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Post by kross2011 on Sept 3, 2014 20:20:56 GMT -5
I picked up a new Abu today and thought about starting to use it for the tournaments and give my 10ft king kat and salt striker combo a rest any thoughts it'll be snagging 20-60lb flats and blues.
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Post by morgan on Sept 3, 2014 20:38:35 GMT -5
An abu 6500 is very capable of landing fish that size, my pb was landed on one at 46 lbs. you just can't horse the fish in. Those size fish will kill you with a rod that long. My perfect length rod is 6-8 foot for catfish. I use the ugly stik tiger in medium and medium/heavy action. On the medium/heavy I run abu 7000's and penn squalls. On the mediums I run 6500's. If you need to cast far the long rods will help though.
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Post by kross2011 on Sept 3, 2014 20:47:06 GMT -5
Yeah the reason I have the 10 is for the big lake I fish. But I also have a Zebco catfish fighter it's 7ft and a striper pole it's also 7ft
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Post by morgan on Sept 3, 2014 20:53:50 GMT -5
Yep, 7 foot rods are by far my favorite. Another thing I like to do is get power handles for the 6500's. I think they're about $20 on bottomdwellerstackle.com . I love them but a lot of people like the regular handles also.
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Post by kross2011 on Sept 3, 2014 20:57:03 GMT -5
I'll check them out thanks msn you've been a lot of help !!
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Post by morgan on Sept 3, 2014 21:05:40 GMT -5
No problem, I relatively new here too. Just passing on info that I've learned from the people on this forum! They were and still are good to me!
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Post by mexicanthreat on Sept 4, 2014 23:08:57 GMT -5
6500's are a great reel. Usually have great tensioners that make casting flawless. And they have the power to fight big fish. just not the handle to do so. Use the factory for a while then switch to the power handle. it will change everything about the reel.
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Post by captainbrad on Oct 1, 2014 7:30:39 GMT -5
Abu reels wear out faster than they used to seems I only get about two seasons out of them before they need a rebuild. As for the power handle I don't like it on 6500 because it changes the weight of the reel.
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Post by katfish on Oct 1, 2014 13:57:00 GMT -5
Kross, All Abu 6500s are not created equal  Abu makes several different models of 6500s. Almost everyone agrees that reel quality of Abu from Sweden is superior to Chinese made Abu. Most differences in these reels are simply upgrades of handles, bearings, drag disks, colors and side plate lazers. 6500 TC reels have a higher gear ratio (6.3:1) but catfish connection lazered TC reels have 5.3:1 ratios which might be better to fight large catfish. As Captain Brad mentioned, a steady dose of large cats will wear a 6500 out quickly. Drag disks will probably need replacement and other parts may wear depending on how much casting you do. I have caught flathead up to 52 pounds on the old C3 models. If you catch more than 4 cats over 40 pounds a year, I would recommend going to an Abu 7000 or 10000 if you are bound to use Abu reels. Otherwise you risk reel failure after hanging a big cat when you least want it. Well maintained quality gear is important. Experience and knowledge blended with a little patience will land more fish than shiny new gear  |
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Post by captainbrad on Oct 1, 2014 17:05:58 GMT -5
Believe it or not I have never replaced drag washers. I always wear out the worm gear and pawl. That is mostly due to lots of casting and fighting fish.
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Abu makes several different models