Abu 6500 C4 no level wind

[noyb72]

Hi Alan, I've been waiting for this sight, congrats!!

I have an Abu 6500 C4 that I fish SD bay with for spotted / sand bass, etc. I have pulled the level wind (idea came from your 320 gti thread on Salty Dogs,) and am wondering what your opinion is of taking out the top post that the level wind rides in. I have sourced a capped nut that would hold the right side plate to the frame. Do you think this would weaken the reel to much?

This mod would give the reel an open top, sort of a mini Baja Special, I like this format for casting and fishing where I fish requires descent casting.

Congrats again!!
Ron

[alantani]

you should be fine.  anything more than 5 pounds of drag on an ambassaduer can damage the gears, anyway.  i am going to do an ambassaduer post pretty soon.  you may find that removing the levelwind is not necessary.  alan

[noyb72]

Great, thanks.

I don't necessarily mind the level wind, except that it gets in the way and causes a few loops of loose line to turn into something big enough for a pair of condors. I am really looking for the open top. I fish this thing with 10-15# mono, but was thinking of running 20# braid. Sometimes I hook into a ray that snaps 10 off pretty quick. Is their a solution to improving gear strength other than hang new gears cut? (An expensive proposition.)

Also, the list of Carbontex drags doesn't show a 6500 Abu. Do you know which washers (if any,) will fit?

Thanks again.
Ron

[noyb72]

Alan

Been doing some research, and apparently I want to convert my reel to a CT configuration. It is mind bogling what you can do to an Abu. There is even a British firm that makes frames that look like the ones Tiburon makes for Penn. I don't think I need to go that far but Mike's has a set of low speed gears that are supposed to be mare durable and they sell a handle that is absolutely AWESOME.

Thanks again for everything. Before I started reading you posts on the Salty Dogs I had no idea you could do so much to a fishing reel.

Ron