What is the oldest reel you Use?

[cddan]

1 hour ago, shaggydog said:

abu garcia eon.  love that reel.

Wow an eon. I bought one in 2000 could never dial it in but I've learned to cast baitcasters better now.  I've since lost the reel to a move. I was curious why you like it? It was innovative at the time but made of alot of plastic.  The level wind fully disengaged and it seemed would be a great idea.  The concept of the reel was very interesting but never caught on. It was made too cheaply imo but its design I thought would have taken root in modern baitcasters but never did.  Does it work well for you and why do you still use it. Im just curious because I never really got a chance to use it much but was fascinated by its design. 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

30 minutes ago, cddan said:

Wow an eon. I bought one in 2000 could never dial it in but I've learned to cast baitcasters better now.  I've since lost the reel to a move. I was curious why you like it? It was innovative at the time but made of alot of plastic.  The level wind fully disengaged and it seemed would be a great idea.  The concept of the reel was very interesting but never caught on. It was made too cheaply imo but its design I thought would have taken root in modern baitcasters but never did.  Does it work well for you and why do you still use it. Im just curious because I never really got a chance to use it much but was fascinated by its design. 

I have one also. No probs with mine ive heard of them imploding during a cast .they have a lot of drag surface and very very smooth,im surprised abu hasnt done this with the planetary gear system on metal reels .im thinking that the poly 9 they used would flex causing the problems ,come on abu bring them back 

[cddan]

Bring back or make new like them! 

[cddan]

With metal of course 

[the reel ess]

When I started the 2015 season I had a 1983 Daiwa Procaster PMF1000 MagForce I was still using. It was my go-to cranking reel. It had a push-button spool release, no thumb bar. It was a Christmas gift when I was 13 and retailed for about $70 then. It lasted 32 years. Daiwa sent me parts fro free a couple times to work on it. Finally, the gears got so bad they wouldn't stay meshed. I know that kind of quality is ridiculous nowadays and I should probably go with another Daiwa for my next reel.

[soflabasser]

Oldest reels I use are my +30 year old Penn Senators I use for big game fishing .Those reels are some of the most reliable reels ever made.For bass fishing I have a Shimano Spinning  reel that is over 20 years old and that has caught me  several double digit bass,along with large saltwater fish.

[woody osborne]

On 12/20/2015 at 3:58 PM, badhatharry said:

I have a couple of Zebco Cardinal 4's from late 70's I use every time I'm out.

i have around 2 dozen zebco cardinal 3, 4, and 6 and garcia cardinal c3's,c4's i use constantly, dependably trouble free. have used them since the 70's. in about 40 years i had ONE screw coming loose, ONE winding cup replaced due to appearance, one spool cracked  and replaced due to spooling machine tension.

pretty much covers the need for spinning reels for me though i do have a couple of stradics i think i'll use for ned rig fishing, maybe. edit to add this: with the dual bail spring setup i have never ever had to change bail springs. NEVER

[wnspain]

I use both of my Shimano Bantam 10x pretty regular, have never failed me in 35+ yrs

[patred]

I have several Mitchell 300s and a couple 308s, all made in France prior to 1970.  I picked up a 1955 reel and a 1959 a few weeks ago and used them to catch four walleye on the Potomac River on Christmas Eve. 

The Mitchell Reel Museum is a great source for Mitchell info and has a good forum, too, for history, servicing and identification.

Pat

 

[Mumbly]

I still use a few older reels from time to time.

Shimano Bantam Black Magnum BKM-200FS 1988-ish

Shimano BeastMaster 2-speed (currently has an issue and no parts are available) 1988-ish

Quantum Tour Edition US300 (mostly a crankbait reel)

Shimano Magnumlite GTX spinning reels (still use for trout fishing) 1988-ish

[Florida Cracker2]

I have an Orvis 50A spinning reel on an old matching brown rod that I like to use from time to time. Sounds like a coffee grinder, but fish seem to like the vibration because I often catch them with it when my smooth reels don't. (just a silly theory)

I also use a Zebco Cardinal 3 and a 4 regularly. Both on vintage graphite rods. Very good reels.

I had to retire my 2 430ss penns because I cannot find any dragknobs for them.

I also use a penn 704 greenie for catfish off the dock.

I have a Diawa 7000C on a stiff rod for saltwater grouper fishing.

I have a DAM 550 I haven't put on a rod yet. Still in it's original box.

A couple Shakespeare sigmas, a 2300-40 and a 2500-50. Those are some smooth, tough reels.

Oh, and last but not least, a 5000c (3screw) on a uglystik. I use it quite often for trolling.

[scaleface]

My catfish and Carp reels are Quantum 1310MG's made in the 80's .

[0119]

I'm not sure if my reels are old or not.  They are custom made from new old stock from the 70's.  So yeah I guess they are old just not put together and jazzed up until recently.  

[Goose52]

2 hours ago, Florida Cracker2 said:

I have an Orvis 50A spinning reel on an old matching brown rod that I like to use from time to time. Sounds like a coffee grinder, but fish seem to like the vibration because I often catch them with it when my smooth reels don't. (just a silly theory)

I also use a Zebco Cardinal 3 and a 4 regularly. Both on vintage graphite rods. Very good reels.

I had to retire my 2 430ss penns because I cannot find any dragknobs for them.

I also use a penn 704 greenie for catfish off the dock.

I have a Diawa 7000C on a stiff rod for saltwater grouper fishing.

I have a DAM 550 I haven't put on a rod yet. Still in it's original box.

A couple Shakespeare sigmas, a 2300-40 and a 2500-50. Those are some smooth, tough reels.

Oh, and last but not least, a 5000c (3screw) on a uglystik. I use it quite often for trolling.

Yeah - the Sigmas can still work, catch fish. I retired my last one a couple years ago but I keep thinking I'm going to put the "025" size (photo - bottom row, right) back in service one of these days.

 

[Florida Cracker2]

That's a beautiful collection! 

[WIGuide]

My oldest would be my Shimano Bantam Coriolis. It was the first baitcaster I ever purchased back in either 4th or 5th grade. That would put it at 18 years old. Mine doesn't look quite as good as the picture, has a little more boat rash, but not bad for a reel that old. I attribute the fact that it has mostly bushings as to why it's still working. It will however be retired to the back up shelf for this year.

[aquaholik]

On 12/20/2015 at 12:56 PM, stkbassn said:

Scorpion 1000 4x4...awesome reel.

Yep, still use this after the carbontex drag upgrade. Still and awesome caster.

I might bring this back to circulation. Still the combo that caught the most fish and my first baitcast combo. Still works just fine with 8lb mono and 1/4 oz jig. It's 29 years old.

 

 

[0119]

4 hours ago, Goose52 said:

Yeah - the Sigmas can still work, catch fish. I retired my last one a couple years ago but I keep thinking I'm going to put the "025" size (photo - bottom row, right) back in service one of these days.

 

Excellent reel! Many a snook and bass fell to me with a Sigma in my hands.  Before that I used D.A.M.  The Sigma's felt like feathers after the D.A.M.'s.

[HookdUP]

My oldest fresh water reel is a shimano stradic old school with the wood handle I've had since 99.  My oldest saltwater real are probably my saltigas ... Which I can't believe are ten years old now

[papajoe222]

I retired my  Daiwa Procaster PMF1000 a couple of seasons ago, it was my first low profile baitcaster. However, I still use my procaster PMA10 which has the thumb bar.  I can't remember how old it is.

[Paul Roberts]

Zebco Card 4 (the green-n-white), Quick 440N, and others... But the oldest (by a lot) is: My grandfather's Pflueger Progress brass birdcage fly reel that dates to late 1800's to early 1900's. I use it for small stream brookies at least once a season.

On 2/10/2016 at 9:09 AM, Goose52 said:

Yeah - the Sigmas can still work, catch fish. I retired my last one a couple years ago but I keep thinking I'm going to put the "025" size (photo - bottom row, right) back in service one of these days.

 

I have two of these Sigma's: an 030 and 035. I bought the 035 for my Dad back in the 1980's. He scarcely used it and just recently he shipped it to me. It's essentially spanking new. Yeah, there are much nicer reels out there now, and even taken down and lubed properly they are a little "raspy". But I'm happy to have them. Yours look to be in fine shape too.

[Goose52]

2 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

I have two of these Sigma's: an 030 and 035. I bought the 035 for my Dad back in the 1980's. He scarcely used it and just recently he shipped it to me. It's essentially spanking new. Yeah, there are much nicer reels out there now, and even taken down and lubed properly they are a little "raspy". But I'm happy to have them. Yours look to be in fine shape too.

The 030 was my favorite size for light freshwater...

The younger folks on the board may not be aware that these Shakespeare Sigmas were considered to be a first-class spinning reel in the '80s !

[edfitzvb]

Hard to give this one an accurate answer... Until I started clearing things out I used on a fairly regular basis

1) SEVERAL Garcia Mitchell 300

2.) A Garcia Mitchell 308

3.) A DAM Quick Microlite

4.) Shakespeare Maroon 2052 and 2062 reel

5.) Lew's Speed Spool that would have to be over 25 years old

6.) Abu Garcia 5500C

All were used on a regular basis. I recently retired the Lew's and the two Shakespeare to places of honor. The rest have been sold or are in line for sale. Still, I have over 20 newer reels in addition. I don't even want t TALK about lures, tackle, line, etc.  Hmmmmm

[Puggz]

I have a vintage Daiwa Whisker SS 1300 (made in japan) that I bought new in late '80s.  It has an amazing drag but I wish it had infinite anti reverse.  I also have a circa 1990 Shimano Aero Beastmaster spinning that I still use as well.  Great for Pike

[oldschoolbasser]

On 12/20/2015 at 3:07 PM, OroBass said:

I have a 1972 abu 4600c that has been heavily upgraded with 8 bearings, carbontex drag and supertuning. I use it every once in a while.

4600C's didn't come out until 1976,but its still s great reel.