Abu Garcia Ambassadeur One

[pbizzle]

My local Wal-Mart has these as a combo for $70. It really reminds me of a C3 and even says "made in Sweden", except for the fact that it has 3 bushings instead of bearings. Couldn't I get this and then replace the bushings for bearings? And from what I understand bushings are better than bearings for saltwater (easier to wash out), and I fish saltwater maybe a month each year.

[georgeyew]

I think that the reel is basically the BCX reel. I think that I saw the same combo at my Walmart.

[BradH]

I've switched a number of bushing equipped Swedish made ABU reels to ball bearings.  Next time I'm in a Wal-Mart I'll have to go take a peek. 

[mikeeasttn]

I thought they were the same as the C3's and purchased one to send to have tuned and I thought bearing replaced to use for swimbait fishing.  I was told by the man that does my work for me that they were not good enought to stand to the rigors of swimbaiting and even the internal parts of the reels are not interchangeable for the same model reels and were very cheap made.  To make one stand up to the heavy load of swimbait fishing I would have more money in it than just going out and buying a C4.

 

I had already purchased the reel so decided to use it for Ala Rigs fishing only.  In Tn we can use only 3 baits at a time on the rig.  I fished with it one afternoon and after about one hours fishing the thumbar completely came apart and broke on one end and of course no way to get the reel to work after that happened.  I really do not know if the above is true about the reels internal parts but i know they will not stand up to much heavy use or at least mine did not.

 

I have and use the Models 5500 and 6600 in the C4's for throwing the big heavy swimbaits for a couple of years and they are great reels and will stand up to just about anything you throw at them.  They are especially smooth after having the better bearings installed and the shafts or whatever they polish on the inside.

 

By the way I also purchased mine at Walmart.

[pbizzle]

I thought they were the same as the C3's and purchased one to send to have tuned and I thought bearing replaced to use for swimbait fishing.  I was told by the man that does my work for me that they were not good enought to stand to the rigors of swimbaiting and even the internal parts of the reels are not interchangeable for the same model reels and were very cheap made.  To make one stand up to the heavy load of swimbait fishing I would have more money in it than just going out and buying a C4.

 

I had already purchased the reel so decided to use it for Ala Rigs fishing only.  In Tn we can use only 3 baits at a time on the rig.  I fished with it one afternoon and after about one hours fishing the thumbar completely came apart and broke on one end and of course no way to get the reel to work after that happened.  I really do not know if the above is true about the reels internal parts but i know they will not stand up to much heavy use or at least mine did not.

 

I have and use the Models 5500 and 6600 in the C4's for throwing the big heavy swimbaits for a couple of years and they are great reels and will stand up to just about anything you throw at them.  They are especially smooth after having the better bearings installed and the shafts or whatever they polish on the inside.

 

By the way I also purchased mine at Walmart.

I was only going to get it for crankbaits. What part of Tennessee are you in?

[mikeeasttn]

I am in LaFollette which is 40 miles northeast of Knoxville and live 5 minutes from Norris Lake.