Abu Garcia 7000 Question.

[Seanstone]

I have been experimenting with rod and reel combos lately. I purchased a abu 7000 pro rocket in hopes of casting further than I could with my 7000i's. My 7000i's are a few years old and they are made in Sweden. The 7000 pro rocket is not, it's made in China. On the boat the other day I was using a 7000i paired with a 8' catfish series ugly stick and the 7000 pro rocket on the same rod. The 7000i out casted the pro rocket by over 10 yards. (both set ups were exactly the same, 3oz bank sinkers attached to sinker slides/swivel/leader/ 8/0 gama octopus circle hook. AND both reels had the brakes and spool tension knobs loose. AND both reels were freshly spooled with the same line.

I was shocked to see how poorly the pro rocket performed. Does anyone have suggestions to why this may have happened? Can it be that 1 barring causes less friction than the 3 in the pro rocket? Is it possible that there is a "breaking in" process that will loosen the rocket up after years of use? OR, Is it as simple as; Sweden reels out perform the Chinese made reels?

[Smoothkip]

I can't be for sure but do you have the spool tensions the same also?

[Seanstone]

Yeah they are both set to similar tensions. (Loose) I wonder if anyone else has had this problem.

[skinfish]

It has been awhile now , how does the rocket cast now? May just tight from being new.

[rcbbracing]

I am curious to hear also Sean...but my experience I prefer Sweden abus hands down to China abus ....but never really noticed a difference casting either...im not familiar with it...is the pro rocket a levelwind reel?

[Skyline1506]

yea levelwind

[Seanstone]

The 7000 rockets doing a little better now, I loosened the nut to the line pawl and its casting a lot further now. Someone must have tightnened it down to far after they cleaned it.....me.lol

[rcbbracing]

After about a dozen similar screwups later I don't clean my own reels anymore lol

[skinfish]

Good to here, now catch a new PB with it.