Can anyone explain to me why I can never seem to operate a closed face reel?!

[trapperdirk]

Thankyou for bringing those names up Bigred, and Mike Pike you mentioning the country mile did remind me of something and a reel I to this day still own and as a matter of fact had just given it a cleaning and greasing this winter . I took it out today and give her a few casts and it still works like a champ . At the time this reel came out must be 40 yrs ago and way ahead of its time . My father jumped through hoops to get this from Germany . Here is a D.A.M. Quick 268 . It sure isn't junk and the country miles were not either and they actually are much more recent than this reel .

                         TD

[devil-man]

That's a nice reel, TD.
I hope you don't fish with it...

[trapperdirk]

Actually I do take it out on occassion more for nostalgia than anything and it works great Devilman but the only thing is that using one on todays light rods it seems heavy to me . Everything is metal but the red cover and I'm just so accustomed to the new light reels of today . Even those close faced Rhino reels  I bought for a friend have quite a bit more heft than I'm accustomed to but like anything they grow on you till its not noticeable after a few casts .
   Like I said,, I will really give those rc2 and rc3's a work out at times this winter and may end up switching more of my ice rods over to them .
  They have a big handle, easy on top adjustable drag , nice big rubber free spool button and even the bait runner clicker which will also hold your bait off of bottom . I find with the open face reels its always a pain to keep a dead stick bait off of  bottom even using elastics and such, because I want that fish to be able to run with the bait with very little resistance which when you put on that feature it does, and even if you have your back turned to the rod or its dark out, you can hear it .
   Would I ever give up my baitcasters or open face .? NO,,,but these reels worked well at last ice and beginning of open water and if they still work well next ice season I will switch some more of my ice rods over to them .

                  TD

[Big Burk]

i will never buy one again. i had 2 that i took good care of and still pieces of crap .my brother uses a zebco 303 and zebco 33 and the 303 is a piece and the 33 is starting to have issues. my dad uses a zebco 33 also but i got him a dawai baitcaster that he is gonna use this summer more. the only problem my spinning reel has had is the drag just went out but it is 8 years old and stored outside before i got it but it still worked better than all the open faced reels that my bro's and dad have. im fixing my spinning reel in a few weeks and buying another one. i am currently using a quantam reel and like it but i want something with a better drag system. me and all my friends have converted to spinning reels cause of more time spent fixing spincasters than fishing while my brother complains about his reel. the only good good spincaster reel i have ever used is my dads old zebco 303 which landed alot of fish including his largest fish ever ( 25+lbs pike) and still works good but is getting old and needs new bearings.

[bigdave1018]

alot of the problem is people go out and spend a weeks pay on reels and then buy cheap crap line[ you know what im talking about] and then complain that the reel is junk. the kind im talking about is found on the shelf wrapped in plastic and exposed to uv light thats been sitting there for years. its like buying a rolls royce then putting old junk yard tires on it and expecting to get great performance out of the car!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wee Man]

i always have used a closed face reel and the only problem i've ever had was the line tangling up inside wich is easy to fix so i guess it depends on wut kind of reel u buy to. i've always used rapelaand i've had awesome results

Why is it that the first 15 casts seem to be smooth as silk and then sometime after that the line seems to come to a dead stop and my bait goes one way while my hook and bobber come flying back at me?  It's so frustrating.  I usually only use open faced but I figure I would give a closed face a try after many years of vowing never to use one again.  I'm beginning to wonder why I even bothered.  Can someone explain to me why this is?  It doesn't matter what type of reel because it does it to me no matter what one it is.  I think I have the touch of death.  I'll be using my buddies reel, normally because they felt sorry for me or were just tired of hearing all the profanity, whatever the case, but by the time I'm done with their reel it's so messed up they can't even use it either.  Please help, save my sanity, and another reel from a watery grave.

[J_Maki]

Far as longevity, well my best baitcasters and open face reels need rebuilding every year and I do look after them like gold .

                                TD

I think you better buy a Shimano next time then you will get more than a year.

[sbfpa_Mike]

Hank Parker uses Spincasters on 5' rods to "sling-shot" spinnerbaits in tight places.

Mike

[bwalleye]

Some closed face (spincasts) have a plastic ring around the spool. If it should become out of alignment, your reel will fail.  Grew up using spin casts, first a zebco, then an old Eagle Claw..  smooth reel.  My problem came when I tried trolling with them...ripped em apart.  My father still uses a spin cast mostly...he has nerve problems in his hand.   Johnson used to make a very nice inexpensive spincast reel.  The Johnson Century.  Than they go farten around with it and ruined it.  Fun to use with short casts for pan fish and small jigs and spoons.  I've gone to spinning gear, leaving the spincasts to memory.    But hey, I can always use my daughters if she isn't and grandkids are only an accident away   

Found memories of the "grown up rod and reel" my dad bought for me when I moved up to little turd status to replace my smashed little Zebco.     Still have the rod...reel, well that's another story.