I choose the Abu 6600C4 - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

CJ21 · 09-08-2010, 01:05 PM

I choice the Abu 6600C4 today as my Striper Reel, I think its a good choice. I already have a C3 which I love for catfishing, so I am going to try the C4.

Saltheart · 09-08-2010, 03:37 PM

You should like it! I beleive the 4th bearing (as in C4) is a levelwind bearing. The 66 is a 6000 size center thumb release. The only draw back I have seen with the 66 models is sometimes line capacuty is reduced. With braid that shouldn't matter.

The bearings on that one may be inside the spool or outside running in a race. If its the ouside style with the 2 different bearing sizes , try to keep it dry and watch the bigger of the two bearings for corrosion.

Saltheart · 09-08-2010, 03:50 PM

Looked it up and its got the normal in spool bearings. That's good. Hi Speed retrieve too which I like , some don't.

slow eddie · 09-08-2010, 04:40 PM

been using one for a long while. just up grade your drag washers.
for the size of fish i catch, it really doesn't matter

piemma · 09-08-2010, 04:52 PM

I have a 6600CW that was made in Sweden back in the early 90s that I still fish. Had it rebuilt and I love it. The "W" stands for wide spool.

Saltheart · 09-08-2010, 04:57 PM

I have a 6600 Morum beautiful reel machined from solid aluminum blocks like a Calcutta. Cast great etc. Trouble was it had that external large bearing on one side and that bearing rusted. Just a bad place to put a bearing.

Also , since its not a standard Abu spool bearing size , its harder to find and more expensive.

Too bad , its a really nice reel otherwise.

JohnR · 09-08-2010, 06:15 PM

Like mentioned above - upgrade the drag washers. See if you can find a place that has the Smoothie or Extreme Smoothie drag washers.

CJ21 · 09-08-2010, 07:45 PM

Thanks guys I think it will be a good reel for me.

striperman36 · 09-08-2010, 07:52 PM

I want another one , made in sweden, but lefty

numbskull · 09-09-2010, 05:38 AM

You guys talking about these reels (see picture)
I don't know how the morrum or C4 is built, but I went through a bunch of these "Promax 6600" abu's when they first came out, and they were crap.

The rivet holding the reel foot to the frame projected enough to catch thin braid (#20) and snap it during casts (happened on 3 different reels to me).

The sizes below the 6600w had a levelwind that disengaged during the cast. OK for little freshwater stuff, but death in saltwater when fishing a heavy drag. Once the fish ran past the distance of your cast the line came off at random angles and jerked/snapped.
Eventually the cheap plastic levelwind gear (you can see a replacement black one in the picture) would strip.

The frames were not "machined from a solid block", rather a powder casting...so are the calcuttas.

The thumbbar mechanism was useless from the beach and would jam all the time, not just with sand, but also small weed and salt.

These were the first "expensive" reels I bought. Eventually I switched to Calcutta's and never looked back. Probably Abu improved upon the original design, but the first issue promax 6600's were DOGS.

piemma · 09-09-2010, 06:32 AM

You are right they were expensive ($200+). I too, switched to Calcutta 400s. I still use my 6600CW occasionally.

striperman36 · 09-09-2010, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by numbskull

You guys talking about these reels (see picture)
I don't know how the morrum or C4 is built, but I went through a bunch of these "Promax 6600" abu's when they first came out, and they were crap.

The rivet holding the reel foot to the frame projected enough to catch thin braid (#20) and snap it during casts (happened on 3 different reels to me).

The sizes below the 6600w had a levelwind that disengaged during the cast. OK for little freshwater stuff, but death in saltwater when fishing a heavy drag. Once the fish ran past the distance of your cast the line came off at random angles and jerked/snapped.
Eventually the cheap plastic levelwind gear (you can see a replacement black one in the picture) would strip.

The frames were not "machined from a solid block", rather a powder casting...so are the calcuttas.

The thumbbar mechanism was useless from the beach and would jam all the time, not just with sand, but also small weed and salt.

These were the first "expensive" reels I bought. Eventually I switched to Calcutta's and never looked back. Probably Abu improved upon the original design, but the first issue promax 6600's were DOGS.

If I am looking at the correctly that was one that MikeCC got a 2nd reel to repair the first one with when he ordered one

Saltheart · 09-09-2010, 10:25 AM

I have had 3 different 6600 style reels from Abu. A Blue C4 , a Morum and a green one I forget the model number. None of them have any of the problems you mentioned so I guess they must have changed things since that original model.

The Morum is machined from a solid block , at least that's what they advertise. i have seberal Calcuttas and assumed they also were. I'm disappointed to find out they are not but they perform well for me so I guess it doesn't matter much.

Yeah , disengaging the levelwind may help casting but it does svrew the reel up badly as anyone who ever had a levelwind disengage because the pall got worn. I never had one that did it on purpose but its a bad idea.