Penn 550SS

[foakes]

Not at all Fred, I always appreciate your help.
A new one will be a better choice for Joe and I'm sure he will be getting it at N/C, weather from me or you.
Parts for these are getting harder and harder to get, I've seen some new 550ss getting close to $300.

Keep some parts for yourself for the small greenies, a new 716 recently went for $350 .

Thank you Fred.

Sal

Well then Sal — you make the call...

Best,

Fred

[Alto Mare]

Good morning Fred, just send yours. A new one is a better choice of the two.
Thanks for always backing me up and many others here.

Sal

[foakes]

OK, Joe —

PM me your mailing information and I'll get it out today.

Do you need both parts, or just the crosswind block?

N/C.

Best,

Fred

Just realized that I already have your address, Joe — from the felt washers I sent last week.  So already addressed and will go out this morning.  Sent both parts...

[Aseay]

Great job on this reel. Looks like it had some hard use and badly neglected. I had one about the same shape but gave it to a friend to fix up. I still have a 550ss that I really like. I have caught probably over 200 salmon with it and probably at least 50 were king salmon ranging from about 20 pounds to 50 pounds. The only weakness I have found in this real is the bail spring which brings me to my problem. I cannot find this bail spring. Penn has discontinued it. Does anyone have any ideas on a substitute replacement. I don't live in Alaska anymore so I don't need it for salmon but 30 pound catfish are not uncommon on the snake river. This reel still has a lot of life in it. I'm hoping someone can give me ideas on how to make this reel work. I'm really enjoying reading these stories. Thanks.

[foakes]

Here is a new 32-550 bail spring.

If you want it — send me a PM with your full mailing information, and I will drop it in the mail tomorrow.

$8, shipped to your address.

Best,

Fred

[foakes]

This is not a big deal to me, just an eye-opener —

And it has happened more than once — although fairly uncommon with 99% of the anglers on our site...

I have found the vast majority of anglers to be reliable, courteous, and appreciative of others efforts to help them with info or parts.

However, more and more of these "exceptions" are coming to the surface as our AT site basically comes up nearly always — as the #1 result, in any search for reel parts, info, or help — world-wide, 24/7.

Guy needs a bail spring for a Penn 550SS spinner.  Spring is no longer available from Penn, or Mystic. 

He puts out a well worded, and fervent plea for anyone who might know where he could get a spring.

I reply within less than an hour that I have the spring, and would be willing to send it to him for $8.  ($3.50 for the new, discontinued spring, 50 cents for a bubble envelope, and $4 for shipping and driving to the PO) — seemed reasonable to me — maybe I was wrong.

No response from him for the last couple of days — he likely just joined the site to find his needed part...

So, unless there has been a major issue in his life — he just did not have the time, or courtesy — to respond.  Either, Thanks, already found another one — or no thanks, but appreciate your help, or?

In this day and age of instant internet searches, nearly unlimited information on anything, and online shopping — I think a lot of folks just think that we are Amazon, Wal-Mart, or any other online retailer.

They do not realize that there is another person/persons on the other end of their inquiry — that is sincerely trying to help them — and would just like a timely response — after they asked us for help...

So, for now, the spring will go back in the bin — and hopefully another member that appreciates what this Alan Tani Ohana Reel site is really about — will need it someday...

This is not a criticism of any of our members who regularly contribute to the whole of the site, or even to a new person who seems to be in legitimate need — I and others of us will not stop helping in any way we can — with information, knowledge, experience, parts, or techniques.  But it does raise a red flag to be more cautious in helping others who are just looking for information — and do not have the courtesy to at least respond to our help.

Just my opinions...

Best,

Fred