Abu 5600D5 - Hidden Cast Control adjustment

Abu 5600D5 is marketed as a Smart Mag Brake reel, which suppose to reduce the line overrun to 'Zero'. This posting is not to discuss about the no overrun design, but on the adjustment one can make on the hidden Cast Control Knob, which is not visible on this reel. This series have been removed from Abu reel line up, but I suspect the current BCX Series might share this hidden feature.

When you first see this reel, you will notice that the Traditional Cast Control Knob is not available on this reel, at least from the exterior. Instead you will have a Mag Control Dial to set your desired Mag Brake, so does that mean that the spool position is fixed upon manufacturing and there is no way to adjust it? Fact is, when you adjust the Mag Control Dial, you are also adjusting the Cast Control at the same time.

Higher Mag brake - Tighter Spool position and vice versa.

While most are happy with the 'Default' setting when reel is shipped, I am not too happy with it as most of the time the spool is too tight for me (i.e. lateral movement is very very minimal). I prefer the spool to be more loose (slight shift left and right) at Max Mag setting. Thus I set out to explore the reel more and manage to 'tune' it to my liking.

Note - As it is troublesome to adjust it, I will not advice anyone to do it in the field. So you might need to go thru a few test casting session to get to a setting you like.

I have posted this article on some local Fishing forum, simply now to put it on my own blog in order to have a record of my works.



First, set the Mag Dial to either extreme, Max or Min.  This is to give yourself a benchmark and eliminates the guess work if you put the dial anywhere in between these 2 setting.

Dismantle from reel the right side plate, and remove the spool you see the interior of the left side plate. Remove the 2 screw as shown, and remove the end plate.

From side that is covered by the end plate, you have now see the gears to adjust just like the traditional cast control. Make your adjustment as shown in the below, loosen or tighten, depending on your preference.

This is how they linked up, thus by adjusting the magnetic cast control, you are also adjusting the cast control knob. See the pic on how the Mag Dial control this Hidden Cast Control knob.