Okay,

I am going to "pay myself first" for all of the hard work I've done on my house this year. (Don't tell the wife ) I have a $100 budget for a new reel, may have a little more available like another $50 or so.

The reel has to be able to handle just about any fish imaginable that can be caught here in the northwest. Must handle salt and fresh water. Must be castable. Gotta be bullet proof.

Thinkin' of a Ambassaduer 6500 C4, or maybe one of their new mag reels. Any other reels I should look at?

Thanks in advance!

Dogfish you can't do it for that little so you had better give the money to me so it won't burn any more holes.

Rauly

You have selected about the only reel for those conditions that meets your budget.

Dogfish,
Go C5, I own both like the C5 much more than the C4. Iv had a few probs with the C4 (not engaging) and have heard of others having the same prob. Have had no problems to speak of on the C5.
And its just under $100, burn baby burn.
Tight Lines
RL

C5, Hmmmmmmmmm? Gonna have to look at one of those at work tomorrow, I mean during my break. Yeah, now that I'm going hourly.

dont get the abu abs
tyler

Give me the $ and I'll let you call me your friend! Or bring it up and we can put in my sleds gas tank and catch some Head!

Okay, I've selected the 5500 C5 mag reel. Now, where's the best place to get it? Cabela's has it for $109. Any other ideas?

Try Bass Pro Shops? I think you could use some more friends though.

You know I've always been a Abu man until I was urged to try a Curado, I'm gonna buy another. It cast farther and is alittle smoother than the Garcias.

$crew buying the reel, go to the nudy bar!!!

Have your wife buy you a reel for fathers day. Or, by the reel and have your wife send you to the nudy bar for fathers day.

One way this scenario works, the other turns your moniker into "Doghouse".

AHHHHH the Nudie bar. Where they show ya their butts and they keep their mouth shut. At the Nudie bar!

Yeah, I'd go there, but I end up running into old girlfriends. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? Can't decide.

I'm not sure how the Curado would hold up to salt water fishing. You ever fish yours their, G-man? This new C5 has 5 ball bearing, magnets, a gps, fishfinder etc. and I love the Berkley/Abu/Fenwick company. Anytime I ever had something go wrong, even my stupidity, they sent me a new one, no questions asked.

Andy, good to see another M w/ C watcher on the board. Used to laugh my a$$ off years ago at that show.

I have a couple of 6501's that have seen the salt many times and still operate perfectly. Bigtime Abu fan here.

Good luck,

Steve

Dogfish,
Sportco (Fife)has em for about $95, also there is a $20 dollar mail in rebate on em that will run till end of March, I believe.
Tight Lines...Or a good lap dance...the choice is yours
RL

Best go for the C5. Blow the dough at the nudie-bar, and you could catch something fishy that could ruin the finish on the old wiggle-wart.

Hey Andy,
Keep saving your money and buy a Penn 965... you can find them for about $169 now. I've got one, it's the best damn reel I've ever owned. Yeah, it's got the magnets, super smooth drag, "infinite anti-reverse", all that sh1t. Casts like a dream. I use it mostly on the rivers, but it's also spectacular for mootching/casting in the salt, too. It's a waste of money to use a 965 for downrigger fishing, but I've been known to do it... mostly I run 310's and 320's for trolling, though.

Buy American, buy a Penn, take care of it and you'll have it for the rest of your life... unless you plan on getting it stolen or only using it for 10 years... in that case, buy the Abu.

My .02

-N.