My father gave me three of these reels in the early 1970s. I grew up fishing for musky in Ohio on the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy lakes. I caught a lot of smaller musky, but never one over 20 pounds. My largest was one that weighed 17 pounds and measured 41 inches. My father would row our 12-foot boat and I'd troll, from place to place, then we would cast for what seemed like hours. My father and grandfather took me to places like Saint Lawrence and Chautauqua and I gained a true love for the sport of fishing. I fish bass tournaments now and to this day, I still use those three Ambassadeur 5000C reels. They still perform as well now as they did the day my father gave them to me. The little bottle that came with each reel still contains parts that I've never needed. My father's no longer able to fish, but those three reels continue to bring me immense pleasure and fond memories of times spent with him on the waters of the Buckeye State, chasing the fish of 1,000 casts. These reels were truly indestructible and a true pleasure to use.

Charles Stewart
New Berlin, Pennsylvania

Does your Abu Garcia reel have some mileage? Then why not enter it in the Abu Garcia For Life! contest? Show us your "classic" or well-used Abu and you might win a new one. Click here to submit a picture of the reel, as well as a detailed story or two about its history.