James RickardSpincast reels--basic but good
March 12th 2009 01:01
Sometimes you fish a lot and forget what it was like starting out in the sport. Everybody has to start somewhere so, hopefully, an up and comer may see this post post.
These are the spincast reels I have. The top reel, a Zebco 33, is the spincast I usually use. The bottom reel, a Zebco 808 has done duty as a surf reel as well as hauling in big catfish.
Although some anglers look down upon spincast reels, I'll go on record as saying I like them and even use one now and then. The biggest reason I got away from using spincast reels is because the one I grew up with and used for years finally wore out. Thanks to that old South Bend Spin Cast 63, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for reels that most anglers sneer at!
Although angling and associated equipment has evolved over the years, many of the same problems associated with spincast reels exist today the same as they did years ago.
One big knock against spincast reels is the fact that handles are not reversible. It may look like the crank handle can be swapped to the opposite side but, internal mechanics prevent it.
A BIG pain in the neck creeps up when it's time to respool line. Even if spincasters are pretty easy to work on, the take up spool is just too darned narrow. No task should be so difficult on a reel this simple! A small pair of hemostats or pliers come in REAL handy at times like these!
Unfortunately, I don't set a very good example when it comes to maintenance of my spincast reels although I did take mine apart this past fall to clean and lubricate the insides. For most anglers, a few squirts of machine oil is all it takes to lubricate the insides. The one thing you DON'T want to do is dunk it in the water to clean things.
Spincast reels are not that complicated so, with a little mechanical aptitude, you can probably strip one down and reassemble it with minimal stress. None the less, schematic drawings for most models can be found in the Internet. You can usually type your model number, comma, schematics into your favorite search engine and go from there. As a whole, spincast reels have served me well with little maintenance. As a result, I honestly think the older models were like tanks and you can usually pick them up at yard sales and the like for 2-5 bucks! I think it's money well spent.
Until next time--watch your line and watch yourself!
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