Hi. I don't have a 5500 that old, but my late 80's C3 was helped by a ball bearing level wind, ABEC7 spool bearings, and Smoothie drag washers. Did some light polishing of the spool shaft end and copper piece under the cast control knob. did wonders for this low-tech reel. Look on some of the Japane...

I will try tieing the line on the far side of the arbor with the line guide matching that position before spooling. One question....won't the arbor knot cause the line lay to have a lump on that end? I use a couple of spooling stations that allow adjustable tension on the supply spool. The Berkeley ...

Dang! Now I have to get out all my spinning rigs and check them. Who knew? Great information, even tho I seldom put down the baitcaster. The info sharing on this site is awsome (and usually damaging to the bank account ).
TB

I also rigged my YUM Alabama with 832 65 lb. Practiced at the local lake and had zero problems with the BPS Nitro "Big Bass" reel on a BPS Nitro 7' 10" swimbait rod (1/2 to 4 oz. rating). Retrieval was easier than I expected, but the smallish Reaction Innovations Little Dippers helped. The Nitro has...

It's sad to see that the weak dollar is causing even a fine company like Shimano to re-brand their reels....although the increase in blank quality for the popular Crucial rod takes away some of the angst. I'll stay with my D and E models, and I wish I hadn't sold my older model tuned Curados. Lesson...

My first quality rod was an early Kistler 7" Medium popping rod for inshore. It also works great for lipless crankbaits for LMB. I have really got my money's worth out of this great rod!
TB

Texas Tackle (patented) for dedicated split ring pliers. I have many years of good service plus no rust. I have two different designs....maybe there was a design change after I bought the first pair. My Rapala digital scale works fine.
TB

Powell MAX 703C. I haven't fished a 7' Airrus CoMatrix 457, but the 6' 6" and 7' 6" models are real bargains. Got mine on clearance for $75 ea. I use the MAX more than any of my other 16+ combos. The Airrus MH 6' 6" for jerkbaits and topwaters. Airrus 7' 6" MXF for T-rigs. Good luck!
TB

I noticed my Gen 1 Dobyns is slightly less tip heavy than the Powell MAX 703C, but I use the Powell for so many techniques. I have not had a chance to compare my Gen 2 Dobyns Champion Extremes. I don't anticipate selling the Powell any time soon. Great rod!
TB

There are many good knots. The most important thing is to tie them correctly. A poor knot will be much more likely to fail (I have observed this at Fishing School where there was a 3 to 1 variation in testing experienced fishermen's knot strength). I like the San Diego Jam Knot, or if there is no sp...

Love all the suggestions above. If you are looking for less expense, the Smithfield Suspending Rattling Rogue catches fish. Gold/black back/orange belly for slightly stained water. Vision 110 is my favorite, but I cashed a check with the Rogue.
TB

By the time you replace all the bushings with bearings it will still not perform equal to newer low-end reels. I spent a lot of time, money and labor on two older ABU C3 reels (5500 and 5600AB). Wish I had sold them and bought one newer round reel. Still it was a lot of fun installing all the upgrad...

Just to get started with the A-Rig, I will probably use my normal swimbait setup...BPS Nitro combo. The reel is plenty stout. I will re-spool with 65 lb. braided line in case I have to straighten out a hook. Good thread!
TB

That statement about "under a pound" might have been caused by Trade Show Torpor, a condition with which I am all too familiar from my IT industry days. Personally, I had a guarded opinion of Ike before I actually met him at Bass University. He was very nice and patient with us nimrods and wannabes,...

I'm a lefty, but learned on right-handled reels, so I cast left; crank right. I also set up my spinning reels to crank right-handed. Never saw the logic in switchin cranking hands, but that's just me.
TB