redmeansdistortion

I'd probably go with a 5500 over a 5600. I know the thumb bar is preferable to bass fishermen as is the higher gear ratio, but thumb bars do break on those reels and they can't be replaced. When they do break, the only options are to Dremel off the thumb bar and cut the side plate to accommodate a push button release, or buy a new frame. It doesn't take much to break the thumb bar, even a drop on the ground will do it. A 5500 can have the 5.3 gears swapped out for 6.3 with the set running around $25. I do love the 5600 reels, even owning a few myself, but you can't be as careless with them as a 5500.

The only thing we have that comes close is Lake Sturgeon. In my state they are very protected and the season is extremely limited.

Now that's dedication!

It has been half a decade since I fished Muscamoot, but at that time, I could wade most of the way across. There's also some very good pike action out there. For some reason, most of the pike I catch there tend to go airborne. I've never had that happen in any other body of water when it comes to pike.

The cold is terrible right now, the ice fishermen love it though lol. If we get the 40 degree weather they're calling for this weekend, guess who's putting on his waders and pulling steelhead? This guy!

One thing I didn't see mentioned, don't forget about the Detroit River. I catch hogs right off the piers on Belle Isle even in the dog days of summer. It's very fast moving so you will need to use heavier baits. I got my PB last July right from a pier throwing a 3" yellow grub on a 1/2oz jig head.

The USDM variant is the Curado IIRC.

That's what I think as well. The President is probably the most recommended freshwater spinning reel I see on forums all over the internet. I have four myself, the oldest coming up on a decade old and it still works fantastic.

It's pretty easy...

I use mostly round Abu baitcasters ranging in age from 20 years to just a few months old. They all use similar parts so it was cheap and easy for me to upgrade the old ones with the same tech as their newer cousins.

Cast right and reel right with both spinning and casting rods/reels. I am right handed. I drive left handed too because I prefer a row-your-own vs a slush-o-matic.

I'd feel guilty if I didn't try to contact them. All good though, my friends all have nice steelhead rods now

No problems here. They actually sent me 5 by accident instead of 1 on an order last year. I ordered a 9'6" Okuma SST drift rod and they sent me 5 instead of one. I contacted them and they told me to keep them, so I gave the others to friends of mine.

Mine was an '05, bought it from a GM retiree in '08 with 9k on the clock. Midnight Blue Metallic M6. He was in my car club. He really felt for me when my '99 Formula was totaled and made me a nice offer on his GTO. He could no longer drive it because he had to have part of his left leg amputated due to complications from diabetes. I drove the car for 4 years and enjoyed the heck out of it. I sold it so I could use the money for the rest of the down payment on my house.

Ha, they got me in my GTO too when me and the ex were on our way to the Toledo zoo. I had an LS2 GTO. Sold it some years back though. I miss it.

Same here. I should've added that I run all non-bearing parts in the ultrasonic.

It usually only takes a quick puff of air to remove excess oil. I add a drop, give it a spin, then a quick puff and it's good. I should add, this only works when the shields/seals are removed from the bearings.

The Michigan/Ohio border is a big speed trap. When you're heading south on I-75, the speed limit on the Michigan side is 70MPH, but drops right down to 55MPH the other side of the border. Ohio Highway Patrol sits there like sharks that smelled blood in the water.

You made me think of something else I'd like to touch on. An air compressor is another very useful tool for reel maintenance. Primarily for removing excess oil from bearings. An over oiled bearing is a slow bearing, and an air compressor removes that excess oil quickly. Canned air for computers works great too, but after you bought a few cans, you might as well have bought a cheap air compressor. If you wait for a sale, the pancake style at Harbor Freight comes up at $40 or less pretty regularly. I picked one up last summer at their parking lot sale for $28.

I think it's having to watch for potholes that make us the best.

He was spot on. Anybody that maintains their own reels should invest in an ultrasonic cleaner and some 4oz wide mouth glass jars. A cheap ultrasonic runs about $20 to $30 and it's a sound investment for reel maintenance. A 10 minute run through one is far more effective than letting parts soak in Dawn and hot water for hours or even overnight.

Look for a 1500/2500/3500C and use that as your platform. Then you can get the finesse spool, light weight line guide, magnetic brake, bearing level wind, and double bearing cog wheel from one of the Japanese shops. You can get the Carbontex drag washers right from SmoothDrag in FL. Would be a heck of a reel. If you don't mind going a little bigger, you can do a 4000 size for a little cheaper.

Finesse spools are made for all Abu reels from the 1500 to the 6500. The company Avail, based out of Japan, makes lots of parts we don't have on this side of the world. Check out Japan Tackle or Hedgehog Studios.

This is my pike and musky reel, used for big jerkbaits, Spooks, swimbaits, spoons, and bucktails. It started life as a 5600AB, my first ever baitcaster that was given to me as a high school graduation gift 20 years ago. I built it to be a tough-as-nails no nonsense brute, modeled after the EU-only 5600 Svartzonker, but a little more brutish and much less cash outlay. Inside, we have spool bushings, Carbontex and stainless drag washers, stainless steel 6.3:1 gears from PMR, 2-pin brake with light weight blue brake blocks, and an Abu Garcia Power Handle. There is also an anti-reverse dog to backup the instant anti-reverse bearing. Redundancy can be a good thing. It throws pretty far even though it has no bearings. Even a 5/8oz Swim Shad has no trouble getting way out there. I chose bushings because they don't die as easy, and over time they wear in pretty good. Even though there are no bearings, it's still smooth as a baby's behind. One of my most favorite reels I've done.