small baitcaster for braid?

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

Don't they have a full metal frame? And a used international baitcastr would work if you could find one for a good price, or even a penn 9 with aluminum spool. I have an extra aluminum spool for one, pm me if you want it or need parts

[basto]

You need a good second hand ABU 7000.

[floating doc]

The frames on the magpower reels aren't one piece metal. They have spacers instead of chrome posts, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to push one too hard. I've never fished my 990 over about 10 lbs of drag.

An ambassador 7000 sounds good.

While we're on the subject, I see some two speed ambassadors come up on ebay occasionally. Are these any good for anything more than a collectable?

[Ron Jones]

The 970 frame is the same as any other stamped Penn frame with clamp holes. People run Jigmasters and Senators much higher than 10 pounds of drag. I believe it was Sal who was finally able to make one fail at 22 pounds. 15 pounds sounds reasonable. The reel has 113H drags, so 15 pounds is easy to get. The 7000 Abu has the same style frame, or at least all the ones I've seen do, so I don't know why the stand is the concern. The 970 uses a 60 post to replace the bars, so it is a 2/0 width reel with a clamp, sounds about perfect. You can put a stainless gear sleeve in it and a nice arm and handle.

I'd hot rod your 970 and fish the pee out of it.

Ron

[floating doc]

The 970 frame is the same as any other stamped Penn frame with clamp holes. People run Jigmasters and Senators much higher than 10 pounds of drag. I believe it was Sal who was finally able to make one fail at 22 pounds. 15 pounds sounds reasonable. The reel has 113H drags, so 15 pounds is easy to get. The 7000 Abu has the same style frame, or at least all the ones I've seen do, so I don't know why the stand is the concern. The 970 uses a 60 post to replace the bars, so it is a 2/0 width reel with a clamp, sounds about perfect. You can put a stainless gear sleeve in it and a nice arm and handle.

I'd hot rod your 970 and fish the pee out of it.

Ron

Hot rod the 970. Sounds good, especially since Alan is putting an order together for me this morning. 

I'll send him a message.

[Keta]

If you send me the AR dog I can have a SS one cut.

[floating doc]

If you send me the AR dog I can have a SS one cut.

Sounds good.  I have a 980, which is a wide version of the 970. I can pull the dog from that reel to mail. If it's different,  I should send the 990 dog too. 

[Keta]

If you can live without them for a few weeks, I will get them back to you as soon as possible.

[floating doc]

If you can live without them for a few weeks, I will get them back to you as soon as possible.

It doesn't look like it matters how long it's going to take.  My revised schedule for September and October just blew up any chance of fishing this fall.

I just keep telling myself that I am lucky to have a job. A recent study by the American Veterinary Medical Association put the number of surplus full time vets at over 13, 000.

[Keta]

Our large animal vet is supper busy.

[0119]

To bad they don't send some of the surplus vets to Detroit to humanely dispose of the feral dog problem they have there.  Thanks for the vinegar/feet trick, my boys are nuts on their feet this time of year.

[Reinaard van der Vossen]

Floating doc, Did you try to put new abu carbon drag washers in that old ABU 6500 of yours? The new ones (up to size 6500) are all rated for 15# drag so I gues that 10# should be a nice figure for the reel. Most of the new ones have dual anti reverse.

I happen to have a very old (30 years) 6000 that is still working perfectly although this old one has no carbon dragwashers and I have a new 6500 record that has carbon drag washers and has significant more drag.

Your limit of 80 bucks is pushing it. Second hand 7000 might be an option, they have 20 # drag and dual anti reverse.

[floating doc]

My 6500 is one of the Royal Express models.  I think they were sold by Bass Pro Shops. I put Smoothie washers in about 25 years ago.

I may look for a good deal on a 7000. No hurry.

[saltydog]

I have a couple of 6500's with carbon fiber drag's and 10# of drag is feasible. I use them with 30# braid and a 30# topshot for trout and reds in Texas.

[floating doc]

It's great how this discussion has wrapped around to the original topic again. I'm going to put some greased CF washers in my old reel. It's already spooled with braid. The line's about 5 or 6 years old, but hasn't been out much. I think it's 25.