
The original price tag of $54.88 is still present from Checker. The oil tube is still sealed in the plastic wrap. The reel side plates have surface scratches and loss of the shiney sheen. The 300C's were good spinners, but the 5000C baitcasters were the reels of choice for serious plugging.BLACK and CHROME- Sweeden GARCIA ABU AMBASSADEUR 5000C w/BOX& CASE BAIT CASTING FISHING REEL It's very nice with case. I used to have some Garcia Mitchell 300C reels, which were roughly equivalent to the 3000 class sized spinners of today. It is slightly smaller than a 2500 series reel of today. Sixth is an ultralight spinner from the day. Note the old school DuPont Stren stickers to used to track the line pound test. Fifth, is a pic of the 1500 vs 5500 for a size comparison. A blazing 5:1 ratio! Note that this model came with an Garcia power crank and it did not need an aftermarket crank.įourth is the small silver Ambassadeur 1500C model with the original pearl handle crank. This was the high speed version of the 5000 series reels. Third is the silver Ambassadeur 5500C model. Also, those are aftermarket power crank as the 5000Cs originally came with the small and inadequate pearl handle crank. I recall that it had a 3:7:1 retrieve ratio. This was the baitcaster reel to have during its day.

They replaced the bushings with ball bearings in this model and it improved the casting distance. Second are the black Ambassadeur 5000C models. This one has an aftermarket handle on it, but I might still have the original pearl handle crank. Arguably, this was the model that set the new standard for baitcasters back in the day.

They need to be cleaned, but all are in working condition.įirst up. Here are some of my reels from the early 70's. Shimano beat Abu Garcia to the low profile design but IMO, Abu Garcia was the company that first elevated baitcasters to a new level. Long ago, Abu Garcia was the brand to have if you were a baitcaster user. The other thread about baitcasters and the comments about Curados and Shimanos got me thinking about my old reels.
