I have this brand new iCat rod that has no reel and I’m looking to fix that in the immediate future. I know all I need to in regards to Bass fishing baitcasters, but I’m a complete neophyte to the caliber of reel needed for Catfishing. I’m looking to the IDO Catfishing community to help me saddle my iCat rod with a baitcaster.
Thanks in advance! 
You want a bullet proof reel that has a line out alarm. You really can’t go wrong with an Abu 6500 or 7000.
I wouldn’t exactly call an Abu 6500 or 7000 “bullet proof.” They will suit your needs just fine for dropping a line in the water for species like cats, but they won’t even last a full season of repeated casting and retrieving.
Plastic gears wear out quick when you’re casting and retrieving a lot.
I bought an Okuma xp 302, love it. I will buy another one soon. ebay.
Call Chris Winchester aka Cat Daddy at 4 Season Sports he will hook you up. 651-388-4334
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I bought an Okuma xp 302, love it. I will buy another one soon. ebay.
I bought one too, and thus far it is a pretty nice reel for 45 bucks..
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I wouldn’t exactly call an Abu 6500 or 7000 “bullet proof.” They will suit your needs just fine for dropping a line in the water for species like cats, but they won’t even last a full season of repeated casting and retrieving.
Plastic gears wear out quick when you’re casting and retrieving a lot.
I don’t believe he’s going muskie fishing dude. Usually you cast about 5 times per night for big flats, maybe a little more. My 6500 has held up just fine over the years with minimal routine maintenance..
What do you reccomend then?
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I wouldn’t exactly call an Abu 6500 or 7000 “bullet proof.” They will suit your needs just fine for dropping a line in the water for species like cats, but they won’t even last a full season of repeated casting and retrieving.
Plastic gears wear out quick when you’re casting and retrieving a lot.
Why would you want to cast and retrieve a lot? You Musky guys only know how to fish one way. Lots of work and nothing to show for it.
Get a big bullhead, hook him up on a BIG hook, cast once, turn on the Twins game, wait patiently, pull in giant fish that would eat a musky. Nothing to it.
Like Kevin said, get an Abu 6500 or 7000. My 6500’s are over 12 years old and doing fine.
Never take advice about catfishing from a Musky guy.
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Never take advice about catfishing from a Musky guy.
True Dat!! 
Be careful of those 14 inning games on August 4th though.
I’d have to take issue with this. I have abu 5500,6500, and 2 7000s. With the exception of the 7000s, I’ve had them several years and have no reason to think they will give out any time soon. Sure they need cleaning occasionally, but don’t all reels? I don’t exactly baby them either. When shore fishing I often launch my bait upwards of 70 yds downstream and bring fish in against the current. I can’t think of much tougher work for a reel. Sure the BCX line may be more or less disposable, but the ambassador line is solid all around.
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I don’t believe he’s going muskie fishing dude. Usually you cast about 5 times per night for big flats, maybe a little more. My 6500 has held up just fine over the years with minimal routine maintenance..
What do you reccomend then?
If you notice, I said the Abus would be fine for dropping a line into the water with a bullhead attached to it. I just was giving him a heads up that if he planned to use it for something that required a lot of casting and retrieving, it wasn’t going to hold up.
And yes, with regular maintenance, an Abu will hold up, as long as that “regular maintenance” includes replacing the plastic gears at least once a season. I don’t know about you, but I only like taking my reels apart once a year.
Mushy guys get no respect in the cat/surgeon forum. 
Hmmm…I thought I had a typo, guess not.
As long as we’re on the subject, do all the 6500C3’s have plastic gears? I don’t recall ever taking mine apart, but I do have them sent in each fall to have them checked over.
The only part that’s been replaced was that little metal pawl that directs the line onto the spool.
The Ambassador line up has been around forever. A person would sure think if they can handle pulling in sturgeon and cats, they could handle casting and retrieving. Wouldn’t cha?
I’ve heard other Mushy guys say they’ve worn them out as well, so it’s not just Mr. Ihprop1. I just haven’t seen it with mine.
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Mushy guys get no respect in the cat/surgeon forum.
Hmmm…I thought I had a typo, guess not.
As long as we’re on the subject, do all the 6500C3’s have plastic gears? I don’t recall ever taking mine apart, but I do have them sent in each fall to have them checked over.
The only part that’s been replaced was that little metal pawl that directs the line onto the spool.
The Ambassador line up has been around forever. A person would sure think if they can handle pulling in sturgeon and cats, they could handle casting and retrieving. Wouldn’t cha?
I’ve heard other Mushy guys say they’ve worn them out as well, so it’s not just Mr. Ihprop1. I just haven’t seen it with mine.
From what I understand, the older Abus that were still made in Sweden are fine. It’s the newer ones that are made in China or Korea or where ever they make them (yet they’re still stamped ‘Made in Sweden’) that have the plastic gears. I don’t personally have any of the older Abus, so that is just hearsay. I do know that my Abus take a beating and the gears are considerably worn, if not completely shot at the end of each season and I only use them as my back up reels or I let guests use them when they fish with me.
When you’re pulling in a big sturgeon or cat, you’re usually putting a lot more stress on the drag more than you’re putting stress on the gears.
Muskie lures like the big bucktails and bulldawg create a huge amount of resistance when you’re trying to pull them through the water. Reeling them in a million times a day puts considerable stress on the reel.
I may not know cats like the rest of you guys here, but I do know a few things about reels and what they can handle. I was simply offering that Abu reels aren’t “bullet proof” like previously stated.
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I wouldn’t exactly call an Abu 6500 or 7000 “bullet proof.” They will suit your needs just fine for dropping a line in the water for species like cats, but they won’t even last a full season of repeated casting and retrieving.
Plastic gears wear out quick when you’re casting and retrieving a lot.
I have a couple abu garcia record 61s that I’ve beat the urine out of catching many a large sturgeon a bunch of big cats AND oh yeah I huck magnum bulldawgs like their going out of style. A light cleaning every year and these reels have never had a problem and still perform like new. Never changed a part on them in the 4-5 years they’ve been in use…………
EEEEAASSSYYYY FOCKER’S. Some people like Chevy, and some like Ford. Both are just fine, and it all boils down to personal preference. 
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and it all boils down to personal preference.
That’s what you say now. Just wait ’till Pug posts. 
I have 6500 2 speed. I don’t use it a lot, but it is at least 30 years old and and still works like a dream. I don’t think they even make that model anymore.
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Be careful of those 14 inning games on August 4th though.
Hey Brian – If I remember correctly we weren’t going home until the game was over. Who knew it would go 14 innings. We did get a nice fish right as the 14th inning ended if I remember right. I was on a string of about 19 skunks in a row and you handed me your rod and said reel this up for me. The nice flathead on the end of the line broke my string of skunks. I still appreciate your killing the skunk for me – THANKS BUDDY!! 
No plastic gears inside my 6600c4 … That being said, I use my 7000’s pretty heavily for flathead fishing.
Nope, no plastic gears in them either. 
One year to the day we caught another fish in the exact spot.
Nick, now you got me thinking I should go pull apart my 6500!
Have fun! They’re easy once you tear into them … Lots of small parts though so be careful. Next time I rip mine apart ill post a how-to with pictures for anyone who wants to DIY.
I like my Tekota 600. But prefer the clicker on the Abu 7000 my self.
X 2 on the Tekota.
Some of you may know I switch over to all Tekotas last year and this year I’m back to 7000’s.
The Tekota is a better reel, closer tolerances. The thing feels much more solid then a 7000. If I was the only person using the gear, I would have Tekota’s. Yeah they are higher priced, but too me the quality is there and I can justify it if only in my own mind.
The problem for my clients is when a Tekota is picked up the lever needs to be engaged. Most people I take out fishing (some haven’t ever fished before) have a hard time flipping the lever. With the 7000’s turning the handle a quarter turn engages the spool and it’s hook setting time.
…and that is the only reason I’m back to the 7000’s again. On a side note, out of 7 7000’s I’ve owned between 5 and 8 years, I’ve never had one fail.
Correction. A client stepped on one once and bent the handle. But that shouldn’t count.
You don’t have a lever to worry about with a Calcutta.
Go for the gold, Brian. 
I was getting razzed about spending $189.00 for a flathead reel!
What’s gold running now a day?? $300.00?
But if that’s what a person wants to do and it doesn’t take food off the kids table…. I’m good with it!
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What’s gold running now a day?? $300.00?
About $1390.00 …… 
I still use my 2 Penn #9s….quite a bit cheaper
Calcutta gold is around $300.00
(some folks call it “fool’s gold”.)
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Calcutta gold is around $300.00
(some folks call it “fool’s gold”.)
Use a 400te or a D once and you’ll be hooked. (the Calcutta 400 model name has been changed to D and it’s now gray/silver) It’s smoother than baby oil on butter on a baby seal’s bottom. It’s slicker than oil wrasslin’ an octopus.
I was ribbed about buying a Tekota for catfishing. If I would have a 400t in my boat, I would have to paint it silver and stamp made in China all over it.
For cats and sturgeon, smooth casting isn’t really a concern as long as a person isn’t bank fishing and wanting the most distance possible.
I would say dependability/strength of reeling the fish in and secondly the smoothness of the drag system. There’s other factors as well, but without those two nothing else matters.
On the other hand, there are people that like the best and don’t really care what the cost is. That’s fine too.
The I-Cat rod for example retails for $149.00. Some have a heart attack at this price point when they could buy 3 or more Ugly Sticks for that same amount.
For me, that rod works very well for channels, flats and sturgeon. I eliminated 4 rods from my inventory by using them. Now I just change up reels going from the 7000’s for flats to the 6500 for channels and sturgeon.
Less structure for channels and sturgeon the less need for a winch to crank out a fish from a snag.
Well, that’s my thoughts and it works for me. Your mileage may vary.
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