Opinions on the new Abu Garcia C5 Mag-X Reels

[Artificial all the way]

My first ABU is a red 6000. nice little reel. Wouldlike to start adding a few more to my stash. Cabelas has this C5 4600 on sale for 69 bucks plus a 10 dollar rebate. Looks like a great price.

 

Any issues with this reel?

 

Will it be able to handle me tossing light lures? Say a 6" Fin-S with no weight added.

 

I"™m figuring a 6"™ light pole with 8-10lb test. How"™s this set up sound?

 

Thank you

[TimS]

It's a great reel, you will love it, it's leaps and bounds ahead of your old Abu

 

 

 

TimS

[Mike Oliver]

PLastic bait like FinS fish . You maybe looking forward to plenty of overruns. Not enough weight to overcome spool inertia me thinks.

[seajay-1]

I use mine just for ulta lite jigs and plugs great little reel. Been useing mine for years,handles the big reds in shallow water.

[Artificial all the way]

 

 

 

PLastic bait like FinS fish . You maybe looking forward to plenty of overruns. Not enough weight to overcome spool inertia me thinks.

 

 

Thanks for the replys.

 

Sorry for the dumb questions but I"™m new to these type reels. Over runs?

I"™m thinking your saying the lure not heavy enough to take out line. Is the over run when the spool keeps spinning after the lure stops pulling line? If so is the over run caused by having the reel in almost free spool to get the light lure out?

 

Thanks again

[Artificial all the way]

Anyone?

[wmjack]

Artificial,

 

Over-run = Birdsnest, tangle, etc. The standard Abu spool (even the wiffle spool) is on the heavy side. The inertia that is associated with the turning of the spool will cause the spool to let out line faster than the lure is moving--thus the dreaded tangle.

 

If your goal is to cast the Fin-s or any of the many plastic lures of that type-- then my recommendation is to use a spinning reel. Those lures are not only very light, they offer a lot of wind resistance. A hard combination for casting.

 

I'm seriously into Abu reels and have modified two of mine with ultralight Avail spools from Japan. These are pricey, but markedly reduce over-runs with lighter lures. Even those spools are too light to be of much use with the unweighted Fin-S type lures. Use a spinner.

 

Now that being said, the C5 abu is a great reel, and for that price especially. Good reliability, easy to maintain - repair, lots of parts to trick and play with. Go for it--just not with an unweighted Fin-S

[staktup]

The $69 c5 is probably old stock, which is a really fine reel. The differences are mostly cosmetic; the newer c5s look like the new c3 and c4, with more beveled-squared off sideplates, pointy star drag vs. rounded, however, the most important change is the carbon matrix drag washers in the newer versions.

 

You may find the $69 c5 drags inferior for large fish, and often they come oiled. But you can just blot off the washers & try that out.

 

Replacing your drag washers to carbon matrix or smoothies will run about $7-10 if you find you need to.

[ahistick]

Sorry for the dumb questions

 

No such thing.

 

 

The carbon matrix or extreme smoothies would be great additions once the drags become worn...

 

 

good luck

[TimS]

PLastic bait like FinS fish . You maybe looking forward to plenty of overruns. Not enough weight to overcome spool inertia me thinks.

 

I'd have to agree with yah Mike - an unweighted plastic of that size on a saltwater sized conventional is very likely to cause over runs. It's not the weight of the lure, but the way it casts and tumbles. Even a 1/8oz or 1/4oz ball jig in the lure would help reduce over runs, it would keep the lure from tumbling and that helps keep the spool from over running

 

 

 

TimS

[Reelturner]

Artificial all the way,

 

As much as I hate it I sometimes want to throw the light lures with a conventional reel (baitcaster) but for what you are desiring to accomplish spinning the the best route to go IMO.

 

There is another option you could possibly go to and that would be what some of the tournament bass anglers are doing with the tricked out Diawas and Shimano reels. When I say these reels, I am speciafically talking about the higher end American made and Japenese manufactured ones at that. No I am not upholding non-USA made equipment, but there are quite a lot of fishing tackle not made here in the USA that many guys are not aware of that exist. These reels are tricked out with extremely high precision bearings, oil, and magnesium drilled out wiffle spools to start with and are set up for using light line. The reason for the extensive use of light line (from the reading I have done) is from the majority of clear water lakes over there versus here.

 

TimS....If I am not in complaince with the board rules then I aplogize and correct me but for Artificial all the way ....you should visit online the Bassfishinghomepage.com website and then go to the link on the left-hand side of the page labeled "Rods and Reels" and just read some where the guys are casting very light lures with conventional reels.

 

Bottom line Artifical...you can do it with conventionals, but for the extra money spent, you could get a less costly outfit and higher performance wise with spinning.

 

Gool luck,

 

Reelturner

[Artificial all the way]

Thank you very much gentlemen.

 

I am trying to figure out the best applications for these type reels. Been a spinning guy for my entire life. I spend most of my time casting lures and fly"™s. A nice SS Diawa has been my reel of choice since they first came out many moons ago. I fish very light most times. Under powered in line and pole weight is the norm for me. I like to have fun and am more into the challenge than the number count of how many I released that day.

 

I ordered the 4600C5MAG and a ST Croix Premier PS3500. Going to also order another SS Diawa.

 

Next is a few more poles to beat on.