Abu Garcia Cardinal 500ALB Spinning Reel

apergole · #1 17-08-2006, 08:29 AM

Anyone heard ov or have this reel i am looking at buying a new reel for sp fishing

Shortlite · #2 17-08-2006, 09:49 PM

Alloy bodied spinning reels. Fairly new, introduced last year. Machined handle, improved balancing and line lay.

Haven't used one dude, so can't tell you how they perform. If the older cardianls were anything to go by, probably a huge improvement. I think the smallest size is a 502, maybe a little big.

Abu Garcia have been making big gains in terms of newer styling and improvements to their reels, but IMHO there is still a big gap between them and the front runners.

A lot of these reels get reviewed over in the States before they hit the general market. Try tackletour.com for their gear reviews. Very informative.

Here is there review of the 502:
Tackle Tour: Cardinal 502ALB

mantacboss · #3 25-09-2006, 04:22 AM

Abu have a new cardinal called 800-8+1 bearings alloy body rotor and ported spool spare alloy spool & powder coated black. Look good dont know if theyre the same reel rebadge for australia. They sell for around $170-$220 and are a vast improvement on any ABU reel i've seen for a very long time.
Hope this helps
mantacboss