I've been using bait casters since I was a teenager (mid sixties and a bit earlier). My first quality new plug reel was a Christmas gift when I was 15 - an Ambassadeur 6000 (this was before they ever built a 6500...). Can't remember how many Ambassadeurs I had years ago - but they all took a backseat when newer technology came along (and the Ambassadeur line didn't improve much at all to keep up with all those very skilled Japanese engineers - and the companies they worked for... Fast forward to the mid-eighties I was advising all of my customers (I was building and repairing a lot of rods back then -and also repairing reels...) to simply toss their old Ambassadeurs since they were difficult to get parts for and there was better gear in stores - that might even have been cheaper to buy... Me I still actually have that first Ambassadeur 56 years later... it's on it's third or fourth gear setup and it's third or fourth spool....
Remember now, back then, down here in paradise (south Florida) club anglers were chasing and catching relatively enormous fish on plug casting tackle (tarpon to around 150lbs and better, sailfish, grouper, King mackeral, sharks up to 300lbs - you get the idea - fish that were absolutely not what the manufacturer ever thought the gear would be used for... ). We used to have solid machined spools made for those old Ambassadeurs since the spools that came with them exploded or just plain failed under extreme use...
Fast forward all these years later and the first reel I'd recommend you look at is a Shimano Curado 200 (the early models) - lots of them for sale in good condition - some almost new for less than $100... A much better reel than any Ambassadeur that won't break the bank and mostly still has parts available....
Hope this helps... I keep a half dozen plug rods available for my guiding customers but rarely have many anglers that actually know how to use them....
