oldschoolbasser

I have 65,and will probably build a few more!I use the 1500C& 2500c for worm fishing,45 & 4600C's for everything else.Best reels ever made IMHO, easy to up-grade,and will last forever.

Most Ambassadeur reels in the 6000 Series came with clickers,and a few in the 5000D Series as well.Depending on the model you're interested in,you can change out the side plate to one with a clicker.I've done that on a few reels that I've built for friends who fish for catfish.

Always glad to help out.Isn't that what these forums are for?besides us Old Dudes gotta stick together."They can have my 4500C when they pry it from my cold dead hands"

X2,all my parts are available from the factory,just get the part numbers off the schematics.If you can't find the part #s holler at me,and I'll give them to you.Get the drags,and bearings from the Reel Mechanic and you won't have a problem.

If your reel has a black bushing on the drive shaft,you could replace it with a bearing giving your reel a total of 7 bearings.6 regular bearings,plus the anti-reverse.I have a few 10 bearing Ambassadeurs,6 on the reel,and 4 in the handle.Drive shaft bearing is part # 20647,and the 2 washers are part # 20650.

I'm still using rods,and reels I bought in the late "70's",so I'm pretty sure these will hold up OK.I think my garage is a museum of tackle from the "70's".Rods,reels,crankbaits,and the Original hand poured worms from Smitty's,and some of the first "neon" hand poured worms.I even have Twin T's that were made before Gary Yamamoto bought the company.They don't callme "Oldschool" for nothing(LOL).The Reel Mechanic and I had a long nostalgic chat about bass fishing in Cali back in the "70's"when the San Diego Lakes were pumping out quantities of fish both in numbers,and size.Plus most finesse techniques were started out here in the West.

Well I took a little road trip to AZ with my new combo hoping to do some fishing out on Roosevelt Lake.Unfortunately my buddy with the boat was stuck in Phoenix for the week,and couldn't get back in time before I left.My other friend,and i decided to just fish off the launch ramps since it was better than staying home.I was using a Jackal Cover Craw,and caught a few fish with it,the largest being a 2lb Smallie.I had no problem with hook sets as this rod has good penetrating power.The rod is a little on the heavy side,but balanced out well with my 4500C.It isn't the most sensitive I have fished with,but I was still able to detect light bites.cast-ability was also good and I really enjoyed the rod.This is a great rod for $49,and since it matched my reel that makes it an even better deal.

The Black Max's have a 6.3:1 gear ratio so it may be a little faster than you need for cranking.I use an older 4600C for crankbaits whether I'm throwing small Fat Raps,or big Poe's.The gear ratio is 4.7:1 and handles both baits well.

I have the ceramic pawls on a few of my reels that have the dual bearing worm gear,and so far I haven't had a problem with them.They feel a little smoother than the standard ones,so I don't think you'll have a problem using them,just my HO.

Your brother loses his leg in a tragic bass fishing accident.Jerry Maguire.

It was Quisp,and the other one was Quake.

What about the old T.V. shows?Chucko The Birthday Clown? Hobo Kelly,Sky King,Engineer Bill,Sheriff John,Captain Kangaroo,Father Knows Best,Romper Room,Dennis The Menace etc?I could go on all day!

If Muddy comes to Cali,I won't be the only one fishing with Old Round Ambassadeurs!

Thanks for the heads up.Post corrected

Another view.

I needed a new rod to go with my"Custom" Orange 4500D.Since I built this reel for jig fishing,I needed a MH X-fast action rod,and was looking at the new Vendetta rods.But when I saw the Vengeance Series I knew that this would complete the combo.I'm not a big fan of split grip rods because of the balance when using older Ambassadeurs.The longer full handle on the Vengeance gives the combo a better balance,and the fore grip is a nice touch since I hold the rod in front of the reel.Add the fact that the Orange anodizing matches the reel,I think I found the perfect match

Just checked the schematics for the new premier,but it only shows the older one.You'll probably have to ask for the new star drag also because of the swept handle won't work with the old star drag.

All you need is a part #.Just go to the schematics and get the part #.

It's amazing how many Ambassadeur nuts are out there!I bought my first 5500C back in "77",and haven't stopped.

Haven't had a problem with line stacking,plus the reel is lighter without it.

That's the anti-reverse bushing in the side plate.Don't think there should be a bearing there.

I took of the centering gear on my reels.They cast better without them.

Your 5500C will do fine.As for the rod,the only thing I see is that it's a little short.Other than that i see no reason to get another combo

I believe your reel is a "67".The "Big A" Series started in the early "70"'s,and the beveled side plates replaced the grooved side plates in "73".The brown case is the correct one for this reel.The black cases came out in the "70"'s.Looks like your Grandfather took good care of the reel.

If you're talking about the old red 4500,you'll have to replace the spool,and pinion gear as the spool shaft diameter is different.Most of the 4600 Series reels with the exception of the 4600AL came with bearings,so the upgrade won't be a problem.An ABEC5 bearing upgrade will definitely improve the reels performance.