Ultralight Musky tackle?

[fishin98]

Yes...I did see that one,it's a C3. 4600,5500,and 6500. Think I 'd like a lefty. All my spinning reels are left hand crank...and I switched my dad's old Century over to left hand. Just makes more sense to keep the rod in my right hand! Dad was left-handed,so he preferred right hand crank. Ahh....fishing tackle shopping... I love it! My wife is a fishing lure addict. She never gets out of a store without at least one new lure! She made out like a bandit on her birthday and Christmas...which is only a week apart! Had to buy another tackle box! HA!...

They also sell the 6501...which is for leftie's

 

[S.A. Baker]

I also just ran across an Ambassaduer 6500s and a 6600sx model on Garcias website. The SX is a sweet looking reel! More in my price range....but fewer ball bearings. Which is the only diff as I can see. Are these up to the task? Hell...I don't think there are ANY ball bearings in my old 5500C....and it's lasted 37 yrs.! I started fishing with Abu-Garcia in about 1961... have never had a failure,and STILL use all of my old reels. I have two Mitchell 300's....a '59 and a 76 model. Both still work flawlessly and have never even needed a bail spring! Then there are the Abu-matics.... I have my late aunts 1961 model 40....still cranking in the fish! I've been into a lot of "retro" fishing lately! The 40 is going on the Musky trip to Vermilion just because that is where she bought it in 1961 on one of our fishing trips when I was a kid! I'm gonna use it on the Walleyes!

 

[S.A. Baker]

Actually I guess the Mitchell's don't fit into this discussion. They're French...and pre-Abu Garcia! Good stuff tho!

 

[fishin98]

Here's a few pictures of the old reels I still use.....purchased in the early 70's The reel on the left is my 1st and only 6500 still works and is still smooth. The other two are the 5500's I purchased shortly after, still use them for trolling for walleyes on 6'6" med action Ugly Sticks. The last picture is my current Musky reel 6600CL, I purchased 13 years ago, with proper care these reels last a very long time. I have numerous 5500's and 5600's I use for throwing lures. I'm not one of those people who see a TV show host using a new style reel and run down to the nearest outdoors store to buy one.

 

[fishin98]

Actually I guess the Mitchell's don't fit into this discussion. They're French...and pre-Abu Garcia! Good stuff tho!

Those old French made Mitchell's were and still are fine reels,. I just sold 20 or so 308 thru 330 Mitchells on Craig's list. Kept my 900's and 44xx reels. I do own the newer style 300's,they are nice reels.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I also just ran across an Ambassaduer 6500s and a 6600sx model on Garcias website. The SX is a sweet looking reel! More in my price range....but fewer ball bearings. Which is the only diff as I can see. Are these up to the task? Hell...I don't think there are ANY ball bearings in my old 5500C....and it's lasted 37 yrs.! I started fishing with Abu-Garcia in about 1961... have never had a failure,and STILL use all of my old reels. I have two Mitchell 300's....a '59 and a 76 model. Both still work flawlessly and have never even needed a bail spring! Then there are the Abu-matics.... I have my late aunts 1961 model 40....still cranking in the fish! I've been into a lot of "retro" fishing lately! The 40 is going on the Musky trip to Vermilion just because that is where she bought it in 1961 on one of our fishing trips when I was a kid! I'm gonna use it on the Walleyes!

Given those 2 options, I would go with the SX. It has 4 bearings vs 2 and it has more line capacity and a better retrieve rate.... The S models are the base models...... The only difference I see between the 6500S and your 5500S is line capacity..

I still have a Mitchell 300 that I used as a kid. That was the spinning reel to have way back when...... It has since been demoted to one of my ice fishing rigs......

 

[S.A. Baker]

Yeah.... I like the looks of that SX. Wonder where you 'd find one? We have Fleet Farm,Cabelas, Scheels,and a Gander Mtn. around here. They never have much selection at any of them!
I did some fishing with my old Mitchell 308 this last season. Nice and smooth still..but it growls like a coffee grinder. compared to a new Mitchell I bought! It was never used much ,but I still thourougjly cleaned and relubed it... still growls! And it's still nice and tight. Maybe that 's just they way they were and I didn 't remember?

 

[jrttoday]

Yeah.... I like the looks of that SX. Wonder where you 'd find one? We have Fleet Farm,*******, Scheels,and a Gander Mtn. around here. They never have much selection at any of them!
I did some fishing with my old Mitchell 308 this last season. Nice and smooth still..but it growls like a coffee grinder. compared to a new Mitchell I bought! It was never used much ,but I still thourougjly cleaned and relubed it... still growls! And it's still nice and tight. Maybe that 's just they way they were and I didn 't remember?

I've got a 30yo Abu like that... well, I guess it isn't that old cos it came with a LT guarantee and have sent it back twice, kept wearing out the sissy bar. But that's been years, maybe some Pepto Bismol would help. Have it on a Diawa cranking rod and handled a 22lb Red last time I used it. Growling never has gotten better or worse no matter the lube

 

[dingbat]

The only difference I see between the 6500S and your 5500S is line capacity.......

Two completely different reels. The 6500 has a larger main and pinion gear plus a larger drag stack.

Never choose a reel on bearing counts. Bearings require maintenance. Bearings that don't effect performance are liabilities. Unless your a competitive distance caster or throw lite weight baits, you don't need more than 2 bearings. For heavy duty work, high drags, heavy duty casting, bushings rule.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Yeah.... I like the looks of that SX. Wonder where you 'd find one? We have Fleet Farm,*******, Scheels,and a Gander Mtn. around here. They never have much selection at any of them!
I did some fishing with my old Mitchell 308 this last season. Nice and smooth still..but it growls like a coffee grinder. compared to a new Mitchell I bought! It was never used much ,but I still thourougjly cleaned and relubed it... still growls! And it's still nice and tight. Maybe that 's just they way they were and I didn 't remember?

I checked iboats and it doen't look like we carry it. I did find my latest.... It's a torque monster.....
http://www.iboats.com/Abu-Garcia-Rev...view_id.815560

Gander may carry it if you haven't looked already. Or, go online. Amazon, I bought my Revo on e-bay new.....

I just googled it:
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...6600sx&es_th=1

Gander, Bass pro, D i cks, Walmart, Fleet Farm, Amazon etc.........

I have multiple rod/reel combinations that I use depending on what lure I'm throwing at that time.. One I need for speed another for torque..... I always have them pre-rigged with a bait so I can just grab and throw...

 

[S.A. Baker]

I can't stick TOO much Into more tackle...I also have to repair the old 58 Johnson before I haul it up to the lake! New coils,carb kit , and new water pump I suspect. Though it still has the original in it, and was STILL pumping water just fine in 1993... the year it was last used ! Coils all cracked apart .... I also suppose I should stash some money to pay for a weeks cabin and boat rental! Already handled the deposit!

 

[fishin98]

Whew! Talk about RETRO fishin...counting on a motor made in 1958, has not run since 1993, needing work...depending on it on a lake as big as Vermillion?
Is this going to be your primary motor?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Two completely different reels. The 6500 has a larger main and pinion gear plus a larger drag stack.

Never choose a reel on bearing counts. Bearings require maintenance. Bearings that don't effect performance are liabilities. Unless your a competitive distance caster or throw lite weight baits, you don't need more than 2 bearings. For heavy duty work, high drags, heavy duty casting, bushings rule.

I didn't look deep into the comparisons. I mainly looked at retrieve and line capacities. Going from a 5500 to a 6500 wouldn't be a big difference on the base models. 6500 C4 would be a huge jump. I haven't looked at the C3s.

Ad we're going to have to agree to disagree about bearings.....

 

[WIMUSKY]

Whew! Talk about RETRO fishin...counting on a motor made in 1958, has not run since 1993, needing work...depending on it on a lake as big as Vermillion?
Is this going to be your primary motor?

I grew up on Vermilion. It is a huge awesome lake. Depending on boat/motor combination will determine how much of the lake a guy sees. Unless the water is flat. But I wouldn't want to be 20+ miles away(it's 40 miles long) from home if she kicks up out of nowhere or a storm comes out of nowhere(had that happen). It would be a very long trip home. And a lot of island hopping to stay out of the main caps...........

 

[fishin98]

I walleye fish on the BIG reservoirs in TN...Dale Hollow and Center Hill. More than once I got caught up in a pop up storm...having a Sylvan Sea Monster with a 40 Merc at the time, I got really wet, seeking safe harbor. I got real tired of that, so I purchased a 2000 Bayliner Capri Cuddy 1802 with a 90 Merc, turned it into a Walleye trolling rig, problem solved...that rig got me out of bad weather quickly.
The reason I mentioned RETRO fishin...I do not know the OP's situation...but relying on a 60+ year old motor that has not run in over 20years on a fishin trip on a BIG lake did raise my eye brows a bit.

 

[dingbat]

I didn't look deep into the comparisons. I mainly looked at retrieve and line capacities. Going from a 5500 to a 6500 wouldn't be a big difference on the base models. 6500 C4 would be a huge jump. I haven't looked at the C3s.

Ad we're going to have to agree to disagree about bearings.....

I've surf fished and distance cast competitively for the past 25 years. I also own a custom rod and reel repair business, specializing in performance modifications on Abu reels for the surf fishing and casting communities.

My Abu arsenal:
7500C3CT
7500CT Big Game
6500CT Mag Elite
6500C3CT Chrome Rockets x 2
7000C3 x 2
Ultra Mag XL II x 2

All Swedish Made (brass side plates). All highly modified with bearing, gear and drag modifications for improved performance or to suit a particular application.

You can't compare reels using line capacities and retrieve rates while ignoring the drag capacity and gear ratio. Your huge jump from the base model to the C4 is mostly marketing hype. Balancing the spool and tweaking the bearing shaft of a C3 will give better results. My Mag Elite will only free spool for roughly 90 seconds...lol. Try that with all the friction generated by a C4

C = Spool with integral shaft. 1-bushing and 1- bearing, mounted in side plates
C3 = 7000 series...Spool with integral shaft....bearings (2) mounted in side plates. 6500series..Spool and separate shaft. Bearings (2) in spool.
C4= Spool and separate shaft. Bearings (2) in spool. Nylon bushing on the one end of the worm gear (level wind assembly) replaced with a very small bearing that quickly gums up and binds.

FWIW: You can buy a modification kit to replace both the bushing and non-rated bearing with ABEC 7 bearings but require very regular maintenance. Once a year doesn't get it here.

Be aware there are different version of a particular model. Abu builds model specific reels for a number of "big box store customers.It might say 6500 on the reel, but it's the part number that defines the reel. My Abu parts book list over 125 different version of the 6500 reel alone.

 

[S.A. Baker]

Yes my 58 Johnson is my ONLY outboard. I 've had it since 1968 with never a problem. Used it for trapping and duck hunting up north on a lake where I grew up as a kid. My dad was using it in 93 when it finally conked out. It sat in my cousins boathouse up north until last year when he brought it down here to give back to me as I never got up north again. That's when I found the bad coils issue. It gets better....it's a 3 horse! I know Vermilion is big.... fished there in the past. We won't be venturing very far away from the resort! I'm also taking along my minnkota electric. We just didn 't want to drag our boat up there . Getting through the twin cities is bad enough. Plus my trailer needs tires and most likely wheel bearings ... And the 45 Chrysler on the boat hasn 't run in two years because I can't find a part I need. We just want to get away for awhile and enjoy the north woods. I 'm sure we can find plenty of fish without touring the whole lake ! Even with a big boat you 'd never cover that whole lake in a lifetime!
Still rod and reel shopping.... following all the advice given here. Seems some of the stores are already starting to stock up for spring. According to the wife who was in town yesterday. My next shopping trip isn't until Sat. I don't get out much! Thanks for all the tips and suggestions so far! Keep them coming if there are any more!

 

[jrttoday]

what part does it need?

 

[S.A. Baker]

Electric choke solenoid. Most likely a new water pump, fuel pump diaphragm,all new fuel lines,ignition switch.... I already stuck too much money in that boat just so we could float it in our electric only impoundments! Never got around to the motor part, and then the water got stiff!

 

[S.A. Baker]

.....and I got sick of working on it!