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Customer Reviews for Bass Pro Shops Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel

Bass Pro Shops Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel

Has the strength you need to go toe-to-toe with a trophy cat Rugged 1-piece aluminum frame High-capacity machined-aluminum spool 6-pin centrifugal brake system for backlash-free casting PowerLock™ instant anti-reverse Big and burly, with the strength you need to go toe-to-toe with a trophy cat and come out a winner. The Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel features a rugged 1-piece aluminum frame; high-capacity machined-aluminum spool; 6-pin centrifugal brake system for backlash-free casting; tough gearing; quality 3-bearing system; PowerLock™ instant anti-reverse; audible bait clicker.Line recovery in inches per handle turn. Click here for a printable product manual for your Bass Pro Shops CatMaxx CMX-3 Reel. Click here for maintenance and warranty information for your CatMaxx CMX-3 Reel.
Average Customer Rating:
4.15 out of 5
4.2
 out of 
5
(40 Reviews) 40
Rating Snapshot
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (40 reviews)
5 stars
24
4 stars
8
3 stars
2
2 stars
2
1 star
4
33 of 40(82%)customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Questions & Answers:
12 Questions | 32 Answers
Terms of Use
Customer Reviews for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Review 1 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
2 out of 5
2 out of 5

BAD

,
March 13, 2012
By SouthernSportsman
from Bossier City, Louisiana
Advantages: Ease of use
Disadvantages: Performance, Durability
"Ok I bought this reel cause I Thought The Other catmaxx Reels were too big but I Shouldve went with the spinning reels because They are of much better quality. I used this reel once and I started having problems immediatley. I fish in a river system soo Sand and grime are major and this reel got sand in it so easily. BUT the spinning reels ARE AMAZING"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? No
Review 2 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Awesome reel

,
January 29, 2012
By ScottDub
from Sherman, Il
Advantages: Ease of use, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
Disadvantages: style
"I got this reel for Christmas in 2010 along with my cat maxx rod, and all I can say is what a great combo. Used it for the first time last year and I've never had a cast that goes so smooth. The only problem with it is it's hard to put line on it, but overall an awesome product to have"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 3 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Worth every penny!

,
December 4, 2011
By ResidentRizzle
from Bluefield, West Virginia
Reviewer Images
(click to see full-size image)
User submitted photo
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality, great looking design
"Bought the combo mid summer.. Best catfish combo I have ever used. Pole is very durable and high quality! I fish A LOT of tournaments, first time using it I was a little nervous of it backlashing and tossing my bait into the water but, it was flawless. Cast far and smooth! I have caught 4- 30 lbs plus flat heads with ease on 20 lb big game line and dozens of 20 and 10 pounders. Highly recommend this product, cannot beat the combo for the price!
P.S. Catfish love gold fish!
"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 4 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

good reel

,
August 8, 2011
By kirksvillemale
from kirksville,mo
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"this is the first ever baitcasting reel i have ever got, i have fished for over 28 years and all i ever used was a zebco 33. i decided to change my fishing preference to just going after catfish, so i needed new and better gear. this reel took a little getting used to as i never used one like it before, a couple hours of practice and i was doing great. reel looks great and performs better. the only thing that i would change would be that the bait clicker button does sit a little lower then i would like, but it doesnt effect the performance. it has great line capacity, holding over 200 yards of 17 lb test."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 5 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Great Reel

,
July 30, 2011
By Catmaxx85
from Edwardsville, IL
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"This reel has performed flawlessly through repeated abuse."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 6 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Solid Reel

,
July 17, 2011
By Srball
from Denison, TX
Advantages: Performs well, Quality
"Very durable. This reel has what it takes to handle the big fish. The cast and retrieive is very smooth. I will definately buy this reel again."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 7 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Catmaxx reel

,
June 20, 2011
By CWThomas4291
from Lawrenceburg, KY
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"Catmaxx is definetly the way to go, they are very powerful reels i know from experience. The biggest i have hooked so far was a 23 pound albino channel cat, and the reel didnt even know it was there. So if you want power go with the CatMaxx CMX3 baitcaster. Its a Bad machine"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 8 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Reel Review

,
June 10, 2011
By JimmyZ
from San Diego, Ca
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"This reel is great for its price. High performance for a great low price. It casts very smooth and with creat control. I have bought many high priced reels that do not work as well as this one."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Saltwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 3
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 9 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Excellent

,
April 12, 2011
By Dmitri
from Denver, CO
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money
"I currently have two of these reels, and I enjoy them very much. They have worked for carp catfish and trout thus far. No giants so far this year but the season has just started. The reels are difficult to backlash and handle braid really well."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

not to shabby

,
March 2, 2011
By wbosier
from ohio
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality, mini winch
Disadvantages: clicker needs tweeking
"bought this reel for paylaking and big cat fishing in the local lakes..i consider this reel the best purchase for fishing big cats i made last year..cranked in many large ones and this reel never skipped a beat..has good braking and is very easy to set up..i have this reel on a 101/2 ft. pole..only gave this 4 star due to the clicker isnt very loud and needs a little tweeking..other than that..its a great reel..looking to buy another soon."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 4
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 11 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

not for the beach

,
February 19, 2011
By brownns
"I originally bought this for catfishing. It was easy to use, handled braided line well, strong drag. I thought it'd be good for surf fishing (matched with a catmaxx rod). After the second cast the the thumb bar wouldn't engage the free spool. That was my mistake using it for what it wasn't intended for. 4/5 because the paint chips easily"
Review 12 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Very good reel.

,
February 3, 2011
By Santee60
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Quality
"Purchased first of these reels a year ago to fish for catfish at Santee. I have purchased 3 more since. I have caught numerous arkansas blues, the largest being 35 lbs, many in the 15 to 25 lb range. These reels have been great. Spool them with 25 lb mono. Easy to cast."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 13 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

CatMaxx Cmx-3

,
September 22, 2010
By hoist
from ms
Advantages: Ease of use, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"very nice reel. performs very well. very easy to use and pretty much impossible to backlash once u set ur drags. very good reel for the $. highly reccomended"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 14 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

Surprisingly good

,
May 6, 2010
By CodHunter
Advantages: Performs well, Quality
Disadvantages: weight
"I bought one at my local BPS store, it was last one and I got it cheap (after coupon I paid like $30 for mine). I thought it would a good as a "spare". To my surprise, it is a pretty good reel. Very forgiving on casting and it casts really well. In fact it casts better than my standard Abu C3 reel! I use this to catch carp and stripers and it performs as good as reels costing twice or more. The only draw back is the weight of the reel.... it is kinda heavy. Other than that I think it's well worth the money."
Review 15 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

treesetter

,
April 13, 2010
By treesetter
from Minnesota
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
Disadvantages: can't find any
"Have used this reel since it came out and have purchased 3 more over the years. They are all in working order and have never failed, and my stuff gets used hard. Bounced around in boat, etc. Great for teaching new folks to bait casting reels as they are easy to operate."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 16 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

excellent baitcaster

,
April 2, 2010
By Anonymous
from El Centro, CA
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"Having a great time fishing with this product. Easy to use and very reliable to get the job done."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Still rock solid 2 years later

,
February 1, 2010
By daboafadem
Advantages: Ease of use, Style/Design, Performs well, Value for money, Quality
"I have a pair of these reels mounted on Quantum 7'6" Big Cat all glass rods and they work great. This set-up is actually my fall trolling gear for musky. Anyone who does it knows that trolling 10" plugs that dive 20 feet or more can put a lot of strain on a reel, especially when you do it for hours on end. Big fish, smaller fish, and some pretty bad snags, these reels have lived through it all. I've caught fish up to 49" and 30 pounds using these reels and never had a failure. After two full seasons, I finally took the time to servce the reels and found nothing amiss. I'm pleasantly surprised at what I got for the money."
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 4
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 18 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A WORKHORSE

,
January 29, 2009
By BillsFishing62
from Royse Citty, Texas
Reviewer Images
(click to see full-size image)
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
"Now this is a workhorse, a real mans reel
When a catfish hits it you know you can depend on it. I've brought a 35.5 lb. cat in
and a 44lb. cat in and had no problem with
the CatMax. BassPro has designed a quality
product at a good and fair price something
that is unheard of in this economy, and age.
I would have expected it to be priced like
other less efficient reels that think the meet
the quality of BassPros CatMax
"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? Yes
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
Review 19 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

efdsgf

,
October 24, 2008
By bigfish1995
from council bluffs Ia
"i love this reel it is so great it is awesom ive caught 60 and a 68 pound flathead and some 25 to 30 pound channels and noumours carp"
What is your favorite type of fishing? Freshwater
How many times a month do you fish on average? 5+
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Bass Pro Shops® CatMaxx™ CMX-3 Round Baitcast Reel
Overall Rating:
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

not bad

,
September 6, 2008
By meal
from Council Bluffs, IA
"I have fished with the catmaxx combo for 5 months now and the reel works pretty well for the money, it is pretty easy to use especially since it is my first baitcaster, but plastic worries me."
How many times a month do you fish on average? 3
Do you own a boat? No
Would you recommend this product as a gift? Yes
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