Man i couldn't agree with you more, you always have great honest points and speak the truth. I appreciate that when it comes to reviewing reels and other fishing gear. You giving your honest opinion and not just praising or pushing the big names like Abu Garcia on us. I own both and I agree with that you said. I have found the ambassador 5500s and 6500 or just as good and cheaper then the Abu Garcia c3 series. I own both. And I like the 5500s that cost me 60 dollars cheaper. And I also like the cat maxx better then both of them.
I've been using this reel for a few years now and let me tell ya, they're tough as nails as long as you aren't dumb. I've landed plenty of big channel, flathead, and blue cats with ease. Super strong and the drag is amazing. Handled a pissed off 40 pound flathead like it was nothin'.......great for river fishing.
Great review as always this I my second time watching it because I want to buy a cat max but the model you review is not available. The new cat max is white and I have heard some people had trouble with them. What do you think and do you have plans to review the new one?
some people had problems with this one too. Catfish anglers are pretty abusive to tackle. One thing i don't my reels for is abuse. I will test them with heavy fish, but pulling fish is not abuse at all. Transporting it in the truck bed under a cooler is abuse. Leaving it in the mud so sand goes in the levelwind and under the spool, and then you grind that sand with the gears - thats abuse. Playing a big catfish, even 100 pounds big, is NO PROBLEM for this reel or the new model - I can promise that. This reel is the best value because it has the best features at a very low price. It also has the power to pull any catfish out of anywhere. But if u abuse ur tackle during transportation and if dirt gets in ur reel under normal fishing operation, then u have to ask someone else what is the reel that is most durable to abuse, because i have zero experience with that. Just being honest with you, I have zero experience with tackle abuse because i am extremely careful and i also lube everything all the time. I experience tackle failures extremely often, only 2 or 3 in my whole life.
River Certified we had 4...1st one broke in a week...all of the rest broke over a season...will never buy again....going with kast king rovers this year...bought one along side of our catmaxxs and the rover looks and works like its brand new...after a season of thrashing
I have one and I love it. I've pulled out plenty of 20-45ish pound cats out of of the monster missouri river when it was running extra high and that reel handled those monsters with ease. Sweet fuckin' reel for the price.
Another great job, I hadnt really given this reel the time of day. For some reason I thought it was just another graphite framed disposable reel. You make some great points...
The reel i fixed a few weeks ago cost twice as much as this, and just cannot compare in smoothness and refinement and sophistication to this BPS reel. I don't even need a stronger clicker. I just want left hand retrieve - thats it
@@ifishcatfish welcome. BTW, don't know if you got around to trying the Quantum Nova reel but they do have your much requested left-handed model available now. I have one and will say I do find myself using it a bit more than the catmaxx but love them both.
i tried it at the catfish conference. I don't know if that one was a bad display. Alaways amazes me how many merchants have bad displays. I did not like it. But seems like a genuine reel. I am testing another reel now though, review coming soon. Caught some nice catfish and carp with it already, and is super smooth under pressure.
Actually team catfish hold ring 400 is exact reel ex power handle and paint and 1 extra bearing.Although team catfish clicker is better .I guessbthey use much longer thicker pin and a bigger wheel with teeth making it roar.I did adjust the pin upward a tad and it is audible now.
YOU ARE CORRECT! I never mentioned that not to offend TC members, but I think TC got on to the same factory/license that BPS used to make the catmaxx! Bandwagon thing! However, the catmaxx has nicer handle and lower gear ratio. Also, in my opinion, the clicker, while not loud, actually sound nicer, not too raspy. Also, looks better. Don't get me started on gold color in a catfish reel. Thanks for your time on my channel sir! I love comments like these!
my catmaxx reel broke throwing 2 oz lead was so disappointed that I threw it away instead of fixing it. the reel seat on the rod broke after a few good fish
i_fish I really liked the rod it just needs better guides and reel seats and it's a winner. the reel I got must have been defective cuz I see Steve Douglas throwing 8 oz lead with them
I have to tell you - I don't agree that there exist spool which are 'Not Ready For Braid'. All spools are braid-ready. The only problem is people not using good knots to attach the braid. You don't even need 'mono backing'. All you need is a good Uni-Knot around the spool that forms the so called 'hanging loop'. With that knot, the harder you pull, the tighter it bites the spool. That said, on this spool I actually WOULD use mono backing, just because the spool takes too much line and braid is expensive. I would put cheap 15 lb mono all the way to the middle, and then top it with 150 yards of 40 lb braid. I use Uni-Knot to connect braid to mono as well. Make sure you spool the line all the up to the lip, just like the reel on the video, to maximize casting distance. Thanks for stopping and leaving a comment!
@@ifishcatfish I just like how you presented the information and how you helped me to decide what to get just because the only flaw that you mentioned was the no left reel
Not a big fan of the catmaxx reels I had the worm gear stripped out and I had to send it back to bass pro, so I wait for 2 weeks to get it back and as I got it back the magnetic braking system was stuck I couldn’t move it so I had bad experiences with the reel but you get what you pay for
worm gear? How did that happen? This would take years of normal wear. Can't even imagine what could get the breaks to get stuck. First time I hear of such failures. Let me ask you this - do u leave your reels on the ground? Do u get mud on them? This is the only thing i can think of - if u get mud on the worm gear and you keep grinding without cleaning it - that would do it.
sounds like a freak accident. People cast 3-4 oz weights with these, sometimes much more, and backlashes are very rare because u can apply a lot of brakes and still cast far with that much weight. In my opinion, there is no better round reel under 200$. The only thing i would improve is put some treatment on the gears to harden them and make them more durable. The shimano cardiff has better gears, but clicker sux, and clutch sux. The abus are ridiculously overpriced. I can't think of a reel that can challenge it in terms of value. They go on sale all the time too.
i think i can agree with you that the other clickers are louder. Because I only fish off a boat with it and can never be far from it, it never occured to me that you can't hear it. Most people use this as a boat reel, as it is not that good for long distance casting.
James Reed yes the clicker is not very loud. But I’ll give up the clicker for good due to the smoothness of this reel. I’ve been using abu and other reels and nothing feels like this one does I put it on 12 foot surf rod and been slinging the hell out of it for a year now total weight lead plus bait about 8 once’s I figure if it breaks I’ll get it replaced I got 2 year warranty on it. It’s still working like the day I got it. I was concerned about the level wind on it I’ve done striped two abus out casting them and this one is holding up so far. I’m sold I’m getting more of them soon .
The lews reel is just a restamped ebay OEM reel. U can buy it for $35 on ebay or alibaba. The quantum reel appears to be genuine, ornat least i have not yet seen OEM of that reel. However i played with it at the catfish conference and it was of much lower quality than this catmaxx. Not as smooth and does not have the solid feel that u get from the one piece alimunim frame. Basspro is amazing reel and the only thing i would change is make the gears from brass or stainless steel
so? is theBPS a piece of crap? its just a china reel...Abu Garcia's are WAYYY to expensive for what you get, corrode way too much in saltwater. Naming it catmax is just BS, to get you all to buy them. I like the metal paw cap. Click drag is good! too bad lefties!....haha. ya think they could with stand salty charter customers hands and really hard work? I see complete disassembly video I'll watch next. NOW, they are white.....''guess they'll match the striper rods, but not my ''carpet''.......😆😆😆😆😆 wonder which is better, the new Daiwa ROUND MILLIONAIRE, or this, they are same price. I'm thinking daiwa, but need to see one.
I don't know if this one is chinese... quality is very high and there is no free play. BPS submits orders to the same Korean factory that makes the Abu reels and the Lew's reels. Quality of those is in between chinese and japanese. I have not seen this reel sold on ebay under a generic name, which makes me think it is Korean. You would actually love it but it has no seals of any kind
@@ifishcatfish LEWS is a joke.....its just a name. 95% of the fanboys using them have no clue, about Lew Childress real reels. I had them. Back when the V-spool meant something.
I hate to be the jerk who gives unsolicited advice, but there is no reason to use 30 pound mono in freshwater. None. Your drag is set for 5 pounds, and your rod will break at 20. I have never used more than 15 pound mono in my life. Inspect your line before every trip and remove line that is frayed. Thats why line breaks, not because it is weak. Go down to 20 lb and you will have 0 problem with a 80 lb catfish. Wow, what a rant : ), sorry
i_fish and what rods do you use cause I’ve hooked 50 pound cinderblocks to some of my rods and picked them off of the ground can upload a video if you like
outdoors and rc's lawncare i wish i would hook to a 80 lb catfish :). I use 8 lb line (0.30mm) on my carp reels thought and have 3 carp over 40 lb with that line. Of course if u try to lift the fish u will break the line. But if u set your drag lower than the breaking strength of your line, the fish can never break your line. Because every time the fish puts more than 10 lb of pull, the drag starts to pay line. So fish can never put 20 pounds of pressure on the line. Then just enjoy playing the fish until it gets tired. Just dont try to horse it. If i ever hook a 80 lb fish, it wont be on 20 lb. it will be on 15.
Somthing to think about, can you get replacement parts? Just supertuned my 1970 abu ambassador 5000c with 7 bearings and carbonex drag. Got all the parts from one place at the same time. Can you do that with the other reels? I own a couple of shimano reels, they are very nice reels, but was told that only make replacement parts for 5 years. Then what? Would you buy a great car, at a great price, knowing you could not get replacement parts for it?
1. I agree completely that availability of spare parts matters. I mentioned this in a few of my reviews. 2. As for shimano having parts only for 5 years, no need to agree or disagree, because if you go to their website you will immediately see that they offer parts for reels much older than 5 years. As a matter of fact, Shimano is better than Abu in that respect. I don't know any other brand that offers all replacement parts and process is so easy. 3. While it is always better to have spare parts available, sometimes that is not very important. Not many people fix cheap reels. Then freshwater reels need a lot fewer replacement parts than saltwater. The only spare parts on freshwater reels that I buy is spools, and the god dammmed anti-reverse bearings.
i_fish thanks for the reply! I’m about to upgrade my catfish reels and am trying to decide what to go with. I was looking at abu and the pen squall reels. But you peaked my attention about these reels.
Ronaldo Vieira only bassproshops sells them. U can look at my revo toro review. It has even larger size. Mine is 51, but u can get 61 if u are sure u will get big catfish :). If u want to use spinning reel, look at Daiwa BG 5000. It has enormous gears and is only $100. U will love it. The abu revo toro is expensive and has no clicker but is pure butter
Thanks for the answer. Well we never know if we will get a big catfish, but I know, there are very big catfish in the Orinoco River ... I just learning about this stuf and I'm learning a lot with your reviews. Now I will ask you some questions, the clicker, what is the function of this? It's kind of alarm? In the other post you told that in some cases a spinning reel is better than a baitcast reel, I would like to know when ... Last year, I went fishing with my father is Guaporé River, in Brazil, my father was fishing with a Abu spinning ( I don't remember the model I just remember that was a big reel ), my father is elder, and he grab a big fish, the fish almost drag him out of the boat, but the fish escape but I pretty sure it was a big red tail catfish, maybe 40 pounds or more. I never used a baitcast before so I'm trying to figure out the best option. Im pretty sure if my father was fishing with a baitcast like a abu revo toro we will got that catfish.
Ronaldo Vieira if u never used a baitcastrer before just forget about baitcasters. It will take u a long time to get used to them and u will get nasty knots on every cast. Baitcasters have advantages , they take much less space and are very easy to transport, they dont twist the line when u reel, and have better cast control because your thumb sits naturally on the spool. But they are much more expensive and complicated to use. I only use them on my boat, never from bank. Spinning reels are simple and cheap and super strong. Daiwa BG is great for catfishing because it has oversized gears so it has more power than other reels same size. Also its kind of cheap for what you get. Thats my opinion. Make sure u get what is best for u.
Thanks dude, I will take your advice. For this time I will order a BG500 but I will also order a baitcast because I want to learn fishing with this. I saw people fishing with baitcast and the cast control is amazing! Keep making this awesome videos!
Thank you for taking the time to complete this review. But I must post my personal experience with these reels. I purchased 4 from Bass Pro. All 4 were junked within 60 days. The 1st gutted itself on the 3rd cast with a 5oz sinker. I mean shredded the gears. The seconded one came apart later in the day. The other two failed soon after. All were catastrophic failures not repairable. I took these reels and broke them down, I was shocked at what I found. Total junk compared to the standard reels on the market. You will find plastic composite parts where other manufacturers use brass. As they say, don't judge a book based on the cover. Its what's inside that counts. There is a reason these reels are rated for 10 lb max drag. Anything more will kill it. Its total junk. Spend your money as you wish, but you get what you pay for.
well no offense, but i am not lending you any of my reels - LOL : ) Can u give me any more detail on the failures? This reel has the same gears as Shimano Cardiff - they are not very big, but pretty reliable. It has one piece aluminum frame that is MUCH stronger than any ABU reel on the market, regardless of the price. Even the new catfish PRO is a thin tin can. As far as plastic parts... i have disassembled several abus and several of these reels already, and cant see a difference. The clutch lift platform is always plastic, but it is the same in ABUs. The line guide wheels are always plastic and they wear and make noise, but they are plastic both in ABU and in this reel. Honestly, from engineering perspective i cannot think of a single point where the Abu reels are better, except that the gears on the Catfish Max and the other catfish models at similar price are maybe 1 or 2 milimeter thicker. Actually the drag in the expensive ABUs is also better, but they are 3 times the price and this drag should be more than enough for the biggest catfish in the world. If u did open these catmaxx reels let me know where exactly they failed.
@@ifishcatfish Not feeling a back and forth match here. Failed at the main drive and pinion gear. I in no way abused these reels. I also tested the drag system. The most I could get was a measured 7 and 1/2 lb at best. These reels were purchased approximately 4 years ago. I know my reels. I have over 30 of all brands. Have two in the Ultrasonic Cleaner now. I take care of my stuff. In my own personal opinion. These reels just don't make the cut. Buy what you like, fish hard and be happy.
Wasnt going for back and forth. I just have a policy of replying to all of my comments. I uave heard other people complain of failures but i have never seen a psrticular weakness inside of these reels. Thats why i was curious
@@ifishcatfish Man it's all good. Keep doing what your doing and fish hard. If it fishes use it till it breaks I say. Not everyone can afford to slap a $200 reel on their rod. They all have a place. For the money the best reel under $100 I've found, worked on is the Shimano TR 100 and 200. MAGA
JUS' keep saying Abu Garcia over and over......it's funny! I NEED a few inexpensive reels. I like that catmaxx. might order a few. HATE THAT CATMAXX LOGO. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT STUPID CAT FISHING BOGUS MARKETING, BS. ''lefties'', hahaha I WOULD HAVE STOPPED AFTER THE SHRAPNELS & RYOGAS. I am a fan boy. just cant hand one to customers.
I have a review coming up that you are really gona like. Don't buy catmaxx for saltwater. The reel doesn't have a single seal and very tight tolerances and the moment any salt dries up inside.. there will be negative user experience for capt Dave
Darrell Perry very hard to diagnose over the internet. Best is take it fo a friend who has experience. But let me try. Remove reel from rod. Put tape on the line so spool can spin freely, like the reels in this video. Losen the spool tension knob until spool starts wto wiggle slightly left and right. Losen magnetic brake to 0. Now just spin the spool with ur finger as hard as u can. How many seconds does it spin?
Just learn to crank the handle right handed , problem solved! Oh and you can bet if it's an American product it's quality above all else try kast king rover cat fish reels
Great review, I just recently came across this channel, but I really like it. I currently own a Catmaxx and love it. I recently came across a new reel by Quantum called the Nova. I was wondering how the Nova in a similar price range might stack up with the Catmaxx. There doesn't seem to be much out there about the Nova. www.quantumfishing.com/reels/nova.html Zebco also has a cheaper version of the Nova shop.zebcobrands.com/reels/big-cat-bcxt350-bx3.html. Might be a fun comparison.
that is a great find and a great comparison. If they offer a left hand version i would try it right away. I see it has same frame and same bearings and same clicker as the bass pro reel, but they went with the ugly Abu line guide. It's probably more reliable - catfish guys are not gentle on the gear. Let me know ur opinion if u get it. And thanks for the comment - that looks like a great alternative
With great pleasure I say the Quantum Nova is one of the greatest reels I've purchased, the other would be my catmaxx reel. I love the Nova it launches like a beast it has a awesome clicker and drag is unmatched...I love love love my quantum Nova I've landed some 30 pound pissed off blues like taking candy from an infant I definitely recommend it!
