# Great find.



## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Son-in-law came over with a bundle of "old, beat up rods and reels" he picked up for me at a garage sale. He threw them in the back of his truck. We talked about other stuff before he left. Next morning I checked to see what I got. Six of the eight rods were in good shape and all six held old Johnson reels. Two were #100B's and the rest were a Tangle-Free 14 , Guide 155 and two Century 225's. 
The next time I saw my favorite son-in-law (my only son-in-law) he told me the guy he bought them from felt bad about charging him $5. I'll be overhauling these puppies this winter or sooner, if I get time. Maybe we'll get a long rainy spell this week.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I bought two Johnson Citation fishing reels late 1960's or very early 70's.



















Being single I was fishing just about every day and defiantly every week end. Wore the gears out in those reels but Johnson had a good parts program for getting new gears. then I suppose it was around 1972 I ordered parts for the reels to ready them for a two week trip to Canada. The gears they sent were a fine cut and a note in the box said the were discontinuing the course cut gears.
Went off to Canada and the first day on the water stripped the gears in reel Number one with a little old walleye. Second day saw the demise of the second one. Little bait shop near where we were camped only had a Zebco plastic reel a 202 if I remember right. Finished our trip with that cheap Zebco I think was 2.00 Canadian.
Got home and called customer service and asked about the course cut gears and told them that the fine cut gears made the reel a cheaper than 2.00 Zebco reel piece of crap. About 3 days later I got a box with a whole bunch of gears all course cut. I still have probably two sets left.
But I never took those reels to Canada again or hardly used them at home. 
They were what my 2 kids learned with on blue gills.
I switched to almost all Zebco spin reels and Diawa.

 Al


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Have gotten away from closed face and almost exclusively use Shimano spinning reels now, but was always a fan of the Johnson Century reels. That green one in pic is one of the good older ones, the newer ones were flat black and not as well made.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Not much of any thing made as well today, Most of todays cars will have been scraped out in 20 years time.


 Al


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

alleyyooper said:


> Not much of any thing made as well today, Most of todays cars will have been scraped out in 20 years time.
> 
> 
> Al


I doubt they'll make 20 years. Due to the electronics, and cost of repair and troubleshooting down the road they may not make ten years.


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

alleyyooper, do you by chance know the difference between the Citation and the Century reels I have? I use Zebco almost exclusively these days, unless I'm fly fishing. I wish there was a GOOD, American made, decent priced reel. I can dream, at least. Thanks for the comments, all.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

The citation model 110 was first introduced in 1956, The big brother to the very popular century model 100. it later became the model 110 A and in 1962 became the model 110 B . 

I'm uncertain of the date the citation 110 B was discontinued, its little brother the Century stayed in production until 1979.
Some seem to think the citation was still being made and sold in 1979 same as the century.

The Citation was made to handle heavier line than the Century and had a bit stronger drag if I remember right. We usually were catching 6 pound and better bass, of course lots of little ones too. About the same for the walleye. but we really worked the reels with the big Canadian northern pike we caught.

Get your list of USA made fishing reels here.

http://usamadeproducts.biz/outdoor-recreation-fishing-gear-fishing-reels.html

I still have now spin reels not made in America, several Zebco 33's and one 33 Classic, a couple Zebco 1's a couple Zebco 808's and even my very first rod and reel combation a model 77. Reel still works but the rod has been broken and I have not gotten around to repairing it.

In 1978 I bought a Ross fly reel, Paid a ungodly price for it but was told it was top of the line back then. Had had a Shakespeare auto wind but it kept breaking down.

You can buy lots of the old reels made in America today of course used. Most can be rebuilt with the parts made for the current off shore stuff.

 Al


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

Looks like Penn reels are still made in the US.
Expensive, but very high quality stuff.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I always thought that Peen reels we expensive but really good stuff.

 Al


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## Crankin (Jul 13, 2015)

alleyyooper said:


> Not much of any thing made as well today, Most of todays cars will have been scraped out in 20 years time.
> 
> 
> Yeah, I just scrapped my 21 year old Ford Windstar 3.8L minivan. It only made it 316,000 miles! It didn't use any oil and the AC worked fine. But the oil pressure light flickered at idle for the last 35,000 miles. Many of the components were original; starter, AC compressor, exhaust system, etc.
> ...


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