South Bend 1200: Fishable?

[Paul Roberts]

Hi all,
I think this is my first post. Been lurking a bit... since Ron (bulldog) suckered me in from a bass fishing site with stunning photos of stunning reels. So I'm starting down that road, trying to remain sensible... and failing!

I will be fishing with my old reels. As an archer I started with a cammed compound, to traditional, to... going into the woods with a hatchet and coming out with a bow. So I'm running a similar path here. Cool thing with old reels is that there have been so many technological advancements over the decades, and so well-documented by folks like you all, that one could actually pick their train stop through time. Pretty cool in my book.

My question: Is the SB 1200 a reasonable choice for fishing? I found one, darn pretty, and appears to be in very nice condition. Did I mention how pretty it is?

[Midway Tommy D]

Welcome, Paul! I'm a spinning reel guy and know close to nothing about bait casters except they backlash , but you're in the right place. Someone will be along shortly that can answer all your questions.

[Paul Roberts]

Hi, Tommy! Thanks. I’m a spinner too, just not antique. “Vintage” or “retro”, yes. I have a YT channel, and viewers will comment on my retro gear. And I reply, “That’s not retro, that’s just my stuff!”

I’m also a back-reeler. Never used drag on spinning tackle. And there are some serious advantages to back-reeling. Hey, and it makes me less spooked over the idea of the spinning handle on those old coffee-grinders.

Thanks for the welcome, Tommy. Guess I’ll see how far this love affair goes. Will I remain retro, go vintage, antique, or... start fashioning spears from old broken Tonkin? )

[Midway Tommy D]

Glad you're a spinner guy, Paul.

I have to say, though, I'm not a back reeler. My son does it every now and then and I chew his but up one side & down the other. I know a lot of people like to do it, but the way I see it it leaves too many openings for looped and slack line. They incorporate drags on spinning reels for a reason and I'm in the mind to maintain them well and use them effectively. I don't bass fish so I have no reason to consistently try to drag a fish out of cover & brush. If I hook a fish bigger than my line capacity, which is 6# mono on my ULs, 8# mono on my mediums & 17# mono on my biggest pike, musky & catfish reels, I play the fish with my drag & rod in combination. When I seriously fish I exclusively use reels with really good and dependable drag mechanisms, i.e. fulcrum drag Cardinals and American Classic IVs.

[soreno]

The South Bend 1200 is very fishable reel. It contains an anti-backlash device with level wind ,the little nob on handle side. First run line thru the anti-backlash bar ,strip rod.Then tie your bait to your line . Let bait dangle. Then turn anti-backlash knob were the bait will drop slowly with a small shake of rod. When that happens you abl knob is now set. Then lift line bail up and the line should drop. You are ready to cast, without any backlash. I found it easier to cast side arm. If working properly ther is no need to use your thumb as a brake. Now all this depends on a clean oiled reel .The 1200 is now a 100 years old .First made in 1920 . I hope all your parts are there and not wore out or missing. Fishermen seem to try improve these reels all the time. But the South Bend anti-backlash does work.
ENJOY SCOTT

[Teal]

Yes, the #1200 is a fishable reel. Scott's advice above is VERY sensible. You should fish it with a light braided dacron line -- 10 or 15# -- which you can readily find on auction sites for a nominal fee (best to use the post-WWII stuff as it's easier to find and more durable).

The key as Scott said is to clean and oil the reel; there are tutorials on YouTube on how to do it, or you can ask questions here, so many helpful people.

I've fished with the SB ABL #1131A and the #1200 both, and they are sensible reels that are easy to maintain. I prefer the #1131A because they are German Silver and I like the look of them, but the #1200 is a better reel for most purposes in my humble opinion.

ORCA sells a book on the South Bend ABL family of reels BTW if you're interested in digging into their history:

https://www.orcaonline.org/orca-store/o ... oft-cover/

-- Dr. Todd

[Paul Roberts]

Thanks, Scott and Todd. I'm "collecting" up a few old casting models to try, for fishing purposes. Will see what I like in the end. I'm an experienced caster, with modern reels, and am curious what these old reels will do. My first, an essentially new FS Akron, casts beautifully. If they are all that nice I'm going to have a fun time with this.

The SB reels, for some reason, seem to attract my attention. I know they are Shakespeare made, but I'm not finding the same "look" in the Shakespeare reels. Are these compete redesigns for SB (and others) or are they re-branded Shakespeare's?

The book looks fascinating. Thanks for the heads up.

[Paul Roberts]

Received a 1200. Pretty it is. Was a bit sluggish caster so I tore it down and it was over-greased. Putting it back together was a challenge. Got better at it each attempt! The biggest challenges were:

-Lining everything up between the side plates: the worm, worm cover, AB bail, and pillars. Found that the AB bail has to fit deeply into the face-plate side. Phew! Easy from here! Not quite...

-The AB control arm must be turned just right (down), by the adjustment knob, so the AB bail contact wire sits above the arm. Just cranking the knob all the way back doesn't do it. Just watch the arm as you turn the knob and you'll see it raise and lower, slightly. Put the face plate on when the arm is lowered. Phew!

It'll be easier next time. Hope this helps anyone cleaning an SB AB reel.

[Bill Muth]

The AB control arm must be turned just right (down), by the adjustment knob, so the AB bail contact wire sits above the arm. Just cranking the knob all the way back doesn't do it. Just watch the arm as you turn the knob and you'll see it raise and lower, slightly. Put the face plate on when the arm is lowered. Phew!

South Bend ABL assembly difficulty has legendary status: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23142&p=107453&hili ... ob#p107453