Zebco 33 Reel, What's your comments - Pro and Con

J

Joseph Loveland

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Jul 9, 2013
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I've been fshing in the ast with the Amassador and Diawa reels with tge Graphite rods. But since I'M can't anymore get out like I'VE used ta, so I saw this Zebco 33 Combo with some tackle. It also had another reel with the ack and the rod that came with the ack s a two-piece rod. It know just hangs in my shop over the door and IT'S also have a couple of tackle boxes with assorted lures and some spoons.
I had a zebco 202 when IN first started fusking with my dad when we'd fish for various species of fish. So, what's your thoughts?
 
That's what I had as a kid. They were better built, back then anyway, than the Zebco 202 series since those had mostly plastic internals.
The idea was that those spin-casting reels are good for kids. But quite frankly I find them a PITA since whenever the line becomes tangled you have to open the reel, or at least remove the cover.

Instead, for an entry-level setup, I suggest a rear-drag spinning reel with the one-hand casting trigger. In fact, even after 40-ish years of fishing that's what I prefer still.
Shimano-Spirex-RG-Rear-Drag-Spinning-Reels.jpg


My young son uses a Quantum snapshot ultralight combo. Not bad, but it's front drag, so a major PITA when he tangles.
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I think about everyone started out with the Zebco 202 or something close. I like this reel for it's simple and one handed casting. But everyone has their favorites. Mine's the Ambassador 5500C for it's small and a high retrieve rate. But now if I was ta get out and drown some worms I like the Zebco 33.
 
You can one hand cast a bait caster but there is a learning curve. I just use a spinning rod for everything.
 
The Spirex above is what I used to outfit my new ultra light rig.

The reel I use most often is a Shimano TX120Q, from the 1990s. The handle has gotten a little loose over the years, but I still love it.

And the newest bit of gear purchased is this Bass Pro Carbon Lite, my first experience with baitcasting.
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Hard to beat the 33 for the price they go for. Simple, reasonably robust mechanism. If you just go out every once in a while and need an all around reel to do spincasting or bait casting, it's hard to beat.
 
LOVE my old 33, don't know about the newer ones but I learned to fish with a 33 and still have one on an ugly stick that sees frequent use for catfish and carp
 
As a kid in the 60's I watched my friends struggle with tangle after tangle with their closed face zebcos.
I bought a no name spinning reel when I saved my car wash money.
Followed by some clunky Diawas.

In 82 my wife bought me an ambassador 4600 and I haven't looked back.
 
I remember reading that a few years ago fishiker. I've used a Zebco for many years and I grew up with one a 202, but I still come back to them. After using Ambassadors and Diawa for many years with Fenwick Flipping Sticks, Skyline Graphite rods with ceramic eyelets, Lew's Speed Sticks with Ceramic eyelets, and the list goes on and on. Like I said, I still come back to this reel for it's simple and it's easy to use. I can't help it, I love this reel for it's so simple.
 
Get Pfleuger President spinning reel and learn how to use it. You will definitely prefer it once you learn how to use it, and they are not hard at all to use. They are not that expensive and I have a couple that have endured several years of some serious fishing (and fish). The zebcos are... good for kids, I guess, as long as somebody is there to untangle them every once in a while :D
 
Since I mostly fish for trout, I use light or ultra light gear. The open face Shimano Stradic has been my choice for a long time with a good graphite rod (discontinued G Loomis currently or until I break it). Started out with the Zebco 202 as a kid. If you don't do a lot of fishing or depending on the kind of fishing you do, the Zebco reel should be fine.
 
Well 22-rimfire, I used ta use the spinning reels and the bait caster reels for many years. They're great reels but if ya don't have a bunch of money then the Zebco does just fine. When IN was fishing in ome tournaments I always had a Zebco in the boat with me. I like the spining reels for they are all ya say they are. I don't fish no more like I once did and I don'thave my boat anymore. I guess if I did fish I'd probably just get some live worms and sit on the river bank. But I've never had a tangle, that I can remember.
 
Zero Error Bombsite Company makes decent entry level reels. I have several of them and they don't give me any trouble. Problems with them usually relate to lack of cleaning, lubrication and line replacement.
 
Pro - It's cheap
Con - It's cheap

I grew up using a Zebco 33 but I couldn't wait to get a big boy reel like my dad and granddads had. Years later when I had my own son I bought him a new before I found my old one at the lake cabin. The new and old reels looked similar but there were lots of differences in materials and it was interesting watching him gravitate towards the old one even though it wasn't as shiny and pretty as the new one. My FIL bought my son a Zebco Red Rhino to use at his ranch and that broke the first time he used it. He replaced it with a Shakespeare Synergy spincast that was actually pretty impressive. The Zebco 33 is a decent starter reel but I enentually put my son onto a Daiwa Goldcast that was a big step up before I taught him to use a spinning reel and a fly rod. I don't know whats out there these days in spincast reels but if there hasn't been any major product developments I would look at Daiwa's offerings.
 
I'm 34 and I still use the one that my father bought me when I was 6 years old. The quality difference between the old and new ones is profound. I have other reels but I like the simplicity of my Zebco. I enjoy fishing with buddies that have $300+ rigs. They talk a lot smack until I out fish them with my old 33. I let the fish on my walls do my talking. :D
 
Joseph Loveland said:
Well 22-rimfire, I used ta use the spinning reels and the bait caster reels for many years. They're great reels but if ya don't have a bunch of money then the Zebco does just fine. When IN was fishing in ome tournaments I always had a Zebco in the boat with me. I like the spining reels for they are all ya say they are. I don't fish no more like I once did and I don'thave my boat anymore. I guess if I did fish I'd probably just get some live worms and sit on the river bank. But I've never had a tangle, that I can remember.
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Didn't mean to sound elitist with what I personally use. Since Shamano has come out with sort of a Stradic+, I have been hesitant to buy one since they are significantly more expensive. I thought the Stradic expensive. The GLoomis rod is one that I bought at Bass Pro after looking and trying many rods. I have a bunch of them. It felt "perfect" to me and many that see it think it's a custom rod. I try to be real careful with it since they don't make that model anymore. Wish I bought a spare even though they were expensive. Broke one within a week of buying it once with it just tipping over leaning against my garage wall and hitting the concrete with the tip... ching ching.

I don't fish for warm water species much, but I do have a couple slightly heavier rigs for that when I go. I don't own a boat. Too much money for the amount of use I'd have even though I live within a half-mile of a lake.

Nothing wrong with Zebco and closed face reels. With line replacement and paying attention to the reel it should last a long time.
 
They are good and easy to use and maintain.

I keep 8 Zebco spincast reel setups for the kids when they come over to fish the lake.

Trouble free for me, and easy to cast for the kids.

There are many versions of the Zebco, and I like the metal 33 classic (or a vintage real one if you can find them for a few bucks at a garage sale.)

I personally like open faced spinning reels because I can cast a little better (not much though) with lighter lure setups.

I never did warm up to baitcasters.

best

mqqn
 
My Dad used Zebco's since the early 50's. They aren't the most high tech reels, but the old ones worked good enough.
 
I dont use spincasters but did as a kid. I didnt like the 33s and the 202s were horrible. I liked the Zebco 800 and 802 . I dont know if they still make an 800 series reel.
 
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