BWCA Closed face reel recommendations? Boundary Waters Fishing Forum
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myceliaman
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04/25/2018 04:17PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
I have a buddy who for some reason prefers closed face reels as a zebco..Refuses to alter so as I'm looking at his gear I'm thinking no damn way this is going to hold up. So he went to csbelas and cane home with two bait casting lightning rods and put the same old reels on them. Any recommendations on a quality reel. I haven't used a zebco like reel in 40+ years!!!
 
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04/25/2018 04:35PM  
The new zebco classic 33 is a decent reel , when using spincast reels changing the line out often is the key as the design of them does twist the line,
 
PowerLizard
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04/25/2018 05:11PM  
I suggest the Zebco Omega Spincast Reel. The spool ocillates when line is retrieved helping the line to settle evenly on the spool which is the major downfall of most spin-casting reels. It also comes with a spare spool and a spool quick change system. I bought one for my son to use so when he makes a mess of the reel, I can quickly open it up, pull the spool and install the spare spool and have him back to fishing in minutes. I keep the spare spool in a zip lock baggie because it has some grease on one side. This reel works so much better than a Zebco 33 Classic. The only issue I have with it is it works so well, he has not moved up to a spinning reel.
 
04/25/2018 05:47PM  
Wow. I haven't seen a spincaster in a long time. I remember my mom had a metallic green one made by Johnson when I was little.
 
blutofish1
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04/26/2018 05:20AM  


This zebco omega has really good reviews. My first big bass was caught on a zebco 202 and after fighting it for about 1 minute the reel handle would not turn any more, had to pull the fish up on the bank. I was 6 at the time.
 
thlipsis29
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04/26/2018 07:42AM  
I'd ditto the Zebco 33. While I'm not a fan of closed-faced reels, there's a reason this reel has been around so long. My 12 year old daughter caught a nice walleye last year trolling with one last year and my 10 year old son has pulled in some decent smallmouth bass using the same reel. I don't know what the maximum pound line you can put on one or if you can use braided lines on them, so he might run the risk of losing some bigger fish, but 8lb (which I think is the standard on the 33) should be sufficient for most fish.
 
The Great Outdoors
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04/26/2018 08:09AM  
Not a fan of closed faced reels, and recommend they be placed in the same cylindrical file (aka garbage can) as all crank baits, never to be seen again!!! :)
 
mastertangler
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04/26/2018 08:35AM  
Actually closed faced reels have come a long ways since days of old. There are some professional Bass fishermen which use them in specialty situations since the gear ratio is so low (when they want to crank slow).

I used to be a huge fan of the Uni-spin (the red ones) back in the day. You could really flick some nice accurate casts with that set up.........hated the drag though, lost some really big fish on them (I still can see the boils coming up from the depths after I got broke off, like a big paddle stroke which just kept coming.......arrrrgh, still haunts my waking hours ;-)
 
Savage Voyageur
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04/26/2018 09:25AM  
Too much line twist as I remember. If you must stick with a Zebco reel.
 
QueticoMike
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04/26/2018 10:18AM  
Used a Zebco 202 to pull this one in........ :)

 
mastertangler
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04/27/2018 05:49AM  
QueticoMike: "Used a Zebco 202 to pull this one in........ :)


"


Ha! Cute kid, dimples and all. What happened? ;-)
 
QueticoMike
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04/27/2018 06:00AM  
mastertangler: "
QueticoMike: "Used a Zebco 202 to pull this one in........ :)



"


Ha! Cute kid, dimples and all. What happened? ;-) "


What happened? We ended up eating it :)
 
mastertangler
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04/27/2018 06:14AM  
QueticoMike: "
mastertangler: "
QueticoMike: "Used a Zebco 202 to pull this one in........ :)



"



Ha! Cute kid, dimples and all. What happened? ;-) "



What happened? We ended up eating it :)"


You look mighty proud, just a grinning. I bet that was quite a fight and you were hooked for life.

 
The Great Outdoors
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04/27/2018 01:51PM  
QueticoMike: "
mastertangler: "
QueticoMike: "Used a Zebco 202 to pull this one in........ :)

"Ha! Cute kid, dimples and all. What happened? ;-) "


What happened? We ended up eating it :)"


I think he meant what happened to the cute kid?? Must know what you look like now!!!! Bwahahahahahaha!!! :)
 
Rs130754
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04/27/2018 10:44PM  
I have several of the Omega's and they are a step above the 202's or 33's in my opinion. They have survived my wife, kids, and father-in-law, so yeah they are durable.
 
QueticoMike
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04/28/2018 06:13AM  
The Great Outdoors: "
QueticoMike: "
mastertangler: "
QueticoMike: "Used a Zebco 202 to pull this one in........ :)


"Ha! Cute kid, dimples and all. What happened? ;-) "



What happened? We ended up eating it :)"



I think he meant what happened to the cute kid?? Must know what you look like now!!!! Bwahahahahahaha!!! :)"


I knew what he meant ;)
 
04/28/2018 09:36AM  
+1 on the Omega being well built and durable. It just takes a lot of cranking revolutions to reel your line in as opposed to an open faced spinning reel. Cast retrieve cast retrieve can wear you out quicker, but bobber fishing is easy enough. A Zebco 733 reels in more inches of line per crank revolution but probably not as durable in long run of many years.
 
04/28/2018 10:40PM  
Garcia use to make some excellent close face reels. Still do?
 
04/29/2018 10:35AM  
Has anyone tried braid line on a zebco? I might have my 11 year old convinced to change to a spinning reel but the 7 year old wants to keep his zebco. Braid seems to have less twist and memory so I was thinking it might help?


T
 
PowerLizard
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04/29/2018 07:19PM  
timatkn: "Has anyone tried braid line on a zebco? I might have my 11 year old convinced to change to a spinning reel but the 7 year old wants to keep his zebco. Braid seems to have less twist and memory so I was thinking it might help?
T"

Braid does not work well on Spincasting reels. The gears start to give out before the line breaks. Braid is also tough on the line guides of entry level rods.
 
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