Post by wtrfwlr on Feb 21, 2013 18:07:03 GMT -7
I know this is not a super whoopie 9 ball bearing ultra retrieve bad boy open face spincaster like fishermen drool over these days but it's a pretty cool old fishing reel to me. This is an old classic Zebco 33 and it belonged to my Grandpa.
I don't know exactly how old this reel is but I have narrowed it down some. The oldest it can be is 1953 since that was the first year this reel was produced. My Mother confirms he was using it and others just like it before she and my Father were married which was in 1958 so that makes it between 55 and 60 years old. I do know this, he caught his fair share of Bream and Crappie with this old workhorse and my Father fed his family including me with it for several years starting out as a young couple and I had my earliest fishing memories forged in my mind with this reel in my hand.
This reel has been all over the country and mounted on countless rods, thrown into boxes and just bins, dug out and used for a summer only to be forgotten over and over again but each time it was called back into some old fishing boat for an outing it was ready to go. I finally stopped and put in some time and gave it some long over due attention. I completely disassembled every part and piece, boiled them to remove all the age old gunk and grease. Then lubed everything back up and did what polishing I could and put her back together.
I loaded up the spool with a new round of 10# test monofilament line, I know I know, but I wanted good old fashioned line on a good old fashioned reel. It casts and retrieves just like it did on day one, a day I can only imagine that my Grandpa went and bought one of the "new fangled style" fishing reels. You see the Zebco was the first of it's kind, a closed faced spinning reel and it took the fishing world by storm. When this reel came out it created the sport of recreational fishing by allowing anyone of any age or income to go and fish for fun.
But enough of the history. I'm certainly proud of the way this turned out, I do wish I had one of those buffer wheels like you knife makers have to get out all of those little scratches on the stainless covers but hey, I did what I could by hand and I bet the fish don't care all that much? I have a hand wrapped rod that was made for my Father back in the early 70's that I'm going to mount this baby on. I can hardly wait for some sunny days and a box of crickets in my flatbottom boat where Grandpa, Dad and Me can stare at an old red bobber and all three generations will say in unison "that's a bite!"
Here are some photos~
I don't know exactly how old this reel is but I have narrowed it down some. The oldest it can be is 1953 since that was the first year this reel was produced. My Mother confirms he was using it and others just like it before she and my Father were married which was in 1958 so that makes it between 55 and 60 years old. I do know this, he caught his fair share of Bream and Crappie with this old workhorse and my Father fed his family including me with it for several years starting out as a young couple and I had my earliest fishing memories forged in my mind with this reel in my hand.
This reel has been all over the country and mounted on countless rods, thrown into boxes and just bins, dug out and used for a summer only to be forgotten over and over again but each time it was called back into some old fishing boat for an outing it was ready to go. I finally stopped and put in some time and gave it some long over due attention. I completely disassembled every part and piece, boiled them to remove all the age old gunk and grease. Then lubed everything back up and did what polishing I could and put her back together.
I loaded up the spool with a new round of 10# test monofilament line, I know I know, but I wanted good old fashioned line on a good old fashioned reel. It casts and retrieves just like it did on day one, a day I can only imagine that my Grandpa went and bought one of the "new fangled style" fishing reels. You see the Zebco was the first of it's kind, a closed faced spinning reel and it took the fishing world by storm. When this reel came out it created the sport of recreational fishing by allowing anyone of any age or income to go and fish for fun.
But enough of the history. I'm certainly proud of the way this turned out, I do wish I had one of those buffer wheels like you knife makers have to get out all of those little scratches on the stainless covers but hey, I did what I could by hand and I bet the fish don't care all that much? I have a hand wrapped rod that was made for my Father back in the early 70's that I'm going to mount this baby on. I can hardly wait for some sunny days and a box of crickets in my flatbottom boat where Grandpa, Dad and Me can stare at an old red bobber and all three generations will say in unison "that's a bite!"
Here are some photos~
took it and the pole and left one night into the deep. 
