The almighty Zebco 33 platinum series

[keepitreal]

The first time I used the platinum zebco 33 it was casting like a dream! Smooth, far and felt so sturdy and well built in my hands.....well well my second trip out fishing with it today was a nightmare my second cast left the line tangled inside of the reel beyond belief. I couldn't believe after trying in vain to untangle it my button would not depress, basically it became a paper weight! I really like the zebco 33 for its smooth casting and affordability but I am willing to go to another brand. Any of you know of a solid affordable spincast reel?

[delmuts]

Depends on what you want to spend. I had bought my wife a 33 combo.( she loves her spincast reels!) The second time out the anti reverse went out. So i bought a diawa spincast reel for her.( cost was around $40 ) Then as soon as i got it home, i took the line off of it,( they usually put a stiff line on them like a trilene XT) and loaded it with XL. My limitted experience with spincast is that they seem to develope line twist very easily, and don't over load the spool! Other than relaxing the line often it has preformed great!

[keepitreal]

Thanks for the info man. I have heard of those Daiwa's before they look pretty solid and I will check one out at my local D I C K S sporting goods. Well I just did some major untangling on my original 33.... but yeah from my experiences imma start to use my open face spinning reel more often....

[Ed Carlson]

Remove the cap and then remove the top reel spool cover with the pins in it. Your likely going to find a bunch of line wound around the oscillation shaft preventing the reel to engage or wind up properly.

Be cautious to not overfill the spool once you replace the damaged line. Allow for 1/8" clearance from the top of the spool so it will cast properly, and not jump off the spool and wind around the oscillation shaft.

Do not "Back Reel" on a closed spinning reel, that is just asking for this situation to develop. Leave the anti-reverse engaged at all times unless your using it as a "Line Out Alarm" with the bait clicker engaged...then shut it off once you have a fish on, so the line will not jump off the spool and tangle.

Do not put line heaver than the reel was designed to hold either, that too will hinder performance. On a 33, 10 lb is about as heavy a mono as it will cast properly. For Super braid type lines, 4 lb diameter/15 lb test is a very good test weight and line diameter for a 33, and will really cast nicely.

TIP: The most common cause of excessive line twist on closed spinning reels is reeling the reel while the drag is slipping..That's bad..don't do that .....it makes rope out of the line very quickly.

This happens because the winding mechanism is still winding...but the spool is slipping or stationary because the drag is too loosely set... and your still reeling...that produces twist and damages the line.

Do not reel against the drag...if you hear the drag is slipping as your reeling,...stop...and either tighten up the drag or rely on the rod to fight the fish...do not spin the line into rope.

Maintenance: Oil that long oscillation shaft under the spool cap from time to time, and the reel will last you for years.

Hope this helps you out.

[keepitreal]

Thanks a ton Ed! I will definitely be putting that information to use once I do have another twist in my line. And I will definitely keep an eye on the drag as I am reeling in. Info like that is the exact reason I signed up to this Forum. Much appreciated!

[Ed Carlson]

Your very welcome, glad to help. I was hopeful that I didn't come off as a smart arss in my response.

There are a few very good closed spin reels out these days I would recommend. If well maintained, and you know how they work, they last and perform very well.

The Zebco Omega....good reel, well built, a bit overpriced.

The ABU Abumatic..A favorite of mine....and excellent reel, has the Stamina drag system, a great choice in all sizes offered.

The Pflueger Cetina, I like this reel a lot. All metal, well built, good price, also comes in a very well balanced rod/reel combo package.

4 ball bearings

One-way clutch instant anti-reverse bearing (Key feature)

Quick release spool design

Aluminum frame with machined aluminum front cone

Titanium line guide and dual pick-up pins

Smooth carbon fiber drag system

Heavy-duty metal gears

Spare Aluminum Spool