C3 Ambassadeurs: The #1 selling Baitcaster of all Time!
Written: Apr 18 '07 (Updated Nov 05 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reliable classic.
Cons: Only 3 bearings, but it is very smooth.
The Bottom Line: This reel has been time tested and fisherman approved.
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| smallmouth's Full Review: Ambassadeur C3 Series |
The C3 Ambassadeur series of reels from Abu garcia are the classics of baitcasting reels. It is the best selling round shaped baitcasting reel ever! They have become the standard for which all others are compared to. The C3 series of reels have internal centrifugal brakes and an adjustable magnetic spool tension knob, so adjusting your reel for optimal performance is simple and easy. I will get into proper reel adjustment later. This reel is very similar to the Ambassadeur C4 series from Abu Garcia.
New Improvements:
Its hard to believe that Abu Garcia could improve on the best selling round baitcasting reel out there, but new for 2007, they did. Appearance: It has a cool new all silver look. The metal is shiny aluminum while the handle has new softer tacky grips. They have been using these grips on the C4 model and I am glad to see them on the C3's.
Drag System: The new C3's have an improved stronger drag, which amazes me because I never had a problem with the old drag system. However, they are now equipped with a smoother and stronger Carbon Matrix Drag. This new drag is said to start up with less friction enabling it to be smoother right from the start. It has six pads that ere extremely durable. If you cant reef on a fish with this drag and pull it out of the weeds, you won't ever find one that will
Brass Gears: The new gears inside this reel are made of %100 brass. They are said to last %200 longer by being stronger and smoother than the old gears. I guess that means this reel will last two lifetimes.
Centrifugal Brake: The new C3's have a six pin centrifugal brake for maximum settings. This should cut down on a lot of backlashes and rats nests.
Levelwind system: The new wormgears are chemically nickel coated for increased durability. All of these improvements to the old C3 seem to be improvements in materials used in manufacture. The design and style seem to be exactly the same.
Bearings:
The C3 series have 3 stainless steel ball bearings. Just about everything manufactured that goes round and round have ball bearings. Your vehicle has wheel bearings, a drive shaft has cross bearings. It's pretty simple with fishing reels, "The more bearings it has, the better it's going to be". Also runs true is, "The more bearings it has, the more its going to cost". I am surprised by how smooth this reel is for the lack of ball bearings. The Sweedish quality is truly amazing.
Maintenance:
These reels require very little maintenance. Just like the Abu Garcia C4 series, a small tube of grease and oil are included in the box . The gears require a small amount of grease and the bar and spool requires oil at the end or beginning of the season. I like to open mine up before the season, make sure they are clean and add a little bit of oil and grease to ensure they are working smooth and properly. This is just a small amount of work that will go a long way after and before a million casts.
Avoid Backlashes:
Backlashes happen when the spool is emptying line faster than the lure is flying or pulling the line from the spool. The spool continues to unwind during the cast but the line isn't coming out of the rods guides fast enough and you end up with a mess inside of your reel. It happens most often when a fisherman casts a light lure into a gust of wind. It even happens to the Pro fishermen too. You can minimize the amount of backlashes you get by adjusting your magnets to the weight of the lure you are using. The way I have always done this is to tighten the magnets up, push the release button with the lure hanging down from the tip about a foot, and slowly loosen the magnet until the lure falls on its own, this is usually the correct adjustment for the magnets. A great way to avoid serious backlashes is to cast a lure out as far as you can, strip off an extra 20 feet or so of line and put a piece of tape around the spool so if you ever do get a backlash it will only go that far. The higher quality reel you buy, the least amount of backlashes you will get. Buy a smooth quality reel like the Ambassadeur C4 and you will see what I mean.
Instant Anti-Reverse:
This feature is great and comes standard on just about every quality fishing reel including this one. With instant anti-reverse, when you stop going forward with the reel or take your hand off of it, the spool and reel will not turn backwards, it stops! This allows the fisherman to make one handed hook sets and very quick hook sets.
Sizes:
The C3 series comes in four different sizes, 4600C3, 5500C3,6500C3, and 7000C3. The 5500 and 6600 sizes are also made in left-hand retrieve. The 4600 model weighs 9.3 ounces and will hold 170 yards of 10 pound test line. It is the smallest of the C3 series. I recommend this size for use with smaller and lighter lures. Try to match up the size of the reel with the size of the lures you are using. It fits in the palm of your hand and is smaller then the others in this series. It would make a good reel for a first time baitcaster.
The 5500 model weighs 9.9 ounces and will hold 205 yards of 12 pound test line. The 5500 model is great for Spinnerbaits and Crankbaits.
The 6500 series of the C3 will hold 245 yards of 14 pound test. It is a little bit larger than the 5500 model and I must say, not as comfortable in my hand as the smaller models.
The 7000 is the biggest model of this reel. It weighs 21.0 ounces and will hold 325 yards of 17 pound test line, it is a monster. I recommend this model for trolling and not much casting. It would also make a great saltwater reel. The gear ratio on the 7000 series is a slow 4.1 to 1. It comes with an electronic line alarm.
Price:
4600- $75
5500- $75
6500- $85
7000- $130
They are available at Bass pro Shops and Cabelas. Some Wal-Marts carry them and keep them under the glass case in the sporting goods section. I have seen them from time to time in the various different sporting goods stores and tackle shops. Expect to pay a premium at the tackle shops.
Click on my other Fishing Reviews:
Lures:
Strike King Premier Spinnerbaits
Strike King Redeye Spinnerbait
Rebel Pop-R, Pop, Pop, SPLASH
Jitterbug, That Old Classic
Storm Wiggle Warts Lures
Gary Yamamoto's The Kreature, Ugly Kreature
Zoom Lizards
Zoom Salty Chunk Trailer
Reels
Quantum Energy PT Baitcaster
Quantum Kinetic PTi Spinning Reel
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 4600C3
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500 C3
Abu Garcia C4 series Reels
Abu Garcia Cardinal 500 Series Spinning Reel
Shimano Curado CU-200B5
Shimano Curado CU-200B
Other:
Frabill Vinyl-Coated Minnow Trap
Frabill Sit-N-Fish Bait Container
Berkley Trilene XT
Berkley Trilene XL
Evinrude 15 HP Four Stroke Outboard
Motor Guide 82lb Thrust
Reviews on Bass Boats:
Nitro 929 CDX The Cadillac
Nitro NX 750, A Great Starter Bass Boat
Recommended:
Yes
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