Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Reel C3 6500
Baitcast fishing reel for strength, smooth operation and precision Designed for smooth running with 3 stainless steel ball bearings and 1 roller bearing Carbon matrix pull system ensures even and even pull The 6-pin centrifugal brake applies constant pressure for an exceptionally precise throw International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
Baitcast fishing reel for strength, smooth operation and precision Designed for smooth running with 3 stainless steel ball bearings and 1 roller bearing Carbon matrix pull system ensures even and even pull The 6-pin centrifugal brake applies constant pressure for an exceptionally precise throw International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
Baitcast fishing reel for strength, smooth operation and precision Designed for smooth running with 3 stainless steel ball bearings and 1 roller bearing Carbon matrix pull system ensures even and even pull The 6-pin centrifugal brake applies constant pressure for an exceptionally precise throw International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
Baitcast fishing reel for strength, smooth operation and precision Designed for smooth running with 3 stainless steel ball bearings and 1 roller bearing Carbon matrix pull system ensures even and even pull The 6-pin centrifugal brake applies constant pressure for an exceptionally precise throw International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions.
in 36 offers
The lowest price for Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Reel C3 6500 right now is $171.88 at eBay.com.au, compared across 20 retailers.
The all-time low was $69.44 on 4 June 2026 — today's price is 148% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 22 Aug 2026.
Last updated at 22/08/2026 07:15:54
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 Baitcast Round Fishing Reel
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Abu Garcia - C4 Series
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Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 Round Reel
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Delivery $52.20
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Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 5500 Round Baitcast Reel 1292720
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Abu Garcia Classic Baitcast Reel
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Abu Garcia C3 Reels C3-6500
Delivery $10
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Abu Garcia Ambassadeur Classic Baitcast Round Reel C3-choose Your
Delivery $45.38
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Abu Garcia 1292722 Ambassadeur C3 6500 Round Baitcast Reel
Delivery $37.32
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Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 6500 Round Baitcast Reel
Delivery $36.62
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originally posted on cabelas.com
I was thinking about buying a reel for half the cost but decided against it last minute. All you have to do is look at the 1 star-three star ratings to understand the longevity of those reels. I ended up buying this reel for dependability and reliability.Cons for this reel: kind of slow gear ratio, lower max drag than other comparable reels, line out alarm button is wiggly and made of cheap plastic. Did not come with any reel oil or tool.This was not mentioned in the manual but when using the line out alarm, make sure the release button is also pushed down. This will allow allow a free spool with no drag. When you’re ready to fight the fish, turn off the clicker, and begin reeling to initiate the drag.
originally posted on store.purefishing.com
For decades my family has trusted Abu Garcia for high quality, tough and efficient reels. My father taught me how to use a bait caster reel on a Abu Garcia just like his Dad taught him. My brother has several reels and I have used exclusively Abu Garcia ever since I learned to use a bait caster, I have several also. I have never had a problem with any of the reels I own and don't recall any problems with any others in my family. We all fish mainly with artificial lures which require different actions and our reels have always performed flawlessly. I would and have recommended Abu Garcia to anyone looking for a great fishing reel !!
originally posted on cabelas.com
A Garcia C3- 5500 is a n brain er for me, I started fishing for muskey in 1984 and my first two reels where 5500s. Then I went to a few 6500s and a couple of 7000s. I was able to do most of my own repairs, and i just could not wear them out. I gave the 5500s to my grandchildren. Now casting big stuff all day wears me out, so I got this 5500 to down size and I didn't give any though to another brand. The Ambassadeur is even better now than it was in 84. Have tried others but have always went back to the Ambassadeur reels.
| Style | C3-6500- 320yd/12lbs |
| Length | 6.25 inches |
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Sport | Fishing |
| Included Components | 1 X C3-6500 C3-6500 CLASSIC BCAST REEL |
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 Baitcast Round Fishing Reel
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Abu Garcia - C4 Series
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 Round Reel
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Abu Garcia Ambs-6500 Ambassadeur Baitcast Reel 2 Ball Bearings
Delivery $52.20
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C3 5500 Round Baitcast Reel 1292720
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
I was thinking about buying a reel for half the cost but decided against it last minute. All you have to do is look at the 1 star-three star ratings to understand the longevity of those reels. I ended up buying this reel for dependability and reliability.Cons for this reel: kind of slow gear ratio, lower max drag than other comparable reels, line out alarm button is wiggly and made of cheap plastic. Did not come with any reel oil or tool.This was not mentioned in the manual but when using the line out alarm, make sure the release button is also pushed down. This will allow allow a free spool with no drag. When you’re ready to fight the fish, turn off the clicker, and begin reeling to initiate the drag.
For decades my family has trusted Abu Garcia for high quality, tough and efficient reels. My father taught me how to use a bait caster reel on a Abu Garcia just like his Dad taught him. My brother has several reels and I have used exclusively Abu Garcia ever since I learned to use a bait caster, I have several also. I have never had a problem with any of the reels I own and don't recall any problems with any others in my family. We all fish mainly with artificial lures which require different actions and our reels have always performed flawlessly. I would and have recommended Abu Garcia to anyone looking for a great fishing reel !!
A Garcia C3- 5500 is a n brain er for me, I started fishing for muskey in 1984 and my first two reels where 5500s. Then I went to a few 6500s and a couple of 7000s. I was able to do most of my own repairs, and i just could not wear them out. I gave the 5500s to my grandchildren. Now casting big stuff all day wears me out, so I got this 5500 to down size and I didn't give any though to another brand. The Ambassadeur is even better now than it was in 84. Have tried others but have always went back to the Ambassadeur reels.
There is a reason these reels haven't changed much over the years. There's not much room for improvement. I use them for my catfish setups on Mad Kats rods but I've caught stripers on them also. They cast far, have just enough drag and it's not easy to get a rats nest in them. The best part about these reels is that you don't have to be an engineer to do maintenance on them yourself. All the parts are available on-line and they're fairly easy to disassemble and assemble. I have a 20 year old Ambassadeur that I still use with no problems. But be aware that not all Ambassadeurs are equal. The C3 and C4 are Swiss made, a lot of the others are made in China.
I have a few C3's, a C4, various vintages, the "Striper" model, the Black one, etc. Nothing purchased within a year. While they are wonderful in every other regard, they have ALL had the same problem since new....if there is any tension on the line, the free spool thumb bar (or the push lever...) won't push down and will not release the spool. Fishing with very light lures hid the problem until I tried using a sinker of 5-6 ounces. Here's a scenario: Sit on a pier, hang a baited hook and a 5 oz sinker over the water, with a few feet of line already hanging out. Press on the thumb bar to drop the bait into the water....nope, the bar won't move, the spool won't release unless I pull the spool back with my thumb. That's not so awful, but If I try to cast the weight, ... MoreI have a few C3's, a C4, various vintages, the "Striper" model, the Black one, etc. Nothing purchased within a year. While they are wonderful in every other regard, they have ALL had the same problem since new....if there is any tension on the line, the free spool thumb bar (or the push lever...) won't push down and will not release the spool. Fishing with very light lures hid the problem until I tried using a sinker of 5-6 ounces. Here's a scenario: Sit on a pier, hang a baited hook and a 5 oz sinker over the water, with a few feet of line already hanging out. Press on the thumb bar to drop the bait into the water....nope, the bar won't move, the spool won't release unless I pull the spool back with my thumb. That's not so awful, but If I try to cast the weight, forget it!. Am I the only one having this problem? Can you suggest a fix?
Coming from a spinning reel background, I've always felt more comfortable with a left-hand retrieve baitcaster. That limits the options, but the Abu C3-6501LH does the trick. I et to use a decent reel, with a decent drag, and still keep my strong arm (right) on the rod, and use my off-hand (left) to turn the handle. These little reels are fun to cast and fun to tune and mod. There are tons of mods you can do to make these reels really sing, or just fish them right out of the box.
These are GREAT reels and have been since first being introduced in the mid-1950's. The only improvement could be 1. Add "knurling" to the outside edge of the right-side takedown screws so that a slotted screwdriver is not needed for most of the process and 2. increase the drag rating. However, I won't lose any sleep over these two minor discrepancies!
I feel pretty sure I got someone's returned reel. When I took the box out of the shipping box, you could tell right away the product box had been opened and closed more than a few time by the wear on the inserted flap that keeps the box securely closed. After opening the box, the paperwork was inside the foam with the reel itself (other new reels in the box I've purchased has always had the paperwork separated from the reel by being on the outside of the foam padding), and pretty beat up from the reel rolling around on the paperwork during shipping. Also the little tube of oil was missing. The reel itself has somewhat of a gritty sound inside while winding but seems to work fine. If it fails I'll just break it down and replace whatever parts. In the future I will ... MoreI feel pretty sure I got someone's returned reel. When I took the box out of the shipping box, you could tell right away the product box had been opened and closed more than a few time by the wear on the inserted flap that keeps the box securely closed. After opening the box, the paperwork was inside the foam with the reel itself (other new reels in the box I've purchased has always had the paperwork separated from the reel by being on the outside of the foam padding), and pretty beat up from the reel rolling around on the paperwork during shipping. Also the little tube of oil was missing. The reel itself has somewhat of a gritty sound inside while winding but seems to work fine. If it fails I'll just break it down and replace whatever parts. In the future I will buy what I can touch before purchasing. I have a few C4's & Revo reels, and really enjoy them but pretty bummed out on this purchase direct from Abu Garcia (Pure Fishing).
In the middle of last summer I decided to get back to Musky fishing after no doing so since the 90's. I examined my equipment from "back in the day" and found I had a number of 500 and 6500 Ambassadeur reels, all still in very good working condition. With just a little lubrication they worked well for the rest of the season.I honestly think this series of fishing reels deserves to be the all of the relevant Fishing Halls of Fame. No other reel series has done so well over so long of a time and apparently will continue to do so in the future.
I own 6 of these reels. They are well constructed and hold up for years.I fish all the time in southwest Washington and almost always have at least 2 rods in the back of my truck with ambassador C-3 reels year round. The reels get rained on, snowed on, a little dusty in late summer and they always function as they’re supposed to.In fact I have in the winter time gone fishing and had the reel be plugged with snow and iced up from being exposed to the elements in the truck bed. To get the reel to work I will grasp the rod and submerge the reel several times in a rapid dunking manner to clear the snow and melt the ice. Then get to fishing. Granted this methodology would be problematic in an arctic environment but has resulted in me netting numerous winter ... MoreI own 6 of these reels. They are well constructed and hold up for years.I fish all the time in southwest Washington and almost always have at least 2 rods in the back of my truck with ambassador C-3 reels year round. The reels get rained on, snowed on, a little dusty in late summer and they always function as they’re supposed to.In fact I have in the winter time gone fishing and had the reel be plugged with snow and iced up from being exposed to the elements in the truck bed. To get the reel to work I will grasp the rod and submerge the reel several times in a rapid dunking manner to clear the snow and melt the ice. Then get to fishing. Granted this methodology would be problematic in an arctic environment but has resulted in me netting numerous winter steelhead.I use C-3 reels on my drift rods with 10-12lb maxima monofilament, on plunking rods with 30lb braided line, and on rods that I use when fishing out of a boat. They perform well casting 1/2 ounce spinners, bouncing eggs, jigging, or casting up to 8 ounce sinkers when plunking.I don’t abuse my equipment but they do get neglected from exposure to the elements and they don’t let me down. I am quick to give my enthusiastic support for Ambassador C-3 reels whenever my opinion is asked. I’m happy to talk on their quality, ruggedness, ease of use, dependability, and versatility whenever asked.I’ve caught harvest trout, winter steelhead, summer steelhead, spring chinook, fall chinook, silver salmon, and even sturgeon with these reels. These fish range in size from less than a pound to well over 50 pounds.
| Style | C3-6500- 320yd/12lbs |
| Length | 6.25 inches |
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Sport | Fishing |
| Included Components | 1 X C3-6500 C3-6500 CLASSIC BCAST REEL |
