Do You Remember Your First Spincast Reel? 2024
Junebugman reply :
I do like it was yesterday! It was a gray and red "holiday" brand reel paired with a Garcia Conolon fiberglass rod with the steel guides lost a "pig" on it in the vadnais lake overflow in a area you weren't "supposed" to fish near st paul mn but we did cuz we saw the size of the bass in there well they must have made the gears for those out of melted tin cans! it froze up fighting one of those bass! I lost my Creme worm 20 ft of line and a lot of patience that day long ago what was your first reel. Thanks Junebugman
FinCulture reply :
ah, I remember my trusty mickey mouse rod. Those were simpler times.
Goose52 reply :
Sure - it was a "Lido" (what the heck is a Lido!) spincast reel I got for one book of S&H trading stamps around 1966. For a rod, I had found a 5.5' plastic handle pistol-grip casting rod laying on the bank on Tamiami Trail in South Florida - the plastic handle was cracked nearly all the way through at the reel seat. I cut off the plastic handle, bought a metal ferrule for a couple bits (I already had some ferrule cement), and then bought a new chucked handle for a buck or two. So, the whole rig cost me a book of trading stamps and about $2.50 cash. In the summer of 1967 I was trolling a Rapala (or maybe a Rebel) with the Lido rig down a canal off the Trail and caught a 4 3/4 lb largemouth...I remember it well. The Lido is now mounted on a cheap BPS rod for use by my wife (but she’s never used it!). The Lido probably hasn't reeled in a fish since 1967 - I'll have to take it out sometime.
Here's the Lido:
And here's the 4 3/4 pound bass from '67:
Nearly 50 years ago - where does the time go....
Scott F reply :
Fifty years ago this past June, my uncle gave me a Zebco 202 combo. I'd guess that there a lot of guys who started with the same set up.
bigbill reply :
Zebco 202 on a 6' stiff saltwater rod. Using a 1 oz lead sinker and a sand worm I could cast all the line in the reel. I fished freshwater too with it.
scaleface reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 10:49 PM, Scott F said:Fifty years ago this past June, my uncle gave me a Zebco 202 combo. I'd guess that there a lot of guys who started with the same set up.
Yep , they were disposable reels . My dad would buy a case of them at a time .I hated those things .
The first spincaster I bought myself was a Zebco 800 a much better reel than a 202 and would outlast several cases of them .
*Hootie reply :
Is that you in that photo Goose? Love that hat!!
Hootie
Kentuckysteve reply :
My first spincast was a zebco 202 also then the 404.Both were a huge step up from a cane pole.Then i got a zebco 33 that i still have today.That old reel is like a tank.It's more than 40 yrs old and still works like it did when it was new.
OK Bass Hunter reply :
Zebco 202
Goose52 reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 11:00 PM, *Hootie said:Is that you in that photo Goose? Love that hat!!
Hootie
That would be me - "Reservation Hat" and all... 
On 9/12/2015 at 10:49 PM, Scott F said:Fifty years ago this past June, my uncle gave me a Zebco 202 combo. I'd guess that there a lot of guys who started with the same set up.
Man - I didn't start with a Zebco 202...it was a step UP from the Lido...
Jrob78 reply :
I started with a Zebco 33 Classic combo.
Alonerankin2 reply :
202, in around 72 it also came in a box & was a couple bucks..
offsidewing reply :
Zebco 202 combo that was handed out at school in the 4th grade circa 1986.
einscodek reply :
First spincast was an old black Daiwa .. last spincast is a Daiwa .. current spincast is a Daiwa
Dont know why everyone was ever so in love with even old Zebcos.. they were made better back in the day but they still had alot of jams.
I have an old Zebco Omega from 20+ years ago and compared it to the Daiwa Goldcast of couple years ago.. no comparison.
I would not ever fish with that Zebco .. doesnt cast as well and jams up like most spincasts do.
Goose52 reply :
On 9/13/2015 at 6:30 AM, einscodek said:First spincast was an old black Daiwa .. last spincast is a Daiwa .. current spincast is a Daiwa
Dont know why everyone was ever so in love with even old Zebcos.. they were made better back in the day but they still had alot of jams.
I have an old Zebco Omega from 20+ years ago and compared it to the Daiwa Goldcast of couple years ago.. no comparison.
I would not ever fish with that Zebco .. doesnt cast as well and jams up like most spincasts do.
Ah - to be young again... :lol:
The reason we were fishing with Zebcos in the 1960s is that there weren't any Daiwas, Shimanos, or other Japanese reels back then. After all, at that time EVERYONE knew that everything from Japan was "pot-metal" junk.................................. 
K_Mac reply :
A 202 on a pistol-grip glass rod that could nearly be tied in a knot. I caught a litte of everything on that cheap combo. Of course it wasn't cheap to a poor kid. Caught a huge carp from the river behind or house. It took one of my brother's help to get it home. I was about 8 at the time. Goose I would give much for a photo of me and that fish.
WRB reply :
My brother had a Johnson Century 100 spin casting reel back in the 50's that he used for years.
I made a rod reel combo for my 5 year old son using a Zebco 114 Triggerspin reel on a 5' trout rod, he could use 2 hands to cast and caught a 26 lb channel cat on a split shot reaper.
Never owned a spin cast reel but used my brothers Johnson and neighbors Zebco 33, didn't like them preferring my baitcasting reel Langley 330 and still have that reel.
Tom
Josh Smith reply :
Dad bought me a Zebco 202 -- or maybe he already had it. I was 2 or so.
I wore it out on chubs and I inherited a Zebco 33. I later learned Dad stole it off Mom's rod 
The rod was a fiberglass. I couldn't begin to tell you what brand.
Josh
Junebugman reply :
Anyone remember the mutchell 302 with the round gearcase dad had one for years! Must have weighed 2 lbs!!! Lol
Junebugman reply :
Oops I meant mitchell
Bluebasser86 reply :
My dad started me on spinning gear, never owned a spincasting reel.
FSUMF333 reply :
I believe my first spincast was my dad's old bronson from when he was a kid. But it didnt take me long to start using his Mitchell 300's i thought those old ones looked awsome,so I'd play with them in the back yard and taught myself to cast.
Junebugman reply :
Dad had one of those on a garcia conolon rod compared to my holiday reel it was night and day!
J Francho reply :
Green 202 on a matching green rod.
Mike L reply :
Johnson Century 100...
I still have it.
Mike
MickD reply :
Remember how surprisingly well the Zebcos would cast? I think that the Zebco design, with the tapered hood with the little hole, was the inspiration for the AT Microwave first guide. Just visualize a tiny Zebco hood mounted to the first guide of a spinning rod.
scaleface reply :
On 9/13/2015 at 10:34 PM, Mike L said:Johnson Century 100...
I still have it.
Mike
I know an older gentleman and those are the only reels he uses. He uses the reverse switch and puts them upside down on fly rods . Its the only spincast reel Im aware of that can do this. I had two in pretty good condition and gave them to him .
I use to do the same thing on a light action spinning rod. It was a good caster for light jigs .
Mike L reply :
It's a great lttle reel.
I heard about useing them as fly reels but never tried that.
Learning how to fly fish is one of the things on my bucket list.
I have mine in a sealed up Crown Royal velvet bag!
Plan on giving it to one of my grandsons to learn on.
Mike
scaleface reply :
On 9/14/2015 at 9:12 PM, Mike L said:It's a great lttle reel.
I heard about useing them as fly reels but never tried that.
Learning how to fly fish is one of the things on my bucket list.
I have mine in a sealed up Crown Royal velvet bag!
Plan on giving it to one of my grandsons to learn on.
Mike
He didnt use it as a fly reel , he uses it as a casting reel and just uses long fly rods for their action .
Mike L reply :
Oh OK!
Thanks for clearing that up.
I tried to find some info on doing that after I posted and couldn't find anything...Now I know why.
Mike
scaleface reply :
You have to take the spool out and put it in backwards . Then put the switch in reverse. Now it can be used like a spinning reel . Push the button and squeeze the line against the rod .
Junebugman reply :
How cool is that a "dual purpose" spincast reel I had several centuries and a sabra too you could put 20 lb test on them. There was one other johnson I can't think of that was smaller than a sabra but a little bigger than a century anyone know? Remember the johnson's came from the factory filled with 10 lb stren blue it even had the little stren tag on it COOL!!!!!!
Jeff H reply :
On 9/12/2015 at 11:00 PM, *Hootie said:Is that you in that photo Goose? Love that hat!!
Hootie
Same thought I had. Ain't that the Billy Jack look?
My first spincaster was a Zebco 202 on a yellow fiberglass Holiday rod.
Goose52 reply :
On 9/16/2015 at 8:42 AM, Jeff H said:Same thought I had. Ain't that the Billy Jack look?
No - it's the "Goose look" ! I was wearing that reservation hat in 1967...Billy Jack was 1971...
the reel ess reply :
Zebco 33 when I was about 7. Later I got a Daiwa UL spinning combo. Then when I was 13 I asked for my first Daiwa BC combo for Christmas because I saw Bill Dance using one.
I was always leaning on my dad to buy me more and better fishing equipment. I would have dressed in rags, but didn't want to be caught without the right combo for every fishing opportunity.
Jeff H reply :
On 9/16/2015 at 10:34 AM, Goose52 said:No - it's the "Goose look" ! I was wearing that reservation hat in 1967...Billy Jack was 1971...
I stand corrected! In any case, nice topper! 
Rob96 reply :
My dad and grandfather started me right out on spinning gear. Had some kind of blue ultralight rod and a Mitchell reel.
new2BC4bass reply :
Only ever owned one. An ultra light Daiwa. POS. No desire to ever own another.
related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
previous topic
most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.