One problem I noticed right away was that your spool chattered when you tried your first couple casts. That indicates that the ends of the spool axle didn't have sufficient lubrication. Pull off the end caps and give each end of the spool a couple drops of reel oil. Also, your spool doesn't have enough line on it. the spool should be full so that it doesn't overspeed which contributes to backlashing. I don't use monofilament on these old reels as they were designed for braided nylon or dacron line. I prefer 15 pound braided on my vintage baitcasting reels. It takes practice to cast efficiently with these reels. I use my baitcasters for bottom fishing with slider rigs for carp and catfish. With a heavy 1.5-2 oz sinker I can cast about 40 to 45 yards easily with the old whippy fiberglass rods. See my carp fishing video where I'm catching carp with an old bait caster. Go to time 7:25 in this link: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/kKmlmbaauNuafo0.html

My father was born in 1928, he told me that 90% of the fishing he did with this style reel was life bait dropped straight from the boat. He said live Bait CASTED by stripping off several yards of line by holding the rod in one hand and stripping some line off the reel with your left hand. A bit of line is on the ground and about three feet is held in your left hand with no slack between that hand and the reel, swing rod back level to ground and swing the rod with good momentum forward and let the line go. It will take up the slack line that is on the ground. I imagine accuracy took A LOT of practice. I asked how the casted plugs, lures & he said most of that was do by trolling. Cool video!

Thanks! I got a couple of these when my father-in-law passed and thought I was doing something wrong. Your video helped straighten things out and answered all of my questions. I think I'll pick one to keep as a conversation piece and pass the others on to others who will appreciate them rather than have them sitting unloved in the garage.

my grandparents and uncles took me fishing. They had a few of those but never casted them. They only used them for trolling. For casting, they used Johnson pushbutton spincast rigs. I fixed an old pflueger baitcaster of my uncle had and couldn't cast it either.

Interesting video. The other day, I paired an old South Bend 450e to a Montague bamboo rod, and strung it up with old school heavy braid. I monkeyed with the ABL and the axle screws, but almost every cast I made from the shore or dock did the same thing yours did… they went almost straight down. Finally I was able to cast it maybe 20-30 feet with light side arm flicks as opposed to strong casts like you would do with a spinning reel. There were a few times that it seemed the casts would have gone much further because the line kept paying out after the lure hit the water causing massive backlash. Very frustrating. I suppose if I was floating in a boat, I would just chuck the lure or bait out by hand and then hold the handle and wait… 🤷🏼‍♂️. Nothing like fishing with a spinning reel where you can cast and retrieve repeatedly and fan cast over an area to look for fish. I don’t know, I’d love to hear from the old timers to see what their thoughts and experiences were. My goal is to catch a fish or two on this rig and then hang it up in the living room and go back to my Penn and Mitchell spinning reels on modern rods! 🎣

Grandpa and Jesus having a beer, gramps looks at the lord and says, “never fished a day in my life.”

Grandpa would be proud!

I found on by the river just like it but with a spin cast 2peace with no cork disintegrated on the floor no eye loop but had the tip and original Blue line wooden bobber and eyeless hook looks like someone left it behind decades ago added cork eye and oiled the reel and its good to go

P.s. dont over power the rod. I've fished with the same rod and reel. They work great,just a different learning curve

Maybe I'm the odd one out, but over the last 40 years, I have caught more fish on Zebco reels than anyu other put together. Today, my favorite Go-To reel is a Zebco Classic 33 on a Browning bait casting rod. It's always in the boat. That reel isn't near the top of the line, but it lands them where I look, and never tangles or breaks down - ever. The other fav is the Zebco 33 Trigger Spin on an Eagle Claw medium rod. Just bombproof. I do like my old Mitchell 300 on a vintage Fenwick "chocolate", though.

That was funny, Opie. 😄 -mom

There is a few of them I think in garage of the house I live in, plus a few cane poles and fly rods.

I bought an old zebco on an ancient spinning reel at a garage sale while in upstate ny, one of those with a big wide spool but the spool is only like 1.5 cms tall lol. It worked, the drag was nearly non existent; just a nudge it would be fully tight, nudge the other way, completely loose lol. I caught a 19 inch smb on a weightless fluke lmao. It casts good and the toughest part was the gear ratio. Took forever to reel. the rod was also a floppy noodle, i couldnt feel a thing on it. So dont worry about looking to get a big fish on it, it's basically no feeling and the rod just bends over straight without any reel sensitivity. You should keep the outfit just for that bait-fishing thing if you ever go back for catfish off the dock or boat.

I grew up using those exact rods and reels. A couple of the rods were steel instead of fiberglass. Those along with spinning reels was what we always used. The casters always had dacron line on them and they don't cast very well at all. They never did for me anyway. We either stripped a bunch of line off and tossed it out a few feet ot just dropped it straight down off the dock or side of the boat. We also used the fiberglass rods as fly rods with a direct drive reel. The more line on the reel the easier it is to cast and I'm pretty sure you need to use braided dacron with them or they won't work right and you have to make sure they are clean and oiled. We always had the same problems with them as you are, so we didn't cast them very often at all.

If you use 20lb fly reel backing with a 5ft mobo leader the reel will cast much better and backlashes will be easier to pick out. I pretty much only use direct drive reels these days and that's what works best for me.

I have one similar reel made by Folsom. Not sure if they are around anymore!! The rod is natural wood. Nice bass you caught!! That's awesome!! I have only used mine a few times. The rod on mine is very short and made of wood. I've used it around docks so I don't have to cast our too far. Haven't caught anything yet with it but I am going to try again. I am keeping my hopes up!!

You had way more patience than I would have. By just watching it looked very difficult to cast anything with that spaghetti noodle! So instead of a rifle or shotgun put that rod and reel above the mantle. Good video, Craig!

Ok comments on why he was having trouble. I personally have found that with those reals specifically work best when they are fully wound with line, (almost against the cross bars). A personal preference i found to help cast further is to make the first half of the spool 50-70 lb mano filament, and then tie the second half of line on useing equal poundage braided line. This is similar to how fly lines are spooled using a thicker heavier line as backing then adding a lighter yet equal poundage line; and to finish it of, you add a "tibit" (a thin clear line of equal or lesser poundage). This specific style of spooling is form around the same time era of the reel being the 50s-60s and was used for older rond bait casting reels such at that one so that casting with that kind of reel using lures was more affective giving more weight to the line makeing it easier to cast because you are throwing the line weight, "this also added more rod control". Something i learned from my grandpa🙏🪽😇

The reel should be cleaned, oiled, and greased - That should help.

Clicker should be turned off when casting..it is a bait alert for using live bait. Your line looks like it was bad...but great video anyone using these old reels...you have to re-learn the casting..but you did a Awesome job..and Congratulations on catching a fish!!!

I have that exact real it's a very good real

These reels will definitely "educate your thumb" as my Granddad put it. I learned to cast a level wind with a Pflueger Summit mounted on a square steel rod with Gudebrod braided dacron line. Yes, square-profile tapered solid steel rod. Seriously heavy for a 5' rod. Pretty much zero "action", only heavier lures need apply. I still have it, and occasionally still fish with it, along with my vintage reels and lures just for old times sake. Later going to a Shakespeare fiberglass "Wonder-rod" was quite a treat after that. Then reels with ball bearings instead of brass bushings. Imagine that. What will they think of next. 😁

Thx for sharing, sounded like clicker was on on your first cast. That adds friction. Direct drive has much more friction because it does turn the handle and all of the gears and spool. With the Med/Heavy rod, I would suggest that the spoon is too light and for me, 20 lb braid seems to just spool off better and it is in modern form, smaller dia. than the corresponding mono. I use them for catfishing so I am around 2-5 oz of weight and then bait. They are "Bait Casters", that meant real bait. When clean, smooth and working right they will sling it. But bear in mind that there were spool arbors (cork-plastic) that made for a larger dia. spool, which makes the line closer to the top and easier to cast with 150 yds of line, as well as retreieve because without it you are really cranking the handle due to the low ratio from the gear reduction.

The old direct drive reels work just fine. You are not giving that reel half a chance. You asked a good question: Grandpa how did you do this? Here's how he did it: A full spool of line (like any reel), properly serviced (light grease on gears, light oil under spool cups, and on levelwind), spool set evenly between end cups (just a bit of play), and anti-backlash set. Otherwise you are setting up for frustration. Again, the old reels work very well.

Don't think you slid the Little knob on the left side of reel back/ open when casting??

I have a bunch of old metal rod's sitting around some are true temper

I’ve always seen braided line not mono line. My grandfather used poles/reels like this, I never mastered it. Maybe that’s why I avoided bait casters like the plague

its a bait caster your fishing it wrong its not cast and retrive its made to cast a big waight and let it set for the bite

6:29you had to Thumb the reel and fish the rod.Bronson reels were not the most sought after reels,if you get my point!

Hey Lard, born in 1945 I have my original steel bait casting rod, no reel, cork in rough shape but a true antique. Central Jersey guy all my life first recollection if fishing in Roosevelt park pond in Menlo Park. Yes remember that work Creme I believe were the first to come out with what we know as the rubber worm. As I was watching the video I was thinking why doesn't he try trolling to see what a fish would feel like on that rod, take about a slow action rod, wow. Hey a nice twist on the videos, Have a punch of my old lures, Flatfish, Arbogast plugs, I think i want to make a glass enclosed frame to display them and then hand it down to my 10 year old grandson who it becoming an addicted fisherman ( not a bad disease ). Ok Tight Lard..... Walt in Middlesex. My prized lure if a heddon Flaptail Jr. have you heard of the lure ?

Hello, nice to meet you. I laughed at your first throw. But come to think of it, I did the same thing. I noticed one thing, but it seems that the amount of lines is small. I'm looking forward to your next video.

at that time you would use a zebco or a spinning reel

Hey man! Just picked up one of these reels, and the clicker on it can be turned off...on the side opposite of the handle, below the spool tension//drag there is something that almost looks like a button, and it may be a little tough , but it's a sliding switch which can turn it off... hope this helps you if you decide to use it again :)

I have one. They are awesome

You'll get about the same distance as fly fishing with a split bamboo rod there's one of those laying out there on the front porch to

You need a trolling weight, braid line, a new rod with back bone and some practice a s you got a ok catfish reel

What lake is that?

Lol they're laying all over my front porch there's also rods out there that has a signature of the maker

How do you cast I

Use braided line that’s what came on those reels.

I just scored one of these from the thrift store for $5! Minus the reel so I just slapped a newer reel on it with zip ties lol

I wonder if that particular reel was best used as a bait and wait type. I don't know how Grandpa fished lures like that either. Then again, back in his time he had no choice other than to learn it. We are spoiled in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020.

Yesterday when I went fishing

I'm not old in fact I'm pretty young, but I just don't like modern fishing reels. I don't like how the bodies are all plastic, the gears are mostly pot metal, the baitcasters often have a plastic level wind gear, they're mostly made in China, and they're only intended to last until the next model comes out. Then comes servicing reels, it's easy to strip out the threads in a plastic body and there's too many parts in a modern reel. I can't cast a modern baitcaster, but have a late 40's Langley that I can cast. The modern graphite rod blanks I do like, but not the cheap plastic handles. I much prefer a Tennessee handle with aluminum slip rings.

More practice would be best Thumb the spool when casting. More line would make casting easier Good luck.

Can you do a giveaway on that baitcaster

More line and more practice

This video is proof that better gear makes worse fisherman

Probably need dacron line with a full spool and learn to thumb the spool as you cast

The backlash or birdsnest is necessary to allow the lure to sit motionless in the water for the required 15-20 seconds to trigger the ambush response in predatory fish, ( bass, pickerel, walleye, etc...) you were doing nothing wrong! FYI proper reel lubrication will help with the distance issue. see you on the water!

They’re built for braid

I have one of these with the original braid and it is all in great condition with an old metal rod of some sort and im considering selling it if its of good value if anyone could help me out?

Fish it. Dont do it an injustice by hanging it on a wall

you just said it its a bait caster not for lures unless your trolling

its obviously a panfish rod and reel...

I just found a rod like that in my yard