Learned to fish using reels without anti reverse the old “knuckle busters”. Yes you thumb was both both the brakes and drag. I was picking out a over run after casting a live sardine when a big yellowtail grabbed the it and took off pulling my thumb under the reel cross bar ripping the skin pad off.... ouch! Will never free spool a big fast fish and thumb the spool again.

Tom

 

36 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

and imitating squid with a jig is still the bait

 

LOL. I'll let my Penn 145 know, it's always complaining about being used with crab and clam for bait...   

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Learned to fish using reels without anti reverse the old “knuckle busters”. Yes you thumb was both both the brakes and drag. I was picking out a over run after casting a live sardine when a big yellowtail grabbed the it and took off pulling my thumb under the reel cross bar ripping the skin pad off.... ouch! Will never free spool a big fast fish and thumb the spool again.

Tom

 

Yep, this is why my mom grew up to hate fishing.    They went to Canada every year back in the day, can only imagine how hot the fishing was back then, anyways she would get her kid thumbs stuck under those old school reels.   Still remembers how much she hated it lol.   

personally, I am happy we moved forward from some of the vintage gear you all are depicting.  I love progress!!!

 

I watched a friend hook a very big bass and he inadvertently punched the spool release.  total meltdown birds-nest.  mid fight.  the situation was unpleasant and I learned some new cuss words.

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

and they also had friction drags such as Williams and Pflueger Cub, but no anti-reverse, and you had to hold the handle still to use them. 

and imitating squid with a jig is still the bait

^^^^^^nice collection^^^^^ ???

Releasing the clutch via the thumb bar with tension on the reel is harsh and potentially more damaging than letting the drag work as designed. 

On 9/5/2022 at 4:35 PM, LCG said:

I have noticed that some pros will release the thumb bar and use their thumb as their drag system. [stuff deleted]

 

I palm the reel upon retrieve so it would be awkward to try to release the thumb bar in that situation - and when palming the reel, attempting to use the thumb as the drag doesn't work well at all (for me) because the part of my thumb that contacts the line/spool is at the IP joint which does not result in very good control.