Abu GarciaC3 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.

Super cool looking reel, functions just like any other Abu Garcia, love the power handle! This thing also casts a country mile! 50 lb power pro with a 50 lb mono top shot on a cheap ugly stick catfish special and we're having a great time pulling in the cats!

I love these reels, I've been a Abu Garcia fan for over 20 years. Recently I bumped up my line poundage from 20 to 40. In doing so my 6500 series seemed a little strained. I've used these for the first time last weekend and the cast amazing. The features are the same as the 6500 but I see them as heavy duty in comparison. Your spool release is now a lever rather than the push feature and your line release clicker is on the left side and looks more like a button that is pushed up or down to engage. Then the obvious difference is the bigger spool to allow larger line. One last thing the longer/ larger retrieving handle is great giving more leverage and it has a little rubbery feel to for gripping. "Yep a 5 star product".If your looking for a great rod that looks beautiful with this reel try Chad Ferguson's "Whisker Seeker" series they are a little more expensive then the Ripping Lipps here on Amazon but you will love how the orange and black rod looks and of course performs with this reel, they also have a great warranty. Just google his name or the Whisker Seeker brand.

I very much enjoy this reel. Abu makes much better casters than basicly anyone else.

Great! Love it

I’ve only used this only one weekend so far I spent my Memorial Day weekend in port Arthur tx and fished for three days. I felt like it casted smoothly I was using 40lb braid with a 3 oz egg weight on a Ugly Stik Catfish Special 8 ft MH Rod. Butt I was not lucky enough to hook on to anything but a 12” inch hard head catfish so I don’t know how good the reel works under a load of a bull red or black drum. Oh and in case you are wondering the colors on the rod match that ones on the reel. It looks nice with the orange braid!

I have been wanting to take one of these reels out ( I have the 7000, and the 6500 ) but the flood conditions continue.I have a few Abu Garcia reels, and this is one of the nicest. No upgrades needed. If you are mechanically inclined the C3 and C4 family of reels are all you need. Easy to take down, repair, or upgrade. Kind of like the AR-15 of fishing reels. As I said; this reel ( 6500 ) needs no upgrades.The 7000, this reel is a freshwater beast. Big, heavy, and feels more like a hand held wench then a fishing reel. Can't wait to put it to work.If you know what you are doing, and want a catfish reel that looks nice and will last a lifetime of fishing this is the reel for you.For now, with all the flood water around, I am stuck fishing Carp in lakes with a 5600 C4 with 2 highbread Boca bearings ( 6+1 In all ). This reel will send a 2oz 60 Yards with little effort.

One of my current favorite reels i own, the baitclicker system is handy for the picky eaters and i am able to cast it around 125 yards with ease, along with the long casting it has a smooth recovery and fits like a glove on my Catfish/Carp rod and plan to switch between Muskie and Pike aswell.