500/501 jigmaster

[foakes]

IMO, Dan --

Hard to beat a Jig Master.

Yes, there are more specialized Reels in the Penn line -- and each has its place.

However, considering the possibilities --

Great stock reel -- 4:1, solid, simple, good for many salt water applications ranging from boat, dropping, jigging, surf, pier -- long lasting, durable, and a good value.

Easy to clean, service on the fly, switch out spools with fresh line, and the ability to effectively target and handle so many different types of heavy fish.

Like many of us, having done hundreds, if not thousands of repairs, service, and mods on these over the years -- the Jig Master demands and has earned our respect.

Plus, the mods on these are effective and useful to further improve their versatility.

A capable reel.

The reel that "Won the West" -- along with the rest of the world.

Too many folks make the mistake of underestimating this reel -- probably because of its low cost, and simplicity.

Best,

Fred

[Crow]

   I've just scanned through this thread...and I see some of my questions have been answered, but, I have a couple more things I'm in a "quandary" about. I just received a 500 Jigger, that has been "downsized" to 501 width, and with only two exceptions, all the components are in reasonably good condition. First problem, the end of the gear sleeve is rounded off...and , since I need to replace it, I figure I might as well take the plunge for a stainless one, so....fine tooth? , coarse tooth ?...what I have seems to be 24TPI...is that the fine?, or the coarse ? I *think*it's the "coarse" one, as a 4/0 special I have on the bench has a much "finer" thread
  Second issue....the reel has carbon fiber discs, but the washers are brass....and very badly "galled", even though the discs look in "new" condition. So, I plan on a new HT 100 kit, BUT....would it make sense to spring for Bryan's 5- stack ? The bronze gear looks to be in A-1 shape, and the gearing seems nice and tight, and smooth, with no noise. Can I  5 - stack the stock gears ? I doubt I'll ever "need" that much drag, but, it would seem to me that the 5, would be a "smoother" set up, than the three...with much less pressure needed on the stack, to achieve the same "poundage" ?
   I got the reel for, what seems to me to be, a pretty good price....$32 , delivered, and while it only has the chromed brass (or maybe stainless ?) spool, it will be OK, for me. The reel has "some" corrosion on the stand, and the posts have even more, but, I did manage to pick up a "package deal", of two "bars", a stand, and a reel clamp ($20.80, in my hand), so, with those additions, this will *probably* be the nicest looking reel in my collection, and I guess I can justify spending a few more $ than I usually do  I'm guessing that with the narrow frame, and bars, instead of posts...it *should * be a pretty tough little customer !     Thanks !

[Ron Jones]

You have the coarse tooth gear sleeve and Alan's gear sleeve always makes sense to me because it makes the reel much smoother. I don't know why that is it just is.

You would be fine, forever, with a new set of SS washers. However, Brian's kit will increase the smoothness of the reel up to the drag numbers of the factory drag. The 5 stack CAN be fished at a level that would wear through those brass gears very fast unless you never fish with that much drag.

With narrow frame, bars and 3 disks this is a 40-50# line reel that will catch the overwhelming majority of fish caught bu sportsmen on rod and reel in the salt. The 5 stack would let you get away with heavier line but I'm afraid the brass gears wouldn't like it for very long. If you like the 4:1 speed, and with a chrome spool it sounds like the speed would be fine, you can find a steel Penn 4:1 gear for cheap that will let you take full advantage of the 5 stack drag.

Yes, you can mod a Jigmaster to be more expensive than modern reels that are just as capable, but then they wouldn't be modded Jigmasters.

Ron

[Bryan Young]

If your brass gear sleeve has rounded, my first recommendation would be a stainless steel gear sleeve with a larger star from Penn 66 for course or 505 for fine thread.  Second would be carbon fiber drag washers, either 3-stack or 5-stack. If you go with an3-stack, the brass washers are fine. Then all you need are replacement HT-100s or Carbontex washers.

The brass gears are good for 15#-18#, which is plenty useable drag for this reel.

Regarding fine vs course gear sleeves, I like fine because it's easier to set the drag pressure since the drag increases more gradual.

[MarkT]

I went with Motiv Fabs Newell style star and I like it much better than the Penn stars. It's bigger in diameter and it's easier to crank down on the drag. I have the fine thread stainless gear sleeve in mine.

[Crow]

Thanks, Guys ! What about the dog ? Should I go with a stainless, because of the stainless gear sleeve ? Or will the brass dog hold up ? Seems it would tend to get "chewed" a bit more against the harder stainless ?!

[Bryan Young]

Yes. If you are going with a stainless steel sleeve, down the extra $5 for the SS dog.

[MolBasser]

Hey all,

Just thought I would get in the fun.  I have a jigmaster that I bought way back in 2005 and did some partial modding to.  I remember Alan Tani telling me I shouldn't drop so much money in the 500 and spend it elsewhere, but I didn't listen.  Anyway, I digress.  I stopped the project and life changed and I never got to fish it really.  But as things do, life changed again and I am living back near the coast in central CA (Lompoc to be exact) and I now have the opportunity to get back on the salt (albiet without my kayak which life made me sell )  So........ Back to the project:

Current state:

Tiburon P20 frame
Bakelite side plates
Newel 5:1 SS gears
SS yolk, bridge, and gear sleave
Carbontex washers/drag discs (3+1)

Just ordered:

Double dog SS bridge
5+1 drag kit upgrade

I looked for Accurate plates but they are hard to find and very expensive.  I reached out to Cortez Conversions, but they won't have side plates ready till the end of the year.... So it looks like I'll wait on those.

The rod it is currently paired with is a Shakespeare Ugly Stick Tiger 7' Aluminum Oxide 20-50# rod.  Right now I have a stock black spool with 30# mono and a Red spool with 50# braid and 30# leader.

When my new parts get in, I'll post up pics as I break the whole thing down and rebuild it.
Can you get ball bearings that will fit in the bakelite end caps?

MolBasser

[Swami805]

Welcome from Santa Barbara. Probably a good thing you don't have the kayak, Surf beach is the home of that giant white shark that's developed a taste for them. Taco Loco still there?make a mean chile relleno

[MolBasser]

Three guys in my old kayak club have been hit by great whites in the Monterrey area.....

MolBasser

[MolBasser]

Haven't been to taco loco yet.  If you are in the area drop into the brewery.  I'm the new master brewer at Solvang brewing company.

MBasser

[Swami805]

Will do, we get up there for work now and then. I'll PM you,Thanks

[MolBasser]

No worries.  I'll buy you a beer.



MolBAsser

[MolBasser]

I have a question also.

The two spools that I have for this reel behave a bit differently.  The both spin freely in free spool with zero wobble or anything noticably different, but in gear the red spool is louder and sometimes has a little "stickynes" at one point in the turn of the handle.

I see no obvious defects.... it is just weird. 

MolBasser

[Gfish]

Check the inside a the spool flange on the head-plate side. Sometimes the it can rub on somethin like bridge plate screw-ends.
Solvang Brewery, so it's Danish beer? That's the name of that Dansk(Danish) themed tourist town somewhere down there on Hwy. 101. Went through there once. Cheese and custom cutlery seemed to be best stuff to me, but everything was expensive.