I own and occasionally use a couple of the Omega reels. I like mine and take them for rookies to use when we fish.

The new ones have from one to several ball bearings depending on the type. the old ones had plastic/nylon bushings. The new ones have multiple ceramic pick up pins the old ones had one steel pin and often did not pick up if the line was slack. The old ones had just plain metal gearing that wore out fairly fast. The newer ones have a better grade of metal. The drag is a lot smoother and doesn't heat up and seize like the old ones were prone to. Also, though it doesn't effect me because I cast left handed, you can switch the handle to the other side if that is what you prefer.

I really liked the old ones when I was a kid. Then there were a lot of years when they were just basically crud living on their old reputation as other brands moved ahead. The last ten year though they have basically reinvented themselves with bearings, new materials and some rather great and MUCH needed design changes.

The Shakespeare line of spincast reels has also much improved. When I was doing the fishing classes at the state part Walmart donated about 35 Shakespeare rods and reels for the kids and they worked real well for the kiddos. I also have tried the Abucast and have a pair of them in the same sizes as the 33 and 22 zebcos. They work well but are not as comfortable to me. They make me think of the old Johnson reels and those were top of the line in their day but not as easy for me to cast. They and the Abucasts are taller and don't let me palm them like I do zebcos. This is just a personal preference.

The 40 is the larger version of the 202 and is a cheaper level of the heavier freshwater sized reels. I remember when that line went 202, 404, 606, and 808. They were work horses but not very sophisticated and still aren't but for what they cost they are very tough reels.

What I like about all of these reels is that they are so easy to learn to use and master that kids can have success almost immediately. My first reel was a 202 on a solid glass rod. We got it on Wednesday. I practiced with it in the yard and Saturday we went fishing. As luck would have it we got involved with spawning catfish and literally caught them until my arms ached in a rice field lateral off a creek. Every cast was a fish. Before that I had either used a cane pole or fought with a knuckle buster casting reel made by Langly. That 202 opened an entire new world for me and that is what I like to give to kids.

When I am fishing in ponds and small creeks I like the 33s especially the higher grades for casting smaller baits longer distances. I also like spinning reels for that same purpose but I can do some things with the Zebcos that I just can't do as well. I like to skip plastic lures without any weight on them and can do this real well with a spinning rod. I also think that there are just so many good memories attached that I am drawn back to them.

I will confess that I actually will take out the really old stuff like the knuckle busters and old stainless steel rod just for the memories.

Check out the new Zebco Bullet. I plan on getting one myself.

Grew up fishing with Zebco 33's, never remember my dad or grandad doing much maintenance to them (other than dunking them in the water) and never remember them not working.

I seem to remember every time I got a base Zebco, like a 202, my buddy's dads would get them a 404, then a 606, etc. It's amusing to think about now, but we still caught our little bullheads up in the creeks/rivers of North Iowa.

That "Bullet" looks nice.

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I just took back a shakespeare to Academy since my 6 year old and I could not cast it. It would work once or twice and then bind up. Came home with a smaller Zebco and the casting lessons has begun in the backyeard. It's small and pink so she enjoys it. It's a starter reel until she graduates to a 33 like the wife uses.

Well...my daddy drove a 76 Ford Pickup and my grand daddy drove an old Heavy Half Chevy. Just because they made it to work and back in those trucks, doesn't mean Id want to drive one every day. Same for fishing gear. Yeh....zebcos might work....but WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH USING ONE?

Got to agree with Steez.
There's been a few improvements since those days.

I bought one of the new ZO3 Omega reels for dad and it works quite well! 7 bearings, 3 line pickups, all metal. Arthritis makes it hard to use a spinning or baitcasting but he fished for hours with this with no problems.

I have a Z03, too, and functionally, it is the best spincast reel I have ever owned.

BUT, the issue? After about 6 months of use, I attempted to remove the spool according to the instructions and it had "frozen" itself onto the, what, I guess axle it mounts to. I was very worried about applying too much pressure to loosen it but in the end I did and got it off. But it "deformed" the parts somehow and the cool action was gone forever.

A really good spincast reel is a great "quick" probing reel to tie on a variety of things very quickly to see what is working. If you get on a bite, you can then switch over to a casting or spinning reel with more power/performance if necessary. And, spincasters are accurate casters, great for kids, great for panfish.

A Zebco 33 I bought a two years ago? Just junk. It was so dry and raspy feeling and the line came out like it had a slight bit of drag on it. If I were Zebco, I'd have been embarrassed putting out something that had fallen in quality as much as the 33 had, at least mine, over the years. I really should have taken in back to the store . . . but I wanted something for the kids.

The new Bullet looks interesting but it is nudging up there in price toward or even exceeding what one can buy a very functional casting or spinning reel for.

After my experience with the Z03, I'd be personally very cautious of spending $100 on a Zebco.

Really too bad; a high functioning and low priced spincaster (<$50) would sell very well I suspect.

Brad

Thanks, good to know! I wander if a bit of anti-sieze now would help later.....

I totally agree, texdanm. I just recently picked up fishing again, for the first time since I was a kid. I got the Zebco 808, and I couldn't be happier. For someone like me that only fishes a couple times a month, its not really worth it to me to spend a bunch of money. The Zebco is a good value and a compromise between quality and price.

Anti-Seize might work. Gosh, why not???

I have now watched several videos of the new Bullet.

Yet again, Zebco seems to be in the business now of underwhelming consumers. The Bullet apparently has an issue of its line snagging on casts. One guy said he couldn't afford to cast off any more lures; another YouTube review said he has tried everything but those pick-ups are an issue for him as I recall.

I saw one paid-for advertisement by a fishing personality, not KVD, and at the end he more or less "tipped his hat" when he suggested that one place a finger over the hole where the line comes out of the reel cover. I saw that as a work-around for some casting issues where he was essentially doing the baitcasting reel equivalent of thumbing a spool.

Sounds and looks to me like Zebco is rapidly approaching the $100 market with reels, that for that price point, need a total over-haul and re-engineering to de-bug them for good fishing.

It is just so odd that they are struggling to produce an effective spincaster which would be very popular with the kids and new angler crowd.

*** I just bought a Shimano Casitas casting reel for $101 on sale at TW with superb reviews for castability and more.

Brad

I grew up using Zebco and Penn Senator reels then got an Abu 5000 and never went back to Zebco , a couple of years ago I have a guest and som in my boat and the boy had a new that day Zebco from Bass Pro well he caught a few sand bass on it fine them the rod bent over with a striper after little assistance from father he got it in the boat the reel did fine well he got another and mentioned he could not reel in line as it was just going out, there was NO DRAG left at all, it lasted 2 fish and was returned the next day.

Over the years I have been in clubs/organizations that have "Character" Fun Tourneys using those same rods every year or so. They are a lot of fun!!