Fishing plastic spool?

[Ron Jones]

So,
My Penn 66 came in today in the form of a Penn 85 with a plastic spool. I was wondering if anyone ever fished a plastic spool? It just seems kind of weak, like it would crunch under a few pounds of drag. Just asking.

Ron

[Irish Jigger]

Get a stainless steel 29M-60 which is a stronger spool and used on the  Delmar 285 and Long Beach 60.

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

Its actually Bakelite, the same stuff used on the side plates. I have a penn 9 with one, i never pus it to over 7lbs of drag anyways lol

[Alto Mare]

There has been discussions here in the past, about plastic spools. I've replaced the ones that I had with aluminum, but I know guys that never had problems with them .
Ron, I just checked my 85 and it also has a plastic spool. You came in too late, someone ele got a nice ss spool for that reel.
Let me know if you need the 85 for parts.
Sal

[Normslanding]

Hi, We fished with them for years before Carl Newell made aluminum ones. They are fine for casting, and some general use. BUT if you bottom fish deep, or have a large fish make a long long runs they can blow up. In the 50's,and 60's there were a lot of Yellowtail at Catalina, and San Clemente. They were educated, and would only bit 12, 15, or if you were lucky 20 lb. test. Well throwing baits on plastic spools was the way to get bit. Here comes the BUT again. As the mono tightly wrapped back on the spool the spool would blow up. If you were lucky it didn't blow out the side plate. Fore a Penn 26, 27, Squidder, etc. they are fishable. On a 60, 66. etc. you are better off with a brass, or SS spool.

[Keta]

Fill it most of the way with Daccron or Spectra to keep from blowing up your reel and it will be ok.  I still look for a metal spool though.

[UKChris]

Plastic spools (and even the 'unbreakable' fibreglass ones from Mitchell) were often considered expendable/disposable here in the UK for beachcasting. It is not that the fish were that big (I never caught anything approaching 5lb from the beach!) but winding in a 6oz lead plus 150 yards of line laden with weed in the tide stretched the line a lot. Sooner or later this had the inevitable effect of busting another spool. Even if you released the tension later, it only postponed the inevitable.

Then came decent alloy spools from Abu, Penn etc. and now my remaining plastic spools are safe for posterity.

Chris

[bluefish69]

I was taught back when Mono's first few years after blowing a few spools to put backing on the reels first. Back then we used Bakery string or old Dacron Line. I just spooled a P235 Tuesday & used Brick Layers String from H D as backing for 300 yds of PP. I used it yesterday in 200' of water for Cod.

[Ron Jones]

Thanks guys,

In all honesty I really, REALLY want the 66 I bought. Haven't heard from the seller yet but I am chomping at the bit to complete my black YTS. When you look at the 85 though, their is a lot to like. 3:1 ratio, 2 BB and an aluminum spool makes a whole lot of scense. With the plastic spool it has some descent free spool, I wonder if 10#s of drag would be safe on a stainless sleeve? With the open top it would be a treat to cast also, an aluminum sppol with 30 braid and 20 top shot sounds about rite.

BUT IT"S STILL NOT MY 66!!!

Ron

[CapeFish]

why risk losing a fish of a lifetime? Those plastic spools are great for the display cabinet but not fishing, they are unreliable and will break at the most crucial moment.