Abu Garcia C3 Species Special Baitcast Round Fishing Reel

I spent a considerable amount of time researching a new baitcaster for catfishing. I finally settled on purchasing an Abu Garcia 6500 C3. When I found out the C3 came in a "Catfish Special" I was even more happy about my purchase. Intial Thoughts: When the reel arrived, I was very pleased with the fit and finish. Although I am much more concerned about function than cosmetics, I find that this reel is truly beautiful. The C3s are all made in Sweden, and you can instantly feel the quality and craftsmanship of this reel. Use: I loaded it with 30 pound mono, and mounted it on a whisker seeker rod, and took it to the back yard to practice casting. I have used baitcasters in the past and gave up in frustration because I couldn't cast them consistently and without overruns. However, within a few minutes I was casting this reel with ease. This is by far the most user friendly baitcaster I've ever used. I left all 6 brakes engaged and dialed in the reel to my weight using the adjustment on the side, and I had no issues with casting long distances accuratley with only a few very small over runs. I've taken it fishing about a dozen times so far, and I still love this reel. So far I've only caught smaller catfish of 10 lbs or less, but the reel handled them with ease. I also took it to the beach with me and caught a 4 foot shark and the reel handled the shark very well. Features: This reel has everything I desired in a catfish reel. Plenty of capacity for heavy line, a baitclicker, power handle, and a level wind. The 6 centrifugal breaks allow both the experienced baitcast user and the novice to set the reel up to match their experience, skill, and bait/lure weight. It has everything I would ever want. The reel is strong enough to handle anything I might encounter, while still being compact and light enough to handle easily without fatigue. Notes: One question I had was how the Catfish version differs from the regular c3. From personal use and research, I believe the only difference is the Catfish C3 has the power handle (normally a separately purchased upgrade) instead of the normal dual handle of the normal c3, and the addition of the graphics and orange color.

This time around, I ordered the 6500C3 Catfish special, this particular model is still engraved as Made in Sweden. It's the proven battle horse 6500C3 with nice catfish graphics. I recently also ordered the 7000c3 Catfish special, which is NOT marked Made in Sweden. I have several other 6500C, 6500C3, 5000C, 5000C3, and have come to trust these reels to last many years. When they do break down, they are rather repairable as well. Doesn't hurt to perform annual cleaning and maintenance to keep these rigs in top working condition. If you don't take care of them, they'll still give several years of performance, but going the extra mile and taking care of them, you might get 20 years from one. If you don't mind dropping $200 every couple few years, then don't worry about maintenance, just keep buying new ones. Otherwise, consider getting the lesser S series and save a few dollars. But, if you like some of the best known reels with performance to match, these reels are sweet. Are they the best? Who knows, but I sure like them!

Reel is as posted need to test if it catches fish!

Always bought these reels from Abu Garcia because they are dependable and well made.

Absolutely love this reel. Cast very smooth

Great fast shipping quality product! Very happy

Great reel for the price. Had no problem fishing offshore live bait drifting for big halibut/striped bass. Works well for both offshore saltwater fishing and large freshwater catfish.

Great reel, as expected!