couple years ago a family friend gave me an old Montgomery Wards Hawthorne, level wind fishing reel. I didn't have much use for it at the time but I was looking at it today and though it might be a good catfish reel. my knowledge of fishing reel types is pretty limited so before I go to the trouble of buying a rod for it and rigging it out I thought I'd ask y'alls opinion.

would this probably be ok for river fishing cats? or would I be better off buying a new reel?


I don't have a picture of it but it looks just like this one.

www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Montgomery-Wards-Hawthorne-all-purpose-level-wind-reel-in-original-box-/282374495062?hash=item41bed4db56%3Ag%3AQ0wAAOSw32lYshGZ


note. i'm not affiliated with that seller or anything. just using the add to show y'all what the reel looks like.

I say a man can never have too many reels. If it reels smoothly, no real damage, functions/casts well, sure, it's worth oiling it up, putting it on a rod and using it for whatever you want.

Once that fishing bug really digs in, you'll probably buy another 1, 2 or even 3 reels just to have spares, and to set them out for catfishing all at the same time.

I cannot look at the ebay link from my job/school computer, so I'll have to check it out at home. Good stuff and good fishing.

Addendum: Finding an old reel is like finding your old baseball glove. You want to oil it up, restring it, and use it. There's nothing like bringing back old memories. I used to love going to Wards with my parents at Big Town in Mesquite. It was a blast! It makes me think of my parents as young, strong and beautiful. They still are, but they walk a lot slower now than they used to. IN65

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Heck yeah! I bet that Penn made that reel.

thanks Y'all!

I thought it might be ok as it seems really heavy duty.

along with the reel there was an old tackle box that actually had some kind of Penn teardown/lube kit in it so I took the reel apart, cleaned then and greased it. runs like a champ.

wally world had some berkley big game rods on sale last time I was there so i'm thinking one of those and some 20 pound mono and i'll be set!

never got to go to a Montgomery Ward store but whenever I go to Weinheimer & Son in Stonewall I can't help but think back to when my dad would take me there as a kid and get me a glass coke and a Mindy Lu's fried pie.

When I was a kid, Monkey Wards and Sears were the go to stores. Spent many wonderful hours wandering around in them. I always loved the toy department in Sears basement at Christmas.