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Abu 501, 503, 505, 506, 506M, 507 and 1044 closed face reels - differences


Templedog

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Back to the original question! I have a 503 and a 505 in use and I have always been a great fan of these types of reel. The 503 has a bronze spool-housing and a 'factory pre-set' drag (ie: not adjustable). The 505 has a red spool-housing and a 'star drag' adjuster on the handle. Drag setting on the 505 is crude and has lost me good fish. I always aspired to a 506, which had a knurled adjuster for the drag, but still on the handle. The 506 had a gunmetal spool-housing. The 506M was a 506 with a higher gear ratio for rapid line retrieval. Both my 503 and 505 still cast well and I apreciate the one-touch line release but, frankly, they aren't a patch on the Shimano baitrunners I tend to use most.

You meet all kinds of animal on the riverbank.

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Guest tigger
frankly, they aren't a patch on the Shimano baitrunners I tend to use most.

 

 

Yeah Shimano's are super reels Ithink there the best Baitrunners out there but he wants to use it for trotting.

As Chavender said maybe you would be better off with a decent centrepin maybe a 5 inch model would suit you best ?

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Hello Guys,

 

I want to say thank you for the information!

The different drag systems an reel sizes are cleared. :thumbs:

Now there are some new questions occured.

 

Will there be a technical problem if I want to fish the 501, 506 or 1044 with 0.18 and 0.20 line diameter or is it a only problem of line capacity?

(I have heared that some guys use the 505 for eel fishing in the night)

 

If 0.18 or 0.20 line is possible, how much will the 501, 506 and 1044 hold?

 

The last question is, if someone can tell me the optical difference between the older an the newer 507?

 

-----

I agree that a centrepin would be the best choice for trotting but I have to cast some metres (sometimes) and it would take long time learning to cast with a centrepin.

 

Normally I go flyfishing for chub, trout and barbel but now I'm interested in the old english style to fish at rivers.

 

TL.

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Guest tigger
I thought the 506M had a back wind facility as well?

 

 

No budgie it doesn't back wind its just the match version of the 506.

Edited by tigger
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Back to the original question! I have a 503 and a 505 in use and I have always been a great fan of these types of reel. The 503 has a bronze spool-housing and a 'factory pre-set' drag (ie: not adjustable). The 505 has a red spool-housing and a 'star drag' adjuster on the handle. Drag setting on the 505 is crude and has lost me good fish. I always aspired to a 506, which had a knurled adjuster for the drag, but still on the handle. The 506 had a gunmetal spool-housing. The 506M was a 506 with a higher gear ratio for rapid line retrieval. Both my 503 and 505 still cast well and I apreciate the one-touch line release but, frankly, they aren't a patch on the Shimano baitrunners I tend to use most.

the 503's drag is adjustable via the slot in the end of the handle you loosen the nut adjust the clutch retighten the nut ,not ideal but its there ,a fixed drag ofcourse doesent allow for line breaking strain.

the 506m has just a couple of cms per handle turn over the 506.the shallow spool was the "M" ofcourse you could just buy the shallow spool chuck it in a 506 and wind slightly faster :D

 

 

The last question is, if someone can tell me the optical difference between the older an the newer 507?

 

yes its ghastly and has the thinnest cowl of any of them i dropped one onto my foot and it bent ,i had to buy a new one as the stainless band got a slight kink ,dropped most f the others many times and bar a broken point of the star on a 505 and scratched paint on the rest all survived.

the modern 507's gold max match edition (well in mines case) instead of using chennile to stop line going over the spool used a rubber band with spikes which didnt last long and despite it being on the market less than 5 years i couldnt find replacements.

the line lay is better but little else.heavier as well .

the old ones look exactly like large 506's! grey cowls on both models

the old ones are far better thats why they get a premium on ebay

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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I can't see the point in messin around removing bits to make a reel back wind when the 501 is purpose built for the job.

 

the 501 also has an anti reverse pawl in my case perhaps the backwind wasen't popular and changed in later models or the pawl could be bought as a spare part for those that preferred it.

just looked up the specs and strangely the 507 has a line retrieve a fraction less than the 506 or 501 :o

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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Guest tigger
the 501 also has an anti reverse pawl ,perhaps yours has got stuck or been removed if you bought it second hand

 

I have four 501's and they all just backwind the same as my original one I bought 27 yrs back. They have the nut on the handle to tighten the backwind up but I thought that was it.

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I have four 501's and they all just backwind the same as my original one I bought 27 yrs back. They have the nut on the handle to tighten the backwind up but I thought that was it.

mine cannot backwind strange ,perhaps they used the body of another version and left the stub for the anti reverse pawl in and some bright spark put one in before i bought it ,you learn something every day!

as i dont backwind not being able to do it didnt enter my mind .just got one from a cupboard that i havent used and it does! DOH

i may take it apart to see why it cant as its a boring bank holiday

i prefer my 1044 which can do both but never has :D

the 1044 has better line lay in my opinion but i removed one line pin having used a 506 for years i find having to listen to 2 clicks as the pins retract means you have to push the "button" a little harder which annoys the crap out of me.

 

 

If 0.18 or 0.20 line is possible, how much will the 501, 506 and 1044 hold?

 

i cant help you with that line is far thinner than when they were made so the breaking strain is different so whats below is just a rough guide as the diameters wern't constant between companies ,cheap was thick expensive usually thin in breaking strain i cant ever remember buying it diameter wise just BS so havent a clue what BS any diameter is especially today!

 

in 1978 the 501 took 165 mtrs of 0.10 ,0.15 90mtrs ,0.20 50mtrs ,the 506 0.20 230mtrs ,0.25 170mtrs ,0.30 130mtrs.

the 503 is the same as the 506 and so is the 505.

the 507/8 0.30 170mtrs 0.35 130mtrs and 0.40 100mtrs.

 

the 1044 (reading of the cowl) 0.25 130mtrs ,0.30 100mtrs ,0.35 80mtrs just changed the above to mtrs whatever the difference is

 

but ofcourse theres several versions of spools that take different quantities and you have to take modern line diameter into consideration or rather its breaking strain compared to then but thin line does get over the chennile rather often and old hands get a "feeling" when this happens which may elude new users until its too late B)

Edited by chesters1

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

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Guest tigger
mine cannot backwind strange ,perhaps they used the body of another version and left the stub for the anti reverse pawl in and some bright spark put one in before i bought it ,you learn something every day!

as i dont backwind not being able to do it didnt enter my mind .just got one from a cupboard that i havent used and it does! DOH

i may take it apart to see why it cant as its a boring bank holiday

i prefer my 1044 which can do both but never has :D

 

 

I never backwind, I just have the nut which governs the drag/backwind on the reel set at a low pressure before the handle backwinds releasing line on it's own and rather than start screwing the screw tighter to tighten the drag I just use my finger thumb to slow the speed at which the handle backwinds. I love using my 501's, I used one for some Tench fishing at night a few times a few weeks back and it was as usual brilliant sport. There great at night, no line going behind the spool etc if its a bit windy Imo the best reel there is. I just gave a m8 of mine a brand new unused 506m I never would use it as I'll always use the 501's (hence owning four of them). You know what it's like when you like something there's always room for another. :rolleyes:

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