Catfish Angler Forum at USCA banner

ABU 7000 vs. Shimano Tekota 600LC

11K views 50 replies 15 participants last post by  scaredycatfishin 
#1 ·
I picked up a 600LC this weekend and am making a few comparisons between it and my ABU 7000C3’s. Both are big for bumping, but these are my paddlefish / big cat / pulling long lead core type reels.. (I have 6500’s, and will get a Tekota 500 for bumping and short lead core).

Drag - the 600LC seems to have a better drag system

Cast lever & trip - the ABU has a shorter lever with what seems a better “click” to it (more positive than the 600), and the ABU seems to trip better when you start reeling

Magnetic brake / casting brake - the 600 seems much better

Weight / feel - the 600 feels / looks better

Solidness - ABU, with the 600 being close

Line Counter = 600 you can’t even get a LC on the 7000.. what a crock

Handle = 600 rocks !! ABU power handle is good, but no where near what the 600 is.

They are close enough (beside the line counter) that either is a very strong and very refined reel.. so it will come down to how much I personally like them - but the Line counter and handle are putting the Tekota far ahead IMO at the moment. Given the reel is new I can’t ding it too much for having a longer reel to catch (after you cast) trip that seemed rough - it will very likely loose up as I get the burs polished off to it by using it.

Ah... life is good - I think I’m going to like these Tekota’s.
My son is coming back home after his military service - so I warned the wife that I need to buy some new poles and reels for him so we can fish together while he goes to school (college).
:)
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I am never sire about comparing reels or rods for that matter because there is always a personal view or better said, an individual view. However the preparing for the son's return to enjoy some "man stuff" fishing together can be agreed on by all.

The older song that is out about the father being too busy to do a lot with the son reverting to the son growing up to be too busy to spend time with the dad has a lot of truth to it. If you want some good time together doing fun stuff, you have to make it happen

tight lines
 
#4 ·
tom - yep, tools are almost always a personal preference.

But it also does product managers a good thing to find stuff on the Internet to see what feedback they can gather on the cheap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ramon06
#10 ·
No not really, the edges are rounded so it feels more ergonomic, it takes a good deal more line that the 7000, but it reels in like glass, and the drag has positive clicks... hard not to like those.

But I don’t notice it’s bulk at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ramon06
#21 ·
I’ll have to think of a way to objectively test how far each cast, even then the state of the reel, and amount of line are going to make a difference.

Both of mine are under a year old (7000’s, and 600LC) so provided the amount of line (mass) and spindle diameter of the line (how fast we’ll spin the sucker) are approx. the same I should be able to hold both and cast with the same amount of weight to see if one does better than the other....

I’ll try that on Tuesday when I change out rods, I’m moving them to my spoonbill snagging rods (2 each of the same type). If I get spooners on each it will show how well each of them handle reeling in a barn door as well.

If one is harder than the other I’ll let Gordy reel those in on hook up. After that 71lb flathead he pulled in last year he has no excuses. :)
 
#22 ·
I would be interested in seeing which one reels weight easier.

I am not sure you can do a fair distance casting test with the 600LC and 7000C3, the reels are to different. One is a wide spool and one is narrow and tall, one is old school and one is a modern design, one has a line counter, one has brake weights.

So even if the line, rod, and weight was all the same it kind of an apples to oranges test.

I did these reels a few years ago but not on the same day, all of them were almost new. All factories do a terrible job of lubricating reels. So all of them got stripped and cleaned, even the bearings had the old oil/grease removed and re lubed.
So even with as many of the factory variables removed as possible. There is still the human variable.

I did all the casting using no tension from the cast control knob and for the rod I used the same American Spirit ONG-761MH 15/40.

I wonder what the 7500 could have done if I had used no brake weights.

7500iC3 HS CHR ---------- 5 oz -- 270 ft. -- Abu oil -- 65 Suffix - 2 brake weights
Shimano Tekota TEK 500 -- 5 oz -- 298 ft -- grease ---65 Suffix
Squall SQL15LW ------------5 oz --300 ft --- grease ---50 Suffix
Fathom FTH15LW --------- 5 oz ---355 ft --- grease -- 65 Suffix
 
#24 ·
I would be interested in seeing which one reels weight easier.

I am not sure you can do a fair distance casting test with the 600LC and 7000C3, the reels are to different. One is a wide spool and one is narrow and tall, one is old school and one is a modern design, one has a line counter, one has brake weights.

So even if the line, rod, and weight was all the same it kind of an apples to oranges test.

I did these reels a few years ago but not on the same day, all of them were almost new. All factories do a terrible job of lubricating reels. So all of them got stripped and cleaned, even the bearings had the old oil/grease removed and re lubed.
So even with as many of the factory variables removed as possible. There is still the human variable.

I did all the casting using no tension from the cast control knob and for the rod I used the same American Spirit ONG-761MH 15/40.

I wonder what the 7500 could have done if I had used no brake weights.

7500iC3 HS CHR ---------- 5 oz -- 270 ft. -- Abu oil -- 65 Suffix - 2 brake weights
Shimano Tekota TEK 500 -- 5 oz -- 298 ft -- grease ---65 Suffix
Squall SQL15LW ------------5 oz --300 ft --- grease ---50 Suffix
Fathom FTH15LW --------- 5 oz ---355 ft --- grease -- 65 Suffix
You mention that reels do not come properly lubricated from the factory, I want to second that.

I received a new Abu 7000C3 a couple weeks ago and like usual I strip it down to relube it and wouldn't you know the entire 6-pin centrifugal brake assemble was caked in grease, caked! That kind of lube job will kill casting distance. From my experience though your Abu 7000C3's are some of the best casting reels for their size and design, same goes for the Abu 6500C3's. Properly lubed up, I can achieve about 100yds using the 7000C3 without difficulty, this also includes removing the excess grease from the idler gear.

It helps a lot to double check the lube jobs of the reels straight from the factory.
 
#25 ·
So I used the reels for spoonbill, and only noticeable differences

The Tekota has a higher pitched clicks that for me isn’t as sufficient as the ABU for old ears.

The Tekota also had line slide under the spooled line (braid) twice when I hit snags and the line pulled hard - to me this seems like it is the spool design that is smoother (rounder) on the edge of the spool. It appears it lets line slide under spooled line and caused a catch or snag in the spool that’s hard to get out.
 
#27 ·
Yes it did - dig into itself.

I do put my line on with some drag so it goes on tight, exactly as I do with my ABU’s. It will be interesting to see if it happens again.
 
#28 ·
Hi

Sounds like the line digging in to me also, sometimes I have this problem. When
I spool a reel I then wind it off onto another reel and then back on using the second reels drag to apply pressure. I have a 500 jigmaster I don’t use and it works well for this and holds a lot of line. I have used both reels and think the Tekota is better but
I don’t have the line counter model, just the regular 500 size.

Bob
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top