Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Spinning Reel Rebuild Tutorials and Questions => Abu Garcia/Garcia/Mitchell => Mitchell => Topic started by: jgp12000 on September 10, 2022, 10:37:52 AM

Title: 330 Otomatic
Post by: jgp12000 on September 10, 2022, 10:37:52 AM
I just bought a 330 on ebay(arriving Monday)I never seen one before, much less used one.Fred told me a while back he used them in the past.I read they were used in casting competitions in the UK back in the day.I love to cast crappie jigs with trigger spins,but they just don't seem to last 50+ years...does anyone else have any experience with these bad boys?
Title: Re: 330 Otomatic
Post by: Wompus Cat on September 10, 2022, 02:22:58 PM
I have a few  I bought over the years and redone .
Kinda Cumbersome and tricky to get to work till you actually get one to work ....lol
Title: Re: 330 Otomatic
Post by: Midway Tommy on September 10, 2022, 04:14:55 PM
Henry is pretty close with his assessment, IMO. Personally, I don't think of them resembling anything close to a trigger spin or crappie reel.
Title: Re: 330 Otomatic
Post by: jgp12000 on September 10, 2022, 07:47:32 PM
One handed casting is the only similarity
Title: Re: 330 Otomatic
Post by: foakes on September 10, 2022, 08:33:18 PM
I bought one of these new when I was around 18.

Used it off and on for 10 years.  Worked OK.  It just allows casting with the touch of a finger on the bail wire edge.

I will not work on these for clients —- takes too much time and trial and error to get them dialed in properly.  And the mechanism for the automatic bail is clumsy and finicky —- really just a gimmick, IMO.

Sort of like buying an Italian or British sports car —- they look good, and are fun —- but you never have to wonder if they will have electrical or overheating issues —- they always will, even when new.

Leave it to the French —- To come up with a complicated and flimsy system of additional parts to add onto the weakest part of a spinner —- the bail wire.

Best, Fred