I troll a lot. By a lot I mean daily. While I use my rods and reels daily I take care to cover them and secure them in rod holders in the truck after each outing. In other words I care for stuff. I also fish in Maine so Im not throwing the strain of monster kings onto the reels. From day 1 the line counter jumped from 10 right to 20. Not a big deal as its easy to figure ten less when I get my lead where I want it but year 2 and the counters all over the place. Getting it to accurately read is now impossible. It sticks and jumps numbers constantly. So an issue I thought might resove itself over time has gotten worse to the point of total failure on the counter end. Next issue: The clicker stopped working unless the clutch is engaged. It only works when a fish is pulling out drag. If I try to use the clicker to ease out inlines or dipsys it makes a god awful grind. Reels in smooth as silk but a clicker is just as important as the counter in trolling techniques. With the 2 out the reels a total failure. To make matters worse its mid season. Shipping it away is not an option. I would have to replace the reel while its out being fixed costing another $100+. So im stuck suffering it through using it basically for the reel in feature and nothing more. Expected far more from Abu and from a $120 reel. I should have purchased at LL Bean where they let you use the product until replacement arrives. Then you ship the bad product. NO DOWN TIME. No money lost. Also should have bought a Tekota. Bullet proof reliability.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Share:
-1point
0of1voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
5/ 5
Abu Garcia...why buy anything else?
PostedJanuary 27, 2014
grindios
from Des Moines, IA
Age:35-44
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:4
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5/ 5
Ergonomics
5/ 5
Casting Performance
3/ 5
Ease of Maintenance
5/ 5
Close
My 5500LC on a 7' Ugly Stik
I gave it a 3 on cast ability because it's more for trolling than casting. However, it is a SOLID reel. I use Abu Garcia for my catfish rigs (6500 c3 on 7' Ugly Stiks) and they winch up catfish of any size, so I figured I'd try this one for trolling. If you buy Abu Garcia you can't go wrong.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+2points
3of4voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
5/ 5
Fantastic Trolling Reel
PostedDecember 12, 2012
NH Fishing
from Madison, WI
Age:18-24
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Expert
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5/ 5
Ergonomics
5/ 5
Casting Performance
3/ 5
Ease of Maintenance
5/ 5
I just got my hands on a few of these reels for the coming 2013 walleye tournament season, and I have to say, these things are solid and built to rock! The all metal construction makes these reels bulletproof, and high quality line counters make them extremely accurate and consistent. Compare this reel to another brand with the graphyte/plastic side plates and frames, and there is NO comparison! These reels are built to work!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Share:
+1point
2of3voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
5/ 5
BEST REEL I EVER OWNED....
PostedOctober 7, 2011
Anonymous
from sacramento, ca
Age:25-34
Favorite type of fishing:Freshwater
Number of times fishing per month:5+
Owns a boat:Yes
Experience:Intermediate
Gear Feel (Smoothness)
5/ 5
Ergonomics
5/ 5
Casting Performance
5/ 5
Ease of Maintenance
5/ 5
Recently needed a new reel and decided to shop around.
Let me tell you being married for about a year and a 2 month old.....money is scarse and tighter than ever, but i gotta fish.....
So did a lot of research online and let me tell you for the price of the 55 and the performance just WOW.......
I dont know how they do it but i will never buy any other brand.
