Neptunas

[Brian F.]

At Jim S' request, heres a little more detail on the cradles that I have come across. The reels are just a Penn 4/0 and squidder. The frames or cradles holding them are from Neptuna of California that made cast aluminum cradles for everything from just about every Penn reel model to Fin Nors and Everols. Comes from about the late 1960s (?) to the early '80s . I think I tried tracking down some info on the maker but I didn't get very far. Maybe I'll take it up again and if I do find anything it will turn into an article for the Reel News.

[john elder]

Here are a couple more Neptunas I got from Brian and mounted one with a Squidder and the other with a Jigmaster. Turned handles for each and had a friend wrap a rod for the jigmaster...it's going after tuna this spring. the big concern will be whether the line will stay off the fore-grip under load. As it stands, it doesn't look like the best place to have your fingers when arguing with some bluefin! might have to go to Plan B. A friend said that he'd seen them with line guides mounted back in the grip to keep this from happening. At a minimum, I'll have to run a full spool. Has anyone had experiences with this issue?

[reels4me]

Never had that problem, even with 10" bluegills, blue fin?, never tried.
Posted 11:00 am 3/22

[Brian F.]

John, maybe you have to find some huge roller guides and move the first one as close as possible to the foregrip? Either that or doing one of those spiral wraps?

[Dr. Rob]

Brian, about the maker... My friend & colleague Mike Harrison of Everol recently bought all of the remaining Nep-Tunas. He'd found an ad for one or two, but when he went to the seller's house, it turned out that his father had been the distributor for Nep-Tuna throughout the '60's, and had half the darn house full of 'em. So a deal was made for all of 'em.

This was a year or two ago. Don't know how many he has or if they're for sale, but he might be able to provide more info about the manufacturer or distributor or something.

Mike Harrison, .

[Brian F.]

Doc, these Neptunas came from Mike and I believe you might have even been the contact person to put us together back then. I asked Mike about the fellow he got them from but I don't believe he had any information at that time. Will check again. Mahalo!