Harnell rod

[Squirmypug]

Can anyone tell me about Harnell rods? I have a 7' Harnell with white rubber-like grip, spoofer reel seat and all aftco roller guides.Any info to when it was made and how much it could be worth would be great. Thanks         Just looked at it again, it is model #2550 O H 7'  50lb class and has another number under that-  1-965-505

[Squirmypug]

Thanks Alto but when I click on the link it just looks like a search to me.From what I have seen these are old rods but I can find very little about them.I have had the rod a few years and never used it, I may just hang it on the wall. 

[Alto Mare]

Sorry, I though it worked when I checked, maybe this would help    Fishing: Harnell parts, label, grips,etc., harrington rods, silver ...

Just copy and paste, that's the best I could do.

Basically the shape of that rod has a lot to do with it, although a little heavy for today standards, they are still sought after by collectors. I have seen them go for as much as $400 in the past, but for larger ones though. If you have a spot for it, I would hang it up.
Another thing you could do is to check ebay, they always have some for sale, that would give you a better idea on what they're worth.

[Brendan]

I think the 8 to 10 foot jig sticks are the desirable ones. Party boat guys go nuts for them.

[blktwr2660]

Hi Guy's me again ,Came across this post that's very close to my heart .When I was a kid my Dad had a double set of Harnell Trolling and Bottom rods(Beside his custom's)that he used everytime he had a guest on board when Giant Tuna Fishing .We used the bottom rods w/Penn 60's and 68's to catch live bait(keep the kids busy)While He used Harnell 80's and 130"s for the main rods(w/14/0's and 16/0's)These rod's were equipped with top of the line(at that time) parts,Varmac brass/chrome machined reel seats,Mildrum Roller guides that were tripled wraped with size dd thread.He never had a rod failure with these rods.Today these rods
are highly sought after and when found there are worth some serious coin(something about the mystery blank ).The White Grip was
at that time a Harnell only deal,they called it NUVEICO and it worked(black blank white foregrips)I have been lucky and have found a few,but all fisherman who are aware of these rods(like myself)would kill for one.$400 is not out of the Question to die hard They came in everything from light to heavy,Trollers to 11' surf rods. .Hope this help's

[Squirmypug]

Thanks for the info guys, and great story blktwr.

[Bryan Young]

Wow, $400?  Really?  Alan gave one to me that was just collecting dust in his garage, and now collecting dust in my garage for the time being as I was thinking of re-wrapping it.  Maybe I should sell it?  Definitely would help pay for the Discover Angling tackle boxes that I am preparing for the youth's rock cod fishing trips.  Diamond jigs, shrimp flies and those squid looking rock cod jigs.  I still need to tie up dropper loops rigs so that we could recycle the shrimp flies if they are salvageable.  If not, I'm also tying shrimp flies in my infinite spare time...as I digress.  $400?  Really?

[blktwr2660]

Hi.Guy,s It,s me again Ahh-yea $400 is not out of the question,Heard of a original Harnell 130 Troller w/Mildrum side saddle mounts and original hickroy straight grain,stained black,of course, )butt(weakest point of rod ####'y)that went for $1800 at auction.All of you that have or found original Harnell rods regardless of condition hold on to them there great blanks and some of them fetch extreme high prices .Now if you think there pricey try finding an buying a Big Game Reel made by a English Company by the name of HARDDING,Good luck

[Irish Jigger]

I think the English company famous for its reels was Hardy Bros. of Alnwick.   I have one of their fly reels aptly named the "Hardy Perfect" a superb piece of engineering.

[Fishead]

I was able to get my hands on some of the 50lb rods many years ago,they were not built rods.They were sold in parts & I built them.They were the black blanks & black grained wood butts with the white rubber grips with the harnell name on them.( cool looking but a bit slick when wet ).They were softer than the traditional 50lb rods at the time but were great grouper rods with hammered 60lb line,never pulled a hook.they are long gone but I still have one of the 8' 2-pc surf style rod.Too bad my dumb #### cut the white grips off when I rebuilt it many years ago or it might be worth a few bucks today.wish I would have had the foresight & the money to get some to hold on to at the time.Hindsight is always 20/20!!

[ccalls]

I've been trying to sell my Harnell Rod on craigslist to no avail anyone interested in this?

Classic red and gold Harnell "Ultimate" surf rod for restoration.  2 piece 10 foot "multiple step taper tubular fishing rod  Venice, California"  Needs to be refinished and re-wrapped to be a great show piece.  2 of the eyes have fallen off.  The butt needs an end cap.  No cracks or fractures to the rod blank.  The reel seat is in good shape.

][URL=http://www.use.com/Harnell_Ultimate_99da70e471e113308003?p=1][/url]

[Ellis Feibush]

I have one of those old Harnell Hollow fiberglass rods. It was my wife's Cod and Haddock jigging rod. We got divorced many years ago but I kept the Rod. She told me never to get rid of the rod, so I kept it. Though a bit heavy, by today's standards, it's a very usable rod with Tungsten Carbide guides and an old fashioned but durable metal reel seat. It's an excellent 71/2 foot jigging rod which I think I'm going to take on an upcoming 10-day Excel fishing trip (sponsored by Fisherman's Warehouse). I'll probably match it up with one of my Accurate or Avet reels, or possibly with my new Penn Fathom 25 reel. Not sure, but have to load up some braided line on these reels. Strangely enough many boats here on the East Coast don't allow the use of braided line. Everywhere else it's fine. These captains here are still back in the dark ages. They're going to be forced to allow the use of braided line just like they were forced to allow the use of spinning reels many years ago. The popularity of braided line is going to force them to allow its use. I was using braided dacron on my Cod jigmaster reels up in Gloucester over 30 years ago. You'd out fish the mono guys by at least 3 to 1. No one ever figured it out; how much easier and sensitive it was to deep water heavy jigs back then. You could also use lighter 9 Oz. jigs which were more effective. Try to move a 9 - 17 oz. jig in 125 to 200 feet of water using mono. The line stretched before you'd move the jig an inch. I even used a long needle to thread mono leader material into the hollow core braided Dacron, "Chinese Finger Trap " style. Nowadays this same technique is used on the new hollow core braided line, but with Flourocarbon topshots which is of course, much thinner line. Who was it that once said "there's nothing new under the sun," it's just the same technology applied differently.
In any event, the Harnell rods are old school hollow fiberglass and Lamaglass type rods. I grew up on them and still use some new custom rods made with Lamaglass. These rods have an entirely different feel to them. Personally I like that feel. The medium heavy blanks have a less progresive taper than the new graphite rods, which of course I have a few also, particularly some nice spinning rods.
It's all a matter of personal choice. It has been said that the older Fiberglass type rods didn't break as easily as the Graphite blanks. I'm not really sure of that. I haven't broken too many of either excepting for the occasional rod tip in the car door break.

[Norcal Pescador]

CCalls, yours may not be a surf rod. Some of the old-timers and die-hard anchovy-tossers go nuts for the 9 and 10-foot Harnells. Even re-wrapped, it's the action and length that they like.
Ellis, you should do well with yours on the Excel trip. You may wish to leave your reel unloaded and spool it up after talking to the folks on the Excel. Most of the long-range boats charge regular tackle-store prices for everything, so you shouldn't be gouged and they have top-quality stuff.
Rob

[Dominick]

I have one of those old Harnell Hollow fiberglass rods. It was my wife's Cod and Haddock jigging rod. We got divorced many years ago but I kept the Rod.

Ellis:  Get rid of the wife and keep the fishing gear.  You are my hero.  Alan should send you a wrench for this feat .  Dominick

[Ellis Feibush]

Rob, you're exactly right. My harnell is a sort of longish jigging rod which my Ex used and loved. She could outfish most men on the Cod boats. We were great friends then and still are today, but she had a stroke well after we divorced and that put her out of the ball game. Neither of us ever remarried and she calls me every other week.
I just emptied a small fortune in Mono line off a number of reels I plan on taking on that trip. The line was on these reels for about  five or more years and it was time to empty them. My son thinks we should load braided line on the 50 and 40lb. Daiwa and Shimano trolling reels and put mono on the 30lb and smaller reels. I'm of the opposite view. Load mono on the 50 - 40lb. reels and then load braided line on the 30, 25, and 20 lb. reels because of the increased capacity and strength of braided line. We'll probably use the smaller reels for jigging Yellowtail, Wahoo and smaller Yellowfin. Am very intimidated by the use of braided line. Only know of one knot to attach top shot, the Albright. I heard there were many other knots that are better today. Also my son suggested we use hollow core braid line and a needle to attach top shot. I wonder if we could use a less expensive braid and just tie knots when attaching the top shot. Sure would be more convenient. I heard the pre-set Flourbarbon leaders for the hollow core braid were very expensive and the Jerry Brown Hollow core line was also very costly. I like to tie my own flouro leaders. I used spyder line many years ago and cut my hands up so much I never wanted to use it again, but I hear the new braided line is a bit better. Not sure of this. The use of braided line will have to be a very short learning curve for me. Don't have much time. Thanks Rob and Dom for your responses. Much appreciated fellow fishing enthusiasts.

Dom. you're my hero too! But my ex took her great little  1987 Yamaha FZ750 motorcycle and let it just plain rot. Wouldn't get rid of it after the stroke. Couldn't ride and there it still sits to this day in the parking lot near her condo. What a waste. She was a good gal, but had this bad stroke well after we were divorced, but I don't really want to go there.
Dom, what a great Spring Striped Bass season, and it's not over. These fish are pretty well stacked up here off the Jersey coast near Spring Lake and south of Brielle two to three miles off the beach. Big bluefish running with them. These are all jig fish. Use anything that resembles Sand Eels. We opened their stomachs the other day and they were all loaded with Sand Eels. These Blues and Stripers are salt water piranahs. Tight lines Dom.
Truly, Ellis