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[Ryan.maccie]

Alrighty, so, Its time I step up from my diawa regal 3505t reel I have had for years, and get into something a bit more versitile for the direction my fishing is going...

Have been reading reviews on the Abu Garcia C3 linup, and not alot of great reviews on it..

Here are the requirements.

~150$
able to fish ALL salmon types
Duribility

I would really like to get into a baitcasting reel, as I hear it is somewhat of a necessity for fishing the vedder and other places.
but at the same time, is 150$ is going to get me the cupcakes end of the stick for a bait casting reel, I may as well just stick with something similar to what I have..

[salmonlover]

i use to fish with this reel. its ok, but nothing special does the job.

http://ca.wholesalesports.com/storefront/fresh-saltwater-fishing/casting-reels/c4-series/prod223354.html


 but if you have a little more money id look into a  diawa luna or calcutta. more money but their performance is worth it imo.

[mzmann]

Not alot of great reviews on the Abu 6500C3?

I just recently bought one due to all of the great reviews on it as well as the recommendations I received from other fishermen, others on here as well as another site

I would definitely go with it as it is well within that price range and probably best bang for your buck!.....I picked mine up from amazon.com for $89 but came from the states so after tax, customs fees and such it was a total of $117 to my door...still a good price!

hope this helps!

Cheers,

[Ryan.maccie]

Not alot of great reviews on the Abu 6500C3?

I just recently bought one due to all of the great reviews on it as well as the recommendations I received from other fishermen, others on here as well as another site

I would definitely go with it as it is well within that price range and probably best bang for your buck!.....I picked mine up from amazon.com for $89 but came from the states so after tax, customs fees and such it was a total of $117 to my door...still a good price!

hope this helps!

Cheers,

Not so much bad reviews, more so of people complaining of the setup/lack of thumb bar.

[mzmann]

If its the thumb bar that you prefer then the 6600 has it....as well you can also go for the 6600C4 as it is a bit smoother but with the extra bearing it is also one more place that sand/dirt/debris can get into...as well I believe that the C3 is a better gear ratio for crankin in the big ones ......most people actually prefer the 6500 as they prefer it without the thumb bar...but I guess that boils down to personal preference .....I did alot of research before buying mine and it was by far the most recommended and highest praised bang for buck baitcaster!

Cheers.

[Ryan.maccie]

If its the thumb bar that you prefer then the 6600 has it....as well you can also go for the 6600C4 as it is a bit smoother but with the extra bearing it is also one more place that sand/dirt/debris can get into...as well I believe that the C3 is a better gear ratio for crankin in the big ones ......most people actually prefer the 6500 as they prefer it without the thumb bar...but I guess that boils down to personal preference .....I did alot of research before buying mine and it was by far the most recommended and highest praised bang for buck baitcaster!

Cheers.

As this will be my first bait caster, I cant really speak from experience, so its more so of going with what I am told haha..

As for the little centrifugal weights (i forget the proper name) I was reading that they are very hard to adjust, as you have to dissassemble the casing to adjust, do you have to adjust these regularly, or is it a set and forget type thing?

[greese30]

i'm still fishing my 1973 Ambassaduer.  I think the quality has decreased a little since then, but these guys know how to make reels.  It is outstanding on all salmon species.  I recently picked up an Abu 5600 and love it. 

[mzmann]

As this will be my first bait caster, I cant really speak from experience, so its more so of going with what I am told haha..

As for the little centrifugal weights (i forget the proper name) I was reading that they are very hard to adjust, as you have to dissassemble the casing to adjust, do you have to adjust these regularly, or is it a set and forget type thing?

You can adjust if you choose I guess but most just go out and use as is.....always a good idea to take apart pretty much any baitcaster once a season to clean it up/oil it and such and if you are not comfortable in doing so then I am sure you can find someone on the river or a friend who is and has done it before and all else fails just take it into a good fishing shop and they should either be able to assist or do it themselves for a small fee.

[The_Other_Gman]

As everyone else has said Abu Garcia is probably best bang for your buck.  I use a 6501C4 with an aftermarket cranker handle on it for the big boys and have a couple 5601s for smaller fare.

[gofishon]

you cant go wrong with an abu. They have been making them almost the same since at least the 70's

I bought 2 Abu's a few seasons ago. They work great for me and have been through a lot. I tend to be hard on my equipment and so far they have stood up well.

[The_Other_Gman]

FYI.  Even number series (5500, 6500) reel handle is on the right side, odd number series (5501, 6501) the reel handle is on the left.

[ihatefisheadsoup]

I am using a 6500 c3ps (euro edition) mostly for chinnok sometimes bottom bouncing for sockeye, I also have a abu 5000c modded with avec7 bearings (it cast as far as the 65000 series) I using for pinks at the moment

[Iyekim76]

I myself am a Abu user and just recently picked up a Record RCN60HC with the single crank handle for the biggies. It's seen river twice with a BB set up and landed 2 springs 4 socks and a few pinks so far. All i can say is that It delivers as advertised. Prior to that, I've been using a Ambassadeur 6600 C4 since starting my salmon career a couple of years ago and can't say enough about how durable it is! Landed tons of pinks, socks, springs, several cohos and a couple of steelies with her and am now in the process of upgrading parts slowly. What I love about the 6600 C4 is it's retrieve gear ratio of 6.3:1 which I find makes it easier in landing fish quicker. Unless of course it's a spring. If you do end up getting Abu Garcia, do learn to maintain it yourself as it will save you in the long run.
Im ready to hit the Vedder now and can't wait to try out my Abu Garcia Orra SX which I purchased a week before the record. So far, all my reels has produced and I'm not disappointed. I hope you chose a reel that suits your budget and your personality. I would also recommend these products as I've tried them out through friends:

Quantum
-Cabo or Catalyst

Shimano
-Curado
-Corvallus
-Cardiff
-Calcutta

Abu Garcia
-6500 C3
-6600 C4
-Record 60
-Orra SX
-Revo

With so many reels out there, it's a buyers market. There are always diehards per products and it's probably best to test out someone's reel first to get a feel. Make sure to chose your own reel as it is You who will use it alone. Eventually, the reel you get now will be a spare. And then a spare of the spare just in case one needs some serious maintenance(my C4 for example). For now, happy choosing and happy fishing!

Fish on and tight lines!
Mike

[frozensalmon]

hi there

i'm basicly new to bait casting reels and the first one I got is the abu 6501c3   it's good and help me land a couple of pinks
I just wanna know normally how to I do my maintance to my reel?  I remember people told me I can open the reel but is it basicly just put some oil in between the parts, screws, different gears?

[The_Other_Gman]

hi there

i'm basicly new to bait casting reels and the first one I got is the abu 6501c3   it's good and help me land a couple of pinks
I just wanna know normally how to I do my maintance to my reel?  I remember people told me I can open the reel but is it basicly just put some oil in between the parts, screws, different gears?

http://www.musky.com/features/AbuTips.htm