I purchased the Abu Garcia Blue Yonder BY-7000 with intentions of using it for trophy catfish in the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland rivers. I target large Blue, and Flathead catfish. My methods of fishing are both control drifting and precision anchoring. I know that a lot of surfcasting people like this reel for its ability to cast longer distance due to not having a level wind system. I almost didn't buy this reel because my cast distance is rarely over 85 feet and I thought the lack of a level wind spool would be a disadvantage. However, I don't traverse the line any at all, and the spool is always pretty consistent. It does have a beautiful cast if I need it. The construction of the reel is where I feel the expense justifies the purchase. It is very smooth and all the controls work beautifully. The drag system is easy to operate down to small differences. Some drags I have used seem to go from very heavy to very light with not much in between. This drag system allows me to be confident. The power crank and gear ratio together make a 80 pound catfish easy to handle, and the profile of the reel sits nice and low for a reel in this class. Overall, The only negative I have is it's price tag is higher than some people will want to spend for a cat fishing reel. But I bought three more of them after a few trips out.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Over the years I had all the different abu garcia round reel models. All had an excellent appearance and working condition from the box to the fishing zone. However, this particular model did not satisfy my expectations. The handle is quite big and not very handy. The first few retrieves when out of the box had this sound of the spool friction with the case. Not normal. Hope with time this reel came out with something good to say,
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Casts well without backlash using braided line for long distance surf fishing. The combination of magnetic cast control and spool tension knob adjustability make it easy to fine tune cast control overall, casting 3-4 oz. weights on a 12' Daiwa Beefstick MH rod. Drag system is very smooth. Only criticism is that the clicker (line out alarm) is a little weak for my application but otherwise a very nice reel!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
For what you pay for this reel it is a great choice. Very sturdy and reliable, the drag system is nice and smooth. One of the few level winds that is available with left hand retrieve. Can't go wrong with this reel.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
A really big fish can out run the bail. This is built with that in mind. It is a good choice for several types of fishing it's been used for catfish in Iowa and is now at the Texas Coast with my son.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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