First baitcasting reel?

[Fishfeet]

My first baitcaster was a ABU Garcia 5000. The old red colored thing that taught me how to avoid backlashes, with lots of trial and errors.(mostly errors,i.e. birds nests). They didn`t make left handed models back then that I know of. Tackled many Salmon and Steelhead with that old thing over the years with various results. Purchased it at Stouts GI surplus in Salem back in the early 70`s. Fond memories. Bought it at age 14. What was your first baitcaster?

[outdoor.spec.ops]

My first was an old red Abu 5000 as well, and boy o boy could I generate some nasty knots. I just started buying a new spool of line everytime I went out fishing. I still use the reel today, but without the bird nests.

[ 07-31-2003, 09:21 AM: Message edited by: outdoor.spec.ops ]

[Keta]

6000c

[FEAR NO FISH!]

Zebco 202. Caught many a northern pike, in Minnesota, on that reel. Sure miss bobber fishing for those toothy critters. Hook a live fathead or sucker minnow, attach a bobber at about 8 foot depth and wait for that minnow to start getting real nervous. When that bobber would go down, you would count, one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three and set the hook while trying to cross the eyes of that fishy!

[skrimmy]

Abu 5000, almost 30 years ago! Ambassaduers are still my first choice overall, although for steelhead drifting, Shimano Curado BSF is da bomb!

[FastAction]

Mine was a Shimano Lexica. Had it for 10years. That thing handled my 7 lb 22in Small mouth that I caught in Patterson, and the Taxidermist closed shop and packed off with my fish! Along with many others :mad:

[greenbuttskunk]

shimano bantam 100. Bought new in 81'. Was and still is an awesome reel. I own a number of the bantam series and love them all, but the old classics with the rosewood handles are the best.

[KingFisher85]

Think it was my abu 3500 that was given to me by my grandpa. One sweet casting reel. Still use it too.

[Paddlefish]

A Pflueger Akron, my first fishing reel, given to me by my uncle when I started fishing in 1960.

Direct drive. No free spool, star drag, anti-backlash devices or any of those other "improvements." You REALLY learned to educate your thumb in order to avoid backlashes -- and then you burned the same thumb whenever a big fish took a long run as the thumb was the only drag you had.

It still works perfectly and I still drag it out and use it occasionally -- and it's still taken my biggest chinook ever.

[Jacks or Better]

I won my first rod and reel getting newspaper subscriptions somewhere around 1956. Poor excuse for a reel. graemlins/berry.gif Braided nylon line on a $2 (estimated cost) baitcaster. Never could cast bait unless you had 5 ounces of lead. You can pick them up in antique stores now and they're still only $2. First one I purchased, and still use, was an Ambass 6500C. Still have my old highschool Mitchell 300 too.

[jimh]

K-Mart model with plastic gears. It didn't take long to wear out!

[SandyRiverRon]

ABU 2500C....loved them then and love them now, still have 4 or 5 left in the garage.

[Dragfreedrift]

My first baitcaster was a Daiwa Millionaire. ( I saved for months from my paper route for that thing).....landed my first few steelhead on it.


HC

[Fishfeet]

Yah Sandyriver! I had one of those 2500c`s also! Great little reel. Good for small water steelheading! Gave mine to a friend in Orlando, Fla. Sure miss it! Hope he has used it with good results! Haven`t seen him or the reel since about 1978. Fishft.

[Dr Strangelove]

Shimano Bantam 300 all chrome/stainless, grandma gave to me. She's gone but the reel still sits among my favorite gear and going to add it to my new 9ft 8-12 lb Alstar Elite I picked up from Sportsman's yesterday. 10lb UG line, 8lb leader, pink wormage. Steelies Beware!

[TundraIII]

5500c3

[HORNBLOWER]

Pflueger Akron --- 1945
Paddlefish, you described it beautifully. My first steelhead (10#)took a run of over 50 yards before she stopped to jump a few times. My thumb got an education!
The reel is still in great shape, although I haven't used it in years. Maybe it's about time I did.

[Jennie@ifish]

Ambassadeur UC5601C.

I'll never forget how proud I was of that reel! My Dad bought it for me, and I went out to Coffenbury and practiced all day long!
I got so frustrated, but I got better.
Every day after I taught piano lessons, I'd go out in the street and practice. The neighbors thought I had lost it. (Don't tell them that they were right, OK?)

Jen

[Spoiled Daddy]

Abu Garcia 5000 for me too, in about 1981. It caught a lot of bass and salmon, but now hangs on a hook above the rod rack. Nothing wrong with it, but I haven't used it in years.

SD

[chynook]

Ambassadeur 4000D was my first in 1974. I never had a problem casting with it, but that direct drive drove me nuts. Used it once, put it back in the box with no line on it, and there it sits today. No scratches, no boat rash, just a beautiful root beer brown shiny finish. Replaced it with a 6000C in 1974 after getting a paper route, still have that one too. Now, I have this obsessive compulsive disorder and have more than 40 Ambassadeurs, and always looking for more.

[chynook]

after reading my previous post over my shoulder, my girlfriend says I have to change the obsessive compulsive disorder to an EXCESSIVE compulsive disorder. She may be right, since I have a minimized window of e-bay Ambassadeur reels!

[Fish_N_Russ]

Does a Pocket Fisherman count?? :grin:

[Smily]

I still got my trusty ol' Penn surf caster reel.

:smile: Smily :smile:

[Fishfeet]

Wait!!! I musta lied about my age when I said I bought my first baitcaster @ age 14 in the early 70`s! Sorry bout that, I wasn`t 14 anymore in the 70`s. Musta been middle 60`s. Where`s my calculator, abacus, fingers? Fishft.

[ampersat]

http://www.ampersat.com/doug/ifish/reel.jpg
here's mine. it was given to me when i was about 10 years old on a rod that my dad custom made for me. the rod is in my brother's garage because it's a one piece and i couldn't take it on the plane. this reel has caught many fish in the gulf of mexico and a few here too. i still get the occasional backlash these days but it's usually because i hooked something on the back cast.

[Subidy]

Actually... Just last night I bought my first bait caster at the Sportsmens Warehouse. An Ambassadeur 5600C4. Pretty pumped up to get out and use it but I still need to go get a new rod now. Here is a pic, but I got the left hand retrieve.

http://www.abu-garcia.com/products/images/Baitcasting%20Reels/Ambassadeur%20C4%20Series/5600C4-1.jpg

P.S. they still have a ton of those $10 off coupons at the reel desk, just ask for one.