What is this reel?

[Catching Nemo]

Hi guys,

Sorry for the bad pic.  I pulled this off a local on-line for-sale ad.  Can you ID this reel?  I can't make out any of the markings, but it looks like it may have an Abu Garcia logo and some sort of rear-drag control lever (baitfeeder mechanism?)?

[philaroman]

SHIMANO CUSTOM-X GT [Plus?]   ...late 80's
https://www.reelschematic.com/reel-schematics/shimano-reel-schematics/shimano-custom-schematics/#gsc.tab=0

[Tiddlerbasher]

Yuk! Rear drag reel - personally I wouldn't touch it.

[Gfish]

Looks like one of the Abu Cardinal series, probably from the 80's? Never seen a 2 part (baitrunner?)drag like that before... Is the spool graphite?
Probably like Philoaroman says though, a Shimano. That chrome lookin badge kinda looks Abu-like.

[festus]

It's a Shimano with the Fighting Drag system, this video explains.

[philaroman]

there's a very similar Abu (Shimano OEM?):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shimano-designed-Abu-SS-G3000-Fishing-Spinning-reel-Titanium-Graphite/361925133980?epid=12022417979&hash=item54446b469c:g:hNoAAOSwTapV7cb6
...but this is the better Custom-X w/ missing QuickFire parts, so it looks even more like the Abu

not a Baitrunner -- Fightin'Drag; can be used as a Baitrunner in many situations; made Baitrunner 150-300 (smaller than modern 3500) obsolete...  scroll down past baitcasters, to spinner stuff:
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=27063.msg324942#msg324942
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=28110.msg324206#msg324206

can't think of any 80's Shimano rear-drag models w/ metal spools
higher 90's models had tall aluminum Aero spool & graphite spare

[happyhooker]

It's funny this reel would appear now.  Just in the last couple of days, festus & I were posting about the Shimano Mark 1 Quickfire, which he and I both have. Mine has the spool from the Custom X-GT1100 Plus, and for the longest time, I thought that was the reel I had.  Got to looking at the schematics, and mine did not have the Fightin' Drag, where the GT did.  Finally figured the spools must interchange and that I had a Mark 1 with the GT spool on it.  The Mark 1 has the gold coat-of-arms emblem on it that could make someone think ABU at 1st glance; GT must too.

Frank

[Midway Tommy]

Yuk! Rear drag reel - personally I wouldn't touch it.

That's good! Less competition that way.  , Although I'm not a Shimano kinda guy. 

[The Fishing Hobby]

Yuk! Rear drag reel - personally I wouldn't touch it.

That's good! Less competition that way.  , Although I'm not a Shimano kinda guy. 

Do the worm drive Cardinals count as rear drag?  It is kinda on the bottom-ish!!!

[bhale1]

Ahhhh yes....think I still have one of those somewhere! My brother and I loved them for trolling little Z-Rays and Kastmasters for trout in the higher elevation lakes here in AZ! Got to dig that one out😁. 4 lb. test, , Berkeley cherrywood rods.... that was the ticket for the occasional big brown trout....much easier with light line and tippet to adjust drag and let them run...but we still lost our share😁....
Brett

[Midway Tommy]

Do the worm drive Cardinals count as rear drag?  It is kinda on the bottom-ish!!!

I differentiate between them by referring to those as "fulcrums".   

[Gfish]

I'd count them both as rear drag reels. Both lock the spool to the spool shaft, and rely on drag pressure from clamping down on the shaft. That Shimano does it directly at the rear end of the shaft and the Cardinals do it from the middle shaft area via the fulcurm arm.