Gravity Elite Reel Review: a pretty solid inline reel for jigging, but not flawless

I’ve been slowly swapping my old spinning reels for inline reels for ice fishing, so I picked up the Gravity Elite Reel - Graphite/CNC Hybrid to see if it was worth the money. The brand is Clam, which is pretty well known for shelters and ice gear, but this reel itself isn’t some famous high-end model. It sits in that mid-range price zone where you expect something decent, not junk, but not pro tournament gear either. I went into it with normal expectations: if it runs smooth, doesn’t freeze up, and doesn’t tangle line every 10 minutes, I’m already halfway happy.

I paired it with a medium-light ice rod and 3 lb fluorocarbon, mostly for panfish and smaller walleyes. I used it over several outings, from quick after-work sessions to a full day on the ice. I didn’t baby it either; it got tossed in the sled, knocked around a bit, and put in rod holders while hopping holes. Basically, I treated it like something I actually own, not like a display piece.

What stood out pretty fast is that it’s a smooth and fairly fast reel for an inline style. The 3.6:1 gear ratio feels quick enough when you’re picking up line between holes or reeling up from deeper water. At the same time, some parts feel more “mid-range plastic” than premium. You can tell they tried to keep the weight and cost down with the graphite body and then dress it up with CNC metal bits.

Overall, after using it for a bit, my feeling is this: it’s pretty solid for jigging, especially if you like inline reels and fish mostly with 1/16 oz and heavier. It’s not perfect, and there are a couple of things that bugged me—especially the drag range on light jigs and the general feel vs price. But it absolutely gets the job done on the ice, and I can see why it sits around 4/5 in user reviews.

When you look at the Gravity Elite Reel purely on performance, it’s a good inline reel for jigging. Smooth, fairly quick, good line management, and no major mechanical issues in normal use. But when you factor in the price (around that 50-dollar mark, depending on where you buy), the value gets a bit more debatable. It works well, but it doesn’t blow cheaper options out of the water, and you can feel that in the user reviews too—most are positive, but there are a few saying they expected more for the money.

Compared to some cheaper inline reels, you do get a nicer feel, smoother operation, and better materials than the absolute budget plastic stuff. The graphite/CNC hybrid and stainless bearings are a step up from the super cheap models. On the other hand, when you compare it to some similarly priced or slightly more expensive reels, the drag system and overall refinement start to look average. The touchy drag adjustment, especially with very light jigs, is the main thing that makes it feel less premium than the price suggests.

If you mostly fish with 1/16 oz jigs or heavier and want a straightforward inline reel from a known ice brand, the value is decent. It’s not a steal, but you’re not getting ripped off either. It sits in that zone where you’re paying a bit for the brand and the design, but you do get a functional, reliable tool in return. If you’re very price-sensitive or just getting into ice fishing, you might be happier starting with a cheaper inline reel and upgrading later.

So in terms of value for money, I’d call it “good but not outstanding.” You get a solid reel that does what it’s supposed to do, but the price feels a touch high for the materials and the small flaws, especially the drag behavior. If you find it on sale, it becomes a much easier recommendation.

The main design idea here is simple: inline reel built for jigging, with a graphite body and CNC-machined components where it matters. The spool sits in line with your rod guides, which helps reduce line twist compared to a spinning reel. For jigging, especially with light fluorocarbon, that’s a big plus. I noticed fewer coils and less memory showing up compared to when I run the same line on a small spinning reel.

In the hand, the reel has a compact footprint. It doesn’t hang too low under the rod, and the balance on a short ice rod is decent. I tried it on a 24" and a 28" rod, and it didn’t feel awkward on either. The handle is ambidextrous, so you can swap it for left or right hand without any drama. That’s nice if you’re sharing rods or just picky about which hand reels.

One design thing I actually liked is the click adjustment on the knobs. You can hear and feel each step when you adjust the drag or tension, which makes it easier to dial in settings and remember them. But there’s a flip side: the drag range is too compressed. As one of the reviewers mentioned, all the drag adjustment is basically in about five clicks, which means it goes from too loose to too tight very quickly. For heavier jigs it’s fine, but if you’re into 1/32 oz or super light stuff, you’ll feel that limitation.

From a practical standpoint, the design is mostly about function, not looks. There’s no pointless chrome or flashy parts. For ice use, that’s good—less to freeze, less to break. But for the price, I kind of expected the overall feel to be a bit more refined. It’s decent, but nothing more. The layout works, the controls are simple, and once you get used to the drag behavior, it’s easy to operate with gloves on, which is really what matters on the ice.

The reel is advertised as a graphite/CNC hybrid, which basically means the main frame and body are graphite (a type of plastic composite) and certain parts—like the spool and maybe the handle arm—are CNC-machined metal. In practice, that gives you a lighter reel that doesn’t feel like a brick on a short ice rod, while still having some metal where strength and precision matter.

The graphite body is what you’d expect at this price: rigid enough for normal use, but if you really squeeze it or twist it, you can feel a tiny bit of flex. That’s not a big deal for panfish and walleye jigging, but if you’re expecting ultra-rugged metal construction, this isn’t that. The finish on the graphite is clean, though; no sharp edges, no obvious mold lines, and nothing that catches gloves or line.

The CNC metal parts help the reel feel a bit more serious. The spool feels solid, and it spins smoothly. Combined with the stainless steel bearings, you get a pretty smooth retrieve. I didn’t feel any grinding or weird resistance, even after getting some slush and ice around it. That said, it still doesn’t give the impression of a top-tier metal reel. It’s more like a “good mid-range” feel: not junk, but not something you’re going to brag about for build quality.

The EVA handle material is standard for this kind of reel. It’s comfortable, not too hard, not too soft, and it doesn’t get slick when wet. I fished with thin gloves and bare hands, and I never had an issue gripping the handle. Overall, the materials match the price point: functional, light, and mostly well put together, but if you’re really picky about solid metal construction, you might feel it’s a bit overpriced for what it is.

The packaging is exactly what the description says: a peggable box / clam pack. Think standard retail plastic you’d see hanging on a hook at a sporting goods store. It’s not pretty, but it protects the reel well enough during shipping. Mine arrived without any damage or scratches, and the reel was held firmly in place inside the plastic and cardboard.

There’s no attempt at a premium unboxing experience here. You don’t get a storage bag, extra spool, or any accessories. It’s literally just the reel and some basic printed information. For a mid-priced reel, that’s pretty common, but if you like little extras, you won’t find them here. On the positive side, there’s not a ton of useless packaging to throw away—just the plastic shell and the cardboard backing.

One thing I did like is that the specs are clear on the packaging: gear ratio, material, weight, and basic features. You know what you’re buying without needing to look it up on your phone while you’re in the store. For online buyers, it doesn’t matter much, but if you’re grabbing it off a peg in a shop, it’s useful to have the key points right there.

Overall, the packaging is strictly functional. It keeps the reel safe, shows the product clearly, and gives the basic info. No more, no less. If you’re expecting a nice box you’ll want to keep, this isn’t it. But if you just want the reel to arrive safely and be ready to mount on your rod, it does that job without any drama.

Durability-wise, after some regular use, the Gravity Elite Reel has held up pretty well, but it doesn’t give that “tank” feeling. I used it on multiple trips, left it in a sled with other rods, and it got bumped around a bit. No cracks, no loose parts, and no sudden play in the handle or spool. The graphite frame seems to handle normal abuse just fine, which is what most people will put it through.

The stainless steel bearings help in cold and wet conditions. I didn’t notice any rust spots or stiffness after it got splashed and then sat in the cold. The retrieve stayed smooth. I wiped it down after each outing, nothing fancy, and it didn’t complain. That’s about what I expect at this level: it’s not bulletproof, but it won’t fall apart if you actually fish with it.

That said, when you compare it to some fully metal reels or even cheaper but more basic models, it kind of sits in an awkward zone. One Amazon reviewer said, “Not a 50$ reel, I expected better quality,” and I get where that’s coming from. The reel works, but the overall feel of durability is more ‘good enough’ than ‘built like a rock.’ If you’re careful with your gear, I don’t see it failing quickly. But if you’re rough on equipment or expect to drag it through several seasons of hard use, you might start to see the limits of the graphite body and the general build.

In short, durability seems fine for normal ice anglers: weekend trips, some travel, regular use. I wouldn’t call it fragile, but I also wouldn’t call it overbuilt. It lands right in the middle: decent, reliable so far, but not something I’d bet my life on in extreme conditions or after years of heavy abuse.

On the ice, the performance is generally solid, especially if you’re using it for what it’s clearly designed for: jigging with light to medium jigs. The 3.6:1 gear ratio gives you a decent pickup speed. When I was hole-hopping in 15–25 feet of water, I didn’t feel like I was wasting time reeling up. It’s not blazing fast, but for an inline reel, it’s on the quicker side and feels responsive.

The reel is smooth in operation. The spool spins freely, and the handle turns without any noticeable grinding. Dropping jigs down the hole is easy; you get good control over how fast the bait falls, and the line comes off the spool cleanly. Line management was actually one of the strong points: I had fewer tangles and less memory issues than with my little spinning reels running the same fluorocarbon. For jigging panfish, that alone makes life easier.

Where things get a bit annoying is the drag adjustment, especially if you fish super light. Just like one of the Amazon reviewers said, the drag adjustment isn’t light enough for 1/32 oz jigs or smaller. The drag is touchy: most of the adjustment seems to happen in a very small range of the knob. You only get a few meaningful clicks between “too loose” and “too tight.” If you’re targeting bigger fish or using slightly heavier jigs, it’s fine—you can set it and forget it. But if you’re picky about a very fine drag for delicate presentations, this will bug you.

Overall, performance-wise, it gets the job done well for typical ice jigging with 1/16 oz and up. It’s smooth, fast enough, and line control is good. It’s not perfect, and the drag system feels like the weak link, but I never had it completely fail on a fish or anything. It just doesn’t feel as precise as I’d like, especially for the price bracket it’s in.

Out of the box, the Gravity Elite Reel comes in what they call a peggable box, basically a retail blister/clam pack that can hang on a store hook. Nothing fancy: no pouch, no extra spools, no oil, no stickers—just the reel. For a reel around this price, that’s pretty standard, but don’t expect any bonus accessories. The info on the packaging is basic: gear ratio (3.6:1), graphite/CNC hybrid build, ambidextrous handle, and that it’s made for jigging.

The reel itself is multicolored, with metal parts and graphite mixed together. In the hand, it feels light, which matches the listed 216 grams. It’s not feather-light, but for an inline ice reel with some metal parts, it’s reasonable. The EVA handle knobs look and feel like what you find on most mid-range reels: comfortable enough, slightly grippy, and they don’t feel cheap or overly squishy.

Mechanically, you get the usual inline reel features: a spool that sits in line with the guides, a drag knob on the side, and adjustment knobs with click steps. One thing I noticed is that all the knobs have audible clicks, which is nice when you’re wearing gloves and can’t see what you’re doing. The downside is that the drag range is compressed into just a few clicks, which I’ll get into later. But purely in terms of features, it checks the boxes for basic jigging in ice fishing: simple design, no weird gimmicks, and straightforward controls.

So presentation-wise, it’s very “what you see is what you get.” If you’re expecting an upscale unboxing experience, you’ll be disappointed. If you just want a reel that comes out of the plastic, goes on the rod, and you start fishing, this fits that bill. It feels like a tool, not a showpiece, which is fine by me as long as the performance follows.