The MXJ Raptor Plus is the narrow MX with the most cranking power Avet puts in the size. The low gear drops to 3:1 where the standard Raptor stops at 3.8:1, and that is the reason to step up. It is also why the model reads 6/3 rather than 6/4. The 21/31 lb carbon drag and the 470-yard narrow spool carry over unchanged.

The Raptor Plus update brought some ergonomic changes over the original Raptor: a reshaped frame that makes it easier to thumb the spool, and a more rounded side plate that is more comfortable to hold through a long day. That handle is the one you want once you drop into the low gear.

The narrow J frame is the other half of the reel. It is taller and skinnier than a standard MX spool on the same internals, which gives a faster retrieve per crank and makes line far easier to guide back on evenly, and that second part matters more than people expect after a long day. Any application that does not need much capacity but does want heavy line and drag benefits from the narrow spool.

On a jig it does something better still: tension the fall and the jig hangs vertical instead of planing away, so it gets down faster and stays in the zone you meant to fish.