This was my dad's pride & joy from the 60's. The monster fish he used to catch with this back when I was a kid... Wow!!

Anyway, I hit up Cabela's earlier today, and decided to clean up the old rod & reel, and reload it with Sufix 10# braided line. This is a classic 1968 Berkley Tri-Sport T32 with a Spinmaster Diamond III spinning reel on it. You can load it with (min) 8# line or (max) 30# line, as it's a Med/Heavy action rod, for Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Musky's, etc... We don't have huge Lake Trout down here in Virginia, so I opted to go with a basic 10# line for Bass, and even Stripers up at Lake Anna, VA.

Anyone else have a vintage rod & reel combo that they still use?

That's a beauty. I used to have a bunch of Mitchell 300's and 308's but over the years retired them for newer stuff.

Thanks.... I also have his early 70's Garcia Conolon light action rod paired with a mid 60's Garcia Mitchell 304 reel. I used that reel throughout my childhood, and it still works great! I think the newest rod/reel combo that I own (my wife Margaret uses) is a late 80's Shakespeare Ugly Stick with a Garcia 230 reel.

I have my dad's bamboo flyrod that he used all his life since I can remember. He had it rewrapped and varnished and put it in a hard case and gave it to me before he passed. I remember him catching big LM bass with it when I was probably 5 or 6,Im am about half afraid to use it for fear of breaking it. I probably should get it out once and catch a few fish for him.

That's great! I have my dad's old Heddon 116F flyrod from the early 70's. Assorted dry flies, etc... He had it all.

I have a decent amount of vintage reals and fishing gear from the past as well. Some from my grandfather and some from my old neighbor that passed away. I also have picked up a few things in yard sales as well. One was this old reel for $20.. This reel has braided line on it so I am guessing it was used in salt water? I have another one that is almost just like it on a pole stored away that has lead core line on it used for trolling in freshwater. I checked both reels and both have brass bushings in them. The more newer ones have tephlon bushings. The newer ones from back then were around $80 dollars a piece and no doubt worth more now. The older ones when I last looked were running from $300 to $400 a piece. Those must have the brass bushings in them.. I found it hard to believe back when I bought that one for $20..