Penn Reels - just as you find them

[AC49]

This also tells me how Penn identified their export models. The markings were on the boxes, not the reels. They initially marked the 49A because that reel was modified but other reels, like Jigmasteers, were only marked on the boxes.

I researched this and a mate of mine in South Africa told me that he and a friend foul-hooked a rod and reel in a river in East London, South Africa, the reel was apparently a Penn Jigmaster with a 500A on the headplate, but the friend, a South African wildlife conservationist was murdered in Tanzania during 2017. The 51-year-old expert on the protection of elephants was presumably shot dead by poachers on Wednesday 16th August 2017 in the Masaki suburb of Dar es Salaam. So we haven't pursued this matter due to this tragedy as he had the reel. RIP Wayne Lotter.

Regards
AC49  

[Tightlines667]

Wow!

Sounds like I can ad yet another model to this search list, though it sounds like this one is not likely to turn up here in the states.

[Maxed Out]

 As found left handed 3/0 approximately 1949/50. Mostly non numbered, including the spool

[Tightlines667]

Gorgeous reel Ted!


Nice find there!

Those non-numbered parts could be used to make a prewar model exceptional, though I'm not sure I would want to meddle with this one's beauty

[Penn Chronology]

I researched this and a mate of mine in South Africa told me that he and a friend foul-hooked a rod and reel in a river in East London, South Africa, the reel was apparently a Penn Jigmaster with a 500A on the headplate, but the friend, a South African wildlife conservationist was murdered in Tanzania during 2017. The 51-year-old expert on the protection of elephants was presumably shot dead by poachers on Wednesday 16th August 2017 in the Masaki suburb of Dar es Salaam. So we haven't pursued this matter due to this tragedy as he had the reel. RIP Wayne Lotter.

Sad story about the conservationist. Amazing story about the 500A. I have never seen a marked Jigmaster 500A. That would mean a plug mold would exist with the 500A Model Number. Very interesting.

I want to paste in some history I have published about these reels. Maybe it will be something you can relate to about the history I found by communicating with some people in South Africa. Your knowledge and opinions are very important here because you live there and have first hand knowledge of South Africa. My knowledge is all by talking with people like you that live there. Thank You.

""      The time period is the 1950's, at that time there was a phenomenon going on with Yellowfin tuna off the coast of Cape Point, South Africa. A rocky coastal location named the Rooikrantz enabled brave fisherman the chance to catch Yellowfin Tuna from a land based rock pile. It seems to me that they risked life and limb in order to fish this location for tuna. These were not football tuna, these tuna were very good sized fish as can be seen by some vintage photos from the days gone by at the Rooikrantz . Among the people that fished the Rooikrantz, one particular gentleman stood out from the rest.
      A Mr. Louis Boshoff was one of the most famous Rooikrantz anglers of yesteryear, many spinning lures were developed by Mr. Boshoff that are still being molded and copied today in South Africa. The area that Mr Boshoff fished at the Rooikrantz was at the lowest, most inaccessible part of the cave (people who knew the location considered it at the end of the rope).  It happened that Mr. Boshoff was left handed and this particularly dangerous fishing spot was only fishable if you cast left handed. Going there today and carefully searching, you will find a small hole in the rock with a cover on it where a fighting chair for catching Yellowfin would be mounted.
     Mr. Boshoff used a Penn 49 to fish from the rocks but he needed a reel that had more line capacity but was still light enough to cast and fast enough to retrieve spinner baits at speeds that would attract a tuna. The Penn 49 was light for a reel of its size, was fitted with a large, lightweight Bakelite spool and had a retrieve ratio of 3.5 to 1. It was the perfect candidate for the Rooikrantz fishing except more line capacity was needed for the super strong Yellowfins. Louis Boshoff used the standard Penn 49 as the base to create three reels, one for himself, one for his brother and one spare. He made the reels by removing the crossbars and stand from a normal Penn 49 and replacing it with a stand and cross bars from a Penn 500 which created a wider reel. He then took the shaft of the Penn 500 spool and placed that shaft in the plastic spool of a Penn 49 after splitting the Penn 49 spool and making a spacer to make up the extra width needed to make the spool fit the new, wide Penn 49.
       The late Mike Stott was one of the Directors at Jack Lemkus Sporting Goods in Salt River, who were agents for Penn in Cape Town at the time that Mr. Boshoff accomplished this modification to the Penn Model 49. Mr. Stott saw these modified reels, took the spare reel that belonged to Louis Boshoff and sent it to Penn. A Penn representative was sent to Cape Town to investigate why this reel was needed and Penn history was made but only exclusively in South Africa. All Penn had to do was manufacture a wider plastic spool, all the other needed parts for this new Model 49A reel were on the shelf.
      This story was passed on to me, by Mr. Fritz Rossouw, a reel repairman and collector living in Pretoria, South Africa. Mr. Rossouw has made this study of South African Penn 49A reels possible by being very generous with his own particular knowledge and passing on to me other sources of information. """

                         I wrote an article about these reels many years ago, it is Chapter 13 in my green book. This is an excerpt from that article.

                         I have been told that those Jetty Fisherman were called "Springbucks". I must admit, the stories from South Africa certainly have a large amount of drama attached to them.

Thank you very much for sharing.

[AC49]

"That would mean a plug mold would exist with the 500A Model Number. Very interesting"

Mike my philosophy is "seeing is believing" so don't look for the plug mold JUST YET 
I will pursue this matter until at least a picture surfaces !!

I did however manage to purchase a Penn 500 Jigmaster with a white spool from my mate - not great condition but the only 1 I have ever seen in South Africa. It did look a bit better after a clean up.

Mike I will post some interesting information I have gathered about the Rooikrantz fishermen of the 1940's and 1950's soon.

Regards
Alan

[mo65]

   A white spool for a Jigmaster?? Holy moly...these surprises just keep coming...awesome find Alan!

[Penn Chronology]

Mike my philosophy is "seeing is believing" so don't look for the plug mold JUST YET  Wink
I will pursue this matter until at least a picture surfaces !!

I did however manage to purchase a Penn 500 Jigmaster with a white spool from my mate - not great condition but the only 1 I have ever seen in South Africa. It did look a bit better after a clean up.

Mike I will post some interesting information I have gathered about the Rooikrantz fishermen of the 1940's and 1950's soon.

Regards
Alan

If you find a picture of the 500A with a marked side plate, you will have the only one I know of. Stranger things have happened.


The white spool Jigmaster is a new one on me. I guess the export models were different. That spool is very special. Not many other reels a Jigmaster spool can be used on. They will interchange with a Model 259---Live Bait Caster, but, I think that is about the only other reel that would use a Jigmaster spool. I could be wrong, maybe I could get some other opinions here. That is a rare spool, in my opinion.

Looking forward to more info about the Rooikrantz. Those guys were special kind of fisherman. I have a couple of photos from those 1950's days gone by. The first is a gent named Jack Wheeler with a 170 pound yellow fin he caught off the rocks. The second photo is of two ladies (Mrs. Vi Knipe & a Mrs. Joan Ritchie) that also had some impressive fish. Those must have been exciting days. I was told the current changed and that changed the fishing.

[surfbuggy]

New to site. 3reels with pictures...Can anyone give me years, and, or any info on the reels? From what I have rea on other forums the black one might be a "rare" reel. It is black throughout. It was handed down to me by a family member. Any info would be great. Thank you.

[Penn Chronology]

New to site. 3reels with pictures...Can anyone give me years, and, or any info on the reels? From what I have rea on other forums the black one might be a "rare" reel. It is black throughout. It was handed down to me by a family member. Any info would be great. Thank you.

The first reel is a Green Model 710, vintage late 1960's. Common reel. It is an excellent reel which sold many by Penn, hence, it is common. Probably worth about $30 to $40 if all is running nice and smooth.

Second reel is a Penn Spinfisher 722 with the early gearbox cover. Vintage 1969 to maybe 1972. Value about $40 if smooth running.

The black Model 710 is much harder to find than the green. The black reels were released in very limited numbers and were not painted with Penn production equipment. You will find black Model 710 reels with different finishes because different paints were used to create the black reels. Some have smooth finishes and some have wrinkled finishes. The black Model 710 Spinfishers usually sell for higher prices. Mint in the box can be valued as high as $150 for a model 710, more for a right hand drive Model 711. A used black model 710 would be valued from $50 to $100 approximately. Vintage is likely to be 1969 or very early 1970's.

[oc1]

There is something weird about how the bail wire attaches to the rotor on the black one.  Nice hatch cover table too.
-steve

[Benni3]

Got this 190 100yd in today $7+shipping

[Maxed Out]

Looks to be a pre war 190....nice grab Benni

  Ted

[Gfish]

A Long Beach 65 "De Luxe", seller says: "1938, 300yd. Reel". This's a "keep it as is" reel for me with alla chrome loss. Nice heavy Penn. It has an odd(to me) screw pattern on the rings: 6 screw stand, but only 1 screw shows on each outside ring. Also, 6 posts, but the 2 bottom-most posts have no screws showing on either outside ring?!? Can't wait to open 'er up and go through everything and see what's up!
No yardage stamped on the bottom of the stand.
Gfish

[Gfish]

A 1939 Silver Beach 97. Very good-low wear-condition, for a '39.
The bridge, eccentric and eccentric jack(but not the yoke) are chrome!
Gfish