Anyone still use the classic round baitcaster like the Abu Garcia Ambassadeur reels? I'm getting back into fishing after many years away from it. I know these used to be considered the more durable reel, but have low profile ones gotten just as rugged and durable? Is there any benefit these days to using the old style round ones?

I fish several Shimano Calcuttas 200D & 300D.

Love these reels for several horizontal presentations.

A-Jay

 

 

Did I hear classic?

 

Still have 2 Abu Garcia 5600 and 6500c3 but I use those for catfish.

The low profile might not be as durable as round reel but the weight save, and smaller palm size make it more easy and enjoyable to fish for long period of time.

Most of round reel users nowadays are big swimbait type.

I fish big soft swimbaits during the Fall & Winter on 3 - 6500C3's that I polished/tuned up.

Conquest Calcutta’s all day long

Still have my old Daiwa Millionaire 3H. 

 

 

Calcutta: solid as an anvil, versatile as a pair of Channellocks®, & dependable as a 30/30!

 

 

Well, it is interesting this topic surfaced as I tried a bait caster for the very first time yesterday. It was an old Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Mag ll. How should I put it ??? it was awkward. Still, I got to the point I could cast probably 20 yards or so, using 12 # mono.I have no idea what a "decent" cast is with this gear. Am I handicapping myself with this old reel?

I have three. Two 4600c , one 5500c. One 4600c is over 20yrs old. I still fish with one of the 4600c reels. As A-Jay and Catt have said here, the Shimano Calcutta is the top of the line for round casting reels. But, the old A bus are durable and easy to repair also. 

I have 12 round reels.Ambassadeurs pro max,black max,4500,4600s.......love em. can't live without em. like a winch.heavy compared to the newer low profile reels,but I prefer a little weight on my reels.......

I forgot my Calcutta's 2 of em.

I still fish regularly with my Abu 5000D's.  They belonged to my grandfather who taught me how to fish, so I use them for more sentimental reasons than practical.  I use them for crankbaits, since with a 3.8:1 ratio, that's about all they're good for.  The don't cast well, so you have to be on guard with your thumb.  In fact, I kind of regret putting fluorocarbon on one.  And you have to remember to let go of the handle to engage the drag (it's a semi-direct drive).  And you have to really crank down the spool tension knob when casting into the wind, as the brakes are more ornamental than functional.  But I still enjoy using them and they still catch fish.  

4 minutes ago, Bankc said:

And you have to really crank down the spool tension knob when casting into the wind, as the brakes are more ornamental than functional.

On my Daiwa, there’s a knob on the left that I believe is for adjusting spool tension, but no brake. I never had too many issues with backlashes with it. A major difference is no thumb bar. You have to depress a small button to free the spool, which is on the right side. So if you cast with your right hand, you need to depress that with your left hand with your right thumb on the spool. Not a big deal but if you’ve always pressed the thumb bar with your right thumb and casted, it’s a change. 

  I still have a 5500c3. I still love these ABU reels; they're so easy to clean, to maintain and to repair. It's too bad that I can't reliably use it anymore because of arthritis. They have an "authority" that low-profile reels can't match,and I like that with heavier lures.

   Give me a strong fiberglass or composite rod, an ABU, 15-20 lb. test line, and I'd happily use heavy spoons to pull fish out of the river all day long.    ?????    jj

  

2 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

  I still have a 5500c3. I still love these ABU reels; they're so easy to clean, to maintain and to repair. It's too bad that I can't reliably use it anymore because of arthritis. They have an "authority" that low-profile reels can't match,and I like that with heavier lures.

   Give me a strong fiberglass or composite rod, an ABU, 15-20 lb. test line, and I'd happily use heavy spoons to pull fish out of the river all day long.    ?????    jj

  

The Revo Toro Beast on the right with a standard Revo SX can handle big/heavy baits.

17 minutes ago, GreenPig said:

The Revo Toro Beast on the right with a standard Revo SX can handle big/heavy baits.

Wow, that's a pretty sizable difference.

Abu Garcia Ambassador reels were great reels in their day. Very smooth, tough and durable.  When the 5500C came out, any decent bass fisherman had to have one. I still have a few that I use for shiner fishing. The older reels are much quieter.  The new ones are cheaply made compared to the reels from the seventies.  Ambassador reels are heavy compared to modern reels.  They are easy to service, even for the most mechanically challenged.   The 2500C was an interesting reel. They were a miniature version of the big reels with nylon gears.  We loved the light weight, but found out quickly that a large fish could easily strip those gears with the drag locked down.  If the weight doesn't bother you, I think you would love a 5500C if you could find a nice one.

I may or may not be asking for a Daiwa Ryoga as my wedding present.  Barring that, I own one Daiwa Millionaire Classic UTD and I killed it tossing big swimbaits.

I have a couple Calcutta 251's.  They are pretty much bullet proof.  I think I could pass them on to my grandkids.