Vintage gear

[Reel Newbie]

In the case of fishing, tackle does not come cheap to the average fisherman. After all, lures and reels are not always made to catch fish, but sometimes fishermen. So is it a good idea to go down to your local yard sale and pick up a 60 year old reel and fish it? For many Penn Reels, the answer is yes, the reels were made to last and parts are still available for most models. But for the average discontinued fishing reel, is it wise send it out on a rod, knowing full and well that parts might as well be non-existent? I collect older reels and many end up on a shelf, ready, but never fished. Such a reel would be my dam 330, a west German tank made in the midst of the Cold War. It has bronze gearing, and a single bearing the size of a donut hole. I’m never going to use it, but in its place is an og Daiwa bg30. That has cast gears, but is damn near indestructible, after a presumed life in a bag, crusted with dirt outdoors. I also use an old squidder and abu in my line up. I guess my rule for using old reels is whether or not the company still exists. Where do you guys dra the line on older reels?

 

[DSRTEGL]

I don't

 

[mav]

Lol I have a knuckle buster with a metal rod attached in the garage and one day I am gonna use it. Seriously, I’ll use all my gear at least once. I’m speaking for my collectable Abus too. Got to make sure they’re working corectly right? Lol I use old gear all the time. I still use Shimano Bantams from the 80s and some of my Penn reels are probably older than me. If they are way old with no parts replacement, I just use them sparingly.

What gets me is that some people swear certain decent reels are crap but in my hands, I can’t seem to get them to blow up like the reports say. I always make a joke, “Yea, this one’s gonna blow up today” and it doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong there are bad reels. Remember the plastic gear Stilstar low pros from the 90s? Lol I found one in the trash n took it home. Opened it up and thought, “They could offer these in a candy machine for 50 cents.” Lol

 

[Reel Newbie]

Wow, I’ve got one of those too, except a guide is missing, the cork disetegrated, and the reel handle is all screwed up. Most of my older gear that I use still is around and kicking in someone’s setups, but I won’t ever touch my precious dams and my near mint Shakespeare from the 50’s. I’m sure that they were good reels, it’s just that it doesn’t feel right to use a collectors item for normal use.
Then again, in 50 years, penns and abus will still be around, just with a little rumble in the gears, while shimanos and daiwas will be shelf queens. Just you wait, my black plastic zebco 202 will be an antique auction item when the retro style becomes mainstream.
But hey, I’m not old enough to even recognize the name stilstar or have even touched a bantam. I just sound old when I’m typing.

 

[Mahigeer]

How about a Mitchel 300 spinning reel with spare spool?

 

[Reel Newbie]

I got one of those, don’t trust it enough to use it thought. The chrome isn’t good for the salt, parts are confusing, manual pickup is strange and the roller might as well be stuck in place.

 

[mav]

I got one of those, don’t trust it enough to use it thought. The chrome isn’t good for the salt, parts are confusing, manual pickup is strange and the roller might as well be stuck in place.

I got two of those and another blue model. They DO take some getting use to. Lol Good perch reels. I always rinse off after use. Does that roller roll though? Lol I thought it fixed.

 

[Reel Newbie]

Never really felt like mitchels where any good in my hand, felt like it was a little cheap and designed a little strange in my mind. The line is wound in a different direction, the ratchet doesn’t sound right(personal thing), the bail is weak when casting, and the bail chrome isn’t very good with saltwater. It just feels strange, but that’s made in France in the 60’s. My preference would be a modern reel for smaller fish. Hell, I’ve still got my first reel, an older generation Shakespeare agility, the one with the gold and silver spool that has drags under 4 screws. That reel is good, even after a couple years of abuse by stringers mackerel and jacksmelt on lockdown drag, no maintenance, and red grease. Ar bearing still holds, and it still feels pretty solid. Metal side plate, graphite body, 7 bbs, and I dig it. If it ever breaks I’m going for a new pursuit.

 

[Red Fish]

-I draw the line when it is beat up. If something is cosmetically ugly, it’s time to heave ho. If you can get new side plates and or frame and it’s worth keeping (in lieu of something new), then I might keep it. I draw the line when it doesn’t fit my arsenal and it doesn’t get fished. All my gear gets fished at one time or another.
-The old Mitchell 300’s were good in their day as was the saltwater Mitchell’s such as the 302 salt, etc. I saw many a perch caught on 300’s as a kid (as well as a trout reel) on Berkeley Pier and one of the biggest halibut to be landed on the pier. I had one NIB a few years ago with manual and all that someone gave me that was sitting in an old house. I fished it a few times and gave it to this dude from Chicago that collected old stuff.
-I’m not sentimental about old stuff ( I know the names and have the memories; that’s it). I appreciate it for what it was worth in its day. I.E. - an old Penn 704 or 6 z. But, there is new stuff out there that will do the same thing and you can still get good deals on stuff if you shop around.
-Some of these old reels.... I don’t like the way they fish braid. Some excessive movement and loud noise endemic of the spinners of that time. I rather use an old conventional over an old spinner. But again, no pitting or green corrosion if no aluminum spool or frame.
-Whatever cranks your handle and spins your spoil!
-I am wondering how old you are Reel Newbie when you have a 70’s vintage Squidder as your avatar but say you’re not old enough to know the name Silstar or be familiar with the Shimano Bantams?

 

[Brock Norris]

i have jig masters from the 60s and 70s my dads that i still use clean them replace the drag washers good to go of course i have what they call better reels to but so far none have out lasted the penn reels

 

[Reel Newbie]

The only way you know you have an og spinning reel is if the ratchet clicks as you crank, there’s chrome and not stainless, or the line lay looks like your spool has love handles. Many old reels have all three characteristics. I dig the simple design and the overall tankiness of the reels, but new spinning reels have better quality of life type upgrades. Conventionals haven’t really changed except for the introduction of high speed jigging,Lever drags and instant ars. They still follow the same principle of a pinion and a main connected to a handle. The old ones still crank and cast fine. But hey, you can’t pass up a $5 yard sale penn can you?

 

[Red Fish]

The only way you know you have an og spinning reel is if the ratchet clicks as you crank, there’s chrome and not stainless, or the line lay looks like your spool has love handles. Many old reels have all three characteristics. I dig the simple design and the overall tankiness of the reels, but new spinning reels have better quality of life type upgrades. Conventionals haven’t really changed except for the introduction of high speed jigging,Lever drags and instant ars. They still follow the same principle of a pinion and a main connected to a handle. The old ones still crank and cast fine. But hey, you can’t pass up a $5 yard sale penn can you?

If it was a full Accurate frame on a 140 Squidder for $5, yeah, I’m not going to pass... I’m going to play!