Abu Promax 30 - very disappointed.

[Ed.]

I received a $50 Anaconda gift card a while ago so decided to go and spend it, so off to Anaconda I went and they had a clear out of the Abu Promax reels reduced from about $80 down to $50, so I thought why not, as I couldn't think of anything else to get.  Well that was a mistake.

Got home, put it on a rod and started to spool it up, the reel is supposed to do about 6Kg drag and I probably had it set on about 2-3Kg whilst spooling some braid on to it.  Noticed that the body of the reel was twisting about 10-15 degrees from side to side each time the handle turned when winding the line on the spool. Obviously Abu Garcia seemed to have skimped on the build materials and the stem was way too weak in my opinion, not enough graphite in the stem to resist twisting. There was nothing wrong with the drag and that worked well however the flimsy stem was a deal breaker for me and so I returned it and received another replacement gift card. Very disappointed with it, I would expect that from a cheapo chinese model but not in the Abu brand. 

Left Anaconda and went off to Outback Adventures down the road in Caboolture and picked up another Penn Spinfisher SSVI 2500LL Live liner as Anaconda does not stock that model size, seeing that as I was now in a reel buying mood, at least that one has a metal frame and body (no twist) and water resistant, although it was 3 times the price of the Abu. I also looked at the Quantum Smoke Inshore S3 30 SSM30XPT there which seemed like quite a nice reel with 5 more bearings than the Penn plus a Titanium wire guide (so can resist bangs and dents which flexes back),  it was a hard choice as it is a quite impressive reel but the Smoke Inshore didn't have the bait feeder.  So in the end I decided the Penn with the bait feeder and being water resistant (IPX5) would suit me better.

Cheers

Ed.

[Angry51]

Ed, It brings to mind the old saying, "you get what you pay for."

But saying that, you expect some quality in stuff we buy without costing

an arm or leg.

[Drop Bear]

1 hour ago, Ed. said:

I would expect that from a cheapo chinese model but not in the Abu brand.

I haven't owned anything Abu for a long time now. 

[natang]

They dont make reels as strong as they used to. When I was in early high school around 1993/4 I saved up for an abu bait caster 3500cc I believe it was and it was paired to an ugly stick which was awesome for so long until some scum broke into mum and dasds shed and stole all my rods... I have bought anything abu like Drop bear for a long time. 

[Ed.]

The first Abu I bought was a Revo STX baitcaster in 2007, it has a bit of corrosion around where the S/S screws go in it and it is still going strong, apart from rinsing it off after use, it was only oiled a few years ago for the first time so can't complain about it, granted I paid about $192 for it 14 years ago  so it wasn't a low end reel and I have had my moneys worth out of it plus I still use it.  I don't know if I would get any of the latest range of models though.

[GregN70]

20 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

I haven't owned anything Abu for a long time now. 

ABU and Penn are all the same company, they are all under the main Parent Group Pure Fishing. Pure fishing is the following brand names. Penn, ABU, Stren, Owner, Shakespeare, Berkley, PFleuger, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Van Staal, Mitchell. And many of the reels are actually the exact same model, just in different colours, stickers & spool designs etc. So do your homework when looking at new gear. Personally I only buy Daiwa reels, and have done so for over a decade, I find them the best quality and best value for money.

[Drop Bear]

5 hours ago, GregN70 said:

Fin-Nor

Great info thanks Greg.

Interesting Fin-Nor is in that list. 

I have had more luck with the Shimano on mid priced reels. Perhaps I need to go up in quality

 

[Brodie_S]

On 19/05/2021 at 10:43 AM, Ed. said:

I received a $50 Anaconda gift card a while ago so decided to go and spend it, so off to Anaconda I went and they had a clear out of the Abu Promax reels reduced from about $80 down to $50, so I thought why not, as I couldn't think of anything else to get.  Well that was a mistake.

Got home, put it on a rod and started to spool it up, the reel is supposed to do about 6Kg drag and I probably had it set on about 2-3Kg whilst spooling some braid on to it.  Noticed that the body of the reel was twisting about 10-15 degrees from side to side each time the handle turned when winding the line on the spool. Obviously Abu Garcia seemed to have skimped on the build materials and the stem was way too weak in my opinion, not enough graphite in the stem to resist twisting. There was nothing wrong with the drag and that worked well however the flimsy stem was a deal breaker for me and so I returned it and received another replacement gift card. Very disappointed with it, I would expect that from a cheapo chinese model but not in the Abu brand. 

Left Anaconda and went off to Outback Adventures down the road in Caboolture and picked up another Penn Spinfisher SSVI 2500LL Live liner as Anaconda does not stock that model size, seeing that as I was now in a reel buying mood, at least that one has a metal frame and body (no twist) and water resistant, although it was 3 times the price of the Abu. I also looked at the Quantum Smoke Inshore S3 30 SSM30XPT there which seemed like quite a nice reel with 5 more bearings than the Penn plus a Titanium wire guide (so can resist bangs and dents which flexes back),  it was a hard choice as it is a quite impressive reel but the Smoke Inshore didn't have the bait feeder.  So in the end I decided the Penn with the bait feeder and being water resistant (IPX5) would suit me better.

Cheers

Ed.

Yes abu spin reels are horrible they are cheaply made they have so much flex and free play everywhere in the reel and the gears get rough very quickly . Both abu and penn are both under the same company pure fishing but their products differ a bit penn tends to be better then abu 

[natang]

11 hours ago, GregN70 said:

ABU and Penn are all the same company, they are all under the main Parent Group Pure Fishing. Pure fishing is the following brand names. Penn, ABU, Stren, Owner, Shakespeare, Berkley, PFleuger, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Van Staal, Mitchell. And many of the reels are actually the exact same model, just in different colours, stickers & spool designs etc. So do your homework when looking at new gear. Personally I only buy Daiwa reels, and have done so for over a decade, I find them the best quality and best value for money.

I have in the past four years swapped to doing this. I too find them good quality per $$.... Some good range cheap stuff for kids that lasts.. and some good high end stuff for me..

 

[Junky]

On 19/05/2021 at 12:27 PM, Drop Bear said:

I haven't owned anything Abu for a long time now. 

Me either. 

The original Swedish made reels were beautiful. Wouldn't  wee on abu's now. Total garbage. 

 

[Junky]

On 20/05/2021 at 8:48 AM, GregN70 said:

ABU and Penn are all the same company, they are all under the main Parent Group Pure Fishing. Pure fishing is the following brand names. Penn, ABU, Stren, Owner, Shakespeare, Berkley, PFleuger, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Van Staal, Mitchell. And many of the reels are actually the exact same model, just in different colours, stickers & spool designs etc. So do your homework when looking at new gear. Personally I only buy Daiwa reels, and have done so for over a decade, I find them the best quality and best value for money.

Diawa all the way. The cheap ones are rubbish though, not that I use them but I have seen them corrode and fall apart, but all cheap reels do. 

All of my diawas are over 10yrs old and still as good as the day I purchased them. 

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new saltiga 14k. They have to be the sexiest reel on the market today. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Ed.

That is very disappointing. Bro has kept me in the loop with how crappy the Abu Garcia reels are supposed to be. I have one reel of there's and love it though. A 25 year old Barra King.  

The rods they make seem to be decent. I have a Nanotech Nexus and a Veritas (3-6KG and 3-5KG I believe) and quite like them.

I prefer Shimano overall as a reel brand. I've always been a Shimano guy. To be fair I probably should give Diawa a bit more of a chance.

Cheers Hamish

[Ed.]

Hi Hamish, I wouldn't say that all reels Abu reels are bad just that these lower priced reels are in my opinion, I suppose all brands make some reels or products at some stage that could be better, and I can't complain about my other Abu that I have. Reels are very subjective and in this case I personally do not like any flex in the stem of a spinning reel.  I suppose it was just built to a price.

Same as the Shimano brand, I generally avoid it, it seems that you like the brand but as a previous owner of about 3-4 TLD lever drags I would not buy one now, but I don't mind the Tyrnos reels, I have seen quite a few rods that had the guides put in the wrong place but I recently bought a Shimano Anthem SW rod. So in the end it depends on the individual product in question, not so much the brand. I started with the Daiwa reels and they lasted me for decades, but a couple of the later overheads were very prone to corrosion so sold them off. Plus the fact that Daiwa introduced the Magnetic oil in some of their models but refused to sell it to customers who like to do their own reel servicing which also tends to steer me away from them.

So lots of things to consider.

[Hoffies]

I got back into fishing last year after like 20 years and had no idea what to get brand wise for a cheap live baiting Barra spinning combo reel-wise and ended up with a pro max 40; it’s smooth as and I’ve had no trouble with it. Maybe you got a dud?

[Newbie to Brisbane]

On 21/05/2021 at 9:24 PM, Junky said:

Diawa all the way. The cheap ones are rubbish though, not that I use them but I have seen them corrode and fall apart, but all cheap reels do. 

All of my diawas are over 10yrs old and still as good as the day I purchased them. 

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new saltiga 14k. They have to be the sexiest reel on the market today. 

The new model saltigas aren’t really up to scratch in my eyes mate. Numerous complaints about drags seizing and broken main gears and pinions. The older model expeditions etc were far more sturdy and reliable. I bought three of the new model saltiga steels, and sold them all after 3 months. You may find they suit you though 

[GregN70]

6 minutes ago, Newbie to Brisbane said:

The new model saltigas aren’t really up to scratch in my eyes mate. Numerous complaints about drags seizing and broken main gears and pinions. The older model expeditions etc were far more sturdy and reliable. I bought three of the new model saltiga steels, and sold them all after 3 months. You may find they suit you though 

So by increasing the size of the gears and a one piece metal frame they’ve made it weaker? I have 2 new saltigas and think they are the best thing I’ve used. Admittedly I’ve caught Buggar all on them as I live and fish around Yeppoon in central Queensland which if completely fished out and is among the worst fishing spots I’ve ever had the displeasure of fishing. 

[Newbie to Brisbane]

11 minutes ago, GregN70 said:

So by increasing the size of the gears and a one piece metal frame they’ve made it weaker? I have 2 new saltigas and think they are the best thing I’ve used. Admittedly I’ve caught Buggar all on them as I live and fish around Yeppoon in central Queensland which if completely fished out and is among the worst fishing spots I’ve ever had the displeasure of fishing. 

I’m just going by my experience mate. I took two new saltiga reels out to wreck reef and neither lasted the trip. After a discussion with a few sales reps from daiwa I was told that there are teething problems with with series that they are currently working on. Don’t get me wrong I love my satigas, just was disappointed with these flaws. 

[Ed.]

10 hours ago, Hoffies said:

I got back into fishing last year after like 20 years and had no idea what to get brand wise for a cheap live baiting Barra spinning combo reel-wise and ended up with a pro max 40; it’s smooth as and I’ve had no trouble with it. Maybe you got a dud?

Drag wise I didn't have a problem with it as that was smooth, I just didn't like the way the spool assembly bent from side to side as the the line was wound in and that was with minimal drag. It wasn't a one-off dud as I checked with the other reels in the store after I returned it, and they all did it in that size, it is because it had a plastic frame and Daiwa didn't put enough reinforcement in the stem. It may not break being made from plastic but I just didn't like the way it did it.

[Junky]

23 hours ago, Newbie to Brisbane said:

The new model saltigas aren’t really up to scratch in my eyes mate. Numerous complaints about drags seizing and broken main gears and pinions. The older model expeditions etc were far more sturdy and reliable. I bought three of the new model saltiga steels, and sold them all after 3 months. You may find they suit you though 

Really???

You are referring to the 2020 saltiga right? 

Ive heard of the main gear and pinions in the 2010's failing but not the new ones. In fact, I can't find a bad word about them. Alan Hawk is even lost for negatives.

Got me wondering if diawa somehow had some pull in silicon valley and is able to keep the negative reviews off the net. 

 

I was holding out for Alan's update to drop but my impatient reel buying personality disorder kicked in and, well, I went and acquired one. I had too. 

Put it in a saltiga C710. 

And yes @Ed. because of you sir I now check all backbone/guide orientations on rods. This rod is perfect. 

 

[GregN70]

Everywhere I look I find only positive reviews.

I also have friends and family in the tackle industry and asked them if they’ve got any negative feedback or any returns as they’ve sold a lot of these, and they reported none. 
 

They’re going to probe their own Diawa reps for their thoughts. Will report back. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 03/07/2021 at 6:59 AM, GregN70 said:

So by increasing the size of the gears and a one piece metal frame they’ve made it weaker? I have 2 new saltigas and think they are the best thing I’ve used. Admittedly I’ve caught Buggar all on them as I live and fish around Yeppoon in central Queensland which if completely fished out and is among the worst fishing spots I’ve ever had the displeasure of fishing. 

Hey Greg

Maybe try going back to basics? Rig up some light line, ten pound maybe, and fish in the harbour or the causeway. Use a tiny long shank hook, fish with the smallest possible sinker you have, and fish with worm, prawn, or pilchard. You’ll have an alright chance at whiting, flathead, bream, cod, or batfish. I was just up there the other day. In one session, I lost a 50-60cm flathead boat side, I got two keeper bream, lots of tiny grunter (suggesting there is bigger ones somewhere else), and I normally land legal cod, batfish, and often get busted off by larger fish. 

Cheers Hamish

[Ed.]

1 hour ago, Junky said:

And yes @Ed. because of you sir I now check all backbone/guide orientations on rods. This rod is perfect. 

 

Good to hear, no point in spending your hard earned cash on a product that wasn't aligned properly because the manufacturer didn't care and thought that no one would notice!

[GregN70]

2 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey Greg

Maybe try going back to basics? Rig up some light line, ten pound maybe, and fish in the harbour or the causeway. Use a tiny long shank hook, fish with the smallest possible sinker you have, and fish with worm, prawn, or pilchard. You’ll have an alright chance at whiting, flathead, bream, cod, or batfish. I was just up there the other day. In one session, I lost a 50-60cm flathead boat side, I got two keeper bream, lots of tiny grunter (suggesting there is bigger ones somewhere else), and I normally land legal cod, batfish, and often get busted off by larger fish. 

Cheers Hamish

I’ve been fishing the beaches around emu park and up Farnborough lately with live yabbies, live beach worms on 4lb fluorocarbon n #2 Kahle hooks with light lead looking for whiting etc but only found toadfish these last couple months 

[Ed.]

1 hour ago, GregN70 said:

I’ve been fishing the beaches around emu park and up Farnborough lately with live yabbies, live beach worms on 4lb fluorocarbon n #2 Kahle hooks with light lead looking for whiting etc but only found toadfish these last couple months 

Hi GregN70, have you tried around and in the mouth of the Keppel Sands inlet? Primarily on the south side of the inlet where the mangroves are and towards the channels.

[GregN70]

Yeah all through there, up into Horton’s Creek just upstream in the south, also on the other side of K.Sands around the mouth of Pumkin Creek, and off long beach to the south. Honestly there is nowhere I havn’t tried in that whole area. And I’ve tried with every tackle n technique, at every stage of the tide. Always the same results, no fish!  

[Ed.]

Perhaps you need Dynamite? , seriously though, if there are any tackle stores and or fishing clubs up there or in Yeppoon, go in and ask if anyone else has been catching anything as  it might not be just you. Although having said that, they do want to sell you bait so might not give you a completely honest answer. Failing that, you might have to invest in a charter trip offshore.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

20 minutes ago, Ed. said:

Perhaps you need Dynamite? , seriously though, if there are any tackle stores and or fishing clubs up there or in Yeppoon, go in and ask if anyone else has been catching anything as  it might not be just you. Although having said that, they do want to sell you bait so might not give you a completely honest answer. Failing that, you might have to invest in a charter trip offshore.

I was just about to say that - Greg, maybe it would be wise to have a charter and see what they do to catch fish.

[GregN70]

I’ve done 2 charters here. The only difference is they go out 120kms directly east where the most I’ve been out is 60-80km. 
 

as for inshore charters there’s a couple blokes that do that.  All they do is live bait Barra in the Fitzroy. Meh not my cup of tea. I’d rather a feed of bread n butter fish in the estuary or a few reefies or even a Mack or 2 off shore. 
 

but any way, I’m still looking at moving. Mainly to find a better fishing area. Thus far I have 2 options, Coffs or Townsville. I’m kinda leaning towards Coffs as I think that’s going to be better overall fishing. 

[Ed.]

120km is a long way to go out for a feed! If the inshore charters are going after barra in the Fitzroy River and getting them, then it stands to reason that those same fish must be feeding on something otherwise those Barra would not hang around to be even caught. I am surprised that there aren't more fish in closer to shore. At one stage the missus and I were thinking about Coffs as a possible place to live, but life got in the way and it didn't happen. We ruled out Townsville as it gets way too hot and humid for our liking for too much of the year, when it's warm it's great but when it's hot and humid then not so much!  What is the job situation like in those places?

[GregN70]

Yeah you have to go that far to find any water depth over 40m and thus the bigger fish like trout, emperors, tuskfish & mackerel. Inshore is very shallow under 17m past the islands and 5 - 8 inside, and shallow doesn’t attract or hold many bigger fish. 
 

work wise, the company I work for has big projects coming up around both areas, so I can just move to either, plus I can usually work from home most of the times anyway.