Last year I had 5 Zebco 33s. Now I'm down to three and two of them are probably shot. These things aren't the quality of the old ones. The problem with two of them are they are giving the line a beating. I put new line on both of them, only used one time and the line is really rough again. So I'll probably be down to one 33 and unlikely to ever buy them again. I don't need them with all the spinning and baitcaster reels I have, but use them for nostalgia occasionally.

My dad and my grandpa each had 2 Zebco 33s.  One of my dad's reels went into the drink, and the other one wore out after about 35 years.  One of my grandpa's reels eventually broke, but I have his last one down in a drawer.  It was my daughter's first reel.

I've got a 20+ year old zebco 33 micro on an ugly stick UL. Have had some issues with it but I think going to 4 lb test and cleaning it may have solved it. Now it's my 6 yr old son rod. Really fun to catch bluegill on, they feel like monsters on that ugly stick. 

My dad has an old school 33 that's bullet proof. Probably from the 80s. 

Not fishing for condolences here, but after 4 weeks in hospitals, my mom passed away last week.  We had our annual Arroyo trip scheduled for the March new moon.  So Dad, you want to come to Arroyo?  Got nothing better to do.  His last trip here was his 90 b/d weekend, when my mom could last make the trip. He looks 10 years younger holding his early morning stringer (caught in an hour).  

 

His Parkingsons probably limits him more with a baitcaster now than it did just above (now 94), so I snagged him a pair of Omega Pro ZO3 for this trip.  They were a steal for half-price on Amazon.  When I was growing up, he fished nothing but 808, until I kept him in Lew's.  I'll report Other Species when we get back.  

Omega Pro is quite a reel.  The spare double handle in the box is junk, but the single grip that comes installed on the reel is quality, with dual-BB and knob that swaps-in Revo/Lew's (SDS Customs).  

The Omega drag set kicks butt.  I can see knocking it around while you're fishing, but the detentes set like a champ on the bench, and it has way more drag than it needs - reported 11 lbs, I only needed 3 lbs (along with most everyone else).  

Good video.   

and his second with take-down maintenance.  

Greetings All,

Happy Friday and welcome to March. I have several decades worth of experience using the different styles and eras of Zebco products. I started in the 60s with a mostly all metal 202 all the way to a more current Zebco Omega Pro Z02 (it is the smaller reel). It would be nice to find the old metal 202 but at least I still have the original fiberglass rod it came with. 

 

I do have and still occasionally use a vintage 33 from the early 70s. This is also mixed with the tiny 11s, and the mix of underspin ultra light units too. I will bring them out to respect and honor the memories of when I used with my dear uncle. Plenty of fish caught with them along with some awesome memories. 

 

The thread included a question regarding the Omega. I have an old Omega 191 from the 70s. That was a great larger reel that worked well for those Gila River catfish. I brought that one out and cleaned it up with new lube and grease. The line pickup pin is still in great shape even with the little amount of care I gave it back in my youth. I appreciated the smooth bearings back then as it was a great improvement. 

 

These days I’ve got a contemporary Omega (Z02 and Z03) and they are very smooth indeed. I appreciate the Omega Pro (Z02) as it is just a bit lighter in weight than the standard Omega Z02. Again I bring out the spin cast reels to honor my dear uncle or when I’m not so happy with my performance using the bait finesse system (BFS) reel. 

 

I have found the current generation of Zebco to work well. Yes, they are built with different materials and bring some improvements too. The ceramic pick up pins are pretty durable when using mono. The only issues I’ve addressed with other folks reels are occasionally the pins will slip position on the mounting arm. That causes some reels to miss catching the line. This usually happens when folks are in a hurry trying to take the front cap off and forgetting to retract the pins prior to disassembly. 

 

My 33s (standard, micro gold, and platinum) have all proven to be durable with my frequent use. Helpful to clean out the internals frequently to flush out the schmutz build up for good operation. 

 

My only real complaints are the occasional line lay issue with regular class reels. It is frustrating to make a wonderful cast only to have it abruptly cut short from line bind. Fortunately like all solutions, bring money! The oscillating spool of the Omega and Omega Pro versions does a great job with the line lay so I’ve yet to experience the line bind problem. 

 

A bit faster retrieve would add more utility too. The Zebco are great during the active panfish periods where you can’t catch and release fast enough. Those easy flick casts along the shorelines make for a terrific time. Also the sound of drag peeling brings back so many good memories. 

 

Yeah, I find the Zebcos work great with a bit of maintenance, mostly a good rinse and cleaning is usually all that is needed. On the higher end models there is very little intrusion to the gear area and I don’t do much there except some oil and grease on an annual basis. 

 

The common Zebcos have been a great value for me across the years from the 60s. The premium ones are worth the investment as they perform even better. Sure I use a lot of other reels too. The Zebcos represent foundational angling adventure to me. 

 

Be well and Cheers!

Omega Pro went to work at Arroyo.  

First cast with a live shrimp brought in a 19-1/2" black drum - not right away.  The fish took good drag and made several runs against the 3-lb drag set, and the only way to recover line was to pump the rod.  Must have been 10 minutes until we got a tail slap on the surface (they like the deep channel).  Knew right away it was a drum and not a snook - UPS truck instead of drag racer...

Also worth showing off, replaced the stock knobs with SDS Custom, rec'd from Ukraine today - these are the knobs that match Abu, Lew's, etc.  

Look good, substantial and grippy.  

Adding a note that I was floored how well this reel casts.  This is a very different spincast, with brass gears, ball bearings, ceramic line guide, a real drag, and a real pitch/precessing spinning spool that lays the line wide for long casts.  When I was matching these with rods, Crowder IM6 ML for lures, the combo cast 1/8 oz past 100' - the distance matches a top-end Daiwa LP baitcaster w/ 10-lb mono.  

In use, the reel ($47 from Amazon) more than proved its worth against a brute fish. 

Greetings and Happy Spring All!

@bulldog1935 Interesting you have a similar observation regarding the drag on the Zebco Omega Pro. I concur the only way to gain line under heavy load is to pump the rod and wind in line when the resistance is minimized. Otherwise I find I just have to hold till the fish tires as I'm not comfortable adjusting to increase the drag setting so I can reel in line. I'm only using 4 lb mono so the threshold is slim and I would rather not risk disaster.

 

Thanks for sharing your stories. Special times with special folks! Be well and Cheers!

On 2/20/2024 at 12:42 PM, MAN said:

I got 1 year out of our Omega.  It crapped out this weekend while White Bass fishing.  But thats longer than we get out of the 202's and 404's. I have a Bullet I'm about to crack open...hoping to get more than a year outta this one. 

I repair reels and I had to service and repair my brand new platinum 33 and 404.  That caused me to look at the older models built in the USA.  I can clean and refurbish them and they're built very well.  I serviced and upgraded a 733 Hawg and it seems like a good reel now.  Going to take it out and give it a try.  They truly don't make things like they used to.

On 6/3/2025 at 12:43 PM, Silvermist said:

I repair reels and I had to service and repair my brand new platinum 33 and 404.  That caused me to look at the older models built in the USA.  I can clean and refurbish them and they're built very well.  I serviced and upgraded a 733 Hawg and it seems like a good reel now.  Going to take it out and give it a try.  They truly don't make things like they used to.

Man now you got me looking at them on Ebay.  Totally forgot those old 733's didn't have a drag.  Going to scoop on up for the kiddo.   Thanks!