Best Baitcast Fishing Round Reel The Abu Garcia Ambassadeur - Review

Welcome to my Hub page review of the Abu Garcia round fishing reels. specifically The Ambassadeur 6500 C3 model. However my experience and comments can be applied for the entire Ambassadeur series. I wanted to write this Hub mainly to share both my experiences with Abu Garcia overhead fishing reels and why i think Abu Garcia reels are one of the best fishing reels you can buy. In addition to The Ambassadeur 6000's being a great all rounder for most fishing situations and a perfect choice for anyone new to the sport.

A part from my interest design and yes Abu Garcia reels are beautifully designed and an elegant piece of gear, i am also a passionate fishing enthusiast and have been fishing since my early teens. Having purchased a number of Abu Garcia baitcast reels over the years, including a Ambassadeur 5000 series which was my first, however it was stolen off a pier while i was fishing. I also own two Ambassadeur 6500 C3 and finally a Ambassadeur 7000 series but its the 6500's series i will mainly refer to here in this hub page, as i have been using them for over 25 years and they are still in perfect condition.

If you are new to fishing or have never heard of Abu Garcia then your in luck as i will start with a brief history of the brand and have come across a great documentary on the history of the company below.

Abu Garcia was founded in Sweden in 1921 by a talented watchmaker by the name of Carl August Borgstrom. However back then the company was called "AB Urfabriken" or Abu and manufactured mainly pocket watches until after World War II ABU refocused its precision engineering capabilities towards the development of round sports fishing reels. The first round fishing reel being "The ABU Record" in 1941. In 1952 The world famous ABU Records was re-branded to what we now know today as the "ABU Ambassadeur".

The ABU round fishing reels were so popular among fishing enthusiast during that period, as well as being a favorite of the King and Queen of Sweden, ABU soon became the "Purveyor to the Royal Swedish Court" a honor that is only bestowed upon companies who exceed the court's high standards of quality and craftsmanship. And it is this reason that the Swedish royal family crest is displayed on all Abu Garcia products today.

In 1955 ABU launched the company's first spinning reel "The ABU 444", and then the "The Cardinal" spinning reel in 1965. It was not until 1984 when ABU first entered the US market that ABU merged with US fishing company Garcia, The Abu Garcia brand was born.

Since then Abu Garcia has maintaining its industry leadership through innovation and precision engineering including the development of the The Revo low profile baitcast reel in 2006 providing anglers globally with high quality, innovative fishing gear.

For a in depth history of the brand Abu Garcia watch the documentary For life: The story of Abu Garcia below.

In this hub i want to focus on the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6000 series of round reels as i think this model is a great all rounder in terms of size and versatility of use. By uses i mean i have used my reels fishing off my local pier in salt water and as well as in freshwater river for bass, perch and catfish. Personally i found the 5000's reels a bit too small in capacity especially if in saltwater and you hook a ray or mackerel while the 7000's is a bit too large and bulky more suitable for use on a boat off shore.

However with my 6500 i can change out my rods from a short 5 foot light rod for lure fishing or a 7 foot rod for casting off piers for larger species of fish. Another benefit is the capacity of the reel as it can accommodate a wide range of fishing line from 11 to 30 pounds breaking strain, This becomes important as it will effect the total amount of line the reel will hold and when a fish runs.

With both the range of line options and rod combinations i have found creating a balanced set up using my Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500's easy and suitable for most situations i fish in be it fresh water and even off shore in some incidences.That is why the Abu Ambassadeur 6000's is a great all rounder and ideal for a beginner starting out.

In addition, an essential feature i think is critical is the "Line out Alarm" this is the button that enable the reel to make a noise when a fish is taking line, so that you know a fish has taken the bait. Its a feature you should have first in mind when purchasing a round reel and the rest will follow, this feature makes fishing a true leisure activity.

In terms of maintenance of my Abu reels, i actually do very little. While back when i first got them i did nothing at all after my weekly fishing trips off our local pier. Literally for about 5 years i did not wash or clean them and they worked great every time. However i first took part my reels for an oil about the same time i changed out my fishing line for the first time.

Since then i started to do a bit more cleaning and maintenance like rinsing my reels in fresh water after each trip, i either just hosed them down or left them in a bucket of water over night and dried them the next day. Following that once a year or so depending on use i would take each reel all apart and oil the gears as instructed by the user manual. Abu Garica Reels are in fact very simple and so it was an easy process and about 15 minutes to complete. I have never taken any of my reels for a service or professional clean and do not expect i need to in future either.

The Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 is one of the best-selling baitcast reels of all time and valued throughout the world for its durable construction and smooth performance.

Features

• 3 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing provides smooth operation
• Carbon Matrix drag system gives smooth drag performance
• Compact bent handle and star provide a more ergonomic design
• 6 pin centrifugal brake gives consistent brake pressure throughout the cast
• a chemical nickel-coated synchronized level wind system improves line lay and castability

Specifications

• Gear ratio: 5.3:1
• Inches per turn: 25.5
• Spool capacity (mono): 14 pounds/245 yards
• Spool capacity (braid): 30 pounds/330 yards
• Max drag: 15 pounds
• Weight: 11.3 ounces

The Abu Ambassadeur 6500 was one of my first fishing reels as a teenager and i paid about $140 and $200 for them with the later one being dual gears. They are great value over their life time of use and a great investment. Over the years i have considered purchasing a Shimano, of similar capabilities and size however they have always been of twice the price and out my league as a teen. I have looked at Penn's as well but they lack the anesthetics of the Abu Garcia.

With in the 6000 Ambassadeur series exist various models to choose from, the basic being C3 and other variation such as Ambassadeur 6500 C4 containing a few more bells & whistles. For example a thumb line release trigger however for all general intent and purposes they would not make too much of a difference in my fishing. I have never needed another fishing reel since my Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500's, They are a great all rounder for most any situations and your fishing needs. However it would be nice to upgrade to a C4 and experience the latest technological innovations and compare them to my C3.

In conclusion, Great value for money, Great design, Lasts a lifetime, perfect for beginners or as a gift as first reel like myself, What more can you ask for. I am hooked on The Abu Garcia Ambassadeurs.