is this a good reel for musky fishing?

[wolfmachine]

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...__SearchResults

 

 

input welcome. its going on a 7'8 xtra heavy shimano trigger rod

[jediangler]

I use a 6500C4 for trolling and a 5600C4 for casting bucktails. I have had these reels for several years without any problems. The hardcore guys, fish nothing but musky everyday the season is open, have said they don't stand up to hard use.

[goteeboy]

i have one rod fitted w/ a calcutta and the other with my abu C4. great reel. just a bit on the big size in terms of reel diameter. if you have big hands no prob, but i would in the future get a heavy duty low profile like the new curado 300

[Pigeontroller]

A decent high speed reel, good for jerkbaits and burning bucktails. Many anglers have had them fail from the abuse of using them with large Muskie lures. I have heard Abu is excellent when it comes to repairing/replacing them.

[camillj]

Well ... I got a Calcutta ... on Lew's advice (in fact he helped me pick it out).. and absolutely LOVE it ...

Edited April 24, 2009 by camillj

[2 tone z71]

ive got the Tekota and Calcutta,my dad uses the C4 Its broke twice already it not a yr old ,the Shimanos never let me down once ,the Penn 310 series would make a better real for skis IMO if ya dont wanna drop the cash on the higher end stuff

[Garry2Rs]

The Abu "C" series is a 60 year old design.

In the days when it was new...in the 1950's, casting rods often had an off set in front of the handle.

 

What I mean is the reel seat was lower than a straight line drawn through the rod and the handle.

The reel sat in a depression. This rod design pre-dates spool releases.

So the Abu's spool release was placed on the top of the reel on the crank-side of the reel frame

As time went by rod handle straightened out and we now have the rod blank through the handle design.

Reels acquired thumb button spool releases and the reel mounting plate was recessed so that the reel sat lower on the rod.

 

Abu's were designed in the age of off set handles, so they sit very high on a more modern rod.

Because of this they feel quite large or tall in your hand.

You will get used to this quickly, and it won't be an issue.

 

As far as not standing up is concerned...

Abu "C's" can be defined as good, cheap reels. It's pretty hard to find those two words in one sentence these days...wink!

They are not bullet proof, and big Musky baits are hard on equipment, especially when you back-lash...grin. I wouldn't choose an Abu C series reel if I was going to spend the Summer on the Moon River throwing around a painted chunk of 2X4 with hooks on it, trying to get a 50+ inch Musky. On the other hand if you want a reel the will throw Bucktails, Spinnerbaits and Suick's around in the Kawarthas you won't wear it out.

 

The level wind is always in gear on all Abu "C" series reels...It follows the line back and forth across the spool on the cast. The pawl and worm gear on the level wind will wear out very fast if you don't keep oil on them.

The replacement parts are only about $25 and it's a job you can do yourself, but a shot 3-in-one oil after a day of fishing is cheaper. In the past, there was some trouble with the C4's related to the thumb button. Anyway, that's old news and the problem was probably solve years ago. If you're curious, you could call Rocky's in Orillia or Aickman's in Toronto and ask them if they are still getting C4's in for repairs to the thumb button.

 

If I was buying one I would buy the 5600 because I find the 6500's too wide. They are okay on a true Musky rod, but I think they make even heavy action Bass rods feel top heavy. The rod your talking about might carry the 6500 okay...try it and see what you think.

The only mechanical difference between 5000 and the 6000 series is the wider spool and a (very fragile) clicker.