Accurate Ascender Star Drag Reels
Accurate Ascender Star Drag Reels
For us the Ascender was the most exciting product showcased at ICAST 2025, this is a much needed budget friendly reel that blows the competition out of the water. This is still a fully machined aluminum reel at a price point where you'd expect it to be cast aluminum instead, like the popular Penn Fathom II or Daiwa Saltist.
These reels come with Accurate's TwinStarDrag and 18 to 24 lb of max drag depending on size, 4 lb under the matching Tern 2, which is still plenty for just about any style of fishing, as well as the great freespool you'd expect out of a star drag. The main savings come from having parts manufactured overseas and the machining time saved by switching over to a brass main and pinion gear instead of stainless steel and ABEC 3 bearings. Brass is still a great material for smaller reels and is plenty durable for anything except larger lever drag reels where stainless steel is expected and it has the bonus of being smoother once well bedded.
The matte black anodizing looks great and makes this reel feel premium, even the clamp and hardware match the black color on the larger sizes. Please note the 300 size does not come with a clamp.
The lineup now runs from the 300 to the 600, all right-hand with a 6:1 gear ratio. The 500 and 600 also come as the narrow-spool 500N and 600N for anglers who don't need the extra line: the 500N holds 350 yards of 50 lb braid against 675 on the standard 500, and the 600N holds 475 yards of 65 lb braid against 575 on the standard 600. Accurate aims the Ascender at inshore and lighter offshore fishing, and its XCT casting design and oversized spool tension knob make it easy to pitch a bait or throw a lure. Accurate engineers the reel in the USA and does final assembly, inspection and quality control here. Accurate also makes the 300, 500N and 600N as jigging models with a long crank arm and an oversized power knob; see the . Compare it with the rest of our .
Specifications
| Model | Weight | Gear Ratio | Retrieve per Crank | Max Drag | Braid Capacity | Mono Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AX-300X | 14 oz | 6:1 | 38" | 18 lb | 30 lb / 300 yd | 15 lb / 160 yd |
| AX-400X | 15 oz | 6:1 | 38" | 20 lb | 50 lb / 425 yd | 20 lb / 330 yd |
| AX-500XN | 16 oz | 6:1 | 45" | 22 lb | 50 lb / 350 yd | 20 lb / 270 yd |
| AX-500X | 17 oz | 6:1 | 45" | 22 lb | 50 lb / 675 yd | 30 lb / 400 yd |
| AX-600XN | 18 oz | 6:1 | 53" | 24 lb | 65 lb / 475 yd | 40 lb / 300 yd |
| AX-600X | 18 oz | 6:1 | 53" | 24 lb | 65 lb / 575 yd | 40 lb / 370 yd |
Accurate measures braid capacity with Izorline natural white braid.
Key Features
- Fully machined 6061 T6 aluminum with a matte black anodized finish
- TwinStarDrag with carbon fiber and stainless steel drag discs on both sides of the main gear
- 18 lb to 24 lb of max drag depending on size
- Brass main and pinion gears and 6 ABEC 3 bearings
- 6:1 gear ratio, 38" to 53" of line per crank
- XCT casting design and an oversized spool tension knob
- 300, 400, 500 and 600 sizes, plus the narrow-spool 500N and 600N
- Engineered by Accurate in the USA, manufactured overseas, with final assembly, inspection and quality control in the USA
- Right-hand retrieve; the 300 comes without a clamp