Quantum Smoke Speed Freak Baitcasting Reels

Smoke baitcasters are among the most widely used top-end baitcasters in Europe. The sensationally low reel weight in skeleton design, makes them the first choice of many ambitious spinning anglers. With a Smoke, the angler can continue fishing with focus when his colleagues using other heavier reels have long since tired.

Quantum has been making big strides in recent years offering solid performing reels at prices that don't break the bank. Maligned for years over reels that were too heavy or just didn't perform as advertised, their recent Quantum Smoke and Quantum Speed Freak introductions are helping the company turn things around.

The latest edition Smoke & Speed Freak Baitcasting is available as a right-handed model, or in a left-handed design with two different gear ratios.

The Quantum's Smoke & Speed Freak reels are 100 sized baitcasters finished in black with red highlights. The sideplates are a mixture of glossy and matt black while the frame and thumb bar are mostly matt black. With the mixture in finishes, there are a lot of seams and joint lines on this reel, but they are all aligned perfectly.

Aluminum gears typically deliver a more connected feel during your retrieve as opposed to a reel with brass gears. This is because aluminum is a stiffer metal than brass. Couple this with the fact the reel has an aluminum frame and handle-side sideplate, and a buttery smooth retrieve is the last thing you would expect to feel with this reel. Nonetheless, Quantum does a really nice job of masking those tendencies and delivering a very smooth feel with this reel, when you turn the handle and thanks to that aluminum frame and sideplate, the reel does so all the while providing a very solid feel in your hand.

Quantum is using what they refer to as a new CSC Carbon fiber, stainless, and ceramic drag system in this reel. The maximum drag specifications of the original Smoke & Speed Freak reels was 15lb. With the new drag system in the current generation of Smoke & Speed Freak reels, Quantum has upped this specification to a whopping 25 pounds of maximum pressure. The tighter you fasten down that drag or the harder your catch pulls, it appears the more inconsistent the drag performs, but considering the reel's range, performance is very good.

Technical Characteristics

• Handles equally well braided and monofilament lines
• Ultra-light aluminium body
• MegaDragTM stainless steel and carbon fibre drag system
• CNC stainless steel handle
• Specially hardened Quantum PT gears
• MaxCast ultra-light skeleton spool
• Continuous anti-reverse
• With EVA handles
• ACS casting drag reliably prevents the line from overflowing
• LH: Lefthand
• RH: Righthand