redmeansdistortion

Some Ambassadeurs are still in fact made in Sweden; the 4000 through 6000 sizes bearing the C, C3, C4, and CS nomenclature are manufactured in Svangsta. The S, SX, and BCX variants are made in China and are very much inferior to what's made in Sweden. While they appear similar to the Swedish reels on the outside, they are far different under the hood. The 7000 reels with the exception of the 7000C Compact are now made in Taiwan and are just as reliable as their former Swedish made counterparts from what I've seen thus far. They still put out a lot of true gems but we simply don't get them here due to market demands on our side of the world.

Welcome! I'm in SE MI in Wyandotte. Huron River smallies are my jam when I'm not stomping around trout streams.

Japan gets all the highly sought after Abus because the market there is still very large compared to other countries. The 4000 size was discontinued here because it was eating into sales of the Revo. I myself am waiting on availability of the 4500C FT that's due to release this month. Japan still even gets the Cardinal 3/33/33x spinner, built by Abu in Japan but marketed by Daysprout. People here know this reel as the Zebco Cardinal 3. The newer variants are slightly upgraded from the old as well; now with 2 driveshaft bearings plus a braid friendly line roller. They typically release them later in the year in limited runs and range in price from $350 on up depending if it's a CDL (24k gold accents) or not.

This is a toughie for me but I will say the ABU 2500C, 4500C, and 5500C. They strike a near perfect balance of performance, simplicity, and reliability. By modern standards, they aren't the fastest, smoothest, nor the lightest, but will do whatever you ask of them.

This is exactly what I was getting at. Heck, even fly fishermen that are chasing bass in heavy cover will use an 8wt or 9wt, about the equivalents of a ML and M spinning rod respectively. I fish the St Clair River delta, or what we locals call the Flats, on the regular and have been pulling smallies from the countless reed patches for many years on light tackle. In that particular area, the very first thing a smallmouth does when the hook is set is immediately run for the reeds, every single time. I will admit, I have also lost my fair share, but even lamp cord strung up on a broomstick isn't going to save you in that stuff. It's brutal, and it's a lot of fun.

Exactly, and my heaviest baits tip the scales at 1/2, about the upper limit of many run of the mill ML rods. The title of the thread is "what are your heaviest powered rods". It was posted to foster discussion, not "my way is better than your way". We all like what we like and some setups work better in some geographical areas than others. I really don't see what the issue is here ?

Why not? The bass here don't get as big as they do down south and out west. The vast majority are under 2lb at that. A ML has handled every single one I've caught without issue, even my PB 7lb 4oz LSC smallmouth back in 2002. Most would consider a 5lb a wall hanger in these parts.

ML. I don't typically target fish that warrant anything heavier.

This is very inaccurate. Trout rods come in a variety of lengths, powers, and actions just like bass rods. Length has more to do with the environment and power has more to do with the size of the baits being used. Action is also conducive to environment and intended baits. In fast water you want a fast action rod to keep up with the current. Creek rods are typically those of 5'6" and under ranging in power from XUL to ML and moderate to extra fast action. Mainstream rods will usually be in the 5'6" to 8'6" range and L to MH power. The faster rods are made for fishing twitch baits like the Smith D-Contact and Major Craft Eden. More moderate rods are used for moving baits like the Daiwa Silver Creek Minnow and Tiemco Laks as well as spoons and spinners. Furthermore, most trout are not the kind of species where micro baits are used. Sure, brookies can be fished on sub 1/16 baits very effectively, but bigger CD05 and CD07 Countdowns work equally well. Trout will take anything just like a bass. If you want to catch bigger trout, size up your offering. Larger trout have much more fish in their diets than their smolt counterparts who primarily eat insects and invertebrates simply because they are easier prey. I'm throwing baits as large as the Rapala CD09 for big lake run rainbow and brown trout in skinny water from a 6'5" ML Smith Troutin' Spin. Here's a pic of me fishing early fall browns. That's a 7g Major Craft Eden 60H at the end of the line. The primary difference between a bass rod and trout rod is the taper. Trout rods are tapered as such to allow for lighter line to be used for a much more wary fish. The taper of the rod protects the lighter line and keeps the fish pinned through every surge and head shake while having enough backbone to steer them away from obstacles like logjams and root wads. Trout rods aren't something like a bass rod where a one-size-fits-most mentality can be used. It is much more specialized than that. If the target is brook trout, then your logic definitely applies. Anything bigger and it goes right out the window. Most here are confused as to what BFS truly is. It is new to us in the West and all we can do is compare it with what we currently have on the market; ultralight and light spinning tackle. In Japan, BFS is for bass fishing, plain and simple. It has nothing to do with trout fishing. When browsing rods, bass rods will often have BF in the nomenclature stating that it is for bait finesse. Trout rods are trout rods and bear no such nomenclature as it is a given that those species are commonly fished on smaller sub 3/8 oz baits regardless of the size of the fish, whether it's a 10" char or a 24" rainbow or cherry salmon. People like myself and @bulldog1935 at times use the terms here interchangeably to make it easier to grasp for those not as familiar.

Honeycomb spools aren't something I'd use for that type of fishing. A solid arbor spool will better handle the stresses of it than a honeycomb.

It sounds to me that you may have a sticking inductor. It does happen from time to time on SV spools. You can get a new set of ramps for them. Tackle Trap carries them I believe.

Have you cleaned the bearings? I mean really cleaned them? I'm not sure what grade of oil Daiwa uses from the factory, but a very thorough cleaning and an ISO 10 or 22 oil will get them moving well. I use a Bearing Blaster and CRC QD Electronics Cleaner, gets every little bit of crud and oil out. I apply my low viscosity oils with a 22awg dropper so I get the right amount. Most of the oils out there come with an 18awg so it can be easy to overdo it. That reel should cast 3g easy. Aftermarket bearings can be hit or miss with a SV spool in the Millionaire. When I initially tried Roros in mine the brake was all or nothing; either too much or not enough. If you do go that route, you may want a TD-Z Type R+ inductor spring or else the inductor comes on too early due to the increased startup speed of the spool. With the softer factory spring most of the braking is going to be applied the second your thumb leaves the spool. The stiffer spring evens it out and makes for a fantastic reel. I run the SV 700S in mine.

Two totally different things, although many think it's simply UL fishing with a baitcaster. Most UL spinning rods have a parabolic blank which is typically only suitable for smaller species like panfish and smaller stream trout. BFS rods use a progressive taper like that of a fly rod, there is less bend the closer you get to the butt and the blanks have a much faster recovery than a parabolic taper. A progressive taper lets you apply heat to a running fish, even bigger fish like steelhead, lake run brown trout, and Atlantic salmon. Those will quickly take you for a ride on your average UL or L spinning rod. BFS rods come in a variety of flavors from UL to ML, even M and MH rods are available from some Japanese manufacturers. Bass rods will usually be a faster action and rated for heavier line than their trout counterparts. This is because bass aren't line shy by comparison and occupy heavier cover so you can get away with thicker line. Fishing bass on a trout rod is a lot of fun because the more limber tip will keep the fish hooked through every surge and head shake, plus allow you to run lighter line if you choose. American fishermen really have no concrete definition for BFS which is why most associate it with ultralight fishing. In Japan, baits marketed for BFS use can be up to 1/2 oz in weight while here many consider anything under 1/4 oz BFS territory.

My first was an Abu Cardinal C3. I used to fish with my uncle back then and really took a liking. He surprised me for my 7th birthday with a Cardinal C3 and an Ugly Stik Lite 6' medium power. I fished that rig for nearly 20 years until it was stolen (along with the rest of my tackle) back in '02. Losing all of my tackle made me take a long hiatus from fishing for nearly 15 years. It felt like somebody ripped my heart out of my chest.

You really need to get in on that. When I first opened for business, most of my customers were charters, guides, and recreational fishermen that troll our Great Lakes for salmon, steelhead, walleye, and musky. I've probably had more Penn 209 variants, Shimano Tekotas, and Okuma Coldwaters across my workbench than anything else by a long shot. When I took up BFS, it sparked a lot of interest from others and now make up a nice chunk of my business. Most of my BFS customers are simply conversions of reels we have readily available here. I'll ask what their target species may be, what line they plan on running, and which baits they are intending to use. Then I will make a spool recommendation and let them make a decision. The train of thought is almost the same as a traditional baitcast reel. Aside from the spool, you will want to focus most of your attention to your lubricants and the braking systems of the reels you work on. Most of the braking systems in BFS conversions have too much bite for such a light spool, so you may find yourself swapping inductor springs in the case of Daiwa reels or going with lighter shoes in something like a Shimano SVS reel. Some of your Abus use a linear mag brake so you may find yourself removing magnets to get the full range of braking similar to how it was with the factory spool. Feel free to pick my brain any time you want. Always looking to help a brother out!

eReplacement Parts is definitely legit. Like @bulldog1935 said above, we have both used them for our scratch-built reels. One word of warning with them; to some it may matter and to others it may not. They will substitute a compatible part if they don't have or cannot get the original, however, the photos of the parts they have on hand do reflect what you will receive. What this means is something like a spool tension knob may be a different color than what originally came on your reel or they may sell a different handle although it isn't the original or even a 100% color match to what came on your reel. Some parts are simply out of production, but they will certainly have something on hand to keep you fishing.

It says "you know if you know".

Use a proxy service to buy from Yahoo Auctions instead. It's the exact same sellers selling the exact same products for considerably cheaper. The Japanese overprice some things on eBay so they don't get beat up by seller fees. Yahoo Auctions charges them a flat rate per sale so the prices can be a lot different.

Honestly, on a ML, you may want to look at a Shimano MGL or Daiwa SV reel. An Alphas SV TW 800S or Curado 70 MGL would be right at home. Both have braking systems conducive to lighter baits. While getting a different spool for your Fuego is an option, it isn't going to perform its best with the factory magnet assembly which is far too strong for such a light spool. With those spools, the braking will have a narrow range of adjustment compared to the factory spool.

That would be a great river rod. Any smallies in your neck of the woods?

I remember back about 5 or 6 years ago they had 5500 LW frames and I went to place an order and they were sold out. I inquired about a restock and was told they would have more at some point, but the time never came. That 6500CS is a beauty!

Many retailers here don't seem to carry Daiwa reels in general unless it's an Accudepth or Sealine which are very popular with walleye and musky trollers.

Not surprising to me. A guy I chat with on another forum works for a tackle distributor and sells more Lew's than the others, followed by Abu Garcia, then Shimano, and lastly Daiwa. Granted, his market is Michigan only, so other states may be different.

Small trout are looking for insects, larger browns and rainbows have much more fish in their diets. Where I am, you will seldom see anybody fishing big browns or rainbows on dries, they're almost always fishing streamers. Big trout also feed on mice, moles, and other small mammals that make their way into the water. Those imitation mouse baits are excellent for nighttime brown fishing as are Jitterbugs and Heddon Torpedoes.