Fishing Forum

ive been trying to find a good, general fishing forum to post questions and share information on.. most seem to be species or location specific, nothing too generalized with too many people, so i felt this forum is my best bet

i enjoy fishing, but one of my other hobbies is working with natural materials, building things, and i also like old fashioned items, antiques and such

im thinking of building myself a bamboo, or hardwood fishing rod, but with it id like to find an antique reel to go with it

i want something that still has the features of a modern reel, bearings, gears, drag, which have all been around since the 1800s, so i doubt ill have much problem there

im interested in the round baitcasting reel designs

so my main concern is im not too familiar with these older brands and models, so its hard to tell which of these older, antique reels of the early to mid 1900s would actually be worth the effort to restore.. polish the metal, maybe even replace the bearings, or gears if theyre worn.. but i dont want to end up doing all of this on yesteryears equivelant of a walmart special

so.. is there any certain makes i should keep an eye out for, or certain features to try to find?.. im sure i could trust any of the vintage and antique pfleugers, but what else should i keep my eyes out for?
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Your post is fine right here, just so you know. You could have also stuck it in the fishing tackle and tips section, but you'll get more attention here.

Antique reels..... I seriously doubt you'll find an older reel with similar internal workings as a more modern reel. I know i've got a bunch of old Penns, and an old Mitchell Garcia (yep, mitchell garcia), that are very old and still very functional. I do know, however, that Abu Garcia has a bunch of vintage bait casting reels around, and would start there. Ebay, fishingcollectables.com, and a few other places are where i'd start. Probably cost you around 50 bucks or so, for one in decent condition. You may find the aluminum covers challenging to refinish, just a heads up....

If you're going to do a rod, spend the money, which won't be much, and get one of those rod spinning gadgets that you plug in. That way, you can roll the eyelets easier, and when it's time to hit them with epoxy, you're not stuck there for an hour spinning the rod by hand. You have to continuously spin the rod when epoxy is applied to insure the finished product is nice and smooth. You may find Bamboo challenging to do unless you can find a perfectly strait one, but it would look really cool when you were done. Bamboo take paint really well, as I found out recently when my oldest son made a frog gig out of a piece and painted it up. Make sure you use the proper paint, or it will crack the first time the rod flexes. the challenge will be the reel seat, but i'm sure you've got a plan for that.

Most of all, have fun and keep us updated on your progress. Sounds like a cool project. If you're successful, maybe i'll make my own bamboo rod.
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well then, it seems to me an antique abu garcia or pflueger would be the way to go... as far as features go, i do not need nor do i really care to have a lot of the newer features like centrifugal brakes, alarms, line counters and such.. im used to using my thumb as a brake so ive never needed anything mechanical

i heard that newer abu garcias arent as good as the older ones?.. in quality and performance, how does a modern 7000i stack up to an older 5000 or 6000 reel?

as far as making the rod, i have a pretty significant wood shop, and i know how to shape a rod with a few techniques using a hand planer, so that part wont be difficult for me
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Abu Garcia has always made a fine product. I would say they have improved in over all quality, just because of the advancement in technology. They are lighter, stronger, smoother, and have a more capable drag.

good luck and keep us informed on your progress.
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well either way, ill only go with the round type baitcast reels now.. find them to be easier to tune, repair, replace, and maintain.. if i cant find anything i really like in the antique market, i was thinking of getting the ambaseur 7000i
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I've got a red faced 7000 on a 60 class rod that I use for near shore black sea bass, grouper, and snapper off the east coast. I have mine spooled with 65 pound power pro, and it's a hauss. Very nice reel, and very strong. It will do anything you could want it to do in fresh water. Since the 7000 is a larger reel, you obviously wouldn't be casting light lures with it. But, when used with the proper weight rig, it casts very nicely.
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First of all - Welcome! I have only been here a few short days, but this is a great forum to find answers to your fishing questions as you can see already.
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