Retro combos

[CrashVector]

I am interested in putting together one or a few retro bass combos.

 

1980's.

 

I've done a bit of research, but obviously there's not a lot of specifics.

 

So...I need your help.  Suggest some rods and reels I might be able to get ahold of that are from the 1980's.  It'll be for general bass fishing using mono of course.

[newriverfisherman1953]

Mitchell 300 spinning reel. 

[DitchPanda]

Abu Garcia 5500 c3

[CrashVector]

9 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Abu Garcia 5500 c3

I have like six of those lol

[papajoe222]

A Daiwa ProCaster PMA10 paired to a St. Croix 5'6" pistol griped rod.  I believe they still offer the rod and I'm sure you could find the reel on that auction site.

[CrashVector]

Anybody know when those browning pistol grip boron rods were made?

 

I have two of em...they're like metallic brown colored.

[QED]

The old Shimano colfor (cold forged aluminum alloy) carbon fiber casting rod series were pretty awesome back in the day.  I'm still using them now.

[edited to add additional photo]

[CrashVector]

8 minutes ago, QED said:

The old Shimano colfor (cold forged aluminum alloy) carbon fiber casting rod series were pretty awesome back in the day.  I'm still using them now.

 

What year were those shimanos from?

[QED]

Very early 80s in my case.  They show up occasionally on ebay but the pricing tends to range from high to stupid high.

[Big Hands]

I once thought my Daiwa Procaster PT ZX 10 and PT ZX 15 reels were the cat's rear end. They cast wonderfully, so that isn't really the issue for me. The problem I have with reels from that era are that even the low profile reels from then aren't really that low in profile. If you can live with the 'low profile' from that era, they are fantastic reels that were my workhorses for many years. For me, that profile alone (compared to what we have today) was enough for me to finally sell all but one (I had four of them), and I think I'm finally ready to part with that one. I still have one ABU Royal round reel too. Maybe some day I'll become a catfisherman, LOL. 

I know Bulldog does some incredible things with reels of all types that are fun to see, but I have neither the time nor inclination to mess with them like that.

 

I still have some decent pistol grip rods from back then as well. My wrists thank me each and every day I don't fish with them. I'll hopefully find someone local that I can give them to because I have no plans to ever fish with one again. 

[MN Fisher]

Berkley Enforcer -

 

Abu Ambassdeur 500R

[CrashVector]

2 hours ago, QED said:

 

 

This is for no other reason than fun.

 

I want to use some equipment that was available back when I got started as a kid ...with my old green aluminum Johnson spincast reel hunting bluegills.

 

Nostalgic fishing...just for the fun memories. I fish because it's fun and relaxing, and figured it would be cool to have a couple retro combos I could bring out.

[MN Fisher]

14 minutes ago, CrashVector said:

I want to use some equipment that was available back when I got started as a kid ...with my old green aluminum Johnson spincast reel hunting bluegills.

Well the Enforcer/500R combo was my only casting rig from about 1981 to 2015.

 

My other two combos during that period were

Plfueger 640/Daiwa 1312 (ML/F) - got this combo around 1974

Abu Cardinal 562/Ugly Stick (M/F) - another early 80s aquisition

 

Still have all three reels and the Daiwa rod - the Enforcer and Ugly Stick I got rid of a few years back when I started my 'massive upgrading.

[Columbia Craw]

Lews Speed Stik and BB1N.  Ambassadeur 5000 on a Fenwick Lunker Stik 555 or Dee Thomas HMG FlippinStik. A Quantum 1310 with the matching rod from K Mart. Very retro. Get you a jump suit, Ranger truckers hat and you’ll be stylin’.

[QED]

1 hour ago, CrashVector said:

 

This is for no other reason than fun.

 

I want to use some equipment that was available back when I got started as a kid ...with my old green aluminum Johnson spincast reel hunting bluegills.

 

Nostalgic fishing...just for the fun memories. I fish because it's fun and relaxing, and figured it would be cool to have a couple retro combos I could bring out.

 

That's an excellent reason.  I'm lucky in that I was able to keep my gear from when I was a kid.  My mom threw out all my music media stuff when I was away at college but fortunately she didn't throw out my fishing gear.

[Deleted account]

7 hours ago, QED said:

 My mom threw out all my music media stuff when I was away at college

I remember seeing an Air Supply 8 track cheap at a yard sale, tell her I said hi...

[KDW96]

Mitchell 308 spinning reel attached to a 5ft6in Skyline 100% graphite rod.

 

Abu 521XLT with a 5ft6in pistol grip original falcon rod,

[Tatulatard]

This is making me want to get old pinnacle casting combos from the early 2000s.   

[Aaron_H]

It's late 80s and not high end, but the old Shimano Bantam Bass One Mag can be found reasonably cheap on auction sites. My father has one he bought new in '89 that's still slaying them on traps to this day.

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, Tatulatard said:

This is making me want to get old pinnacle casting combos from the early 2000s.   

I'm still fishing mine.

[MN Fisher]

I might even do that - put the Cardinal on the Daiwa...give me a 4th crappie rig.

[crypt]

Ambassdeur 4500 ....Lews 6" SpeedStick .....15lb. Trilene XT 

any lure will do as long as it's a 7inch purple Fliptail worm.

[redmeansdistortion]

Zebco Cardinal 3 and a 10'6" Dick Swan noodle rod.  Spool it up with 4lb and have the time of your life lol

[CrashVector]

On 5/5/2022 at 9:24 PM, QED said:

 

Thanks for the ideas everyone...I'm super pumped about putting together on combos from bass fishing's golden age and using em to catch big fish

[rangerjockey]

Back then the More popular rods were, Allstar, Fenwick and Lews . That was about the time graphite was the new thing and guys broke them like pick up sticks.  

Fuji made the Lews rods.

 Lews and Abu were the most popular reels . Shimano and Ryobi made the Lew's reels ,,and there may have been a third company