l am 80 plus yrs young and still use what you younger angler's call vintage equipment! Have never been embarrassed in doing so! Thank you for the very nice video!
👍 There's a 301 hanging on a rod almost identical to that one in my mother's garage right now. It was my father's. He believed in getting the best you could afford when it came to tools and such.
@@flight2k5 not really, these newer skirted, tapered spools are fantastic. Bait casting reels have become much easier to use. There are still high quality reels out there, just expect to pay the price. The biggest gains, in my opinion, are in the rods. The sensitivity and brute strength of graphite rods is just amazing. It was just a different thought process back when: If I remember correctly, when you bought a mitchell reel, it came with an extra spool and basic tools to take it apart. You might have to "jump through hoops" nowadays to order an extra spool for a reel you have purchased, depending on the brand. I guess it was just a different mindset back then.
Replacement arrived!By the way, I did forget to mention that the original lure did have a decent strike however as most anglers will attest you can get a hit ruclips.net/user/postUgkxCbNOWAGmn6nfbCbJDmasvBq7J38KZNw2 and fish will hang on and release lure. I used the replacement lure yesterday and ran thru a Shimano Waxwing, Kastmaster, Bobber (set to sink). I found the does run deep (I casting on the flats 3.5'). Make sure you adjust your rate of retrieve and rod tip angle (up) to prevent getting snagged on bottom. Used it a couple of times and action was very lifelike (looked like local bait fish for trevally), craftsmanship very good....however eyeball fell out. I asked for replacement and it is on it's way! It was very easy to change out treble to single inline hook.
Great to see that gear in action. My grandfather was a muskie guide on the Turtle-Flambeau flowage in northern Wisconsin, and I have his tackle box. I still catch muskies on his plugs that are beat to heck from hundreds of strikes, and walleyes on his ancient Rapps and Mepps. I've now been taking my young nephews out, so that'll be 4 generations using Grandpa's lures. They knew how to catch fish in the 40's and 50's. Most of the "new" designs just have brighter neon colors, holo graphics, fancier packaging, etc, but are based on the old standbys.
Like a person in a museum, taking in fine paintings, and appreciating fine art, I find I can look at, repair then reuse old time fishing lures and gear for hours. I get the feelins which I can remember as a boy, (like so very many of us fortunate boys) sitting with my Dad in an old aluminum boat. He’d have a green, rounded corner metal box filled with these colourful, mysterious fishing lures, a few old leaders, a few single hooks, a bobber or two (red and white), and a fish chain that could hold several large pike. Dad would have a stubby bottle of Labbatt’s 50 ale that he would work away at, over time. You were allowed a few beers then. My Dad smoked Kool cigarettes, and had the typical black, horned rim glasses. The loons yodelled, Dad would just grin, as he was at his happiest out there. I can only hope that our presence was as key to his happiness as his was to ours. This old gear represents an era, long gone. It is the picture frame where I hang my Dad’s memory. Wow, did I go off on a tangent. As long as those old lures and different gear exist, so will the remnants of those days.
Yes, a good reel indeed! It was sold with an extra spool. I also have its fast version: the Mitchell 350 whose crank end is green color (black color in the Mitchell 300). what a long time has gone by...
Got a right handed mitchell 300 on a vintage Berkeley rod. Found a deal on another it was a left handed bought it any way because i told the guy i would... Does anybody when a man kept his word? Anyway gave it to a friend becaus he is left handed. Mine from 1955. His from 1956. Love these old reels.
Updated message, buying 2 more tomorrow. Don't belive they are mitchell, but are garcia mitchell they are already on vintage rods. Good set up for the grand daughter. And yes, paw paw gets one more too. I think paw paw might have a problem. Lol.
Back in the late 70's on Mille Lacs the may flies were so thick fishing they covered our boat. Sheesh. My parents have passed but you gave me some great memories.
Me too. My grandfather have me a Mitchell 300 when I was like 6 in the early 1970's. The sound of that reel brought me back to a good time, fishing every day during summer school break any the many farm ponds near my parents house. Thanks for the memorys!!
I almost fell over when I saw this as I still use that same reel which I purchased in the Ships Store (USS Independence) while heading to England in Fall 1969. My reel makes that same noise. I’m 79 now but still fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. Always remember those family fishing trips.
That sound of the reel has got on my nerves!!!. In 1970 my father purchased three Mitchell reels of different models: 304, 320 and 350. Some years later he bought two 300 for my brother and me. We would always operate them with the anti-reverse off and have them perfectly greased. They performed nicely by the standards of the time. Over the years the nylon line worked wearing grooves on the line guide segment. Other wearing failures from extended use were anti-reverse death and breakage of the tiny metal stick that holds the crank in place (mended with a special glue for metal). Ah! The Mitchell Conolon Rod! That was the second rod my late father bought to my brother back in 1975. It was grey in color and I think It also got wearing grooves on the guides. The Crazy Crawler. With the advent of trade via internet I had several classic US lures shipped to Spain, my country. It was a dream come true! A lure I had seen on some black and white photo in some fishing book of the fifties! You know, the regular American angler of the time wearing a hat (not the current caps), blue jeans and checked shirt and...smoking a pipe!. A fantastic lure forever this Crazy Crawler. First time I used It I caught a big bass.
@@johnwilliamson2276 I never fished until I was like twelve and with zebco. Did not get anything nice till I was eighteen. Did not dampen my love for the king's sport.
Crazy Crawler was my dad’s favorite lure to use at our place in Maine for Smallmouth. Many times have caught big 6lb+ on one. When I go up there every summer there’s one left in all black in his tackle box. I don’t have the heart to ever use it for fear of losing it to a big bass. The blades are all bent up too. He taught me how to fish for bass with one and another favorite the jitterbug!
Well...thanks for making me feel old Matt 😅 Mitchell 309 and Diawa swinger rod was my 1st ultralight , changed my fishing, I also had the 300 Michells, the coffee grinders ...anti reverse 😅
Another great video! I wish I had my dad’s tackle box full of old lures. It was made of aluminum, about 1 foot wide bye 18” inch long and opened up with 2 shelves on each side. One of the biggest boxes I have ever seen! It had lures like the Hula Popper and all kinds of mostly wooden lures. It was historic.
My father JUST Sent me his Shimano B-100 reel from the 80's the other day (3.8:1 ratio...lol). I cleaned it up and I'm LOVING fishing with it. He taught me almost everything I know about fishing and I will treasure that reel for the rest of my life.
Wow, that's a very distinctive sound when the bail clicks shut on a Mitchell 300 (or 301). That sound sure brought back memories because my dad got a Mitchell 300 in about 1960 or '63 which he used up through the '80s, and I got a Mitchell 300C for my birthday in 1970 (when I turned 12), and it remained my primary reel until I did a massive upgrade on new rods and reels just a few years ago. And In spite of 45 years of frequent use, that reel is still in like-new condition except that the anti-reverse no longer holds, though it's a bit quieter because of that! To all these folks complaining about the noise of the anti-reverse, if you grew up fishing in those days, that's the sound you knew and you didn't think much about it. You can still buy the Crazy Crawler, but I have one from my grandfather that's probably much older than that one. I fished with it some when I was a kid (it was a very old lure even then) but now it's a keepsake.
It amazes me how much the younger generation puts a standard on getting fish "in the boat" as quickly as possible. Enjoy the fight!! THAT(!) Is sportsmanship!!
love watching you fish and the great sounds of birds and that we hear.I have heart trouble and dont get out much.keep it coming thank you. al capolongo commack ny
I'm 81, and I still fish with the old Mitchell reels and the crazy crawler and other "vintage" lures! Chugger Spooks, Flatfish, Hula Poppers, Bassers, River Runts, all are still in my tackle box, and I still use them. I remember when "rubber worms" first came out - how we did laugh at them! But now my tackle box contains quite a few of them and the other soft plastics. I never fished with the anti-reverse on, didn't like the noise, and I used a left-handed reel, handle on the left side - made more sense to me than switching hands with every cast. The segment you did with your grandpa's old Shakespeare Swimming Mouse actually brought a tear to my eye, as I still have a couple of those, and I use them a lot. They're still one of the best surface baits ever made! I never had a grandpa to fish with, but an old family friend showed me how to use them, and he gave me one of his old ones about 70 years ago, and I still have it! Please keep up the good work - yours is the most enjoyable channel on RUclips, and I watch and re-watch it every day!
This is so cool! Thanks for sharing this. My Dad has been collecting antique lures for years and has literally hundreds of old Heddons. I've always wanted to see what they'd look like actually being fished. Thanks for finally allowing me to see that!
Just found this video and it was great. I got to pick over most of my father-in-law gear when he passed. Not much survived his garage fire back in the 90s except the house kept stuff. He loved the 300 reels and Garcia rods. I have his 6 1/2 ft medium heavy pistol grip casting rod and old red Sweden reel. My favorite is his "crappie rod" 6 1/2 ft light action spinning rod Sears and Roebuck. Great panfish rod I matched with an old Shakespeare Alpha 35. Still using today, can't wait to wrestle some bass with the pistol grip rod. Going to send you 2 old repainted and Refurbished Hula Poppers to use. I think you'll dig them. It took 45 plus years to find my passion for the vintage lures and tackle but now at 50 I'm looking forward to my retirement hobby. I restored and cleaned up/refurbished dozens of Fred Arbogast Hula Popper Lures and others. Keeping them in circulation instead of the trash. They still catch fish. Thanks for the sharing the time capsule fishing adventure brother. You're still not a 1 trick pony...so much more
When I was a teenager, I bought a reel just like this. I loved using a Krazy Krawler and a Jitter Bug and caught lots of bass! Try letting it rest for 10-15 seconds then start your retrieve either a steady of stop & go. Love this lure! Change the hooks from trebbles to doubles with the points pointed up it will glide over the weeds better.
I love the connection you have, love the vibes you give off as well. When a fish gets hooked, its got to be an incredible traumatic experience for them, they get yanked out of the water, face to face with a monster, and then when you put them back in the water and they swim off like nothing just happened! That says loads about your respect for the fish. They feel that, some might even understand that you mean no harm! There aren't many anglers who have this talent, you sir, have it! I absolutely LOVE watching you fish, and I can tell you ha e a genuine love for these creatures. For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I've shared a lot of your post with a lot of people, hopefully you will have hundreds of thousands of subscribers very soon! You definitely deserve all of this! Thank you for sharing some of the most wonderful videos on the tube! I will watch ANYTHING you post with great enthusiasm! Jeff from KC and an avid angler for 35 years! I would love to one day spin some reels with you and catch my first smallie! All we have here is Largemouth, the biggest for me so far, 10lbs 3/4 ounce! A true beast!
I used Mitchell 300 and 301 reels for years. They were built like tanks, at least the older ones were. I caught a 28 lb. carp with one, and a 13 lb. salmon too. The salmon stripped about 80 yards of line off on the first run. They had excellent drags on them. I really miss having mr grandfathers circa 1955 Mitchell 301. It became damaged in 1988.
I have been fishing with Zebco 33 reels for a long time. They still produce fish. I have it on a 6'6 Zebco Pro Staff fishing pole it's really a balanced package. Put a 3/8 oz Chartreuse double willow bladed spinner bait. Been catching Big Bass all summer. It's late August now. Will be going to square Bill crank baits soon and Senkos in Green Pumpkin color. See you on the water! SHAWN
My first fishing pole was just like that, Only Diawa, I remember buying it at Herman’s Sports. I guess that’s a polite way of informing me I’m getting old ! Like to think I’m Vintage but most people, including my wife, would probably disagree ! Love old school, throwback stuff ! Once again great work Matt. Thanks Duffmiester.
This is great!! I like the old Mitchell 308 reel. I'd turn the anti reverse off to stay silent. It was my rod&reel back then. It had 10lb.line in it. We would use heddon tiny torpedoes, Mann's Lil' George, Cordell Spots, Rapalas, Inline spinners, black rubber worms and spinnerbaits.
I'm 62 and started fishing with these Mitchell reels (and others) and still use them today...have about 25 different ones from the small 308 up to the big 488. Still have my first 300 that was a birthday gift at age 12. These reels can be made smoother and quieter taking them apart, cleaning well, and then using liberal amounts of good grease with a splash of STP when reassembling. Also later model 300A's used a quiet ani-reverse that only engaged the main gear teeth when reeled back. Most of my different Mitchells are smooth and quiet and are a joy to use! I personally prefer the look and feel of these old reels so much so that I'm probably going to sell some of my modern stuff off. My favorites are the skirted spool versions such as the 908, 900, 906, and 300S. Oh, and still have a few old rods too. Anyway, to each his own!
I’ll have to try and see if I can get mine to be a little more quiet, or use it without the anti reverse next time. I have an old Arbogast Sputterbug I’d like to throw with that setup on the river one of these days.
@@ndyakangler those older 300/301's are not quite as smooth as later model ones as the pinion/rotating head gears are an older design. But yeah, my original 300 is around '69 vintage and it was quieted down a fair amount by a good internal cleaning and reassembling with a good amount of greese (I use Penn reel greese) and a splash of STP oil treatment. That is really slick stuff and seems to quiet down those older anti-reverses. Don't be skimpy with the greese! I work on these old reels all the time, be glad to re-do yours for free if you want, just let me know!
i bought a 300 in the early 70s do not remember it making that much noise had it on a yellow eagle claw rod thanks for the video love seeing people using the lures they still work
Damn, you read my mind years in the future in a pre-recorded video. "Man, I wonder what the ratio on that thing is?" "The gear ratio is 3.75 to 1....." You said that right as my thought finished. Lol.
The sound reminds me of when I was 8 and put plastic cups in my bike wheel so I could pretend I was driving a motorcycle. :) Another fun video catching beasters!
That was very enjoyable Matt. The noise of the reel brought back memories .I went from a Zebco spincast to that Mitchell and thought it couldn't get any better than this.
I LOVE THIS VIDEO! You don't need $150+ St. Croix fishing rods or $200+ fishing reels to catch fish. It's who's doing the fishing & what he/she knows about where to cast & what to use to catch fish. I know this guy uses the good stuff which I'm not knocking, but he could use a $20 rod & reel combo from Walmart & still catch big smallmouth bass!
I just realized I don’t have my notifications on, I just turned them on right now ! Love your videos brother keep up the killer content! It’s so relaxing lol
Just wanted to say I appreciate your channel and you taking time to answer questions took a choppo out today and caught 50 smallies between two of us wading a small section I'm so addicted to smallies now!
I had a modern crazy crawler lure (plastic mold) I fished with for many years back in the 90s on my family farm. I always had more success popping it rather than a straight retrieve. Thanks for showing me that technique can catch fish!
Why is anyone disliking these vids??? One of the most relaxing fishing channel on RUclips!!! Dislikers go do something else...go talk to your cat or dig a hole....lame.
Just discovered this channel, really glad, because it’s actual fishing. It’s not ten minutes of being in a car and then freaking out over a half pound bass.
I also look for vintage equipment to fish , not to hang on the wall to look at. . I like to 1 or 2 trips a season with the old gear . I'm 66 yrs old . No question, our gear has gotten much better, but it's fun to go occasionally go back for a few hrs . Thank you . I enjoyed that .
An old Garcia Eglass Rod! They're great rods! First reel I learned to fish was my Step Fathers Mitchell spinning reel 300, thats why i always buy left handed reel even though I'm right handed! Should tighten the drag all the way down and put in on free spin and back reel if think the line is going to break! The glass rod will do move of fighting and if need quicker take up? Lift up the rod and pull back while reeling! Nice Video!
That anti-reverse noise was the reason most of us turned to BC gear when it got good enough to cast 1/4 oz. baits. We would just turn it off and hold the handle while fighting fish.
I graduated from a Zebco 33 to a Mitchell 300 in 1961 fishing the flats of the Gulf of Mexico for Specs and Redfish and Bass in freshwater. The rods and reels got the job done, but the artificial lures that worked in the weed infested freshwater was extremely limited. Weedless hooks with the SS steel wire was our only choice, but the plastics were very limited which made freshwater a low option when going out in the heat and humidity. I used the Mitchell until the 1980s when something laying along a bank in the Boonville, Arkansas municipal water reservoir broke my 20+ year old fiberglass rod right at the cork. I was fishing 12 lb test that was the same age as the rig. I saw a glimpse of the culprit’s belly as it rolled against the tension of my hook set, but al I can say is that the belly was a yellow green. As for size, my guess is that it was 24” long and that it was more likely to have been a Catfish that was laying against a tiny drainage notch where the water dropped immediately down a 12’ rock cut on an old stage coach road. I don’t think that the fish was large enough to break the glass rod alone, but twenty years of hook sets and age must have caused enough fibers to break until that fish. I grabbed the broken rod and tried to hold it with my right arm but by then the hook was thrown and the day then became myth since there was no personal micro cameras. Which reminds me, will the time trued tradition of telling fish stories go by the wayside once everyone starts filming? I guess I am glad to have lived before GoPro.! The old professor
5 лет назад
This place is amazing Congratulations beautiful FISHING! Remember here in Brazil, where I fish. Hug !!!👍🎣🐠
I've got that same reel! My Grandpa and Great Uncle left all their fishing gear to me when they passed so i have a ton of vintage fishing gear and I'm excited to do some old school fishing! I've got more lures than I know what to do with, some of them no longer have names on them and i can't find them online so I guess I'll just have to experiment! You're videos are great! So cool to watch you fish with your Grandpas gear, I'm sure that would make him so happy and proud!
I use alot of old reels, mostly Mitchells and Daiwas. They last forever and are easy to maintain. My oldest reel is a Mitchell 300 that was made in the mid 50's, old enough it has no model number on it because Mitchell only made one reel at that time. Last year I caught a 41" pike on it. It worked just fine, though you do need to reel pretty fast when a fish runs towards you.
That’s my biggest gripe with those old reels they have like a 3:1 gear ratio. Going from my 7:1 I have to crank those old ones as fast as I can and still can’t keep up with those smallies some times.
@@ndyakangler The Mitchell 400, and alot of the old Daiwa's are around 5:1, which I find pretty usable. Some of the Daiwa's rival modern reels in performance, but are much more rugged and mechanically simple. I like the 1300c and the 1600c models in particular.
I have a reel just like that. (I also inherited my grandpa's fishing gear and tackle boxes.) I rarely take them on the water though for fear of losing lures, etc. Maybe I'll try it though. Looks like you had fun with it.
Hi from the UK, really enjoy your videos and lovely to see old gear getting an airing and catching fish! Mitchell were originally French I think and that range of reels must have sold in their 10’s of 1000’s globally and they were pretty expensive so out of the reach pocket money wise for most kids in the 60’s.
Cool video. My first open face spinning reel was the Garcia 300 and later the 301 from the early 60's . I still have my old Herters fiberglass spinning rod and the 301. Have not used either in many years. One of the neat features of the reel is that the drag is built into the spool and it came with a casting spool and a trolling high capacity spool. I still use the crazy crawlers and the shakespear mouse frequently but only in lakes without pike.
If you go back and watch the first fish, before he even makes a cast, you see a bass in around the same area that it attacks his lure. He gets a little spooked and heads a little deeper. Then, on that last cast, he happens to pull the lure into the fish's zone and he springs up from his hiding spot to hit it. Pretty cool.
Wonderful video. I’m a collector and I love Mitchell reels and Garcia Conolon Rods, Fenwick was another high end brand about the same timeframe. That Heddon Crazy crawler you used is actually very collectible in itself. That color way is great and a bit more rare to find. I dig old wood Heddon lures w glass eyes. Thanks for posting. You got time nice Smallies on your outing.
I used to use the crazy crawler a lot for bass and did very well on mostly big bass. But, the first thing was to remove the lure's hooks and replace them with up turned double hooks. Sharpen those and your percentage of lost fish will go way done. You might try to cast under branches and let it just stay motionless for about 20 seconds or longer. It really ticks them off! This lure works great at night too. I'm 70 years old and started fishing around 6 years old.
I still have my Dad's Mitchell n oh boy the sound of that gear lock mechanism still brings back memories ... Its a really well preserved reel you have there ... And be careful not to snag your lure :)
You young guys! I still fish with several 300 series Mitchells and yes I have some crazy crawlers (from my Dad)....and yes my old gear still pulls in the fish! As a matter of fact wife and I are leaving in the morning for 7 days of bass fishng in Northern Ontario! Great video and enjoy that old gear - it serves me very well! Mike😁👍
Cool concept - reminds us not to get swept up in every new thing. As.youve shown, they were catching fish 50 years ago too! Cant take that reel noise though! Lol!
I have done this same thing... grab the old gear and see the world through the eyes of those that lived before me. It's very enlightening to learn how much has changed, and it often doesn't require but 10-20yrs to see a big jump in something. Try some 50s, then 60s, then 70s equipment, you'll understand what I'm saying. When I acquire old lures, which isn't often, I cut the old hooks off and replace them with new hooks and split rings. The update is cheap, and it improves the hookup ratio as well.
I spent an entire year trying to catch a bass on a Jitterbug as well as a black version of the same lure you're using here. Never caught a single fish. So, therefore, this is stage craft and you were using a different lure. lol Great video, man.
Great vid, reminds me of the old days, used to use those old lamiglass rods, they were great fun to fight fish with (if you could get a good hookset) haha.
Matt, I had the same exact reel as my first spinning reel. In it’s day it was state of the art, it was built like a tank. I used mine in fresh and salt water. I had an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5001C bait caster that I hated to throw. Big clunky not a lot of distance spooled with Dacron line for saltwater. I wanted a spinning rod and reel and a generous person gave me the Mitchell reel and a nice glass rod. I was the happiest kid around. Glad to show up at the local fishing hole with this outfit. It looked like you were using 50 year old treble hooks?
It’s definitely a solid reel! I didn’t swap the hooks on the lure so I’m not sure if the ones on it were original or not but they seemed pretty old. I gave them a good sharpening with a hook file though.
Great video! I caught my best fish of 2021, on my mid 1960s Mitchell 300, on an Arbogast Jitterbug. I cast the jitterbug where a hawk was “fishing” , then started to worry, not knowing how old the line was.
I’ve been meaning to try the jitterbug on some smallies! It was one of my favorite lures as a kid but we only had largemouth in the lake we had a cabin on.
l am 80 plus yrs young and still use what you younger angler's call vintage equipment! Have never been embarrassed in doing so! Thank you for the very nice video!
I am 70, never used a whopper plopper!, caught lots of smallies on my ancient lures..lol
I’m 65 years old and that was the absolute best tackle we could hope for. 👍🏻🎣
And the shit worked. God bless you.
Wtf
👍 There's a 301 hanging on a rod almost identical to that one in my mother's garage right now. It was my father's. He believed in getting the best you could afford when it came to tools and such.
So older is better?
@@flight2k5 not really, these newer skirted, tapered spools are fantastic. Bait casting reels have become much easier to use. There are still high quality reels out there, just expect to pay the price. The biggest gains, in my opinion, are in the rods. The sensitivity and brute strength of graphite rods is just amazing. It was just a different thought process back when: If I remember correctly, when you bought a mitchell reel, it came with an extra spool and basic tools to take it apart. You might have to "jump through hoops" nowadays to order an extra spool for a reel you have purchased, depending on the brand. I guess it was just a different mindset back then.
Replacement arrived!By the way, I did forget to mention that the original lure did have a decent strike however as most anglers will attest you can get a hit ruclips.net/user/postUgkxCbNOWAGmn6nfbCbJDmasvBq7J38KZNw2 and fish will hang on and release lure. I used the replacement lure yesterday and ran thru a Shimano Waxwing, Kastmaster, Bobber (set to sink). I found the does run deep (I casting on the flats 3.5'). Make sure you adjust your rate of retrieve and rod tip angle (up) to prevent getting snagged on bottom. Used it a couple of times and action was very lifelike (looked like local bait fish for trevally), craftsmanship very good....however eyeball fell out. I asked for replacement and it is on it's way! It was very easy to change out treble to single inline hook.
Great to see that gear in action. My grandfather was a muskie guide on the Turtle-Flambeau flowage in northern Wisconsin, and I have his tackle box. I still catch muskies on his plugs that are beat to heck from hundreds of strikes, and walleyes on his ancient Rapps and Mepps. I've now been taking my young nephews out, so that'll be 4 generations using Grandpa's lures. They knew how to catch fish in the 40's and 50's. Most of the "new" designs just have brighter neon colors, holo graphics, fancier packaging, etc, but are based on the old standbys.
Like a person in a museum, taking in fine paintings, and appreciating fine art, I find I can look at, repair then reuse old time fishing lures and gear for hours. I get the feelins which I can remember as a boy, (like so very many of us fortunate boys) sitting with my Dad in an old aluminum boat. He’d have a green, rounded corner metal box filled with these colourful, mysterious fishing lures, a few old leaders, a few single hooks, a bobber or two (red and white), and a fish chain that could hold several large pike. Dad would have a stubby bottle of Labbatt’s 50 ale that he would work away at, over time. You were allowed a few beers then. My Dad smoked Kool cigarettes, and had the typical black, horned rim glasses. The loons yodelled, Dad would just grin, as he was at his happiest out there. I can only hope that our presence was as key to his happiness as his was to ours. This old gear represents an era, long gone. It is the picture frame where I hang my Dad’s memory. Wow, did I go off on a tangent. As long as those old lures and different gear exist, so will the remnants of those days.
Well said, thanks for sharing!
Awesome!! Good old "Hoola-poppers"! They are rock solid!
Your grampa's old lures were the same ones I used when I was bassing in the 60's and 70's. Good stuff. My favorite reel was a Mitchell 300.
Yes, a good reel indeed! It was sold with an extra spool. I also have its fast version: the Mitchell 350 whose crank end is green color (black color in the Mitchell 300). what a long time has gone by...
@@antoniomora1255 A lifetime ago...
Got a right handed mitchell 300 on a vintage Berkeley rod. Found a deal on another it was a left handed bought it any way because i told the guy i would... Does anybody when a man kept his word? Anyway gave it to a friend becaus he is left handed. Mine from 1955. His from 1956. Love these old reels.
Yep I have several old Mitchell reels...300 331 etc., all excellent gear. Dependable, I buy up old ones whenever I can get my hands on them!😄
Updated message, buying 2 more tomorrow. Don't belive they are mitchell, but are garcia mitchell they are already on vintage rods. Good set up for the grand daughter. And yes, paw paw gets one more too. I think paw paw might have a problem. Lol.
Back in the late 70's on Mille Lacs the may flies were so thick fishing they covered our boat. Sheesh. My parents have passed but you gave me some great memories.
I still use a Heddon Tiny Torpedo that I bought early in the 1980’s.
It works.
Brought back memories of me fishing with my dad. Love the action on that lure!
Just hearing the ratchet/anti-reverse reminds me of my days fishing with my grandfather with the same gear.
Me too.
My grandfather have me a Mitchell 300 when I was like 6 in the early 1970's.
The sound of that reel brought me back to a good time, fishing every day during summer school break any the many farm ponds near my parents house.
Thanks for the memorys!!
I almost fell over when I saw this as I still use that same reel which I purchased in the Ships Store (USS Independence) while heading to England in Fall 1969. My reel makes that same noise. I’m 79 now but still fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. Always remember those family fishing trips.
Love the first catch. Surprise. That reel noise would drive me nuts. Thanks.
That sound of the reel has got on my nerves!!!. In 1970 my father purchased three Mitchell reels of different models: 304, 320 and 350. Some years later he bought two 300 for my brother and me. We would always operate them with the anti-reverse off and have them perfectly greased. They performed nicely by the standards of the time. Over the years the nylon line worked wearing grooves on the line guide segment. Other wearing failures from extended use were anti-reverse death and breakage of the tiny metal stick that holds the crank in place (mended with a special glue for metal).
Ah! The Mitchell Conolon Rod! That was the second rod my late father bought to my brother back in 1975. It was grey in color and I think It also got wearing grooves on the guides.
The Crazy Crawler. With the advent of trade via internet I had several classic US lures shipped to Spain, my country. It was a dream come true! A lure I had seen on some black and white photo in some fishing book of the fifties! You know, the regular American angler of the time wearing a hat (not the current caps), blue jeans and checked shirt and...smoking a pipe!. A fantastic lure forever this Crazy Crawler. First time I used It I caught a big bass.
@@antoniomora1255 ! There you see , our Grandfathers had good nerves ! They had less stress in their lifes ! They loved the sound of there reels !
I started fishing for bass with a Mitchell 301( left-hand ) around 1966. I never had the anti-reverse on except when bank fishing for cats or carp.
@@johnwilliamson2276 I never fished until I was like twelve and with zebco. Did not get anything nice till I was eighteen. Did not dampen my love for the king's sport.
Crazy Crawler was my dad’s favorite lure to use at our place in Maine for Smallmouth. Many times have caught big 6lb+ on one. When I go up there every summer there’s one left in all black in his tackle box. I don’t have the heart to ever use it for fear of losing it to a big bass. The blades are all bent up too.
He taught me how to fish for bass with one and another favorite the jitterbug!
I haven't heard that sound in 25+ year's!! Wow!! It was like fishing with my grandfather again!!
I love this videos where you show the old lures. Thanks for using them. I have that one also. It's great to use the old ones is a lot of fun.
Well...thanks for making me feel old Matt 😅 Mitchell 309 and Diawa swinger rod was my 1st ultralight , changed my fishing, I also had the 300 Michells, the coffee grinders ...anti reverse 😅
Another great video! I wish I had my dad’s tackle box full of old lures. It was made of aluminum, about 1 foot wide bye 18” inch long and opened up with 2 shelves on each side. One of the biggest boxes I have ever seen! It had lures like the Hula Popper and all kinds of mostly wooden lures. It was historic.
My father JUST Sent me his Shimano B-100 reel from the 80's the other day (3.8:1 ratio...lol). I cleaned it up and I'm LOVING fishing with it. He taught me almost everything I know about fishing and I will treasure that reel for the rest of my life.
I put a bug in Marlingbaits ear already but I'd love to see you fish with some of his lures
Wow, that's a very distinctive sound when the bail clicks shut on a Mitchell 300 (or 301). That sound sure brought back memories because my dad got a Mitchell 300 in about 1960 or '63 which he used up through the '80s, and I got a Mitchell 300C for my birthday in 1970 (when I turned 12), and it remained my primary reel until I did a massive upgrade on new rods and reels just a few years ago. And In spite of 45 years of frequent use, that reel is still in like-new condition except that the anti-reverse no longer holds, though it's a bit quieter because of that! To all these folks complaining about the noise of the anti-reverse, if you grew up fishing in those days, that's the sound you knew and you didn't think much about it. You can still buy the Crazy Crawler, but I have one from my grandfather that's probably much older than that one. I fished with it some when I was a kid (it was a very old lure even then) but now it's a keepsake.
It amazes me how much the younger generation puts a standard on getting fish "in the boat" as quickly as possible. Enjoy the fight!! THAT(!) Is sportsmanship!!
I like digging out my vintage stuff every now and then then! Great video!
I have a 1965ish sears gamefisher 2000 model combo. It's very simple and easy to fix.
So thats why I wasn't catching fish that day. That reel was spooking them all, and I'm in Alberta!
😂😂😂😂Over here in Spain something could be heard too. Apart from the reel noise I enjoyed the video a lot. Thank you.
love watching you fish and the great sounds of birds and that we hear.I have heart trouble and dont get out much.keep it coming thank you. al capolongo commack ny
I'm 81, and I still fish with the old Mitchell reels and the crazy crawler and other "vintage" lures! Chugger Spooks, Flatfish, Hula Poppers, Bassers, River Runts, all are still in my tackle box, and I still use them. I remember when "rubber worms" first came out - how we did laugh at them! But now my tackle box contains quite a few of them and the other soft plastics.
I never fished with the anti-reverse on, didn't like the noise, and I used a left-handed reel, handle on the left side - made more sense to me than switching hands with every cast.
The segment you did with your grandpa's old Shakespeare Swimming Mouse actually brought a tear to my eye, as I still have a couple of those, and I use them a lot. They're still one of the best surface baits ever made! I never had a grandpa to fish with, but an old family friend showed me how to use them, and he gave me one of his old ones about 70 years ago, and I still have it!
Please keep up the good work - yours is the most enjoyable channel on RUclips, and I watch and re-watch it every day!
This is so cool! Thanks for sharing this. My Dad has been collecting antique lures for years and has literally hundreds of old Heddons. I've always wanted to see what they'd look like actually being fished. Thanks for finally allowing me to see that!
Okay, that made your normally fun video even more fun! Good idea Matt & thanks for taking us along!
That was awesome, that old gear is so cool, just goes to show you that fishing hasn’t changed at all
Just found this video and it was great. I got to pick over most of my father-in-law gear when he passed. Not much survived his garage fire back in the 90s except the house kept stuff. He loved the 300 reels and Garcia rods. I have his 6 1/2 ft medium heavy pistol grip casting rod and old red Sweden reel. My favorite is his "crappie rod" 6 1/2 ft light action spinning rod Sears and Roebuck. Great panfish rod I matched with an old Shakespeare Alpha 35. Still using today, can't wait to wrestle some bass with the pistol grip rod. Going to send you 2 old repainted and Refurbished Hula Poppers to use. I think you'll dig them. It took 45 plus years to find my passion for the vintage lures and tackle but now at 50 I'm looking forward to my retirement hobby. I restored and cleaned up/refurbished dozens of Fred Arbogast Hula Popper Lures and others. Keeping them in circulation instead of the trash. They still catch fish. Thanks for the sharing the time capsule fishing adventure brother. You're still not a 1 trick pony...so much more
When I was a teenager, I bought a reel just like this. I loved using a Krazy Krawler and a Jitter Bug and caught lots of bass! Try letting it rest for 10-15 seconds then start your retrieve either a steady of stop & go. Love this lure! Change the hooks from trebbles to doubles with the points pointed up it will glide over the weeds better.
Nobody talks Jitterbugs anymore and I bet there have been as many bass caught on a Jitterbug than just about anything
I love the connection you have, love the vibes you give off as well. When a fish gets hooked, its got to be an incredible traumatic experience for them, they get yanked out of the water, face to face with a monster, and then when you put them back in the water and they swim off like nothing just happened! That says loads about your respect for the fish. They feel that, some might even understand that you mean no harm! There aren't many anglers who have this talent, you sir, have it! I absolutely LOVE watching you fish, and I can tell you ha e a genuine love for these creatures. For that I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I've shared a lot of your post with a lot of people, hopefully you will have hundreds of thousands of subscribers very soon! You definitely deserve all of this! Thank you for sharing some of the most wonderful videos on the tube! I will watch ANYTHING you post with great enthusiasm! Jeff from KC and an avid angler for 35 years! I would love to one day spin some reels with you and catch my first smallie! All we have here is Largemouth, the biggest for me so far, 10lbs 3/4 ounce! A true beast!
I used Mitchell 300 and 301 reels for years. They were built like tanks, at least the older ones were. I caught a 28 lb. carp with one, and a 13 lb. salmon too. The salmon stripped about 80 yards of line off on the first run. They had excellent drags on them. I really miss having mr grandfathers circa 1955 Mitchell 301. It became damaged in 1988.
I have been fishing with Zebco 33 reels for a long time. They still produce fish. I have it on a 6'6 Zebco Pro Staff fishing pole it's really a balanced package. Put a 3/8 oz Chartreuse double willow bladed spinner bait. Been catching Big Bass all summer. It's late August now. Will be going to square Bill crank baits soon and Senkos in Green Pumpkin color. See you on the water! SHAWN
My first fishing pole was just like that, Only Diawa, I remember buying it at Herman’s Sports. I guess that’s a polite way of informing me I’m getting old ! Like to think I’m Vintage but most people, including my wife, would probably disagree ! Love old school, throwback stuff ! Once again great work Matt. Thanks Duffmiester.
Great video, although I will admit, the noise the real was making while reeling in was curdling my blood!
Thanks for the correction Annoying Internet Spell Check Guy.
This is great!! I like the old Mitchell 308 reel. I'd turn the anti reverse off to stay silent. It was my rod&reel back then. It had 10lb.line in it. We would use heddon tiny torpedoes, Mann's Lil' George, Cordell Spots, Rapalas, Inline spinners, black rubber worms and spinnerbaits.
Hi, great video as always, I have a Mitchell 300 that my Daddy bought in the early 50’s. Finally retired it a couple years ago, great reel !!!!!
Roy Hubbard I’m still using my dads same reel ....
I'm 62 and started fishing with these Mitchell reels (and others) and still use them today...have about 25 different ones from the small 308 up to the big 488. Still have my first 300 that was a birthday gift at age 12. These reels can be made smoother and quieter taking them apart, cleaning well, and then using liberal amounts of good grease with a splash of STP when reassembling. Also later model 300A's used a quiet ani-reverse that only engaged the main gear teeth when reeled back. Most of my different Mitchells are smooth and quiet and are a joy to use! I personally prefer the look and feel of these old reels so much so that I'm probably going to sell some of my modern stuff off. My favorites are the skirted spool versions such as the 908, 900, 906, and 300S. Oh, and still have a few old rods too. Anyway, to each his own!
I’ll have to try and see if I can get mine to be a little more quiet, or use it without the anti reverse next time. I have an old Arbogast Sputterbug I’d like to throw with that setup on the river one of these days.
@@ndyakangler those older 300/301's are not quite as smooth as later model ones as the pinion/rotating head gears are an older design. But yeah, my original 300 is around '69 vintage and it was quieted down a fair amount by a good internal cleaning and reassembling with a good amount of greese (I use Penn reel greese) and a splash of STP oil treatment. That is really slick stuff and seems to quiet down those older anti-reverses. Don't be skimpy with the greese! I work on these old reels all the time, be glad to re-do yours for free if you want, just let me know!
Keep up the great videos. Always love the vintage stuff
I actually fish with 50 year old tackle all the time, rods, reels, lures I had as a kid. I have new tackle
but I like the old tackle much better.
All of my lures are miscellaneous things I've gotten from different people so I've got some weird old lures mixed into my collection
This is nice. Brings back some childhood memories. I'm not quite that old but close. Lol 👍👍🤘🤘
Love the vintage rod, reel and tackle. I just picked up a couple rods at a garage sale and I can't wait to use them.
i bought a 300 in the early 70s do not remember it making that much noise had it on a yellow eagle claw rod thanks for the video love seeing people using the lures they still work
I’m 63 and bought mine crazy crawler when I was 15 and I still use it every time I go fishing.Mine is made of wood also.
Damn, you read my mind years in the future in a pre-recorded video.
"Man, I wonder what the ratio on that thing is?"
"The gear ratio is 3.75 to 1....."
You said that right as my thought finished. Lol.
One of the coolest ideas I've seen on a youtube angling channel. I'm only 28 but love antiques. Awesome stuff man!
The sound reminds me of when I was 8 and put plastic cups in my bike wheel so I could pretend I was driving a motorcycle. :) Another fun video catching beasters!
That was very enjoyable Matt. The noise of the reel brought back memories .I went from a Zebco spincast to that Mitchell and thought it couldn't get any better than this.
That was fun. Impressive casting to get right where you needed to be with that set up and not lose your crazy crawler. 👊🏻
That's just plain cool...I just started acquiring some vintage gear last year.
Few minutes into the video I was thinking “damn is he really gunna not catch anything?” Then I remembered you caught fish with a lego Wookiee lol
And the sound effects made that video hilarious!
No wonder our grandpas kept everything. They felt they deserved fresh fish after listening to those reels all day!
I LOVE THIS VIDEO! You don't need $150+ St. Croix fishing rods or $200+ fishing reels to catch fish. It's who's doing the fishing & what he/she knows about where to cast & what to use to catch fish.
I know this guy uses the good stuff which I'm not knocking, but he could use a $20 rod & reel combo from Walmart & still catch big smallmouth bass!
I just realized I don’t have my notifications on, I just turned them on right now ! Love your videos brother keep up the killer content! It’s so relaxing lol
Just wanted to say I appreciate your channel and you taking time to answer questions took a choppo out today and caught 50 smallies between two of us wading a small section I'm so addicted to smallies now!
That’s awesome! One day like that is all it takes to become a smallie addict!
That's the reel I grew up with! I still have an old crazy crawler too! Nice to see them still catching fish!
I had a modern crazy crawler lure (plastic mold) I fished with for many years back in the 90s on my family farm. I always had more success popping it rather than a straight retrieve. Thanks for showing me that technique can catch fish!
Why is anyone disliking these vids??? One of the most relaxing fishing channel on RUclips!!! Dislikers go do something else...go talk to your cat or dig a hole....lame.
Boy, does that bring back some memories.
Nice vid! I learn fishing with such gear in the late 60's and i'm glad to see that old stuff who always works ,thank you for uploading!👍👍
the sound of that retrieve takes me back.
Thank You for that video! Reminded me of my Grandpaw- Both of them👍👍
i think these videos are awsome. would love to see more of these old-school ones!
Just discovered this channel, really glad, because it’s actual fishing. It’s not ten minutes of being in a car and then freaking out over a half pound bass.
I also look for vintage equipment to fish , not to hang on the wall to look at. . I like to 1 or 2 trips a season with the old gear . I'm 66 yrs old . No question, our gear has gotten much better, but it's fun to go occasionally go back for a few hrs . Thank you . I enjoyed that .
An old Garcia Eglass Rod! They're great rods! First reel I learned to fish was my Step Fathers Mitchell spinning reel 300, thats why i always buy left handed reel even though I'm right handed! Should tighten the drag all the way down and put in on free spin and back reel if think the line is going to break! The glass rod will do move of fighting and if need quicker take up? Lift up the rod and pull back while reeling! Nice Video!
I had that exact rig for ages. Caught a ton of smallmouth with it too. Bulletproof tool.
That anti-reverse noise was the reason most of us turned to BC gear when it got good enough to cast 1/4 oz. baits. We would just turn it off and hold the handle while fighting fish.
I remember the ' Crazy Crawler '. Amazing Lure !
I graduated from a Zebco 33 to a Mitchell 300 in 1961 fishing the flats of the Gulf of Mexico for Specs and Redfish and Bass in freshwater. The rods and reels got the job done, but the artificial lures that worked in the weed infested freshwater was extremely limited. Weedless hooks with the SS steel wire was our only choice, but the plastics were very limited which made freshwater a low option when going out in the heat and humidity.
I used the Mitchell until the 1980s when something laying along a bank in the Boonville, Arkansas municipal water reservoir broke my 20+ year old fiberglass rod right at the cork. I was fishing 12 lb test that was the same age as the rig. I saw a glimpse of the culprit’s belly as it rolled against the tension of my hook set, but al I can say is that the belly was a yellow green. As for size, my guess is that it was 24” long and that it was more likely to have been a Catfish that was laying against a tiny drainage notch where the water dropped immediately down a 12’ rock cut on an old stage coach road.
I don’t think that the fish was large enough to break the glass rod alone, but twenty years of hook sets and age must have caused enough fibers to break until that fish. I grabbed the broken rod and tried to hold it with my right arm but by then the hook was thrown and the day then became myth since there was no personal micro cameras.
Which reminds me, will the time trued tradition of telling fish stories go by the wayside once everyone starts filming? I guess I am glad to have lived before GoPro.!
The old professor
This place is amazing Congratulations beautiful FISHING!
Remember here in Brazil, where I fish.
Hug !!!👍🎣🐠
I've got that same reel! My Grandpa and Great Uncle left all their fishing gear to me when they passed so i have a ton of vintage fishing gear and I'm excited to do some old school fishing! I've got more lures than I know what to do with, some of them no longer have names on them and i can't find them online so I guess I'll just have to experiment! You're videos are great! So cool to watch you fish with your Grandpas gear, I'm sure that would make him so happy and proud!
I use alot of old reels, mostly Mitchells and Daiwas. They last forever and are easy to maintain. My oldest reel is a Mitchell 300 that was made in the mid 50's, old enough it has no model number on it because Mitchell only made one reel at that time. Last year I caught a 41" pike on it. It worked just fine, though you do need to reel pretty fast when a fish runs towards you.
That’s my biggest gripe with those old reels they have like a 3:1 gear ratio. Going from my 7:1 I have to crank those old ones as fast as I can and still can’t keep up with those smallies some times.
@@ndyakangler The Mitchell 400, and alot of the old Daiwa's are around 5:1, which I find pretty usable. Some of the Daiwa's rival modern reels in performance, but are much more rugged and mechanically simple. I like the 1300c and the 1600c models in particular.
I have a reel just like that.
(I also inherited my grandpa's fishing gear and tackle boxes.)
I rarely take them on the water though for fear of losing lures, etc.
Maybe I'll try it though. Looks like you had fun with it.
Great fishing Matt. Old things getting her done!!
Hi from the UK, really enjoy your videos and lovely to see old gear getting an airing and catching fish! Mitchell were originally French I think and that range of reels must have sold in their 10’s of 1000’s globally and they were pretty expensive so out of the reach pocket money wise for most kids in the 60’s.
Cool video. My first open face spinning reel was the Garcia 300 and later the 301 from the early 60's . I still have my old Herters fiberglass spinning rod and the 301. Have not used either in many years. One of the neat features of the reel is that the drag is built into the spool and it came with a casting spool and a trolling high capacity spool. I still use the crazy crawlers and the shakespear mouse frequently but only in lakes without pike.
If you go back and watch the first fish, before he even makes a cast, you see a bass in around the same area that it attacks his lure. He gets a little spooked and heads a little deeper. Then, on that last cast, he happens to pull the lure into the fish's zone and he springs up from his hiding spot to hit it. Pretty cool.
Thanks for using the old stuff us old guys used.
That good old windin noise 😂. Awesome video. I'm gonna do a little of shoppin on ebay now for vintage lures. Lol
I have the same reel from my grandfather in the basement and it still works!
companies should go back and make some of the old lures again
Awesome fish, beautiful video, gorgeous gear! Thx for sharing!!
I’m 66yo and still have my mitchell 300 from my childhood, solid reels
I could not deal with that noise all day reeling, kudos to you just on that!
Wonderful video. I’m a collector and I love Mitchell reels and Garcia Conolon Rods, Fenwick was another high end brand about the same timeframe. That Heddon Crazy crawler you used is actually very collectible in itself. That color way is great and a bit more rare to find. I dig old wood Heddon lures w glass eyes. Thanks for posting. You got time nice Smallies on your outing.
I used to use the crazy crawler a lot for bass and did very well on mostly big bass. But, the first thing was to remove the lure's hooks and replace them with up turned double hooks. Sharpen those and your percentage of lost fish will go way done. You might try to cast under branches and let it just stay motionless for about 20 seconds or longer. It really ticks them off! This lure works great at night too. I'm 70 years old and started fishing around 6 years old.
I still have my Dad's Mitchell n oh boy the sound of that gear lock mechanism still brings back memories ... Its a really well preserved reel you have there ... And be careful not to snag your lure :)
Hard to beat the old school awesome video
You young guys! I still fish with several 300 series Mitchells and yes I have some crazy crawlers (from my Dad)....and yes my old gear still pulls in the fish! As a matter of fact wife and I are leaving in the morning for 7 days of bass fishng in Northern Ontario!
Great video and enjoy that old gear - it serves me very well!
Mike😁👍
That wass a cool show.I own two of those old Garcia Mitchells.
Cool concept - reminds us not to get swept up in every new thing. As.youve shown, they were catching fish 50 years ago too! Cant take that reel noise though! Lol!
I have done this same thing... grab the old gear and see the world through the eyes of those that lived before me. It's very enlightening to learn how much has changed, and it often doesn't require but 10-20yrs to see a big jump in something. Try some 50s, then 60s, then 70s equipment, you'll understand what I'm saying.
When I acquire old lures, which isn't often, I cut the old hooks off and replace them with new hooks and split rings. The update is cheap, and it improves the hookup ratio as well.
I spent an entire year trying to catch a bass on a Jitterbug as well as a black version of the same lure you're using here. Never caught a single fish. So, therefore, this is stage craft and you were using a different lure. lol Great video, man.
I have that same rod in the light action model and absolutely love it for bass and gar fishing.
Great vid, reminds me of the old days, used to use those old lamiglass rods, they were great fun to fight fish with (if you could get a good hookset) haha.
I love that first hit as the lure came out of the weeds
Matt,
I had the same exact reel as my first spinning reel. In it’s day it was state of the art, it was built like a tank. I used mine in fresh and salt water. I had an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5001C bait caster that I hated to throw. Big clunky not a lot of distance spooled with Dacron line for saltwater. I wanted a spinning rod and reel and a generous person gave me the Mitchell reel and a nice glass rod. I was the happiest kid around. Glad to show up at the local fishing hole with this outfit. It looked like you were using 50 year old treble hooks?
It’s definitely a solid reel! I didn’t swap the hooks on the lure so I’m not sure if the ones on it were original or not but they seemed pretty old. I gave them a good sharpening with a hook file though.
Great video! I caught my best fish of 2021, on my mid 1960s Mitchell 300, on an Arbogast Jitterbug. I cast the jitterbug where a hawk was “fishing” , then started to worry, not knowing how old the line was.
I’ve been meaning to try the jitterbug on some smallies! It was one of my favorite lures as a kid but we only had largemouth in the lake we had a cabin on.
Your casting accuracy is on point. Sweet video.