In 1939, Shakespeare introduced what they called the "Thumbless" reel.
It was called the "Wondereel" and was suppose revolutionlize fishing.
I was digging thru some stuff and ran across this. This was probably a salesman's or dealer's card showing the innner workings of the spool caps. Just thought others might enjoy.
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Thanks for the picture, Harvey. A guy I interviewed who worked at SBBC said that all he did for days at the repair shop was poke those old bearings out and shove in new ones for his costomers. They got a lot of miles out of those reels that way. I'll have to try that on a beater someday just to see if I can do it. Jim
Does anybody here know how to use those "thumbless" reels? I just picked up 2 of them, and wouold like to put them to use.
One is a South Bend, an 1100A “Spincast”, the other is a Shakespeare Spin Wondereel Deluxe No. 1800, and I can’t figure out how they are supposed to work. (BTW, they look as if they were made in the same factory). I found that moving the handle backwards will retract the line-reeling pin, but I can’t figure out what holds the line-do I use my finger, just like on a spinning reel? There doesn’t seem to be room for this.
Are there any instruction manuals or other info available for the older reels like this?
Reposting because I forgot to log in the first time-sorry about that
Does anybody here know how to use those "thumbless" reels? I just picked up 2 of them, and wouold like to put them to use.
One is a South Bend, an 1100A “Spincast”, the other is a Shakespeare Spin Wondereel Deluxe No. 1800, and I can’t figure out how they are supposed to work. (BTW, they look as if they were made in the same factory). I found that moving the handle backwards will retract the line-reeling pin, but I can’t figure out what holds the line-do I use my finger, just like on a spinning reel? There doesn’t seem to be room for this.
Are there any instruction manuals or other info available for the older reels like this?
I can’t figure out what holds the line-do I use my finger, just like on a spinning reel? There doesn’t seem to be room for this.
I have used both those reels for panfishing. The only thing I didn't like about them was the slow retrieve ratio. You put them on your rod behind your hand and hold the line with your finger until you cast. The drag adjusts in very fine increments allowing the use of light line.
Yes - that's how you adjust the drag. Before the quality drags being produced in today's reels, that reel was the favorite of "noodle" fishermen. These guys fished for steelhead and other large fish with 10' plus soft action rods and 2-4 pound monofilament line on those reels. They broke many line weight world records.
