Has anyone used the Abu-Garcia Star Series Ambassadeurs? I found them on the Abu Site for around 60 bucks.
If you aren't familiar with the reel, here is a little bit about it according to the Abu site...
"Engineered to the highest standards of Swedish craftsmanship, the Star Series offers precision cut brass gears, smooth multi-disc star drags and dual spool braking systems. Inside is our maintenance-free, self-lubricating bushing drive and one-piece aluminum spool with positive push-button release. The Six Star includes a line out alarm."

... the 6 star model has a gear ratio of 5.3:1 and hold 245 yards of 14lb test. This really doesn't matter because I am going to put 8/30 braid on it.(Either Whiplash or Powerpro) with 20lb backing. This is going to be for eels.

Anyone have anything to say about this reel? Good or bad, I am curious. Do you have a reel similar to the one described? This is what I am going to be using for eeling most probably. Abu-Garcia has the reel listed 65 bucks. But I'm sure I can find it cheaper.
Please feedback.
Patrick

Sounds to me like these are really just standard Ambassadeurs with bushings instead of ball bearings, like the old red Ambassadeur 5000s, 6000s and 7000s. Sounds like a good buy. If you blindfolded them, 95% of anglers couldn't tell the difference between the 6-star as they call it and a 6500C3.

I have a red Ambassadeur 5000 on one of my freshwater rods and in truth, it casts as well and as smoothly as the 5500C on another FW rod.

The only complaint I have with every Abu reel I've ever owned is that the drag SUCKS!! But, with the 6500 series, I've found the cure and it costs about a buck and a half. Replace the top two fiber washers in the stack with the drag washers from a Penn 704 spinning reel, and you'll notice a big improvement in the drag.

Don't get the Star series reels. These are the old, cheaper reels that have been superceded by later, better reels. The base level ABU you should by is the C3 series reels. Word of caution, alot of stores still have the older C3 reels that are not as nice as the newer style. The newer style that came out last year has the aluminum side plates (you'll want to keep them clean though) and is IMO a better reel. <a href="http://www.capecodtackle.com" target="_blank"><!--autohttp-->http://www.capecodtackle.com</a><!--autohttp--> has them for $75 and you get a $15 rebate (I think until the end of August) so your at the same price. That rebate is good on the C3 and C4 reels

Mike, you said you were testing that drag swap out. Satisfied that it's much better? Get any sweet fish on the newer drag yet???

As you can see here, I must be a "Reel Junkie" but holding them side by side I probably would not notice the difference blind folded when casting the two but IMO the older style feels less substantial and of lower quality compared to the newer ones. Now I have a couple 6000C reels that are as old as me that my grandfather fished with, on the Cape in the '60s and they still cast great but they feel more substantial and of higher quality than the high plastic content reels of the previous generation ABU reels. Hope that didn't sound like gibberish...

John, the drag has a lot more consistency to it. Seems you can get much more pressure, and it doesn't tend to fade. However, the gear won't accept 3 of the Penn washers due to their greater thickness, you have to keep one of the originals in the mix. I use it at the bottom. While I haven't tied into anything with fins that give it a decent test, I've experimented with having someone crank line onto another reel while I held the 6500CL and gradually increased the drag to see whether it would bind or stutter. No problems, it stays smooth. The setting also seems to stay constant until the line gets way down on the spool, but if you back off a bit, it smooths right out. I've made at least 1000 casts since the switch, and the reel goes in and out of gear seamlessly, so everything fits. I'm optimistic this is a good fix. I like the Calcutta for most of my fishing, but it's a bit on the slow side for jigging the Ditch and for the fall popper fishing we have coming up. The BG 6500CL with the 5.3 retreve, loaded with 50# Power Pro, is a better jigging reel than the Calcutta.

As far as the 7000 series goes, I was initailly excited to find that the Penn 113H Senator washers were the correct diameter. However, they are much thicker than the Abu washers and the metal ones won't seat in the gear. So I'm still looking for a conversion to improve that one.

The Smoothies will work, but when I tried them a few years back they don't hold up. I tried them in both my 7000s and a Squidder long before they were well known. I used to be able to find all sorts of goodies when Merrick Tackle was in the retail business, about 3 miles from where I live. Now, of course, they're 200 miles away and wholesale only. The ones I got were indeed smooth--almost too smooth. But they wore out quickly. Maybe they've been improved since I used them.

Abu drags, even as they stand now, are much better than they used to be. When I bought my red 7000 back in 1983, it had some funky-looking washers. After a couple of seasons, they had two settings--full lock and free spool. I noticed a big difference in my next reel, the old SEVEN-C (that had a lot of plastic in it also). Much improvement in the drag. I eventually killed that reel. First conventional I'd ever worn beyond repair. The gears and bearings fit the 7000, but many of the other parts weren't interchangeable--even the spool didn't fit.

Mike, I think I may get those 704 drag washers and a set of smoothies and try 'em both out. Thanks for the tip....

So, do you know when or if you'll make it to the Derby this year?? (You heard Roland and Sherry's fuel fiasco of last year, right???)

John, when does the Derby end this year? I usually go for the last week. Normally it ends the Friday or Saturday after Columbus Day, but the holiday is early this year. I'm planning to be there the last week, but I have to arrange my vacation now, so if anyone knows the dates for the Derby I'd appreciate it if you let me know. If go solo, I'll stay in the Vineyard Harbor Motel, they have nice big rooms with kitchenettes--the only downside is that they don't like me keeping my eel bucket in the shower under a dribbling faucet <img src="/Images/Sad.gif"><!--e2--> Otherwise, they're used to fishermen coming and going at all hours, and the manager is a budding fisherman himself.

The only fly in the ointment is the possibility of my wife's union going out on strike, negotiations with Bell Atlantic aren't going smoothly and the strike deadline is midnight tomorrow. If they walk and are out for any extensive time, money is going to be tight. I don't want to commit to going with a group and renting a house if I have to bow out. If they walk and stay out, I'll probably take the week anyway and spend it at the Cape, maybe I'll go over on a day boat for the awards ceremony to see Huff's memorial awarded.