How many of you fisherman started with a Zebco?

[Gary Roberson]

Was there any other way?
Adios,
Gary

[ny bowhunter]

Zebco was definitely my first reel. I believe from the looks of it online (I no longer have the original) that it was the 202 model. Good memories. Simple reel and simpler times .

[Big pig]

202, 404 and a 33. Went to bait cast after that (when I could afford it) and never looked back.

Never looked back for 50 years and now I am back to tank fishing with a zebco!

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

Cane pole, to a Mitchell 300, to an Ambassador 5000. I did not use a spin cast. I was proficient with the 5000 by 8. I could rebuild them by 10. I can still rebuild them blind folded today. LOL.

[Darton]

I started out with a Johnson 710 and went on to Garcia and Shimano bait casters after that. For whatever reason, I have never owned a Zebco reel.

[BrandonA]

I started with a cane pole and then went straight to baitcaster

[SCHC]

Dad bought me a Zebco 202 when I was 5. First fish was a large Crappie. Still have the rod and reel 55 years later.

[dustoffer]

I can’t remember my first, but it wasn’t a Zebco or a Johnson, which was my second. I have been all over eBay, Amazon, Etsy and everywhere I can think of looking at “vintage spin-cast reels” and can’t find it.

Don’t ask me how to explain this, but the name of the reel just popped into my mind—it was a Bronson

[Mertzon Man]

Cane pole, 202, 33.

[doghouse]

Cane pole with my Grandmother and then graduated to a Zebco 33.

[Snowflake Killa]

202 for me

[critter69]

My dad wouldn't buy me a zebco for any thing. He bought me a open face spinning reel for my first one, had to be maybe 6 or 8 years old. And it took awhile but he thought me how to cast it. Only used spinning reels until I was old enough to buy my own stuff, then I still bought ( buy) spinning reels, but also bait casting set ups, and fly fishing equipment.

[tps7742]

Here here!

[scotty]

My first reel was an Ambassador 5000. I was 6. My Dad said I would learn to throw it or I couldn’t go fishing. I spent a lot of time in the backyard. Learned how to pick out a backlash as well.

[Smart]

We certainly used Zebcos early on but my Dad's parents were originally from a small rural town outside of Montgomery, Alabama., so we always had a slew of canepoles to go with the regular reels in Texas. We started out really young so I don't really remember my first first but I'd be willing to bet it was some kind of perch or pinfish jerking on a canepole from the Chiltipin creek bank, Mathis lake bank or a saltwater pier. My Dad loved his saltwater fishing but my grandparents loved their catfishing so we did both. Even when we did graduate to Zebcos, we still carried cane poles to set out as secondary poles while we used the others. Good times.