Narrow Reels

[sharkman]

I am hooked on the look of narrow reels. I notice a lot of reels that are narrowed using aftermarket kits. Are there narrows that be made using all penn parts. I found a post that used a penn long beach and 4/0.

[fIsHsTiiCkS]

Some spacers, bars and real foot are interchangeable able the problem you might run into is the spool

[fsrmn]

There was a factory narrow 4/0 on Craigslist. Sal said it was called a "grouper special".   http://sarasota.craigslist.org/spo/4778334315.html

[Keta]

......Are there narrows that be made using all penn parts......

Yes there are but most will be converting one stock Penn reel to another.  One that's not a stock reel is a Surfmaster 250 sideplate on a 501 frame, another is a 500 side plate on a 99 frame.

[SoCalAngler]

All good info IMO, and if you want to convert a reel you have finding some of the parts may be a problem and costly. Not that is a bad thing , I have converted several reels myself and love to fish them. But, as far as several manufactures are concerned like Penn they have made narrowed reels a stock item. In many cases you can get a stock narrowed reel with a better design, upgreaded feature and with newer materials all ready built into them for less of a cost of building one from a older reel. Yeah I know, where would be the fun in that.

[Doug]

Another reel that can be easily narrowed is the 259 but its not a take apart like the jig master /99. I just put together a 501 using a 259 side plate  and it works fine .  Doug

[Keta]

I do both but like the guys driving antique cars or hotrods there's something about them some of us love.  I have HX 2 speed reels that work extremely well for deep water Pacific halibut but I use my 349H's.  They are far from stock with Newell aluminum spools, 113H gear sleeves, SS AR dogs, 7 and 9 CF washer drag stacks, 505 spacer bars and my handle arms with Alan's handles.  I have a left hand 113H gear sleeve that I plan on building a 349H lefty with as soon as I but another aluminum spool....the price is the thing holding me back but they are as rare as unobtainum.

[Maxed Out]

I am hooked on the look of narrow reels.

Good call sharkman, I too have fallen prey to the ultra sleek look of todays modified narrowed penns. Function should always come first, but looks sure go a long ways as well. Just don't tell my wife I said that or she'll know I been cheating on her with some of my favorite reels.

Ted

[DaBigOno]

I like the narrow look also...


the Penn 500 Jigmaster is a great 30lb reel to fish in SoCal, but seems too wide.  The 501 doesn't seem to hold enough line for me, thats why i like the 99-sized (mid).

Here is a some pics of the reel I've used during this year's epic season.

its my sleeper reel.  it has a few upgrades...
-AT SS gear sleeve
-Black Pearls SS bridge with double dogs, yoke and jack
-Bryan's 5+1 drag system
-Newell Spool
Penn 30-66 stand
Penn 37-65 frame post
Penn 24-56 handle

and now Black Pearls SS 4:1 gear set

[Keta]

Nice reels, my 99 width Jigmasters (3) are all Tib kits.

[Bryan Young]

Here are my narrows and how I made them.


Top is a full Accurate 501 kit and the bottom is my Penn Long Beach Live Bait 259 narrowed.

[George4741]

There was a factory narrow 4/0 on Craigslist. Sal said it was called a "grouper special".   http://sarasota.craigslist.org/spo/4778334315.html

That reel isn't a narrowed 4/0.  It is a Penn 49 Mariner, a completely different animal. 
I am also "narrow minded" and prefer narrow reels.  If I need a reel with more line capacity, then I'll get a larger reel.  For example, if my 501 isn't large enough, then I'll use a 349 Master Mariner.

[Alto Mare]

There was a factory narrow 4/0 on Craigslist. Sal said it was called a "grouper special".   http://sarasota.craigslist.org/spo/4778334315.html

That reel isn't a narrowed 4/0.  It is a Penn 49 Mariner, a completely different animal. 
I am also "narrow minded" and prefer narrow reels.  If I need a reel with more line capacity, then I'll get a larger reel.  For example, if my 501 isn't large enough, then I'll use a 349 Master Mariner.

You're right George, it is a 49.
I never did see the pic till now, he called it a 4/0 slim, we call the 4/0 slim with black plates a Grouper Special.
I thought I knew what a 49 looked like , I believe I held one of those in my hands before


I just found the email from fsrmn, all I got was one pic of the reel with the handle up. I took a quick glance at it and thought he was talking about the 113.
Good job investigating George, I would have never thought a seller would have called a 49 a 4/0.

[gstours]

Just to chime in I too like the narrow reels. the wider the reel the more handle wobble is produced it seems, with spectra lines most narrow,s hold plenty of line. I like the tib narrow frames too. kinda like putting mag wheels on your old pickup.  makes it run better!  I saw a post awhile ago were a guy narrowed a penn international 30 or 50 2 speeder.  it was waay cool looking as he did a good job on it..........maybe that's another inspiration?

[BMITCH]

I like the narrows also. Here's my line-up.



From left to right...114htn triple dogged with all the SS currently available. 112htn double alternating dogs with all the available SS parts. Newell G454-F narrow( how'd that get in there? ) and a 506 Tib'ed out with double alternating dogs and SS bling. All were used this season except for the Newell. Next year!