Spincast reels

[Mobasser]

Here's something to consider: I used to watch Virgil Wards Championship Fishing every week. Mr. Ward endorsed Johnson reels at the time. I watched several shows where he was fishing on Table Rock, Bull Shouls, and other Missouri lakes, catching both size and numbers with a Johnson spincast reel. Of course, we were not nearly as high tech in the early to mid 80s as we are now. I started this thread to simply say that a spincasting reel may work for you,. I'll never judge anyone for their choice in tackle. If a spincast reel works for you, than by all means use it. And, have some fun and catch some bass! That's what it's all about!

[FishTank]

I look at this way, spincast reels aren't really designed for bass fishing (or BASH fishing for that matter).  They will catch fish and I am not ashamed to say that my 8 year old daughter smoked me one day with her Barbie spincast reel and rod when I was using a set up that cost about $750.  Point is, if you have line, lure, hook, patience and just plain old luck, you're going to catch fish.  To me, it's all about the enjoyment. 

 

As far as them coming along in technology, I think the only one I have seen that has come a long way is the Zebco Bullet.  There have been many version of it over the years.  I liked the 38 and the 22.  The current version cost about $100 and has 9 bearings.  It is a far cry from the one I bought in the 80's for $5.

[greentrout]

lmb are caught everyday on a spincast with a t-rigged plastic worm ... daiwa, abu garcia, pfluger, and zebco make decent reels for bass fishing ... i use mine 5-10 percent of the time ...  on small neighborhood ponds ... lot of fun ...

 

good fishing ...

[roadwarrior]

"To me, it's all about the enjoyment." 

 

You can catch fish on anything, a rod and reel are NOT even required. 

For me it's all about the "fun factor".  A spincaster is for youngsters

and people that are not serious fisherman, just an occasional diversion. 

 

[VolFan]

"A spincaster is for youngsters

and people that are not serious fisherman."

 

I find that to be a disappointing level of elitism for a mod to express on this site. Buying a decent spincast and maintaining and using it doesn't make you not a serious fisherman.

 

[Tennessee Boy]

Almost 50 years ago,  my grandfather took me to Kentucky lake for the first time.   I caught a 7lb catfish with a Zebco 202.  Spincast reels worked then and I’m sure they work even better now.

[J Francho]

I still have a couple of 33s from the mid 80s that work fine to this day.  I also have a Daiwa Goldcast that is probably better made than most modern spinning reels.  It's a little heavy, but my queen has never complained using it on a Saint Croix LTB.

[brophog]

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Almost 50 years ago,  my grandfather took me to Kentucky lake for the first time.   I caught a 7lb catfish with a Zebco 202.  Spincast reels worked then and I’m sure they work even better now.

 

They’re still basically the same. The Omega is a nice spincast reel, but it’s honestly just getting back to where 33’s were all those years ago. The Bullet is a bit different in that they’ve elongated it to increase the gear ratio, and that allows that reel to do things traditionally difficult to do on a spincast.

[roadwarrior]

22 hours ago, VolFan said:

"A spincaster is for youngsters

and people that are not serious fisherman."

 

I find that to be a disappointing level of elitism for a mod to express on this site. Buying a decent spincast and maintaining and using it doesn't make you not a serious fisherman.

 

"Elitism"?

I don't care what anyone fishes with and have stated over the years that "anything" works if

we are just talking about "catching". For me it's more about playing with my toys and the subtle

differences in gear.  In terms of innovation, spincast has been all but abandoned by the industry

and the "high end" like an Omega just does not compare to a low end spinning reel or baitcaster.

My gang bought two Omega when they were introduced and both were great little reels for catching

baitfish on a sabiki rig, but I want something more when the target is trophy smallmouth.

 

[WRB]

Woo Daves won the 2000 Bassmaster Classic using a Zebco 808 spin cast reel.

Tom

[J Francho]

Hmmm...the Goldcast has a line roller, oscillating spool, aluminum frame, cut brass gears, titanium guide, and a multi stage drag.  Certainly far from "abandoned technology."  Never mind the double digit steelhead that have been caught on it.  My guess is most that would look down on the reel have never actually fished with it.  It is not a toy.

49 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

In terms of innovation, spincast has been all but abandoned by the industry

and the "high end" like an Omega just does not compare to a low end spinning reel or baitcaster.

Zebco, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Shakespeare, and Pflueger all make spincasters.  Underspin designs, quick change spools, improved drag systems, solid aluminum frames, updated EVA knobs, are some of the upgrades added to the better models.  I'd say that's the opposite of abandoned.

[Mobasser]

8 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Hmmm...the Goldcast has a line roller, oscillating spool, aluminum frame, cut brass gears, titanium guide, and a multi stage drag.  Certainly far from "abandoned technology."  Never mind the double digit steelhead that have been caught on it.  My guess is most that would look down on the reel have never actually fished with it.  It is not a toy.

Zebco, Daiwa, Abu Garcia, Shakespeare, and Pflueger all make spincasters.  Underspin designs, quick change spools, improved drag systems, solid aluminum frames, updated EVA knobs, are some of the upgrades added to the better models.  I'd say that's the opposite of abandoned.

J Francho, 100% correct. They havnt been abandoned at all. The fact they've been improved so much tells me their is still a big demand. Like you say, guys writing them off probably havnt fished some of the newer models. They would not be my first choice, but I'd never slam on anyone for choosing one. Good points here!

[WRB]

When my son was 5 years old I made up a 5' spinning rod with Zebco Omega 144XL Triggerspin spin casting reel. Triggerspins are like spinning reels that operate under the rod and this allowed a child to cast 2 handed and operate the reel effectively. 

This small reel was a bullet proof little reel and my son became a good fisherman and could cast his outfit without any issues or help from dad. 

My son used this outfit for about 3 years and during that time he managed to catch a 26 lb Channel catfish, 7 lb bass, 10 lb carp on a split shot reapers. He graduated to a spinning reel combo at age 8 retiring his Triggerspin outfit.  

Tom

[Glaucus]

They're all still trash. They look and perform great for a very brief period of time. I got the Zebco Bullet when it first came out. Within 2 months it had fallen apart. My wife and son have burned through 5 or 6 of the New Platinum 33s. They simply do not hold up. I've never had a casting or a spinning reel flat out break, and I've certainly never had one stop performing right after just a few weeks of use. Last year we got my wife on spinning gear and this year we're working on casting gear. My son is stepping up too. I'm sure some people have success stories with these modern spincast reels, but not us. I can post a photo of a box of these junked out in our garage. I can't recall ever even breaking a rod while fishing, just the tip of one via a screen door coming home after a day of fishing. I'm good on my gear. Stay away!

[flatcreek]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Woo Daves won the 2000 Bassmaster Classic using a Zebco 808 spin cast reel.

Tom

I read an article that said that he likes to use a spin cast around docks.

[papajoe222]

They are the only type of reel my wife will use (she fishes at least once a week). I've purchased different brands and models over the years and the only ones that's held up more than a couple of seasons are the Goldcast and President.

[Bolar]

I just about fish exclusively spincast.  I like the Omega line and have both sizes.   My biggest problem has been the line wearing into the spinner head.   Mono and/or braid.  They last about one season and the heads have to be replaced. 

 

You can cast braid with a spincast,  but it works better with a heavier line.  Experiment with what works best for you. 

[fin]

I used to fish with a Zebco 404 on a 5'6" Speed Stick with the pistol grip (c. 1977), and I remember being able to cast extremely accurate. Maybe I'm just remembering it that way, but it seems like that setup was more accurate than a spinning reel, and definitely more accurate than a baitcaster. The distance was no where near as good, but when fishing creeks from banks with overhanging limbs and brush, trying to cast right behind stumps and rocks, I could hit the target almost every time. Maybe it was the simplicity of the reel and the short length of the rod.

 

I caught a lot of bass with that setup and I also caught an ugly stick with a Shimano Caenan on it, and that ended my spincast days.

 

I'll occasionally fish for carp, and I'm not above using an old spincast for that, but the line curl problem was a real headache.

[brophog]

18 hours ago, Mobasser said:

J Francho, 100% correct. They havnt been abandoned at all. The fact they've been improved so much tells me their is still a big demand. Like you say, guys writing them off probably havnt fished some of the newer models. They would not be my first choice, but I'd never slam on anyone for choosing one. Good points here!

 

And at the end of the day, with all of these features, they’re still just trying to approximate a spinning reel. If I told someone I’d sell them a 1 bearing, 18 IPT reel for the cost of a Pflueger President, I’d imagine they’d take the President. It’s just a far superior reel to a Goldcast at a similar price point.

 

That’s probably the biggest testament to the resolve of spincast reels. The better models sell at a price point in which far better spinning, and in some cases baitcaster, reels reside and yet they still sell. So there is certainly a market for them and I don’t think anyone would claim they don’t catch fish. They may have caught more in the past 60 years than spinning/baitcasters combined.

 

But the question we are now debating isn’t whether spincasters sell or if they can catch fish....it’s if they’re for serious bass fisherman. So, I want to know this...how many of us have 10 spincast combos rigged up on the decks of our boats?

[J Francho]

So we're back to passing judgement on someone else's dedication to a hobby. 

 

Lame.  Time to get out and put our creel where our mouths are.

[Mobasser]

27 minutes ago, J Francho said:

So we're back to passing judgement on someone else's dedication to a hobby. 

 

Lame.  Time to get out and put our creel where our mouths are.

Yep! Lame! How about this concept. Take your dog- gonned reel out there and catch some fish! Works for me, whatever you use!

[zell_pop1]

I am considering the Goldcast, they are 40-50 on Amazon, so not that much $. I thought it would be good for a guest in the boat or for skipping docks. Also I believe their IPT is more like 25 than 18, so not all that slow. 

[J Francho]

13 hours ago, zell_pop1 said:

Also I believe their IPT is more like 25 than 18, so not all that slow.

The GC100 is 21.3 IPT.

 

http://www.daiwa.com/us/contents/reels/goldcast/index.html

[OnthePotomac]

Another comment on the great bass pro Woo Daves, renowned for his worm fishing skill, often said he always kept a spincaster on the deck.

[J Francho]

I remember a whole article in Bassmaster on Woo, and using that Zebco 808, back in the 90s.  They were giant, awkward looking reels.  I had a all green 404 on a matching green wrapped, bamboo rod.  Later I upgraded to an Ugly Stik and Penn spinning reel, though I kept the Zebco for live bait fishing.