Do you remember those old Mitchell Garcia spinning reels from the 50's and 60's? They were solid, simple and lasted forever.
You could smash it against the wall and it would probably work better. I’m looking for a the following


All metal construction
Large spool
braid ready
gimmick free (no digital no ceramic drag)
ability to be rebuilt
simplicity

I wish the reel manufactures would push durability and longevity instead of bells and whistles. . The problem with that is that they wouldn’t sell very many reels if they made them last forever. Im looking for a reel to match a 7'6"popping rod. Any ideas?





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2007 10:39AM by Tim Johnston.

Penn Slammer.

Mitchell 300 is still available and "works." I have several that were manufactured in the late 60s or early 70s and other than a few new spools a screw or two they have performed flawlessly.

I have one but the 10lb test braid keeps cutting into the bail

Diawi Black gold? Mid priced Shimano symmetry? Penn ?

What I rember about the 300's in the different sizes (heck, I still use a 408 and a 306 sometimes) is a teardown and rebuild every year, a bail that often does not work, leaks grease out of every bushing, cranks like a corn sheller, wraps line around the shaft, and a scratchy drag.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2007 03:10PM by Bill Moschler.

the shimano baitrunners are beasts but not sure if you need the baitrunner feature...but if you would like that they are rock solid

I second Jim's recommendation of the Penn Slammer, under one condition (see below). The Slammer is all-metal, handles braid great, is very simple, and the parts are very readily available, and is easy to work on. If I can work on a reel, it must be easy, because I'm not exactly the most technically adept person in the world. I have Penn Slammer 460s on both of my surf plugging rod, and they both work great, despite the fact that I put them through some fairly hard use.

I make this recommendation, however, with the following caveat: that you get a Slammer made in the USA. Penn recently moved production of the Slammers from the US to China, and there have been some quality issues with the new Chinese-made Slammers (this is all according to the tackle guy I deal with). I think that all will be OK in the end, but I would wait until they fix things before I took the plunge. Fortunately, there are still quite a few USA-made Slammers around; the last time I was in my local Bait & Tackle shop they had all the models in stock, in American-made versions.

I'm sure there are other good reels out there that will work for you, but maybe what's worked for me will help you. Good luck.

Baitrunner is rather intimidating to me once you open it up. That rear drag stuff stops me in my tracks, for fear of hearing a 'ping' as a part leaps out. And if not that, I am unsure whether I could get it back together right. It isn't the smoothest either.
Penn SS are very solid. All metal again too.

i was gonna say van staal but ya cant rebuild them but who needs to anyway,

I've used Penn "SS" spin reels in several sizes in both fresh and saltwater over the years, they are rock solid, smooth, dependable, and hard to beat over the long haul.
We do not sell reels, this is just a user recomendation.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

I second the Penn SS reels, lots of stainless used in them for saltwater durability, huge smooth drag made from the same H-100 drag material used in the big saltwater reels, etc. I've had one 430SS that's 20 years old and still going strong. Used both in fresh and saltwater. I'd use a 440G probably for your application.

dave once you take it apart once or twice its nothing...they arent the smoothest but for $100 they are worth it...i have a couple and have only taken one apart just to check it out but i dont oil/grease or clean mine and after 3 years they are still like new

i would have also said van staal but everytime i mention a high dollar reel all i get is "im not rich i want $700 reel quality for $70" haha

Please try DAIWA SS TOURNAMENT 700 or 1300

Ahhh,,,, so you don't habitually maintain your reels. I don't do it as often as I should, but at least every 2 years I strip down, clean, and lube my reels. Saltwater gets into everything eventually, even with freshwater rinsing after every outting. Easy to maintain is high on my priorities.

The all metal Penns have quite a rep. When the company stopped making them for a few years and went to plastic/graphite bodies, the used ones on @#$%& became quite pricey. Now they are making them again. Bought one of the new ones last year and like it. Smoother than the Baitrunner I have ever was, it is built from better materials, and is much more maintainable.

BTW,,, open up, check, and lube any reel you buy. Amazing how often the factory has forgotten to lube a bearing. Sometimes they overlube too, to the point of drags getting lubed. Piece of mind to check, and in the process you figure out the innards and ensure that it is battle ready.

i maintain my high dollar reels like my trinidads but the baitrunners are cheap enough that i dont bother...and even without any maint. they havent given me any problems so i figure if it lasts a year ive gotten my moneys worth on it

the couple of trinidads i have i maintain religously though haha and the van staal i have to send in

HA!!! I have a very old Mitchell 300 I LOVE this reel. I have beat the living crap out it, tried to purposely destroy it and man this thing just keeps reeling & reel. For heck sakes the bail on it is still true, no warps or bends. To be honest this is the only spinning reel I use and have much newer reels. I can't remember the last time I took it apart. I have 3 of them. One I bought at a swap meet for 5 bucks and used it the next week, worked flawless, opened it up and there zero lube up in there. The first one I ever got my hands on I was about 8/9 years old, I still have that reel. Every time I find one of the old school ones I buy it, and have to tell the wife that its for spare parts even though I have never needed a spare part for any of mine. None of them are pretty but dang nabit they keep working.

Regards

Scott

I have enjoyed excellent performance from a Van Staal reel for over 5 years. In addition to bullet proof construction it weighs less than any other in class. Less weight is a great advantage when surf fishing for several hours.

The Quantum Cabo PT's are an excellent moderately priced alterrnative. There is not another reel in this price range with as many quality features. They have superb corrosion resistance and are as smooth as silk. It's not surprising that both Van Staal and Quantum are under the same corporate umbrella... Zebco. My Van Staal VS 200 weighs 18 oz. compared to a comparably sized Quantum Cabo weighing in at just under 30 oz. Add the weight of 300+ yards of 17# Mono or 30# Braid and you see why lighter is better.

I had a Zebco reel when I started surf fishing at age 16. It was built like a rock but very heavy. Sand would get inside and clog the spring which activated the bail. I then switched to a Garcia Mitchell and it was a workhorse but also very heavy and subject to the elements.

The improvements now found in the Quantum Boca reel set it heads above the older technology. I admire restored Model T Fords but would not want to drive one cross country. Computerized design and manufacturing has brought about great advances in reel design and manufacturing. Quantum seems to have made greater strides with their products than the competitors. I applaud their accomplishments.

I am not impressed with the high end Shimano Stellas as they are heavier and rely on many bearings as opposed to efficient mechanical design for their operation. Bearings are a compromise solution. They add weight and introduce more moving parts. This design is acceptable in the mid price range but is not worthy of a high end offering. The Van Staal uses a more elegant design solution to create mechanical advantage. This accounts for their much lighter weight and improved durability.

Jon, you can buy one Van Staal for the cost of those reels you keep tossing away after a year. It will still be working fine when you pass it along to the next generation of fishers.

new for 2007...ABU cardinal 800...all aluminum body and bail supposed to be tought as you know what.