The Penn Jigmaster Obsession Collection

[Bruddah Bill]

After hours of research, some great trades with local reel collectors, some harsh eBay bidding and some lucky finds... Here is my Jigmaster collection.

The stock-pile:
The initial idea was to collect each one of the versions Penn put out since they started making the Jigmaster in 1958. I think, and PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong! I have everything from the original Deep Maroon plate with badge to the current Black Plate made in China.  I may have missed a 70's short run of black plates model, but I haven't seen any pictures online of what they look like.  I also excluded all 501, 99 and Left handed reels.  Some notable reels in this pic are a mint 500SM with chrome spool and a slightly used 500SL (1982-1983? Anniversary Red Annodized Spool) with original boxes.  


This is a 505HS reel that I use for shorecasting, it rounds off the stock-pile and starts off the after-market kits with silver P20 Tiburon frame.


Accurate put out a lot of different colors of plates and frames, I aimed to just cover the basic kits.  Here is a red conversion kit in the standard 500 size, a red Magnum kit  (3.25:1 - 113H Gears) and a short-run 3 inch wide ("Super Jigmaster") conversion kit with accurate handle.

Newell: Here are a couple close-ups of some 300c sideplated reels, one has a Yellowfin frame with a graphite 344 spool and the other has a standard 500 sized frame and spool.  On the bottom right, you'll see an extended Yellowfin kit with Jigmaster sideplates and a standard 500 kit with Jigmaster plates.


This last reel was an odd find on eBay when I was hunting down Lee Pro Jigmaster plates.  It has non-annodized Lee Pro plates, with a 99 sized Newell spool and Tiburon frame.

[broschro]

  wow! what a nice Collection 

[Ron Jones]

If you think they are nice on line, you should see them in his secret back room in the store! I could sit in there and gauk all day long.

Ron

[john2244]

Great collection Bill !!!   Thanks for posting.

John

[Bryan Young]

Very nice Bill.  Is the collection displated at your shop?  I'd love to see them in a couple of weeks when I'm home.

[DaBigOno]

Wow Bra!   Look good!!

[Dominick]

Aloha Bruddah Bill.  Love the collection.  I went through your whole blog.  Nice work all around.  If you show Bryan your collection make him clap his hands like they do in the casinos.    Dominick

[Ron Jones]

Bryan,
They weren't all out the last time I was over there. He does have an AWESOME ULUA pole with a Newell Marlin Special on it. It is an old Sebre blank that was rewrapped in the local schools colors.

Bill, if you get around to it, could you post a picture of that rod? I am sure everyone here would l;ove to see it.

Ron

[Bryan Young]

Ron, I'll let you know when I plan on being there.  Maybe we can meet up as well.

[Ron Jones]

Cool Bradah, I'll be around.
Ron

[Alto Mare]

Aloha Bruddah Bill.  Love the collection.  I went through your whole blog.  Nice work all around.  If you show Bryan your collection make him clap his hands like they do in the casinos.    Dominick

Good idea , He's got some big paws.

Nice collection Bruddah Bill, the Jigmaster is one of my favorite, but I have a few

[Bruddah Bill]

@Brian, they're not out on display in the shop, but I'll let you browse them when you come down. I'm going to clean um up then do an online-catalog of them with some high-res images for my blog, hoping it'll serve as a good reference for collectors.

@noyb72 Shhhhhh about the secret room man... it's cleared out a bit since you've last seen it.  I'll try to get a pic of the Ulua pole, I've been trying to develop a trolley system to take high-res panoramic images of long shorecasting poles.  There is a lot of island fishing history wasting away in garages and I'd like a way to take some photos that will last longer than degrading fiberglass and bamboo.

I would love some input about the stock collection, if anyone noted any versions or models that I missed or if someone who worked for a tackleshop for a long time or even worked for penn and could help me get estimated production dates on the sideplates.  Also if anyone has some jigmaster photos they'd like to share... it's obvious that I'm a fan of the reel   

[john2244]

Hello Bill,

Send me a PM with your email address and I will send you a few Jigmaster pictures.  

John

[broadway]

Great collection! It's amazing how little has changed over the 50+ years.
Thanks for showing,
Dom

[thinket]

fantastic collection!