History behind the low profile casting reel...

[Cal]

Our buddy over at Bass Fishing Archives, just published a story about the birth of the low profile casting reel. Very interesting read.... linked here: DAIWA AND SHIMANO 1979

[dragon1]

Our buddy over at Bass Fishing Archives, just published a story about the birth of the low profile casting reel. Very interesting read.... linked here: DAIWA AND SHIMANO 1979

AWESOME! Thanks for posting Cal.

[DirtyD64]

That original Bantam handle is how I picture handles on every JDM reel I get below 90mm.

Great article, interesting read.

[jvelth74]

Great article! So, low profile (bass) reels are designed for palming grip! Is there any other advantages in low profile reels than those are much better in palming grip than most round reels?

[Slazmo]

Rod Harrison did a lot of testing for Shimano Australia and Japan on the early Bantams in PNG against black bass and the rest - John Dunphy owner of Shimano Australasia (Dunphy Sports) was very involved in a lot of improvements of the following Bantam generation reels and many others over time till his passing.

[TerryBattisti]

Thanks Cal. Appreciate the kind words and your support of the site. It was cool being around at the time all these things were happening in the industry. I hope all your readers enjoy it.

Terry Battisti
Bass Fishing Archives

[TerryBattisti]

Great article! So, low profile (bass) reels are designed for palming grip! Is there any other advantages in low profile reels than those are much better in palming grip than most round reels?

Lew Childre designed the Speed Spool without the spool adjustment knob on the sideplate opposite the reel handle. This made it more comfortable to palm. Round reels of the day, the ABU 5000 and Millionaire, had the spool adjustment knob on the left sideplate, which wasn't comfortable to palm and made the reel feel wider.

He also narrowed the spool and dropped the center of gravity of the entire reel by moving the foot of the reel up within the frame. This made the rod and reel feel more balanced

[dragon1]

Thanks Cal. Appreciate the kind words and your support of the site. It was cool being around at the time all these things were happening in the industry. I hope all your readers enjoy it.

Terry Battisti
Bass Fishing Archives

Thank you Terri for sharing...it is much appreciated.

[TerryBattisti]

Thanks Cal. Appreciate the kind words and your support of the site. It was cool being around at the time all these things were happening in the industry. I hope all your readers enjoy it.

Terry Battisti
Bass Fishing Archives

Thank you Terri for sharing...it is much appreciated.

Anytime dragon1! If you have time, check out the site. There are close to 700 posts that are all dedicated to the history of our sport. There's a search bar in the upper right that you can search for anything. Or, you can look at the categories on the right sidebar or the dropdown menus.

I hope you enjoy the site!

Terry Battisti
Bass Fishing Archives
www.bass-archives.com

[dragon1]

Thanks Cal. Appreciate the kind words and your support of the site. It was cool being around at the time all these things were happening in the industry. I hope all your readers enjoy it.

Terry Battisti
Bass Fishing Archives

Thank you Terri for sharing...it is much appreciated.

Anytime dragon1! If you have time, check out the site. There are close to 700 posts that are all dedicated to the history of our sport. There's a search bar in the upper right that you can search for anything. Or, you can look at the categories on the right sidebar or the dropdown menus.

I hope you enjoy the site!

Terry Battisti
Bass Fishing Archives
www.bass-archives.com

Will do my friend.

[Randingo]

I bought the Shimano-made BB-1 back in ‘77 or ‘78 when I was a high school student. It really was a quantum leap. I *may* still own that reel, but one way or another it was lost in the shuffle of a series of moves (is there a box somewhere around here that I haven't opened for 25 years?). In any case, it was still performing well as late as ‘98, so that’s testament to the quality of that first-ever Shimano.

[dragon1]

Yeppers, I have a fully refurbished Bantam 10SG Mag with SS ball bearings, carbontex, upgraded line guide, new worm gear, and rebuilt internals. It works very well, but it's essentially an Old School collectible reel.

[Slazmo]

Yeppers, I have a fully refurbished Bantam 10SG Mag with SS ball bearings, carbontex, upgraded line guide, new worm gear, and rebuilt internals. It works very well, but it's essentially an Old School collectible reel.

Ive just put one into rotation on a Australian built Shakespeare Ugly Stick pistol grip, loaded with 10lb mono and suprisingly handles bass very well, a very good casting reel too for what it is or lacks thereof on newer reels.

I did polish the internals and silver solder the pinion shut moreover than the factory soldered ant poo solder job that holds the pinion sleeve on stopping it from splaying apart.

[dragon1]

Yeppers, I have a fully refurbished Bantam 10SG Mag with SS ball bearings, carbontex, upgraded line guide, new worm gear, and rebuilt internals. It works very well, but it's essentially an Old School collectible reel.

Ive just put one into rotation on a Australian built Shakespeare Ugly Stick pistol grip, loaded with 10lb mono and suprisingly handles bass very well, a very good casting reel too for what it is or lacks thereof on newer reels.

I did polish the internals and silver solder the pinion shut moreover than the factory soldered ant poo solder job that holds the pinion sleeve on stopping it from splaying apart.

Nice! Always good to be able to reinforce a not-up-to-par factory part.

[John G]

One of the pictures in the story in the link that Cal posted,
is guy's catching sharks with a small Shimano Bantam fishing out of a 17 Mako. I have been thinking about that pic for decades because I remember seeing that pic in I think a Florida Sportsman magazine around 80 or 81 and it's that pic that got me to get my dad to take me to Big L Sports in Lakeland FL to buy me my first baitcaster. The pic below is the exact reel that my dad bought me. It's all original except for the palming side side plate and I think I replaced the handle because it was bent.. My dial came off and I bought another one on eBay but everything else is all original. I've owned it since I think 1981 or 82.