Big brown trout, former U.S. record caught in Middle Tennessee on a Zebco 33. The other pic is a big flathead caught on a Zebco 202.
Not my choice to catch big fish, but I do still have a couple of old Zebco 33 that I break out occasionally. Also use an old Zebco 606 combo bought in the late 1960s once in a blue moon. Still got a Zebco 888 on an 7' Ugly Catfish rod and a Zebco 733 as loaner rigs.
I'm sure those old Zebcos from the 1950s are far superior to those manufactured nowadays.
Oddly, some of the new Zebcos are great reels, some even better than the older models. Zebco has this weird existence...most of the universe knows it as "that company that makes 202s"...then a few folks know the real story.
I fish a few Zebco reels. I use an 888 Pro Staff for channel cats, a Platinum 33 for crappie, and an old Bill Dance Gold 733 for bass. 8)
That big kitty on a 202 is amazing--not only the fish, but the fact it got caught on a 202 by a kid only a little bigger than the fish. The brownie on the 33 is a little less eye-opening; those old 33s are pretty tough and among the best spincasters ever.
Don't necessarily want to start a spincast love fest, but I've come to believe they have a place & can be good fishing tools if used in the right circumstances. I didn't always feel that way. Got a couple of old Johnsons; sturdier than maybe you'd expect & I've come to appreciate the heritage they have in fishing equipment history.
That Zebco 606 should be a winner too; I have a 600 that's maybe 1/2 a notch below the 606. I know some of the 600 and 800 series reels are favorites of some for catfishing.
Frank
I've been a bit surprised with some of the newer 33's I've serviced for friends. The internals were of good quaility with smooth drags. For channecat & perchin a fella could do a lot worse... Jeff
Photo quality's not very good but back in the day when a 5 lb walleye was considered big I caught this 6 1/2 lber on a 202 out of a small NE reservoir. I was 20 at the time and had just purchased a Zebco Cardinal 6 but only used it for the big trips to MN. We were just out dinkin' around that day so I took the old 202 my wife usually used. That's the only time I ever fished with that reel. I still can't believe I got that fish in on that little ol' plastic thing with kinky mono line.
Tommy, looks like someone was a fan of Hamm's returnables too.
Frank
Quote from: happyhooker on January 25, 2018, 03:20:43 AM
Tommy, looks like someone was a fan of Hamm's returnables too.
Frank
Yeah, that photo was taken in a friend of ours small town bar/restaurant. The guy behind me is my dad and the kid beside me is the bar owner's grandson. Hard to believe that picture was taken almost 50 years ago. Time sure flies by!
Here's a few good Zebco catches. The bass is a 7 pounder caught on my ol' trusty 733. The catfish is a 28 lb. flathead caught on a Hog Seeker combo. 8)
Nice walleye, Tommy. And I still consider a 5 pounder a big one.
Mo, I had a Hawgseeker spinning model, one with the 7' rod and big reel with the audible bait alert and flashing red lights. I never used the bells and whistles, so I don't know if that feature worked. I traded it to a friend for an Abu 5000 with a BPS rod who never got the hang of baitcasters. Another friend uses the spincast 888 sometimes as a pitchin' rig during bass tournaments. He keeps it hidden in his boat, don't know if he's trying to keep it a secret or is avoiding being made fun of by diehard baitcaster users. My wife uses my 733 sometimes, she's caught a few bass on live shiners and also a few cats on cut bluegill but nothing like your flathead.
Quote from: festus on January 25, 2018, 04:09:52 PM
Nice walleye, Tommy.
Mo, I had a Hawgseeker spinning model, one with the 7' rod and big reel with the audible bait alert and flashing red lights. I never used the bells and whistles, so I don't know if that feature worked.
X2 on the walleye! Oh boy...I bet that ate real well! That bait alarm gizmo is tricky Festus. It will work if fiddled with, but I don't catfish with the reel in gear like that. I use the clicker...allow the fish to pick up the bait and run. The bait alarm is fun to play with, but the
usable feature of the reel is inside. The nice big gear...the big smooth drag ...and the rod it comes on fishes really well. Here's the Hawg Seeker combo on the job. A hard deal to beat for $40. 8)
Quote from: Midway Tommy on January 25, 2018, 04:30:44 AM
Quote from: happyhooker on January 25, 2018, 03:20:43 AM
Tommy, looks like someone was a fan of Hamm's returnables too.
Frank
Yeah, that photo was taken in a friend of ours small town bar/restaurant. The guy behind me is my dad and the kid beside me is the bar owner's grandson. Hard to believe that picture was taken almost 50 years ago. Time sure flies by!
It's a great pic; lots of history; may not be the clearest, but I'm thinking your memories of the day make up for that.
Frank
That Zebco Hawg 733--is that a reel without a drag?
Frank
Quote from: happyhooker on January 25, 2018, 10:38:49 PM
That Zebco Hawg 733--is that a reel without a drag?
Frank
Oh no, it has an excellent drag. The drag is selectable. If you shift into direct drive it's just that...no drag. It was very handy for bass fishing plastics. You could ram home a hook in direct drive. Then shift to normal(with drag) to play a big fish. 8)
Yours (The Hawg) looks like it's been well cared for.
I only asked about the drag because a guy I know who is big into Zebcos always talks about it not having a drag. I see now, after a little research, that the 733 has gone thru several versions; one, indeed, has no drag and the other has what appears to be a drag set by a knurled wheel atop the reel.
I think I like yours best & if you had success with it, why the proof is in the pudding....
Frank
Quote from: happyhooker on January 26, 2018, 08:41:38 PM
I only asked about the drag because a guy I know who is big into Zebcos always talks about it not having a drag. I see now, after a little research, that the 733 has gone thru several versions; one, indeed, has no drag and the other has what appears to be a drag set by a knurled wheel atop the reel.
I guess you are right, I had forgotten the model with only direct drive. The reel in my photos lives on the shelf, I have a slightly bruised one for fishing. I also fish this version, a first series Bill Dance Gold 733. This particular 733 had the same 3.6:1 gear ratio as a 33, so with that larger 733 spool it was fast! The later second series Gold 733 had the same 2.6:1 gear ratio as all other 733s. 8)
I grew up with Zebco and Daiwa.
I still fish them today. Just different Versions.
I wish I had pictures, but they are so old, they are on floppy discs. ::)
Quote from: Midway Tommy on January 23, 2018, 05:05:55 AM
Photo quality's not very good but back in the day when a 5 lb walleye was considered big I caught this 6 1/2 lber on a 202 out of a small NE reservoir. I was 20 at the time and had just purchased a Zebco Cardinal 6 but only used it for the big trips to MN. We were just out dinkin' around that day so I took the old 202 my wife usually used. That's the only time I ever fished with that reel. I still can't believe I got that fish in on that little ol' plastic thing with kinky mono line.
Awesome pic and I'm sure a great memory of a great day, I noticed the hamms in the back got plenty of those sitting in the fridge right now haha ;D
Zebco,s were a godsend for me as a kid. First reels we had were handmedown cheap bait casters and steel rods. Had to lay the line out in front of me and to cast any distance. Then dad let me pick out zebco 909 combo, like a new best friend! Memorable zebco catch's... 10 pound flathead on a UL4 underspinner... 6' 4" alligator gar on either a borrowed 202 or a 33 around Brownsville Texas about 1980, wore me and the reel out!