Abu Garcia
good it seems – good brand and good reel, its a little small for me, dont buy it if you cant cast properly with these types of reels as they can be sensitive and you can loose alot of line. If you know how to handle them its a pleasure to use this kind of reel. Show details
Low qaulity – The bait casters may be ok but i got a Blackmax rod and reel in the spin versions. The reels line roller wouldn't budge so I returned it unused. Kept… Read more
the rod. Today I was spooling up another reel on the Max rod and after doing it tried the drag to make sure the line wasn't turning and was bedded in on the spool properly. The Max rod is rated at 4kg. Had just 1 kg drag set and was nowhere near high sticking it, nice gentle angle, I've fought big fish at more aggressive angles, and at just 1kg drag the rod snapped just below the fourth guide. So the reel was a failure as well as the rod. In all my 30 yrs fishing I have never had a rod do that whilst doing what I did which was a simple drag test at low tension. In effect it would have broken simply fighting an average fish. They are both the worst fishing gear I have ever owned, both failed without ever seeing the water. Can't get any worse than that.
Excellent reel – I have 3 of these reels, (the oldest is well over 20 years old) and have found the Abu Garcia 6500c3 reel to be one of the toughest baitcasters… Read more
around. The early reels were made in Sweden, my latest is made in Asia somewhere but still feels as good as the originals. This is a no nonsense reel with serious stopping power that can handle all the rough stuff bouncing around in your tinny, yet still perform when needed. Simple in design and very easy to dismantle and maintain even for the novice angler. While not as smooth as some of the low profile baitcasters they have rarely let me down. Spooled with mono or braid to around 20/25lb I have found it to be a very good all round reel for bottom bashing or for landing that monster Barra.
A standout reel – I actually own the STX10 and STX40 but there was no STX series in the menu. I have flogged them hard without an issue. The first one was the little… Read more
STX10 which I loaded with heavier line and worked it to try and break it but to no avail. Upon servicing I think they are quality way above their price tag. Supposed features of more expensive Daiwa's or Shimano's are standard on these reels without the fuss. I recommended these to a friend who bought the SX10 and SX40. He loves them. Key features are the sealed carbon drag which is beautifully engineered. The spool sits on a well designed hub for a more stable drag setting. All alloy body means no flex. No problems at all.
There is not much difference between the STX and SX series. Only bearings versas bushes under the spool hub and bearings in the handle separate the models. I think these are discontinued now. Quality without the big price Second shallow spool is a bit useless
Abu Garcia Muscle Tip MT3431SPL Fishing Rod – I bought one of these while on holidays in Warwick, Qld for my kayak and tried it out on my boat in Moreton bay last Monday. This is a truly amazing… Read more
rod that punches well above its rating of 3-6kg. It caught a 1.3 meter Brown Catshark and handled it with ease .Paired with my Okuma Avenger II AVII-30 it is a sensational match and I am totally impressed with the price I paid just shy of $40 AUS.
A bait caster reel thats built for a lifetime! – I've owned a 5500C4 for the last 10+ years and its had a fair amount of use, with trolling lures and casting from the banks for flathead and other… Read more
larger estuarine fish.
The reel is built around a brazed chromed brass metal frame and aluminum side plates, with most internal parts being brass or bronze, with some parts being aluminum or a nylon plastic for those less critical areas.
Stripping the reel down is easy with three screw's on the RH side allowing you to access the spool and the casting control brakes or to add the heavier brake blocks. Within regards to servicing, with these reels harbouring a varying range of materials there is a issue with 'anodic' reactions with salt water. I have drilled two small holes on both side plates to ensure that any water that gets inside from fishing or washing is expelled during drying on a cloth - 90% of the time the reel is pulled apart to air with no noticeable side effects noticed so far with this process - but ensuring that you use Inox and good quality greases keeps corrosion at bay.
The C4 series have a higher than average retrieval rate opposed to the C3 series, this allows a better lure retrieve and helps lures actions when cast and retrieving. Further to add, more bearings usually means a greater ability to get consistently further casts - however means more servicing with bearings (which is not an easy job for the inexperienced!)...
All in all the C4 series are generally the same as the C3 when pre 2009 years - 2009 on are generally the same however not seen inside these newer reels as they are cheaper as Abu sold out to Berkley 'Pure Fishing'. Abu Ambassadeure's are still made in Sweden, and their design is still similar to those made 50 odd years ago, the design difference of the Abu Ambassadeur C4 compared to others in the line is really just some pure aesthetic changes and it doesn't harbour a great deal more / benefit other than retrieval rate and an extra bearing in the level wind RH side. Rock solid & Genuine [censored word removed] proof design (2009 prior), ease & low cost of spare parts, easily fixed without special tools or parts. 2009 design went a little cheap when Abu sold out to Berkley / Pure Fishing, otherwise the Abu remains the same as usual.
Best rod ive ever owned A+ for sensitivity – Without a doubt the best value rod on the market in my opinion and durable too. Own the spin model at the moment will be going back to get another… Read more
baitcast rod for my abu revo do yourself a favour get onto these rods you wont regret it i havent. durable lightweight and sensitive comes to life when a fish is on the end.