Old baitcasters

[learnin]

Anyone else still have their first baitcaster?.  Still got mine, a rig I got in 1952 at the age of nine.  5'2" Shakespeare "Wonder Rod" and a South Bend Model 666 reel that still has some old (rayon, nylon?) line on it.  I think the rod was some early variation of fiberglass.  I'll say it's a "wonder" it's still in one piece.  I initially used that combination with live bait for all kinds of fishing,  later for bass. I  also used it for pier fishing on the North Carolina coast with some pyramid sinkers that had to be way above that rod's weight class.  It was all I used until I got out of the service in 1966 and got my first spinning outfit.  Never used it since. 

 

I didn't use a baitcaster again until I got a new one in the early 90s. As advanced as they are today I've never been as accurate as I was with that first combination.  Which was basically free spool with no real drag other than my thumb. I did a lot of fishing with it and practiced with it  the first few years I had it in the back yard a lot too. Got to where I was surprised if my bait didn't land where I wanted it to.

 

 

[new2BC4bass]

Have it, but don't use it.  A 5001C.  When purchased, I knew no one using a baitcast reel.  No Internet.  Didn't try very hard to learn to use it.  Didn't understand about cast control.  About 40 years later I bought my first Low Profile reel.  Internet in use everywhere.  Amazing how much better the 5001C casts now. 

 

[bulldog1935]

I don't have my first baitcaster, which was Daiwa Millionaire 6H (1978).  Plated brass worm gear with 440 pawl.  When surf sand cut through the worm gear, and Daiwa wouldn't support parts for the 7-y-o reel, I went to Lew's, zirconia pawl and 440 worm gear.  Still have my 2nd, 3rd and 4th baitcasters.  (Gave the ersatz Millionaire to a machinist friend, so he could tinker with the drive plate mechanism - also didn't buy my next Daiwa until 2020 - 35 years later).  

My last BB-25, I retired at the end of 2018.  

If you want to go way back (before my time), I have Meek, Talbot, and Jack Welch Heddon to tinker-cast and have caught quite a few bass.  

fwiw, there was never a time spinning tackle was go-to for me over baitcaster, but vise-versa.  Most of my life, fly rod was first, and even drift (blind) fishing coast flats, I kept a rigged fly rod in the rod holder, and would swap to it in fish sign.  

[BrianMDTX]

I still have my first baitcaster- a Daiwa 3H Millionaire. Originally paired with a 5-1/2’ Berkeley pistol grip rod. 
 

It’s officially retired. 

[WRB]

Saved have my 1st bait casting reel I bought new in 1955 when I was 12 Langley Lure Cast 330. Didn’t save the rod Connolin Feather Lite tubular 5 1/2’.

Tom

[Catt]

Old baitcasters!

He talking bout us @WRB?

 

 

[king fisher]

I still have my Heddon Mark 1V I bought in the spring of 1977

[Bankbeater]

Nope.  Mine was a Daiwa Millionaire 5B from the late 70's.

[Reel]

I began bait fishing with an old Pfleuger 1943.  Nothing to help here but a friction knob.

[tholmes]

 

My first baitcaster. My Grandpa gave it to me in about 1960 when I was 8 yrs. old. 

There have been several dozen more since😁

 

Tom

[bulldog1935]

@tholmes FK is 1951 model change year.  

here's your reel in 1951 Ward's catalog (D)

In case you're wondering, $8.90 in 1951-$ is $165 in today's money.  

[little giant]

I still have my first:

Ryobi VM36 maglite.

Bought it in the late 70's

Tiny thing but it has a mag brake! Still.have the rod, Garcia thunderstruck, 5'6", pistol grip. Those were the days......

[Rockhopper]

I have my first one that I bought with my own money around the age of 8 y.o. circa 1990ish.  It is an abu garcia 521 xlt plus with the flipping switch.

[Alex from GA]

My first baitcaster was a maroon bakelite reel and a steel rod.  My first rod was a Heddon fly rod, that I still have, that my parents bought me for pitching a no hitter in Little League.

 

[Log Catcher]

I still have my first baitcaster. It is an Ambassadeur 5000. I got it in the late 60s. I also have 4 more of them. I don't remember what rod I had it on.