Between 1949 and 1997, the Johnson reel company of Mankato Minnesota made what many consider some the best spin casting reels ever made.                                      They were one of the few reels that competed with Zebco during the 1950s and 1960s. This company also made reels for Sears and Roebuck, as well as Montgomery Ward.                         In 1955, they produced the well known Century 100. This reel was unique in its day. Remove the cap, reverse the spool and handle, and the Century could be used on top of the rod, or hung below a spinning rod. It worked both ways. They were nice looking reels too. A dark green cap, with the black body gave them a sharp look.                                                 I recently bought two of these old reels at a yard sale. They were in a box with a bunch of junker reels. Both of them are a little stiff but still work. A good cleaning and a dab of oil and grease will make them run smooth again. In 1997 all production of these reels was moved to China, and I don't think they're sold in the U.S. anymore.                                          Did you ever own and use one of the original Johnson Reels?

We had a couple at the cottage. They were beaters and really only usable for panfishing. 

The Johnson 710 was my reel for small creek floating in my 12’ styrofoam canoe before I could afford anything else.

As a kid in the 80s I used them and liked them.

I had a Johnson reel probably back in the 60s. It was okay but I never got it cast as good as the old Zebcos I had. I finally sold it at a yard sale.

I had one of the green ones in the 70's. I remember getting crazy line twist cranking and cranking against the drag as a kid. They were a cool green color, though. A lot of the rods that I build these days feature that color on the blank.

Mike B

My brother Bob couldn’t cast a bait casting reel and bought a Johnson Century reel and his  Mitchell 300 spinning reel. The Johnson had issues with line twist and line capacity. Very smooth operating small reel and easy to adjust the drag. We didn’t realize the Johnson spin cast was line diameter sensitive and changing the line to .010D resolved the problems. Bob preferred his Mitchell spinning reel rarely used the Johnson Century.

Tom

Never even casted a lure with a sin cast

Johnson Century

Pflueger President 

Abu Garcia Abumatic

 

Really never liked Zebco 

I grew up fishing with Johnson 710's and sabre's.  they had an interesting drag system. If you held the handle or continued to crank it was direct drive no drag, as soon as you let go of the handle,  line would slip out according to how you set the drag.  Had it's advantages but if you panicked on a large fish it was gone.

The Johnson Sabre had a larger diameter spool that oscillated. It casted pretty good but it was kind of large and heavy.

The Garcia Abumatic also had an oscillating spool and a tighter drag while cranking.

I much preferred these over the Mitchel 300's and 308's and I didn't have much else for options.

A Johnson 100A Century was my first reel.  My dad put it on a kiddie rod for me to use when I was about 4 years old.  When I was older the Century went on a longer rod.  I used that reel until the mid 70s.  The reel still works and is down in the basement in a drawer with some other old reels.