I have a few of the Pro Rockets, very good reels. I can't say there's much wrong with Abu myself, but they are a shell of what they were in the 20th century. In the early 90s, they came out with the Black Max, Pro Max, and Silver Max round reels (yes round), that featured very lightweight spools, disengaging level wind, low reel foot, and a one piece machined aluminum frame. They were the spiritual successors of the 1500C, 2500C, and 3500C. They were fantastic reels, and their drag and free floating spool design carried over to the current iteration of the Ambassaduer. These reels were out a few years before Shimano came out with the Calcutta, and long before the current design of the Daiwa Luna/Millionaire reels. I own a few of the Black Max 1600 reels, and they will throw 1/8 ounce trouble free as long as you have a good thumb. The OG Black Max/Pro Max/Silver Max were a stop gap between the Ambassadeur and the Morrum, which would be released in the middle 90s. The new reels that bear the Black Max/Pro Max/SIlver Max name are nothing like the originals that hit the market 30 years ago.poisonokie wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 2:56 pmNot saying there's anything wrong with them, it just wouldn't be my thing for that. I have one of the black pro rocket 5501's all tricked out, but I just use it for catfishing with live bait at the river. If I fished deep cranks it would be great for that, too.
They'll have to bury my ASC with me.
Here's one of my OG Black Max 1600s, I have since swapped the handle and star wheel for the curved parts found on the newer C3 reels.