Abu Garcia Record

[Trav]

So last year I bought a Pflueger Trion 66 (the superior left handed version) though apparently left handed technology didn't transfer from the right with them.

Right away it was not right. Some casts the reel would spin (in reverse) with the cast, which hurt if it hit your hand at that speed. And some casts, the thumb bar wouldn't engage upon reeling. Long story short I sent it in this spring for warranty repair and as has been discussed here, these reels are discontinued and there had been multiple similar issues but only in the left handed version.

Instead of fixing it, they said they would replace it with an Abu Garcia Record. I entertained this when I upgraded my reel, and it's priced quite a bit more than the Pflueger was.

Does anyone have any opinions on this reel? For what its worth, I already said ok, because it will be better than the broken reel I had and I didn't think of asking for a Winch instead, but doubt that would have happened.

Trav

[Snizz]

It depends on how much you fish, if you go once or twice a year, then I would prolly upgrade...but if you fish quite regularly you might want to spend the extra $ and get a calcutta...they are just so much smoother then Abu garcia's plus Shimano offers free reel repairs for the 400 series or higher...I send my reels in (both are actually there now) for reconditioning after every season. (and both the FAR superior left handed style too :P)

The great thing about Abu Garcia reels is that they are tanks, they can take a beating a keep on working.

[Trav]

Yeah, after last years embarrassing lack of outings, it's tough to justify a Calcutta. Someday, but it's not in the cards now.

I'm upgrading from a C3 as it is, so even the Pflueger was (and assuming the Record should be) a significant upgrade. I'm thinking if I get a power handle for the Record, I should be good for how often I fish until I can sneak a Calcutta and an 8' St. Croix in the garage somewhere without the wife noticing.

[Ty Sennett]

Those Records are good reels for the money. If you put a power handle on it just make sure to cast with the handle down or you will have the same trouble as the Pflueger. Strange that you had trouble with that Pflueger but I guess it happens.

[Trav]

It was too bad, because when it worked, it felt like a solidly built reel and even Cowgirls without the power handle weren't so bad and I was planning on adding the LVJ or LJV or whatever it was.

But according to the guy I talked too, he indicated they were only seeing these issues with the left-handed models for some reason. Whatever, I guess. I got a High-Capacity Record out of it I suppose, and it has a power handle on it already. So we'll see how it goes this year, an upgrade from my original setup regardless.

[Nick Kanauz]

When I bought my Record, I actually had to compare it to a Calcutta, bearings, etc comparable. I also had a budget in mind as well. This reel is and animal. Thought I had a prob with it last fall, so made a quick trip to Jenk's, only to find out that Super line spins on the spool. Pulled it off, retied, and added a piece of electrical tape, and reeled back on. Fixed it right away! It is the most smooth casting reels I've used, and it doesn't seem to care much which kind of lure I'm cranking. I matched it with a Shimano Compre Musky 8' rod. Love it...gonna buy a second one to replace my ancient C5!