I remember buying a XLT Abu...Very dissapointed

Abu Garcia just had a bunch of misses in the late 80s-2007 when the Revo came out.

(if you exclude Daiwa, which most in Texas do for some reason) Shimano was the only company producing low profile reels from the time the Curado B was introduced until about 2007 that fisherman actually liked and trusted. The Curado B, Chronarch A and then the super free version were loved for YEARS.

If you wanted a high performance reel that lasted, there just wasn't a choice. The Abu's from the 50's-late 70's and to a smaller degree the Lews reels were like that. But from the mid 90's-2006 the Curado B was THE reel.

Can you even imagine a low profile reel being in production for I think it was 16 years now?

Much like G Loomis though, the company probably milked it's bread and butter so long that loyal customers are ticked that something new got introduced, while the rest of the market watched as other companies slowly chipped away at the empire.

Shimano still makes EXCELLENT reels, but they haven't maintained the superiority (to the point where they are beyond a shadow of a doubt better) they had in the late 90's. Honestly right now I think Daiwa makes better reels in their upper end and Abu Garcia, Quantum and other pure fishing products are totally serviceable and offer features at better prices than some shimano products.

Sure shimano's probably last the longest, but there's more knowledge about what's out there than there has ever been, and more consumers cycle what they use faster on whole than they did in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. Therefore, pure dependability, servicing, and durability are not as big of a concern as in years past.

I have 14 Abu Garcia Black Max reels they are anything from 1600 to 6600. One of my 6600's I saved up mowing lawns when I was about 15 to buy. I think I payed about $125 for it. In my opinion they are about as good as my older Shimano's. They all run smooth.