with the thumb on my rod hand. The wife's hands are smaller and she doesn't have that problem. After all this, what's the bottom line? If you absolutely MUST have a spincast reel then this is the one to get. Before you take it fishing, lubricate it well and put a good quality line on it. I think you'll be pretty happy with it..