MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

If you're talking to me, the answer is yes and I really, really love them!

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

I'm with you on trying to only buy gear "one time", and take care of it to make it last. The initial investment may seem high, but once you do "dollar cost averaging" over your lifetime it ends up being rather a good bargain! Plus...you get all those years of using some premium equipment!

Have fun on your future fishing excursions!

MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

I am soon on my way to Canada. Can't wait to chase muskies again. It has been a long drought!

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Yes, i's talkin to you. I own three casting reels and two of them are Ambassadeurs. A 4601 and a BE Rocket. I can't say I love em. My love lies with my Shimano spinning reels. But I do like em a lot. I enjoy using them. And the last trout I caught was with that 4600, a year and a half ago.

MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

OK, so you know, my love on the spinning reel side is Shimano as well. I did recently buy some new spinning reels as my old ones were over 40 years old. Now I am using Stradic CI4+ and I cannot say enough good things about them.

As to bait casters, I will be using the Ambassadeurs to the day I die. I can rebuild them to like new if anything goes wrong. I haven't actually had to do that for myself, but I have done it for friends of mine. I really work hard to maintain them and keep them clean.

I like the narrow spool as I am an old guy now and like the lighter weight and not as expensive to respool. It is more than adequate for the fish I catch (muskie being the biggest). The gears and drags are the same as on the wider spool reels.

fishyaker Loc: NW Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

Enjoy your trip! I love the wildness of Canada! The deeper you pierce into it the more remote and disconnected from the hustle and bustle you feel! As a kid, we used to make annual journey's to a place called Armstrong Ontario to fish the upper regions of Lake Nipigon and surrounding lakes for walleye, whitefish, pike, brook and lake trout. Lot's of fun. Was up there 3 years ago and we arrived way too early, as Spring flooding was still at peak flowage. We caught fish, but not as many as planned! It was too dangerous to reach our usual haunts.

MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

I haven't been to Armstrong, but do know about it. Lots of water to fish there.

I am going to Lake of the Woods. I catch muskies on every trip and also many walleyes, but we only keep a few for a couple of meals. The lake is really spectacular with 14,000 islands.

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

Lake of the Woods is on the bucket list! 50 some years ago I went with a bunch of buddies and some older guys up to the boundary waters above Minnesota. Spent a week or so canoeing and fishing. A trip of a lifetime. All the pike and small mouth we could ever have wanted.