Shimano Reel Maintenance

I like the overall professionalism of this video. Not as in depth as other videos, but a good guideline for servicing your own Shimano fishing reels. Shimano Fishing Reel Maintenance can be very difficult, but this video is sure to help you!

Shimano Curado Bantam CU-200 and CU-201

Ah, how I love these oldschool Made in Japan Fishing Reels. Yes, but now Shimano has these new Shimano Curado reels up on the market. How do these compare to the older ones? Are they as realiable, do these cast as nicely? How do you like the Shimano Curado 200? It's up to you to decide!

Penn 704z Main Gear

I have a few of these hiding in my collection of old stock Penn Fishing Reel parts. I was wondering how often most fishermen or women replace these on their Penn 704 Penn 704z Penn 706 Penn 706z and other Penn Spinfisher fishing reels. I have replaced main gears due to stripping and advanced stages of corrosion. Feel free to comment on how often and why you replaced your main gear on your Penn Reel.

Reel Rebuild_ Very Basic Penn Reel Rebuild; Penn 78

I decided to do this very basic rebuild guide for the Penn 78 to show how a Penn 78, and many other simple conventional reels, can be tear down and then rebuilt very easily with nothing other than a screwdriver. From here, you can access the spool, grease and or/ oil the left side plate, and maintain the right side plate, main gear, drag stack, etc. This is not a complete maintenance guide, as those a re soon to come, but it is a guide to show how easy reel repair and reel maintenance can be. I will be sure to post full detailed reel maintenance, repair, and complete fishing reel rebuild guides in the future.

First, we have a nice Vintage Penn 78 fishing reel and a small Flathead screwdriver. The Penn 78 happened to be one of Penn's first fishing reels that was mass produced in the United States. They were known for their unique simplicity and no- drag system. Later models, such as the Penn Jigmaster 500, Squidder 146, Penn 200 Surfmaster, and Penn Senator were built to be much more rugged, efficient, and were equip with a washer drag system. The 77 and 78 were often called "knuckle-busters" for this lack of drag system, and handle spinning when a fish took line off the spool. This often lead to injured knuckles from the handle bumping against your fingers.

 Next, remove all six(6) screws from right side plate. Righty-Tighty, Lefty-Loosey =)

Once screws have been removed, detach right side plate from spool. This should be very easy, if

it is not coming apart easily, either you forgot a screw, or the side plate is stuck. In that case apply WD-40,

Liquid Wrench, or similar product.

 When original right side plate has been removed from spool and left side plate, detach the spool from left side plate. Once again, this should be very simple. Now you have the three main parts to the reel. From this point, extended servicing and maintenance on this reel can be done, but I will save that for another article. Notice left side plate is still attached to crossbars and reel seat.

Finally, re-assembly the left side plate, spool, and right side plate in the correct order. Then, replace all six(6) screws in the right side plate. This will attach the right side plate to the crossbars and reel seat. Note: Reel seat must be attached to side plate using short screws. The distance from the right side plate to the reel seat is very short, therefore shorter screws are used here.

Hope you enjoyed this short take down and rebuild guide. Please stop by my blog in the future for more posts, guides, and instructions regarding fishing reels and fishing reel repair. Feel free to leave a comment!

Different Types of Fishing Reels and a Look at Some History

I came across this article and feel that it gives some great insite to the history of the fishing reel, and where the roots come from. Yes, very basic, but it does get directly to the point. Enjoy!

The first known history of a fishing reel are from about 1195 c.e. in Chinese records and paintings. In England fishing reels first appeared around the mid-1650s. By the 1760s, tackle shops in London were offering a multiplying or gear-retrieved reels. George Snyder, a Kentucky native is credited with inventing the first fishing reel in America around 1820. A bait casting design that quickly became popular with anglers.
Bait casting reels or conventional reels from the 1600s, came into wide use by anglers during the 1870s. Early reels were operated by inverting the reel and back winding to retrieve line. The reel handle was positioned on the right side, as had become customary; models with left-hand retrieval are become more popular. A big game reel is a kind of bait cast reel for heavy saltwater fishing. Not designed for casting, but used for trolling on the open ocean.
Spinning reels were in use in North America in the 1870s. Developed for the use of flies for trout or salmon fishing. Mitchell Reel Company introduced the first modern commercial spinning reel in 1948. The Mitchell 300 was designed with the face of the spool forward in a fixed position below the rod. A line pickup was used to retrieve line; an anti-reverse lever prevented the crank handle from turning when a fish is pulling line from the spool. Most spinning reels operate best with a limp flexible fishing line.
Fly fishing reels or centrepin reels are mainly used for fly fishing. They traditionally are simple in mechanical design; little has changed from the patented designed by Charles F. Orvis in 1874. A fly reel is normally used by pulling line off the reel with one hand, while casting the rod with the other hand. To slow a fish, the angler applies hand pressure to the rim of the spool ("known as palming the rim"). Early fly reels had no drag, but a click/pawl mechanism to keep the reel from overrunning when line is pulled from the spool. In recent years improvements have been made for better reels and drag for larger fish. Saltwater fly reels designed for use in an ocean environment are normally larger in diameter for a larger line and backing for long runs of big game ocean fish.
Freshwater fly fishing reels are thin and light so that they are easy to carry and hold. Some are equipped with a double handle for better stability when fishing in strong river currents. Saltwater fly fishing rod and reels are normally divided in section for easy transport. These rods also are made of materials like fiberglass and graphite that provides for more strength and durability.
A spin cast reel is a spinning reel with a shell that covers the spool. This type of reel is primarily meant for children and beginners. The first commercial spin cast reels were made by the Denison Johnson Reel Company and Zebco in 1949. Mounted above the rod, and fitted with a cone shaped nose that encloses the fixed spool. Spin cast reels operate by pressing the button on the rear of the reel, and then the button is released during the forward cast to allow the line to fly off the spool. Pressing the button again will stop the lure at the desired position. Cranking the handle re-engages the line back into the reel.
Choosing a fishing reel today means selecting the type of reel you are most comfortable with for the type of fishing you will be doing. Keep in mind that the length of a fishing rod also affects casting distance and lifting capacity. When picking a spinning or bait casting rod and reel choose one that is flexible enough for where you will be fishing and the species you are fishing for. Boat rod and reels are normally shorter. This allows for more room in a confined space and better leverage to lift a heavy fish out of the water.
So, in conclusion the many types of fishing reels available today are an example of the innovation the sport of fishing throughout history. In the beginning it was a means of providing food. Today it has become one of the greatest sports and a way to enjoy a favorite pastime.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6610009

Penn 155

Excellent video describing the Penn 155  Surfmaster and how to do proper maintenance and rebuild.

One Way Clutch, or Selective Anti-Reverse?

This happens to be one of those topics that tend to be thought about, but seldom discussed. Personally, I happen to be one of those people that favor the one way clutch(bearing). I like the idea that I never have to worry about my spinning reels switching into the anti reverse setting when I am not expecting it. I find that I get stronger hooksets, although I do pay the price of having to either open my bail or remove the line off the roller when using bail-less. This would obviously be the argument to using the more traditional, selective anti-reverse. Overall it is up to the end user of the product, but my question is this: Why are more and more manufacturers opting to include instant anti-reverse clutches in their newer model spinning reels? There must be a greater following by the consumers and general population of fisherman these days. I wouldn't know, but I have heard many older fisherman cruising the beach, or on the boat, speaking of how they miss their beloved selective anti-revers reels so. If I was a major reel manufacturer, I would be taking this market into consideration. Even though this fishing reel niche is small, the market itself is virtually un-tapped. How many higher end selective anbti-reverse reels do you see being produced by major companies today? Shimano, Penn, Van Staal, Daiwa, Zeebas, Okuma, and Abu Garcia where are your high end selective anti-reverse reels? The debate is still up for discussion, yet the fishing reel manufacturers seem to have already decided.

Welcome!

I created this blog with the intention of writing articles and posting pictures pertaining to rebuilding, upgrading, maintaining, and repairing fishing reels. Hopefully, by reading my blog you can get on your way to doing your own fishing reel repair and maintinence. Fishing reels are very interesting pieces of machinery and understanding how they function, how to fix them, and how to maintain them can be extremely exciting. I personally have years of experience with fishing reels and have been doing my own maintinence and restorations on reels from companies such as Shimano, Daiwa, Penn, Abu Garcia, Garcia Mitchell, Okuma, Ocean City, Shakespeare, Avet, and numerous other companies as well! Feel free to add your own comments, and if you have a certain question or are interested in me writing an article, review, or teardown guide for a specific reel, then please let me know!