There is a reason these reels haven't changed much over the years. There's not much room for improvement. I use them for my catfish setups on Mad Kats rods but I've caught stripers on them also. They cast far, have just enough drag and it's not easy to get a rats nest in them. The best part about these reels is that you don't have to be an engineer to do maintenance on them yourself. All the parts are available on-line and they're fairly easy to disassemble and assemble. I have a 20 year old Ambassadeur that I still use with no problems. But be aware that not all Ambassadeurs are equal. The C3 and C4 are Swiss made, a lot of the others are made in China.

Coming from a spinning reel background, I've always felt more comfortable with a left-hand retrieve baitcaster. That limits the options, but the Abu C3-6501LH does the trick. I et to use a decent reel, with a decent drag, and still keep my strong arm (right) on the rod, and use my off-hand (left) to turn the handle. These little reels are fun to cast and fun to tune and mod. There are tons of mods you can do to make these reels really sing, or just fish them right out of the box.

I know this is a baitcaster, but it is stout, been using as my fluke reels for a while and pulled up a few nice fish... even landed a cownose last year. I took apart and haven't noticed any wear from past couple seasons.

Perfect for catfishing

These are great reels and the price was reasonable. Teamed it with a power handle and can't be any happier

Great reel! Smooth drag, very powerful. Bought this for live bait striper fishing from a kayak and love it. Clicker option is awesome to identify strikes. Highly recommend!

This reel casts very good with a heavy weight and I use it for bass and works excellent.

I mainly fish for fluke, striped bass, porgies, sea bass and tog. This reel can hold plenty of line when braid is used and can be cleaned very easily. Great value for a reel that will last years and years when taken care of properly.

I bought it to be modified for monomag casting: new bearings, take away centrifugal brakes and levelwind. And also other details that make this reel the ideal machine for longcasting competition.

I've used Abu Garcia round reels for 35 years and love them but I've only ever had 5000, 6000, and 7000 series reels. When I saw this one I had to try it and I loved it so much I bought a second one. I'm right handed and always used right handed reels but these I got in left handed versions. All the quality you'd expect from Abu in a tight little great casting reel.

The reel is not very wide therefore easier to palm. I use it for baitcasting with 3/8- 1.5 oz lures

I use it for trolling and/or baitcasting with heavier baits. I bought 'power handle' for this reel.

This is a workhorse of a reel. Simple and Proven design. I prefer to service all my reels myself and these reels are very easy to self service. From catfish to light Saltwater use, this reel is just about the most affordable and reliable reel you can purchase.

I have been using Abu Garcia reels for over 20 years. The new ones are simply the smoothest ones so far. Strong, smooth drags and of course all metal construction make for a reel that you will enjoy for years to come. You can cast this reel so easily you will surprised. You can count on this reel to perform.