i have a buddy whose co. owns abu so employee discount available to me so...

which are the best abu conv for shore casting w braid mostly in very low light to pitch black and i have a talent for attracting snafu's cuz i am so frickin uncoordinated. LOL each of the following:

chunks live bait rubber plugs.

using a lomis rated 1/2-2 and a loomis 1-3 might get a bigger 1-5 stick too

thanks mucho

If you get a bigger stick for bait and such, try looking for a CT reel. The gem to look for is the 7500CT, however if you can't find that and your buddy pick up a rocket and have it converted over to non-level wind for a little added distance. Have seen a recent come back of the 6500CL Big Game and the Blue yonder reels, both which have a nice retrieve speed ----> 5.3:1. Good luck with your search, I am no Abu specialist but hope my limited knowledge was of help. Also, for plugging on the loomis, the 6500 C3 or the 7000 C3I is a great reel in my opinion.

mike

A reel I loved and wish I could get my hands on again were the ABU black max series, no longer made but can still be found on ebay...They had the cross X pattern of laying the line on the spool that would be great for braid and they casted very sweet! However they were still problematic like all abu's for the most part and needed constant maintainence to keep them in good working order. Even with all the headaches I loved that reel.

I know this has nothing to do with your specifi question, just an abservation...I know there are plenty of 6500s out there being used with braid so go for one of those...But my top choice would be the Cal-400.....

A 7000 series sounds too heavy for the rods you own. Go with a 6500 with a levelwind. Plugging with braid tends to saw your thumb on non-levelwind reels.

A 6500 CS Pro Rocket is probably your best bang for the buck to do what you want it to do.

65oo Trophy Series, come with bearing level windand power handle, both of which are nice additions.

6500 series - any one of the series will do for a beginner. Leave the level wind as you will appreciate it after dark.

Just as a footnote - removing the levelwind from the reel is not a good idea as the reel frame will rack under the pressure of a large catch. If do not want a levelwind, buy the reel without it right from the start.:angel::angel:

I'd say start with a levelwind. Your second, or twentieth Abu ought to be a CT(nonlevelwind) reel. Any 6500 will be sweet for braid. If you plan to use 17lb or heavier mono, go with a 7000.

i love the 7000c3 its not too pricey either

I picked up a 6501CS pro rocket... I found myself swapping it on rods so I bought another...