This page is full of great pictures of old reels, but its somewhat short of my favorite sort... pictures of them in action! I thought I'd start a thread specifically for field/ fishing pics of our old treasures. Looking forwards to seeing yours.
Admitedly, for having fished mostly with old reels for decades, I myself have relatively few field pics, mostly because I largely fish alone and therefore dont take alot of pictures... but I'll start it off with some pics from an "life-goal" type adventure I took last summer. I drove to northern Saskatchewan, paddled/ portaged my canoe way back into fly-in country. Then I camped on a small island and lived on walleye and instant coffee for 15 days while hunting for trophy pike.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54594012730_68dd50bb53_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rbhzXy)RIMG0146 (https://flic.kr/p/2rbhzXy) by , on Flickr
My weapons of choice on that trip, a Daiwa D1600 which is wearing a BG15 spool just cause thats what had fresh 12lb mono, and a Penn Slammer 360 that had 15lb fireline on it. The Penn admitedly barely counts since I ordered it new from Australia a few years ago.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54593921583_8f36949cdb_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rbh7S4)RIMG0134 (https://flic.kr/p/2rbh7S4) by , on Flickr
I fished both reels about equally and both caught pike that broke the 20lb mark, but this demonstrates why I dont take alot of pictures fishing solo. The above picture is a very girthy 42-43"er, but you cant really tell. If you try to lay a pike out it will pretty much always beat itself half to death and wreck mayhem on anything in your boat before you manage to get any sort of picture, and after all that you've got a "meh" picture of a mostly dead fish lying in the bottom of a boat. Heres a couple better pics of more co-oporative species destined for the frying pan.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54592823307_1122a3e3c8_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rbbuog)RIMG0149 (https://flic.kr/p/2rbbuog) by , on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54593910678_3b8ec6ff4c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2rbh4C3)RIMG0155 (https://flic.kr/p/2rbh4C3) by , on Flickr
Anyhow, I dont mean to give the impression that the pictures need be of huge fish or fabulous adventures, I'd just enjoy seeing some pics of old gear on the job.
5 diamond spoon is my favorite for pike . Good eating yellow perch and walleye .Good trip man
Catching breakfast with a pre 300 Mitchell...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/960/41830862762_b92ebef748_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26Js78L)P5190076 (https://flic.kr/p/26Js78L) by , on Flickr
A nice eater sized walleye I caught on an older Ambassadeur 2-speed that I have mounted on a 10.5' steelhead rod for shore fishing.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52981648722_e683bf5210_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oHNNj7)RIMG0043 (https://flic.kr/p/2oHNNj7) by , on Flickr
Despite owning a decent walleye boat and a couple canoes I've gravitated back to doing the bulk of my fishing from shore. In a boat you can basically hit the same water, often even the same spots all year and catch fish. To catch from shore through the season requires way more work and knowlege IMO. Pretty much constant exploring to find spots, and then variables like water level and wind action can totally change things on you. Switching through different types of water bodies and species is usually necessary to stay successful through the season. For me its just a more demanding, intriguing, and rewarding persuit.
65+ year old 13ft "half and half" ulua shore-casting rod that was wrapped by a friend's grandfather.
Basically a bamboo (or in this case aluminum) butt section spliced to a Fenwick/Harnell/Sabre trolling rod blank.
Reel is a Senator 114H from 70's with the bronze spool.
Loving this thread!
My youngest daughter, battling a chunky pike in the chop on a Daiwa 130X. We've got a number of those kicking around, they perform and hold up far better than they have any right too.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55142264668_9afd82f19e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2s1Jwab)RIMG0127 (https://flic.kr/p/2s1Jwab) by , on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55142094916_6cfea65726_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2s1HDGq)RIMG0128 (https://flic.kr/p/2s1HDGq) by , on Flickr
I just got this 2062 EC back together today & had to test it out in my pond.Bream & crappie on green worms.I think I have a new favorite reel again...Still So smooth 58 years later :fish
bushleague,
what's the green rod your 300 is mounted on? looks nice!!!
I have to share my one "Foley Spoon" experience while on a guided blue catfish trip at Lake Guntersville,AL.
The capt headed straight to the dam & literally got the boat up in it.We fished for skipjack to use as cut bait for the Blue catfish.Using Carolina rigged foley spoons,chartreuse color.Every cast a fish was caught,it was hard to leave that action,but we were there for catfish .My largest were 15 & 20#.Stayed at the same hotel Ricky Nelson stayed the night before he passed away in the plane crash.
We had some warmer weather this past week in PA, so I took my Surfmaster 150 out to try for catfish and carp a couple times last week. I was skunked when I went for carp. When I targeted catfish I was using shrimp for bait and kept getting light bites. I thought it was bullheads until I finally hooked one. It was a rainbow trout. Ended up catching two of them. There were guys all around fishing for trout without much success, but I couldn't keep the trout away from my catfish baits.
I hope to have some better pics in early April. We are taking a trip to Lake Wylie in SC to fish for catfish, carp, and buffalo. I plan to use several vintage reels on that trip.
Mark is that Ande line? Nice looking Surfmaster!
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 12, 2026, 09:34:20 PMMark is that Ande line? Nice looking Surfmaster!
It is 25 lb test pink coral Berkley Big Game, James. I got 20 lb test pink Ande for my 706z, though. I have to admit, I like the look of the pink line.
The surfmaster is sporting the Newell bars, spool, and base from Randy.
By the way, that crappie you caught looks like a nice one, much bigger than the reel!
My friend came fishing yesterday afternoon & caught this 24" bass,his shoe is 12"
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 12, 2026, 08:40:06 PMI just got this 2062 EC back together today & had to test it out in my pond.Bream & crappie on green worms.I think I have a new favorite reel again...Still So smooth 58 years later :fish
bushleague,
what's the green rod your 300 is mounted on? looks nice!!!
The rod is an older version Fenwick Eagle, nothing special. Nice panfish, we dont have them in Alberta but I used to catch them while visiting my grandparents in Michigan, and it was honestly some of my favorite fishing. By the looks of it you were kayak fishing?
Quote from: work2fish on March 12, 2026, 09:31:30 PMWe had some warmer weather this past week in PA, so I took my Surfmaster 150 out to try for catfish and carp a couple times last week. I was skunked when I went for carp. When I targeted catfish I was using shrimp for bait and kept getting light bites. I thought it was bullheads until I finally hooked one. It was a rainbow trout. Ended up catching two of them. There were guys all around fishing for trout without much success, but I couldn't keep the trout away from my catfish baits.
I hope to have some better pics in early April. We are taking a trip to Lake Wylie in SC to fish for catfish, carp, and buffalo. I plan to use several vintage reels on that trip.
Very envious... I'm currently running a 12" extension on my ice auger! I occasionally use my Penn 6500ss to throw whole herring for early spring pike, which is admittedly a fair bit of overkill, but rainbows on a Surfmaster is next level. Very cool, I look forwards to those pics!
The older reels pull in the fish no,,,problem,,,, ;)
Bass fishing
bushleague,
Caught from the bank
Benni you got some nice gear & fish !
A couple Tiger Trout I caught on a Mitchell 308.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/904/41830890982_4450fc89b2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26Jsfwj)P5100061 (https://flic.kr/p/26Jsfwj) by , on Flickr
Rod info? :fish
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 13, 2026, 12:54:09 PMRod info? :fish
Same rod as the other trout pic, early 2000's Fenwick Eagle. Its a medium action but for a long time it was the lightest rod I owned, as such it was my designated "trout rod".
Quote from: bushleague on March 13, 2026, 01:41:51 AMbut rainbows on a Surfmaster is next level
Yep, as a landlocked fisherman I have to be content to use my surf reels for catfish, carp, and whatever else I can catch locally while I dream about the 5-6 days each year that I am at the beach and can surf fish.
I've been taking the Surfmaster 150 out every time I go fishing, just to practice casting it a bit.
Benni, those are some nice carp you caught. I love to catch carp, as they usually put up a very good fight.
A Penn 350. Yak-trolling with 2-rigs, 2-lures/rig(big fly ahead of a lure), 4 KawaKawa (pronounced Kava-Kava) struck at once, 4-hook-ups. Lots of crazy fun. The other rig was Sailfisher so I grabbed the lighter 350 rig first. In the end 3 break-offs, 1 landed on the fly of the 350 rig. I think that's when the Sailfisher's stand got tweaked—-it never worked without spool rub after that, both those fish broke off.
The 350's drag-stack was not up to the task, I had to assist with my thumb.
Maybe take a lesson from benni; better to be overgunned than undergunned.
Landed a fresh water drum with 3' rod and DQ1001 last week while fishing for crappie ,the fish at least 5 lbs
That's a good size Kawakawa Gfish! Had a 350 on which I put a Beachmaster 155-L spool. Turned it into a decent caster, but that retrieve rate at times tested patience.
Almost 2# full of eggs,pulled like a catfish
Langley Lurecast, 50 yards of 15lb braided mono (Gudebrod Meatmaster) and 6' of 8lb fluoro as a leader.
Casts surprisingly well down to about 1/4 oz, below that I'm not good enough to control the backlash..
That is a 1940s reel on a 1970s fiberglass rod, with a 2026 Megabass lure.. at one point was also trying a 1950s wood Creek Chub Jointed Pikie.
the reel and I worked hard for 8 hours of throwing everything I could think of, tubes slow on the bottom, jerkbaits midwater, spoons deep and slow, etc etc but no fish to show.. boo.
Also had the Shakespeare 2062 on a Wonderrod for when the wind got up and it was just too unpleasant to baitcast.
Penn 350
(https://i.imgur.com/PQVy4Uz.jpeg)
Penn 704Z
(https://i.imgur.com/qv9I0wt.jpeg)
Airex Saltwater Mastereel
(https://i.imgur.com/hsYjNn5.jpeg)
Pflueger Alpine
(https://i.imgur.com/jUrTCsD.jpeg)
That's a lot of fun and successful fishing reflected in those photos, bja105! I've been intrigued by the 350 and may try one after I get done with the 180s I'm currently working on. Those are nice carp! Is that Pflueger Alpine a knuckle buster? I've been thinking of trying one of those as well, maybe a Penn 78, for some old school carp fishing.
Man this is my idea of a good time. Most of my actively-used fleet are old reels. It's not so much that I like em because they're old, it's more because these reels offer unbeatable value.
My bass reels are mostly old Daiwa SM-2 series and Px-33SHs that I upgrade to PT-33SH spec. I upgrade them with cf drags and replace bearings as needed. Biggest PITA with these is when the pinion bearings let go, but there are still some floating around out there -- for now.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55150506232_d0fcbea0e1_b.jpg)[/url]
Decent largemouth caught on a frog. A well-tuned PT-33SH on a Lunkerstik is hard to beat for a frog setup.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151544613_1bdec1e199_b.jpg)
Another decent lmb, this one on an SM-2A on an old early graphite pistol-grip rod that the manufacturer info is too faded to make out. This is my favorite shore fishing combo, and it is a sniper at throwing things like jig and pigs and senkos into holes.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151760395_08a16b4362_b.jpg)
Most of my spinning reel work is done by Daiwa SS Tournaments. This was a 5lb lmb, the SS 1300 on an old Berkley Bionix rod made short work of her! Note the Luna in the background on the Falcon rod. I picked it up as a parts reel on ebay years ago due to levelwind issue. It was $45. The issue was that someone had knocked a dent in the groove the line guide rides in and it would grind at that spot. I opened it up with a flat head screwdriver and it's been fine since!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151617069_1b7a0be732_b.jpg)
My oldest kid several years ago, got him started with the Cardinal 4. Don't shoot me but they aren't my favorite, just something about em. Of course that hasn't stopped me from stockpiling every example I could find for under $30 at flea markets etc. over the years.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151383081_f1789bdd58_b.jpg)
This old True Temper combo was $4 at a yard sale because as the guy said, "This old thing won't catch fish anymore, it's just for display". Just a cleaning was all it needed. It was my summertime truck rod for a couple of years after, and of course the nut that holds the bail on fell off. Odd-sized nut, so now it is on display :(
(https://flic.kr/p/2s2xfM6)
This is my favorite float fishing combo, Daiwa GS-10 on an old Fenwick Spin/Fly travel rod, 7ft-6. Will sling a slip float rig a mile, and perfect action for live bait!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55150491332_fb210f549c_b.jpg)
Did this yesterday. First fish on this reel, its revival story will get its own thread later. Great little reel.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151383011_cf0285b728_b.jpg)
On a remote camping/deer hunting trip with a buddy, I was throwing a crappie jig trying to make some catfish bait and this guy hit. Mini-Mite was up to the task!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55150506117_2487005c09_b.jpg)
Thanksgiving 2020, nobody made plans for the big day so we went to the beach. A big noreaster blew through that Wednesday night, and Thursday early AM we had a huge whiting (sea mullet, virginia mullet, northern kingfish) run. I must have caught 100 in 2-3 hours, many 2x at a time on a double-dropper rig, most on this old greenie Penn 710.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151559363_984360f49e_b.jpg)
Metals combo putting in work on the beach. Daiwa SS 2600 on a Tiralejo 8ft rod. Good size spanish on Ocracoke that morning. No birds working, saw some glass minnows jumping and cast into them. Paid off!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55150506137_6265e7f4a7_b.jpg)
Good sized pomp (2.5 lb), caught on the combo right behind me -- Carolina Cast Pro 13 ft rod with an old Millionaire reel I tuned up. Upgraded bearings, CF drag, power handle from a Shimano TSM that I made work with a dremel. Great casting combo and the power handle helps a lot. Only problem is I have to bungee the handle to the rod when casting (I use silicone wire ties) so the inertia of the handle doesn't knock it into gear on the cast. The 'notching the button' trick that works for Abus does not work on this reel.
Should be adding some pics of catfish caught on all sorts of old junk since my boat is set up now. 14 catfish combos in the shed, I'd say most of them are silver Daiwa spinners.
(https://flic.kr/p/2s2sL48)
706 one of my favorites
Slosh Is that green shakespeare reel a 2200?
If so, I just got one & like more than a Mitchell 308 & great photos!
Quote from: work2fish on March 16, 2026, 01:25:22 PMThat's a lot of fun and successful fishing reflected in those photos, bja105! I've been intrigued by the 350 and may try one after I get done with the 180s I'm currently working on. Those are nice carp! Is that Pflueger Alpine a knuckle buster? I've been thinking of trying one of those as well, maybe a Penn 78, for some old school carp fishing.
The 350 is just like a Surfmaster or Beachmaster, except the Level Line feature. I have one with a plated brass spool and one with a plastic spool. I cast the plastic better, but I don't really power cast with these old reels. I think a conventional is a perfect Carp and Catfish reel. Set the rod in a holder, clicker on, freespool.
The Alpine is a knuckle buster. The drag is the leather pad. That fish was from Lake Arthur last Summer.
Slosh that is a great post of old reels getting it done!!!! - john
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 16, 2026, 08:25:46 PMSlosh Is that green shakespeare reel a 2200?
If so, I just got one & like more than a Mitchell 308 & great photos!
Thank you! That is indeed a 2200, it is a sweet little reel. I have a few 308s and honestly I agree with you on this assessment. This one almost fell victim to a calamity in my little workshop, I'll post about that later.
I forgot how I went down the 2200 rabbit hole. Then I got 2-2210 II. Festus has some good tutorials on the Japanese Shakespeare reels.They really have impressed me!
I mis-ID'd this one:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55151760395_08a16b4362_b.jpg)
That's actually an SS 1600.
I do a lot of pond fishing, and many of our ponds now are overrun with watershield. The fish like it, but it is about impossible to get fish out of it with any line under 20 lb. I do a lot of finesse fishing, so I have a couple of these 1600s loaded with 30 lb braid for this task. I used to use the pictured Bionix rod for this, but I've sinced moved to a pair of 5.5 ft H Tennessee handle Browning rods. I can throw a weightless t-rigged finesse worm 10 or so yards -- far enough -- and if a fish like the one pictured smokes it, I can apply some drag and horse them right out.
Quote from: Brewcrafter on March 17, 2026, 01:52:05 AMSlosh that is a great post of old reels getting it done!!!! - john
Thank you!
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 18, 2026, 12:49:22 AMI forgot how I went down the 2200 rabbit hole. Then I got 2-2210 II. Festus has some good tutorials on the Japanese Shakespeare reels.They really have impressed me!
They are slick little reels for sure. Mine actually came with a drag knob from an old Penn spinner. No center button on it so it's not from a Spinfisher. Maybe a 103? I've never handled one of those (I have a 104) but didn't think they'd be that small.
Heavily modded 50 year old Abu 2500C on a heavily modded 50 year old Fenwick UL.
Casts 1/16oz lures as far as you need em to go. Can probably cast lighter but it's limited by this user's skill.
Today Younger brothers and niece and nephew catching fish on dam reels and old sticks .
Hey, Joe, I was surprised to see that all the DAM Quick reels in those photos are black. Do you fish with the colorful ones you have been powder coating?
Quote from: work2fish on March 21, 2026, 01:59:50 AMHey, Joe, I was surprised to see that all the DAM Quick reels in those photos are black. Do you fish with the colorful ones you have been powder coating?
Yes I am using them ! The ones used yesterday were Cha Chow A very light metallic in black .
You have an amazing talent, Joe. Those are beautiful reels!
Pre-war 49 on a late 40's Japanese split bamboo that had a Mayflower decal. Rewrapped original guides with candy apple red as the original black and gold thread was unobtainium. Has the backbone similar to a Penn Tuna-stick. Trolling leadline off of my old Blackfin in Buzzards Bay. Stripers and Blues no problem, like the 3 1/2 to 1 retreve on the ancient 49, faster than a 114h. Gramps had good tackle to work with, could last a lifetime or two with a little care.
Quote from: bja105 on March 16, 2026, 09:00:13 PMQuote from: work2fish on March 16, 2026, 01:25:22 PMThat's a lot of fun and successful fishing reflected in those photos, bja105! I've been intrigued by the 350 and may try one after I get done with the 180s I'm currently working on. Those are nice carp! Is that Pflueger Alpine a knuckle buster? I've been thinking of trying one of those as well, maybe a Penn 78, for some old school carp fishing.
The 350 is just like a Surfmaster or Beachmaster, except the Level Line feature. I have one with a plated brass spool and one with a plastic spool. I cast the plastic better, but I don't really power cast with these old reels. I think a conventional is a perfect Carp and Catfish reel. Set the rod in a holder, clicker on, freespool.
The Alpine is a knuckle buster. The drag is the leather pad. That fish was from Lake Arthur last Summer.
BTW, The 350(according to the Penn manual) should have 30" between the reel and the first guide on the rod. This is to get better "level winding". I did take that guide off my cheap Mariner rod, but it didn't seem to make too much difference.
Nice to see the thread taking off, great pictures all around!
Digging further back, a couple of nice pike the kids caught on Daiwa 130X's or RL's, cant keep track of who's got what but we've got a small fleet of them kicking around. Super easy to service, relatively light and user friendly for kids to use, and despite being a "B-grade" reel they've outlasted a trashcan full of low- mid range Shimanos.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52976700537_5eb922a1b6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oHnroz)RIMG0039 (https://flic.kr/p/2oHnroz) by , on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52977448464_df2eee53ef_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2oHrgHS)RIMG0037 (https://flic.kr/p/2oHrgHS) by , on Flickr
I got a 130 at a junk shop awhile back, had it serviced in no time, just need to put line on it.
Tough little reels. Kind of like an '80s Toyota pickup. Not the smoothest or fastest, but will still be ticking along well after most of the newer stuff is scrapped.
Quote from: slosh on March 23, 2026, 01:50:32 AMI got a 130 at a junk shop awhile back, had it serviced in no time, just need to put line on it.
Tough little reels. Kind of like an '80s Toyota pickup. Not the smoothest or fastest, but will still be ticking along well after most of the newer stuff is scrapped.
Yeah, I dont know if its actually possible to build a functional spinning reel with less parts. Its like Daiwa looked at a Mitchel 300 and figured out how to get rid of 1/3 of the parts. Typical of all Daiwa's great reels they perform much better than the pot metal gears, plastic bushings, and all the nay-sayers might suggest. As you can see, we are using them far harder than they were ever intended to be and they just keep ticking.
A real classic lineup right here: Mitchell 300, Ugly Stik, a Junebug Spinner... and a Walleye.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/828/41830819662_94c5ecfa85_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26JrTjE)P6020094 (https://flic.kr/p/26JrTjE) by , on Flickr
Another nice walleye caught on a Mitchell 300, shore casting with spoons.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50030213593_4b10f08a1e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2jdZVtx)DSCF1520 (https://flic.kr/p/2jdZVtx) by , on Flickr
This is my second 2062 I got at an antique mall, it needed a spool & some bail work. My new fav ::) I said that before. I go to our pond every evening around 7 the feeder goes off at 730. It been hot action every cast. I took 13 small bream to the creek the last 2 days & caught this stumpknocker :fish
I christened two new (to me, at least) reels today. Caught two carp, one on my Surfmaster 150 and another on my Daiwa SL30SH. I had the Daiwa on freespool with the clicker, and I was about 50 yards away from my rod talking to somebody when the clicker started to scream. Luckily I got to the rod before the carp pulled me into the downed trees.
Modern UL rod. Vintage UL reel. Small creek bass. The combination works well for my style of fishing.
Quote from: work2fish on March 27, 2026, 02:16:48 AMI christened two new (to me, at least) reels today. Caught two carp, one on my Surfmaster 150 and another on my Daiwa SL30SH. I had the Daiwa on freespool with the clicker, and I was about 50 yards away from my rod talking to somebody when the clicker started to scream. Luckily I got to the rod before the carp pulled me into the downed trees.
Nice carp!
Fighting a fish off the beach on a Daiwa BG15/ Ugly Stick combo...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52680927946_b13532c589_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ogewv9)029-2 (https://flic.kr/p/2ogewv9) by , on Flickr
Quote from: Gfish on March 22, 2026, 05:31:34 PMQuote from: bja105 on March 16, 2026, 09:00:13 PMQuote from: work2fish on March 16, 2026, 01:25:22 PMThat's a lot of fun and successful fishing reflected in those photos, bja105! I've been intrigued by the 350 and may try one after I get done with the 180s I'm currently working on. Those are nice carp! Is that Pflueger Alpine a knuckle buster? I've been thinking of trying one of those as well, maybe a Penn 78, for some old school carp fishing.
The 350 is just like a Surfmaster or Beachmaster, except the Level Line feature. I have one with a plated brass spool and one with a plastic spool. I cast the plastic better, but I don't really power cast with these old reels. I think a conventional is a perfect Carp and Catfish reel. Set the rod in a holder, clicker on, freespool.
The Alpine is a knuckle buster. The drag is the leather pad. That fish was from Lake Arthur last Summer.
BTW, The 350(according to the Penn manual) should have 30" between the reel and the first guide on the rod. This is to get better "level winding". I did take that guide off my cheap Mariner rod, but it didn't seem to make too much difference.
I think it is because of this:
The levelwind is still going to put the line on the spool in the same way, but the closer the bottom guide is to the reel, the greater the angle from the bottom guide to the spool edges. More angle leads to increased twisting load on the pawl and worm. This can wear out the levelwind assembly faster, especially if you wind under higher loads.
-J
The Daiwa SL30SH is on a roll. Caught 2 more carp today on it. One was fairly big. I was fishing by myself so I had to take a selfie with it :)
I think someone on AT has something like "Fish where the fish are" in their signature. That has been the case with these carp. I could see them on the other side of the lake, but couldn't fish there because there are so many downed trees. I have tried it before, and it is next to impossible to land the carp without them getting into the trees. So, I'm casting over there from the other side with my surf rod.
That thread about skipping Spring and going right to Summer doesn't apply to Western PA yet. It was 38 degrees and windy when I left the lake today.
Check out this link. Unfortunately the pictures are gone but those carp make great subjects for gyotaku. Dominick
https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,8210.0.html
Quote from: jurelometer on March 28, 2026, 12:53:14 AMThe levelwind is still going to put the line on the spool in the same way, but the closer the bottom guide is to the reel, the greater the angle from the bottom guide to the spool edges. More angle leads to increased twisting load on the pawl and worm. This can wear out the levelwind assembly faster, especially if you wind under higher loads.
He has the Leveline, not levelwind. The spiral bar on the leveline eliminates the guide wire, carriage, pawl and worm as well as all the trouble they cause. But, the Leveline creates it's own unique problems. If there is not tension on the line the spiral bar just rotates without laying the line. To help keep tension on the line, the spiral bar is located higher on the frame than a worm gear. In this position, the line is rubbing on the spiral bar during the cast. Even though it was designed and sold as a surf reel, it is not a very good surf reel, in my opinion. Gfish uses his for trolling which is a better application for the spiral bar concept. Penn missed an opportunity by not coming out with a narrow Leveline trolling reel.
Because there is no levelwind carriage and the groove in the spiral bar is shallow, line can be pushed back and forth on the spiral bar by hand with very little resistance Relocating the stripper guide out to 30" prevents the stripper guide from making the line slip on the spiral bar and bunching line up in the middle of the spool.
Quote from: oc1 on March 28, 2026, 05:45:26 AMQuote from: jurelometer on March 28, 2026, 12:53:14 AMThe levelwind is still going to put the line on the spool in the same way, but the closer the bottom guide is to the reel, the greater the angle from the bottom guide to the spool edges. More angle leads to increased twisting load on the pawl and worm. This can wear out the levelwind assembly faster, especially if you wind under higher loads.
He has the Leveline, not levelwind. The spiral bar on the leveline eliminates the guide wire, carriage, pawl and worm as well as all the trouble they cause. But, the Leveline creates it's own unique problems. If there is not tension on the line the spiral bar just rotates without laying the line. To help keep tension on the line, the spiral bar is located higher on the frame than a worm gear. In this position, the line is rubbing on the spiral bar during the cast. Even though it was designed and sold as a surf reel, it is not a very good surf reel, in my opinion. Gfish uses his for trolling which is a better application for the spiral bar concept. Penn missed an opportunity by not coming out with a narrow Leveline trolling reel.
Because there is no levelwind carriage and the groove in the spiral bar is shallow, line can be pushed back and forth on the spiral bar by hand with very little resistance Relocating the stripper guide out to 30" prevents the stripper guide from making the line slip on the spiral bar and bunching line up in the middle of the spool.
Oops. You are right. I was thinking of the GT levelwind series. Thanks for catching that.
As for the bottom guide distance, I would say it is a different flavor of the same problem I described with the levelwind. The increased angle to the spool edge from a closer bottom guide would tend to cause the line to slip more and bunch up toward the center of the spool on leveline reels.
It seems like a finicky design . You need the right type of line with the right ring size and profile guide at the right distance from the reel, and even then there's only going to be a certain range of tension where the spool will be filled evenly.
I don't find it surprising that this feature was an evolutionary dead end.
-J
Mark what do you use for Carp Bait?
I have grass carp in my pond 30" now around 12#.I have caught them on red wigglers & crickets.
Only when the feeder goes off they love fish food,big splash they show off.
Quote from: TLHSS on March 27, 2026, 03:53:40 AMModern UL rod. Vintage UL reel. Small creek bass. The combination works well for my style of fishing.
That's a beautiful smallie. What make and model is the reel? I can't magnify the picture enough to tell.
Quote from: Dominick on March 28, 2026, 03:03:26 AMCheck out this link. Unfortunately the pictures are gone but those carp make great subjects for gyotaku. Dominick
https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,8210.0.html (https://alantani.com/index.php/topic,8210.0.html)
I had never heard of that, Dominick. I googled gyotaku to see some pictures. The article I found said it was the ancient Japanese equivalent of taxidermy, or of taking a photo of your catch before you release it. Cool!
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 28, 2026, 11:52:55 AMMark what do you use for Carp Bait?
I have grass carp in my pond 30" now around 12#.I have caught them on red wigglers & crickets.
Only when the feeder goes off they love fish food,big splash they show off.
I usually use sweet corn on the hook and a mix of oatmeal, panko beak crumbs, and creamed corn as a pack bait to pack around the sinker as chum.
It must be a lot of fun to have your own pond. You can stock fish and watch them grow, catch them, put them back, and catch them again when they are bigger.
Come-on Work2fish give that big beautiful Carp a kiss!
My first Bonefish(Oio) took me a day and a-half of going at it hard to land one. A cheap Shakespeare Synergy spincaster.
A nice Grey Snapper(Uku) overgunned a bit with a Jigmaster
Quote from: Gfish on March 28, 2026, 07:22:02 PMCome-on Work2fish give that big beautiful Carp a kiss!
I was so happy to catch the carp I would have given it a kiss if I had thought of it :D
Here is my son, with a carp he caught last Fall. (I think he was just looking into its mouth, but I'm not sure...)
Hawaii must be a paradise for fishing.
My oldest with a bass in the 4lb range today. His first fish on his Daiwa SS 1300, hopefully that is a sign of good juju.
I managed a 2 lber on that Shakespeare 2200II. I love that reel except that the bail trip seems to leave a spot from about 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock where you can't flip the bail!
I been reading about the Daiwa SS reels that reel should last him awhile, nice bass & pond
,Shakes 2200?
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 30, 2026, 07:10:04 AMI been reading about the Daiwa SS reels that reel should last him awhile, nice bass & pond
,Shakes 2200?
If the daiwa SS series came with a metal body there would frankly be no reason to own any other spinner. They're truly otherwise a pile of perfection.
You can have my SS700, when you pry it from my cold dead hands.
Quote from: jgp12000 on March 30, 2026, 07:10:04 AMI been reading about the Daiwa SS reels that reel should last him awhile, nice bass & pond
,Shakes 2200?
Thank you! Sorry yes it was 2200II, I corrected that.
Those SS Tournaments don't have the solid feel of an old worm drive reel, but they have some benefits:
-World class drag (multi-stack even in the 700 size)
-Machined aluminum alloy gears (these + the drags are why these reels have the reputation for doing well against really large fish)
-worm gear oscillation -- uses a worm gear and pawl (think baitcaster levelwind) to handle spool oscillation. This means line management is great, it works well with even the newer nanobraids. My wife has an SS 700 on an old Falcon Streamside Special, spooled with 4 lb braid it will throw a crappie jig a mile.
-Graphite body -- generally frowned upon, but it's heavy duty graphite and rock solid. I've never had any issues with frame flex on these reels, and I've put them to work over the years.
To me the downside is the handle, but you can put a new knob on it, put a new handle on it (there are some options out there), or learn to live with it.
Also if you're used to servicing '70s and older reel tech, these are a little more of a pain, but not too bad. Definitely easier than a Baitrunner.
Quote from: slosh on March 30, 2026, 01:27:56 PM-Graphite body -- generally frowned upon, but it's heavy duty graphite and rock solid. I've never had any issues with frame flex on these reels, and I've put them to work over the years.
You're not wrong. I've used my 700 way above it's designed range and it's a trooper. No sign of flex. The problem I see with the graphite frame is that over time and multiple services the screw holes will get chewed out and weaken (it's already happening to mine), and the tolerances will loosen to the point of failure. Eventually. But until that day, it's a beast.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on March 30, 2026, 02:42:03 PMQuote from: slosh on March 30, 2026, 01:27:56 PM-Graphite body -- generally frowned upon, but it's heavy duty graphite and rock solid. I've never had any issues with frame flex on these reels, and I've put them to work over the years.
You're not wrong. I've used my 700 way above it's designed range and it's a trooper. No sign of flex. The problem I see with the graphite frame is that over time and multiple services the screw holes will get chewed out and weaken (it's already happening to mine), and the tolerances will loosen to the point of failure. Eventually. But until that day, it's a beast.
Yeah, I recently got a new version Daiwa BG. Was a bit dissapointed to find that while the body is metal, you really cant service the gear train without removing the rotor... which is graphite. Alot of folks will tell you that a graphite rotor isnt a bad thing, some will even claim its a good thing, but in this case of the BG I think it will be a limiting longevity factor.
Surely someone out there is bored and has a machine shop.
A full aluminum frame and sideplate for an SS 700 would be a cool project!
Tincanary spoke of this great reel in the link below,Sounds like it has a tapered long stroke spool I suppose aides in the long casts mentioned.Sounds like other brands have tried to mimic it.The graphite body ain't a deal breaker for me, but a concern while shopping. Me caveman, me like metal grrrr....
https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/threads/farewell-daiwa-ss-tournament-you-were-truly-legendary-1987-2022.742341/
Got to hit up a local creek this morning. This is what I have the little Eagle Claw rod with the Zebco Omega ultralight for - - panfish from tight cover along the bank. I managed 3 nice redbreast, and my son got a couple. One on his rod (Mitchell 308 on a 5.5ft Cherrywood Special), and one on the Eagle Claw. Small panfish are an absolute blast on that combo, and it's a sniper with a slip float or a beetle spin.
Forgot to post this little one from the creek with my Abu 2500c BFS setup. Possibly the smallest fish I've ever hooked.
My 1st catch 3600,my new fave reel ;D
Just got back from a catfishing trip to Lake Wylie in SC. Went out with a charter captain and caught around 25 blue catfish averaging around 15 - 20 lbs. Didn't go so well off the dock at the house where we were staying, but I managed to catch a blue on an Ambassadeur 6500C3 and another one on my Surfmaster 150. Also caught the world's smallest blue catfish on my bait rod.
Mark what rod is your 6500C3 on?
I had one break me off under the dock last night,so today I strung on new 8# trilene big game.
Tonight I caught a 4" bream let it soak BAM !!! Pulling drag, but Shakey wins :fish
Quote from: jgp12000 on April 07, 2026, 11:26:18 PMMark what rod is your 6500C3 on?
It is a 7.5 ft Whisker Seeker GFX MH. I like it. It is a blend of S-Glass and graphite. It can handle heavy baits and fish, but it is not a broomstick.
Nice bass, James!
Shakespeare is tough! Good work!
Went out for carp yesterday, and the Baymaster 180 was part of our arsenal. My son's friend caught the largest fish of his lifetime, a 16.5 lb carp, on the Baymaster. He doesn't know how to thumb the line, but we said that he could take the first fish, so we let him take it. The line got onto the reel unevenly, but I just casted it out once and reeled it in to even it out. Ruined my excuse to always take the fish on the reels without level wind when I fish with my son and his friends ;D
We caught several more carp, but they were on more modern reels (Penn Pursuit 3, Penn Fierce 2, and Piscifun Chaos 50). My son and I both caught mirror carp, 18 and 18.5 lbs.
Mark the largest grass carp in my pond are around 14#,I imagine that is quite a battle landing one that big!
Quote from: jgp12000 on April 11, 2026, 02:48:55 PMMark the largest grass carp in my pond are around 14#,I imagine that is quite a battle landing one that big!
Carp are a lot of fun! How quickly do the grass carp in your pond grow? They will probably get very big eventually.
We were testing out a 6-piece travel carp/surf rod, and it did a great job vs the 18.5 lb mirror carp.
My son is starting to get used to the conventional reels, so I can start bringing more of them on our fishing trips.
The biguns 14# 30" are probably 10 years old now & lazy preferring fish food instead of their intended purpose.
They know when the feeder goes off at 808am
730pm for 3 seconds.They make their presence known with "Jaws" like splashes.
They are fun to catch on an ultralight combo
I believe 10 years its getting close to their lifespan but seem to be doing great.
Had a 180 once and really liked it. But couldn't keep the line out of the spool/side-plate crevice. Too tweaked to repair...? I remember trying what I thought then was everything.
1st for me,crappie on a 7.5" tequila sunrise culprit worm with 3600.
Cardinal 4 the win! On a Live bream
Nice fish and nice added fighting handle on the rod!
Man I'd be out there right now throwing a crappie jig if one hit a culprit worm!
Great job on both of those fish.
Ok everytime I see a tree frog & catch it becomes bait.
I baited it up on Keith's 304 that Joe powdercoated for me.
I left it in the rod holder just floating on the top of the water.
After lunch I had just sat down to
Watch TV looked down at the dock &
Saw the rod dancing. So I had to go
Check it.He couldn't stand it
Like me at a Chinese buffet scarfing up spring rolls slathered in duck sauce !!!
OH MY! How could you, tree frogs are sooo friggin' cute? Leopard frog, bull frog, sand toad, etc., fine,but a cute lil' tree frog? 😯 🌴 🐸 😉