[ramon06]

maybe I was sleepy or something but i finally got a chance to cast, reel in a 7000iC3, went fishing with a buddy friday, he had a 7000iC3 and I had my 7000i, now I know how people on the forum say that an IC3 is this and that but i didnt feel a difference, they both had the signature Abu smoothness, clickers were identical and they cast the same distance, I just didnt feel a difference with the upgraded drag and bearings of the IC3, what gives? Just like with the 6600BCX, my buddy Mike (blucat69) has a few of them on his boat along with TCs, C3s and I cant tell the difference when were casting or reeling in. But I can tell the difference in the smoothness in my 6500C3, 6500C4, green cat and 6500 2-speed, they all cast the same but have a slightly different feel when reeling in, I have a brand new 6600BCX I havent used yet, maybe I'll take them all out and try them this week.

 

[Angling Andrew]

I think it only makes a big difference when surf fishing or fishing requiring very long casts. But the BCX, you might as well throw it in the water, or you'll be sorry when you hook a biggun'. No offence, but it's the worst reel Abu makes.

 

[tightline_69]

It may be a deal for you Ramon, that you are so used to them that you don't see a difference. Is kinda like 4 people looking at the same picture in an art gallery. One person notices a difference yet the others don't. Either way I see no harm.

 

[ramon06]

It may be a deal for you Ramon, that you are so used to them that you don't see a difference. Is kinda like 4 people looking at the same picture in an art gallery. One person notices a difference yet the others don't. Either way I see no harm.

didnt think about it that way lol. but you're definetly right, I have quite a few different reels on my boat:
2 Penn 320GT2
2 Penn 309s
2 Okuma 450Ls
1 TWC CL70
2 Ming CL70
1 Ming CZH60
1 Ming CL60a
1 6500C3
1 6500 2 speed
1 6500 TC green cat
1 6500C4
1 6600 BCX
1 7000i

I have so many different reels that I guess its crazy trying out a new one lol, hell as long as I can get some kind of distance, I can hear the clicker when I'm napping or working on something and it gets the fish in im all for it

 

[Mickey]

maybe I was sleepy or something but i finally got a chance to cast, reel in a 7000iC3, went fishing with a buddy friday, he had a 7000iC3 and I had my 7000i, now I know how people on the forum say that an IC3 is this and that but i didnt feel a difference, they both had the signature Abu smoothness, clickers were identical and they cast the same distance, I just didnt feel a difference with the upgraded drag and bearings of the IC3, what gives? Just like with the 6600BCX, my buddy Mike (blucat69) has a few of them on his boat along with TCs, C3s and I cant tell the difference when were casting or reeling in. But I can tell the difference in the smoothness in my 6500C3, 6500C4, green cat and 6500 2-speed, they all cast the same but have a slightly different feel when reeling in, I have a brand new 6600BCX I havent used yet, maybe I'll take them all out and try them this week.

You have made reference to casting and reeling in. I think you will see a big difference in the drag washer when you have that big fish on the line.

 

[alton]

I don't have near the experience you have with all the different reels you have listed. I understand exactly what you are saying. But I would bet if you only bank fished with a couple meat hunter 12' rods and needed to cast 80-100 yards to get to and pull in some #50 plus blues, it would probably become easier to weed out the slackers. Good luck.

 

[STLbluesNmuds]

You got a pretty good friend to trust you with their 7000iC3.:laugh1:

 

[ramon06]

You got a pretty good friend to trust you with their 7000iC3.:laugh1:

well he was fishing with us on my buddies boat I think he wasnt comfortable casting at night yet as it was his first baitcaster. I have no problems at night or day, I cast the same and get the same distance. I read alot about people saying they get birdnests at night all the time, I think its mental, once its embedded in you how to cast it should be the same, I think people are worried about it and think too hard lol

 

[psychomekanik]

The reason I loved abu's so much is because I used to be a dedicated bank fisherman. I was forced to cast long distances to get into "the right spot". I tried several brands of reels over the years from zebco's, to penns, to ambassadeurs. I never found a reel that casted like an abu. From there I started modifying reels to make them cast smoother and farther. Adding stainless bearings then ceramics, bearing idlers, bearing worm gears, etc, etc. Every modification added a little more distance. Not a lot, but a little. Since buying a boat I dont need to cast so far and I dont need the extra distance. Now I have a 7000c3 modified to the hilt with all the above ammendities to make it cast into another zipcode, just to drop it straight down to the bottom from my boat. LOL. You wont notice the difference unless your winging it out far. The drag is different. Factory drags tend to slip/stick creating a jerky drag action. the smooth drag washer upgrades really provide a smoother drag release. If you're fishing solely from a boat, the only upgrade I would suggest is the washers. Unless you fish in lakes with bobbers. Then castability comes into play. I fish rivers with 7000's. But I kept a few of my old casting upgraded reels to fish in lakes where I use stick bobbers at night.

 

[Relocated-Yankee]

The internals especially the gears, materials make a big difference over the long haul. Some of the more economically prived reels have plastic gearr, then into soft brass, then harder brass , and the the upper range with steel gears. They all feel about the same at first, but after use and abuse the quality will show.

Scott