| Ambassadeur 5500 C3 - Fishing Product Review | |
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by: R. Lantz Saylor
ONE TOUGH REEL
I've been sport fishing for 40 years. You might say that I'm a fishing
addict. Spending upwards of 80 days a year on the water, I'm tough on equipment. My gear needs to be able to withstand the rigors of a hard day on the water. I've used Abu Garcia Reels since day one, and have owned upwards of 20 of them in my career.My all-time favorite casting reel, and that of many other bass fishermen, is the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500C3.
The 5500 is Ambassadeur's work-horse model, with many features that make it appealing to a variety of fishermen. This reel has 2 ball bearings and 1 roller bearing, making for a smooth, dependable operation. Normally, this is enough bearing for most fishermen, but if you want smoother action and more dependable performance, you can go with the C4 or C5 reels.Of course, the advanced prices of these other reels, approaching the $100 range, make it prohibitive for most anglers. The 5500C3 is quite affordable for most of us.
The 5500 is designed to hold 205 yards of 12 lbs. test line. It can also be spooled with lighter or heavier line and perform almost as well. I've run mine with line as light as 10 pounds and as heavy as 20 pounds. I could not tell a difference in reel performance. This reel is more than enough to handle any monster you might encounter.
I have a friend who uses a 5500C3 for his musky reel. While I wouldn't recommend that, he says the reel's smaller profile gives him the ability to cast with more accuracy than if he was to use a larger reel. This is an excellent palming reel. Its smooth aluminum side plates fit smoothly into the palm of the average sized hand.
The 5.3:1 gear ratio is what you'd expect from a good bass reel. This gearing gives you enough cranking power to haul any ten-pounder into the boat with ease. You can burn buzzbaits across the top of the water with little effort, or you can hop a jig and pig along the bottom forever. The reel's light weight, 9.5 oz, won't tire you out after a long day on the water, yet it's still heavy enough to balance out your seven and eight foot rods.
The 5500C3 features a push button free-spool, which can be a bit stiff at first, but quickly loosens up to a very smooth operation. As mentioned earlier, I've used Ambassadeur reels for years and never had the free-spool springs break. I would assume my new 5500 would give the same performance over time. The dual centrifugal spool brakes and instant anti-reverse immediately stop any hard pulling bass.
But perhaps the most outstanding feature is the Swedish cut brass gears. Unlike so many other companies who have switched to plastic bushings and gears, Abu Garcia Ambassadeur still uses solid brass gearing on every model of every reel. This, combined with their one-piece aluminum frame, and titanium nitride line guide, makes the 5500C3 one tough reel that will take years of abuse. Abu Garcia Ambassadeur is a trusted brand name in the fishing tackle industry. The new 5500C3 continues that long line of trust.
