Shakespeare had some good reels

[Cgolf]

I have talked about my 20ish year old 20 buck Shakespeare Excursion over time as why I don’t spend a lot on spinning reels. This thing has sat in my truck during the summer while at work and caught more fish than I can remember. It has given me zero issues over the years and is still catching fish today. While it is getting a little sloppy, and as you can see from the pictures, it is the one with the plastic spool, the finish is worn, I just can’t stop using the thing. I do use Daiwa Regals and Pflueger presidents on my Dobyns an St Croix rods. 
 

The second one is the same vintage but very lightly used. While it is heavier than my better spinning reels, the anti reverse is as good and so is smoothness while reeling. The drag has been adequate for brown and green bass. 
 

Am I saying go out and buy up excursions now, heck no! I am guessing the quality back then was far superior to now. I wouldn’t hesitate to use these on my better sticks if one of the other reels gave out. 

[BrianMDTX]

This one is fifty years old this year. A Shakespeare 2052. 
 

 

Do I have better reels? Likely. Will they last fifty years? Unlikely lol. These are the last two bass I have caught using this reel on a Cabela's Black Lightning UL rod with 8 lb. Stren mono (both in May of 2020). Not the set-up most would recommend, but it did the trick. I love using that reel!

 

 

[Cgolf]

4 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

This one is fifty years old this year. A Shakespeare 2052. 
 

 

Do I have better reels? Likely. Will they last fifty years? Unlikely lol. These are the last two bass I have caught using this reel on a Cabela's Black Lightning UL rod with 8 lb. Stren mono (both in May of 2020). Not the set-up most would recommend, but it did the trick. I love using that reel!

 

 

Nice, and held up just fine against some very nice bass!  I really wish they made stuff like they used to, we have become such a throwaway society. I have some older Quantum Accurists too that still work great.

[BrianMDTX]

I have a Garcia Mitchell 300 from the 60’s and a mid-70’s Daiwa Millionaire 3H that still work flawlessly and catch fish. Built like tanks! 

[Captain Phil]

47 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I have a Garcia Mitchell 300 from the 60’s and a mid-70’s Daiwa Millionaire 3H that still work flawlessly and catch fish. Built like tanks! 

[BrianMDTX]

12 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

True story. My dad was a letter carrier. He found a Garcia Mitchell 300 and a 304 attached to two broken rods in someone’s trash can. Maybe they got skunked lol. He brought them home, cleaned them up and gave the 304 to my older brother and I got the 300. 
 

I’ll be 60 in September. Been catching fish with it ever since. Unless I run it over with my truck, it will likely outlast me lol. 

[Cgolf]

26 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

I like the look of the reel. It has a really cool shape. That shape with today's spool design would be pretty awesome looking.. 

[BrianMDTX]

To be honest, I have probably had line get trapped under a skirted spool on other spinning reels more than I ever have on that Mitchell. 
 

Plus...it has that “classic” sound when you reel it lol. 

[RoLo]

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

I have a Garcia Mitchell 300 from the 60’s and a mid-70’s Daiwa Millionaire 3H that still work flawlessly and catch fish. Built like tanks! 

 

Garcia Mitchell 300 sure jogs my nostalgia.

In the 50s, that was my first spinning reel, which I mounted on a blue Conolan fiberglass rod.

It was the only outfit I owned, and I thought it was the cat’s meow.

 

The biggest nuisance? You guessed it: ‘bail springs’ (always kept spares in the tackle box) 

 

Roger 

[BrianMDTX]

15 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

Garcia Mitchell 300 sure jogs my nostalgia.

In the 50s, that was my first spinning reel, which I mounted on a blue Conolan fiberglass rod.

It was the only outfit I owned, and I thought it was the cat’s meow.

 

The biggest nuisance? You guessed it: ‘bail springs’ (always kept spares in the tackle box) 

 

Roger 

My bail spring is original (knock on wood) and still works flawlessly when required, although I close the bail manually now. That Shakespeare won’t readily allow that, so I still crank the handle to close the bail. 
 

Funny. Automatic bail closing was a popular feature “back in the day”. Now everyone closes it manually to prevent line twist. 

[Cgolf]

36 minutes ago, RoLo said:

 

Garcia Mitchell 300 sure jogs my nostalgia.

In the 50s, that was my first spinning reel, which I mounted on a blue Conolan fiberglass rod.

It was the only outfit I owned, and I thought it was the cat’s meow.

 

The biggest nuisance? You guessed it: ‘bail springs’ (always kept spares in the tackle box) 

 

Roger 

 

Sounds like my Daiwa Regals. I have 3 of them and had to make 3 calls to Daiwa to get complimentary bail springs.

[Gator_Bait]

I've got an old spinning reel or two. Thought I knew where they were and went to the shop to get a picture...not where I thought. I'll run across them some day and post a picture.

 

I did find a bunch of trout flies that grandpa tied back in the 50s. Also a couple of Pemco automatic fly reels. I have another in my "Fly Bag" along with the reels I use. I've also got 2 of grandpa's bamboo fly rods from late 40s or so. 

[Captain Phil]

The Mitchell 300 was groundbreaking in it's day.  Before it came along, most bass fishing was done with casting reels.  When plastic worms came out, bullet worm weights hadn't been invented.  Throwing a light plastic worm with a non free spool casting reel is nearly impossible.  The Mitchell 300 solved this issue.  These reels were built like tanks.   They are heavy by today's standards.  Their only weakness was the bail spring.  I changed many of them in the boat.  The quick change spool was innovative for it's time. The reel in the photo is nearly new in the box.  I have had it for more years than I can remember.  

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

The Mitchell 300 was groundbreaking in it's day.  Before it came along, most bass fishing was done with casting reels.  When plastic worms came out, bullet worm weights hadn't been invented.  Throwing a light plastic worm with a non free spool casting reel is nearly impossible.  The Mitchell 300 solved this issue.  These reels were built like tanks.   They are heavy by today's standards.  Their only weakness was the bail spring.  I changed many of them in the boat.  The quick change spool was innovative for it's time. The reel in the photo is nearly new in the box.  I have had it for more years than I can remember.  

Yours is older than mine. Your reel has the “boomerang-style” anti-reverse lever. It looks like it’s in new shape! Here’s mine on a early 70s Eagle Claw fiberglass rod. With real Coors ceramic guides!

 

 

[redmeansdistortion]

16 hours ago, RoLo said:

 

Garcia Mitchell 300 sure jogs my nostalgia.

In the 50s, that was my first spinning reel, which I mounted on a blue Conolan fiberglass rod.

It was the only outfit I owned, and I thought it was the cat’s meow.

 

The biggest nuisance? You guessed it: ‘bail springs’ (always kept spares in the tackle box) 

 

Roger 

I still keep bail springs as I service a good amount every year.  That's about the only part I usually see give out on them.

[Johnbt]

This was my second reel in the early and late '60s. The first one was a J.C. Higgins casting reel. I quit using them a long time ago.

 

I just checked ebay and there are quite a few for sale. They must have sold a lot of them.

 

See, I started out using casting reels and working the handles with my right hand, and I still don't like them even though I'm righthanded. 

 

Here's the Higgins. It's on a metal rod. Those were the days.

[WRB]

Mitchell reels in the 50’s-60’s were French imports. The rotar turns the opposite direction of today’s spinning reels.

Shakespeare was a rod and  wooden lure company in the early 1920’s before offering reels. Both Shakespeare and Pflueger made similar spinning reels during the 70’s.
Tom  

[Cgolf]

8 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

I still keep bail springs as I service a good amount every year.  That's about the only part I usually see give out on them.

 

23 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

My bail spring is original (knock on wood) and still works flawlessly when required, although I close the bail manually now. That Shakespeare won’t readily allow that, so I still crank the handle to close the bail. 
 

Funny. Automatic bail closing was a popular feature “back in the day”. Now everyone closes it manually to prevent line twist. 

 

After this sunk in, I went and double checked my tackle bag to make sure I had a couple of bail springs packed just in case;) Appreciate the reminder.