Abu 6500c3

[Sprinter]

Hi,

I have the 6500C in my mits now second hand from fleabay, it looks in nice condition but as this is my first multiplier i have to admit i have no idea how to use it, any tips?

 

I am going to load it up with new line tomorrow just to be on the safe side.

 

There is a paddle type button across the back of the reel which says "fastcast" and i am guessing that if i push that and keep it held down it will allow me to case?

 

on the left hand side there is a sliding lever which says up for on and down for off? When i push it up it makes a clicking nopise so i guess thats the clutch to allow fish to run and that is probably given more pressure by the star think on the rioght by the handle.

 

any advise would be good, I may add some other line on it before i put the decebnt stuff on just to get use to it and in case i need to cut it off ;-)

 

Thanks

[Paul D]

Zed,

 

The lever with "On" and "Off" on the left hand side is just to turn on/off the clicker which is typically left off but can be left on to give an audible indication that line is being let out - I only use mine when night fishing to be honest. ( or maybe it is supposed to be used for more than this ! )

 

 

The Star thing on the handle is, as you correctly surmise, the main drag for the reel. Tighten up to increase the drag ( ie. Line will be harder to pull from the reel ).

You will want to set the drag so that a hard fighting fish can take line from the reel without breaking the line - typically something like a third of the breaking strain ?

( I prefer to have this set lighter and tighten up further if needed rather than having it set too tight when it could be goodbye fish ).

 

The Paddle type button you can press down and this will then allow you to cast with the reel ( No need to keep holding this down as it will stay in "free spool" until the handle is turned to wind line in ).

 

 

[Mike Fox]

Hi Zed,

It might be worth having a chat with a few on here before deciding what line to buy. I used monofilament on light tackle for many years as it was cheap and did the job. Great from shore, or drifting in shallow water, but not best for deeper water.

 

One of the big lessons I learned from the club members who took me out was about braid. It's incredibly thin, and much stronger for the diameter than mono. I use 30lb braid that's only 0.1mm thick.

 

The advantages of braid are almost zero stretch - so you stay in touch with the fish, and reduced tide drag - which allows you to fish with lighter leads in any condition. Many of the chaps with braid fish with 1-2lb of lead in the deeper water marks at mid-tide, when mono just wouldn't let them reach bottom.

 

Disadvantages?

- It will cut your hand like cheese wire if you wrap it round your hand if snagged. You either need a glove to break out, or wrap it around something else.

- It's expensive. With a 6500 you can get more than 300m on easily, and this amount of braid will be something like

[Maverick Martin]

Hi Zed

 

Good advice from both Paul and Mike above.

 

The sliding clicky thing on the reel is best left off as most anglers find the noise very annoying. The only time we use it on our boat is if the rod is put in a holder and left to fish itself. The idea is that you get you tackle on the bottom fishing set the ratchet and either put the reel out of gear or if resistance isn't quite enough leave in gear and back off the clutch until the reel stays put without letting off line in the tide. When a decent fish comes along it will pull line from the reel with the ratchet giving an audible alarm of some activity. If /when this happens pick up the rod, turn the ratchet off, either turn the handle to engage the gears or tighten the clutch up to a pre-determined point (not locked up) and play your fish.

 

I would strongly recommend the use of braid especially if you intend to go offshore any distance however as braid has no stretch you will need to set your clutch slightly lighter. The reason for this is that mono with its stretch (typically 30%ish) gives you a kind of added buffer that you do not get with braid. Either a slower action rod or less clutch/drag is needed to compensate for this. Do use backing line of about 20-25lb and nearly fill the reel, leave about 8/10mm of room on the spool to take your braid. The 6500 is a lightish reel so I would suggest you load it with about 200meteres of 20-25lb braid. After a seasons use you can reverse the braid to get another year out of it. Ordinary knots are not that good in braid and as Mike posted try the albright or get a member to show you their preferred knots.

 

Martin

 

[Fugazi]

After a seasons use you can reverse the braid to get another year out of it.

 

Martin,

 

I didn

[Maverick Martin]

Gordon

 

Not bi annually but annually, we are not river fishermen so a season to me is 1 complete year. The only reason to reverse the braid would be to rule out the chance of premature failure of the braid. Sun degrades all lines and as a large proportion of braid never sees the light of day reverse it and extend the life.

 

Martin

[Swainiac]

Aditionally, dont waste pennies on 300 m spools of braid. Use a 150 m spool...then remove it after year one and re wind it back on...back to front. You wil very rarely be fishing in depths where 300m of braid is fished, hence a waste of pennies.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Rich

[Seamouse]

FWIW, I've not found that braid degrades much with sunlight. It does gradually abrade with time and use so chopping a few yards out or reversing the spool is wise, but stuff I've had on reels for 4-5 years is still reliable. Mono of the same age would be completely stuffed.

 

Steve

[alun j.]

Yes, Agree with Steve.........I 've got braid that's been on for ages and seems unaffected other than the colour fades. I chop off the first few metres [that gets all the wear] if \ when it shows some scuffing...........and then reverse after [ several] years.

 

You also see how the backing [mono] gets squashed when you take off the braid... and it may need emptying and relaying???

 

Alun.

[Sprinter]

Interesting, and thanks for the replies.

 

I have already bought some IronSilk so i wont be going to Braid just yet. Mind you if i get on with the reel ok then i may push the silk to my beach caster and go for Braid on the multiplier.

 

will get it loaded up and go for a play over the weekend if there is a break in the weather.

[Sinbad]

When you get bored with the clicky thing, you could try servicing your reel in the off season ( Feb - April) !! and grease it up like I did, then you'll find it wont click at all

 

have fun Zed, they're great reels, and run really smoothly.

 

Paul F

[djredrupp]

what is the purpose of using mono as a backing? is it to stop the braid cutting into the spool?

 

i have just used 2 strips of a thick plastic bag (not supermarket type, but thicker), the covered smoothly with electrical tape, leaving a small raise off the spool diameter, and a thin amount of firm cushioning! is this ok?

 

Dan

[Maverick Martin]

Dan

 

The reason is that braid is so expensive that if you filled your spool soley with braid it would cost a fortune. Also as you say protects your spool from imploding

 

What you have done should work ok

 

Martin

[Swainiac]

Mono also stops the whole line load spinning on the spool. No matter how tight u secure a packing on the spool, with the way that braid tightens inder load, it can spin the backing on the spool. Mono reduces this enourmously.

 

Rich