Just picked up a like-new 500...

[pyros46290]

I have been scouring craigslist for a while and came across a 500 jigmaster nearby for $30. A buddys bday is coming up and he has been bugging me when he brings his beat up old striper gear to fish for sturgeon. My plan was to find a new reel for him. Well, i checked this reel out and it is practically brand-new, not beat at all, up no scratches, no corrosion, the guy said he used it one time and hung it up in his garage. SCORE! It looks like I found a new reel for me to tinker with, and my buddy is getting my trusty old 500.

I am not sure what 500 model it is. The frame has the wide metal bars with the ovals cut into it. It has an aluminum spool installed and the black side plates. Handle side plate just says "Penn 500" Did a quick take down to check out the guts, the bridge appears to be brass and has 3-500s stamped into it, so im assuming it is a 500s model?

So the first upgrade is a stainless gear sleeve and swap the handle over from my old reel. My eyes hurt, I cant tell if it is a fine thread or coarse thread on the sleeve? The drag washers are brand new so I dont think they really need to be replaced, just a good smathering of cals grease. But if there is some kind of magic upgrade on the drag i may toss it in while im at it.. . . any suggestions for other upgrades?

Also, i was looking at some past threads and saw someone was doing work on a jigmaster and the bridge they had installed had 2 anti-reverse pawls.... what model is that from?

Thanks

[fIsHsTiiCkS]

If the jigmaster is black then it is the 500 not the 500s. the 500s came in red and had a take down side plaTe on the non handle side.

As for the star, easy way to tell is if the star is small then it's a coarse thread and if a larger star chances are its fine thread. The star will have the part number stamped on it 10-60 or 10-66 is coarse and 10-505 is fine thread.

Only suggestion for the drag would be to add a delrin washer for the under gear washer.

Lastly, Black Pearl sells a SS double dog bridge for the 500. Here http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=10424.0

Love the Jigmaster and good luck on the mods!!

[Shark Hunter]

Just give that reel a good service. Sounds like you already have. The upgrades to the jigmaster can go pretty much unlimited. If you want one of those double dog ss bridges. Check out Black Pearl. Also known as Pro Challenger. He makes some really nice upgrades for your reel.
And BTW, Welcome Aboard.

[pyros46290]

so on the the double dog bridge... do both dogs engage at the same time, for more strength; or is it alternating one-to-the-other for a finer, shorter anti reverse? i decided i want the bridge, yoke, and jack in stainless.

as far as the threads on the gear sleeve, is there any advantage to fine vs coarse? in terms of cranking down on the drag, can you exert more pressure onto the washers by using fine vs coarse or vice versa? or is it pretty much the same? figured out i have both fine and coarse stars at home right now. just gotta decide which sleeve to get now. Are there any upgraded/aftermarket/different style drag stars out there?

i am still debating if i want the 5:1 gears or not. i really just want them because they are stainless. i liked having the cranking power of the 4:1. it was like cranking a winch when you needed to drag a big sturgeon or skate up to the boat. but the 5:1 would be good for cranking in the line fast when the fish is swimming towards the boat... maybe ill get the 5:1 and eat more wheaties

[Keta]

As of now the Pro Challenger SS Double dog bridge comes with simultaneous engaging dogs. I have dogs being cut that will make them alternate engagement but the cutter is busy and it might be a few weeks.

I would keep the reel 4:1, this is a good gear ratio for most needs.  Properly greased and serviced steel gears (not SS) will last a long time, brass might not take the higher drag pressures for very long.  I haven't used brass gears in my hot-rodded reels.

[Porthos]

You might include a fishing scale to set the drag with along with the 500 as gift. A 25lb one will work since the objective is not to exceed 8lbs on the brass gear sleeve; upgrade to the SS gear sleeve, then 15lbs would be the new max.

[Bryan Young]

I think Keta has scales at a very good price that would fit your needs...no where did that posting go?

[fIsHsTiiCkS]

Pro challenger will be coming out with SS 4:1 again soon.

Lee, I NEED a few of those dogs, when they are done let me know!!

[pyros46290]

i just ordered up the double dog bridge and stainless yoke + jack plate. i was about to order the stainless gear sleeve from scotts b&t and read the blurb about machining issues with the fine thread, and came across a couple oddities with the 2 reels i have.

So i have two jigmasters here side by side, one older and one newer. The old one was given to me years ago by a customer for fixing his car, so I dont know the history of it or who had it and did what before i started to tinker with it a couple years ago. The new one i just picked up the other day, only used once, practically new. Old 500 is going to go to a buddy, so i wanted to give it a good service before i give it to him. I took it apart, and was going to salvage the stainless gear sleeve to install in my new 500 and found a few things...

#1 - the old 500 with coarse thread has a 10-60 drag star. What is this thing doing with a 10-60??? I mean, it works, but the arms are shorter so not as much leverage to crank down the drag. Shouldnt it have a 10-50X?

#2 - the old 500 has a steel (or some sort of ferrous metal) main gear. It has a few small pits in it, not too bad, but it also has a recessed area machined on the bottom for the additional drag washer - new 500 has brass gear and no recessed area.

#3 - old 500 has brass keyed/slotted washers. new 500 has steel (or some sort of ferrous) keyed/slotted washers.

#4 - Side plate from new 500 will not fit on old 500 frame and vice-versa. (old side plate appears slightly tweaked)

#5 - Jack plates on both reels have 11-99 stamped onto plate, but both appear different - newer style is beefier


Is it possible to order certain 'styles' of parts from past manufacturing runs? like the steel gears and coarse thread 10-500 star? I would like to order a fine thread stainless gear sleeve for new one, and new coarse thread 10-500 star for old one

[Keta]

I think Keta has scales at a very good price that would fit your needs...no where did that posting go?

They are 8# and 15#.  I still have a few of the 15# and a lot of the 8#.


http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=4011.0




.

[Bryan Young]

Pro challenger will be coming out with SS 4:1 again soon.

Lee, I NEED a few of those dogs, when they are done let me know!!

What dogs do you need?  I think I purchased Lee's remaining dogs.  I'll send them along with the gears.

[fIsHsTiiCkS]

Pro challenger will be coming out with SS 4:1 again soon.

Lee, I NEED a few of those dogs, when they are done let me know!!

What dogs do you need?  I think I purchased Lee's remaining dogs.  I'll send them along with the gears.

Bryan, you have been wayy to kind!! Must be my lucky month! Thanks, if you need anything in return let me know!

[Keta]

Pro challenger will be coming out with SS 4:1 again soon.

Lee, I NEED a few of those dogs, when they are done let me know!!

What dogs do you need?  I think I purchased Lee's remaining dogs.  I'll send them along with the gears.

Special dogs to convert the Pro Challenger double dog bridge to alternating contact.  The Mk.I ones are at the cutter, if they work they will be available soon.

[mike1010]

Pro challenger will be coming out with SS 4:1 again soon.

Lee, I NEED a few of those dogs, when they are done let me know!!

Lee, I would also like a few.

[Keta]

PM me in 2 weeks.