I love Craig's List1

My gear has been showing it's miles on my last few trips - and a few never made it to the water due to issues incurred in travel.
I have been souring the trade sights every few days and scored a really nice Penn 550SS. For a real that's 25+ years old - it's in dang good shape. Not a single scratch or ding. No corrosion on the housing and the reel is really smooth and tight.
Now for the questions...

I am a braid guy - can I use braid on this reel or should I stick w/ mono

If not, Is there a cross wind mod kit available for this reel

I'm still looking for more of these Penns or older Mitchell's if any one has any for sale.

The reel came with a Kunnan 7'1 rod - never heard of them and I need 2 piece for travel. Any reccomendations for a nice live bait rod for pier fishing?

30 years ago Kunnan made some of the best 'off-the-shelf' rods at a great price (I still have a couple).
Is it dark green?

I like buying gear from craigslist myself.I have foud some great deals on some gear,but as of late I have found myself leanig more towards indoor and outdoor flea markets.which leads me to ask.

Can any of you suggest a couple of good flea markets in mobile,foley and/or gulfshores area?

No, it's black. TA2170MH Tournament Angler series. It's a decent rod, fairly light and a good balance for the reel. It's just a pain to travel with one piece rods.

Understand, I hear that a LOT from traveling anglers.

7 foot medium heavy rods in that class (MH) are common, but almost all 'saltwater' rated rods (surf/pier) are going to be one-piece up to 7 feet.
One of the notable exceptions is the BPS OA Brawler Trophy series that offers a 2 piece 7 foot Medium (

BRT710252)

IF you go up to 8 feet your selection of 2-piece rods in that class will increase dramatically:
From Shakespeare Tidewater, Daiwa Beef Stik and BPS Power plus on the cheaper side ($30) up to Shakespeare Ugly Stik (

BWS1101)

, Penn Prevail, and BPS Offshore Angler Breakwater in the $50-$100 range.
And there are some more above the $100 price point, but I don't see the advantages of spending that much.



Hope this helps!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gnomepunter

I like buying gear from craigslist myself.I have foud some great deals on some gear,but as of late I have found myself leanig more towards indoor and outdoor flea markets.which leads me to ask.

Can any of you suggest a couple of good flea markets in mobile,foley and/or gulfshores area?

---

I was told of a flea market in Summerdale a few months back while fishing on the pier. I can't remember the lady's name that told me about it but she said that towards the back left part of the market, there's a woman who has really good deals on Penn reels. I haven't made it by there yet but she said she'd bought a Penn Battle 3000 series for $80. There are also a lot of liquidation shops in and around Foley that regularly have fishing tackle.. I haven't lucked up on saltwater reels/rods yet but I did buy 3 Pflueger Presidente med/light spinning combos for my wife and younger kids at one for only $25 each. They regularly sell at Academy/Dicks for $70-$100 a combo. Tons of fun in the surf/skinny water.

... you talkin bout Rock's Reef?
Rocks Reef Bait and Tackle | Wix.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pier#r

... you talkin bout Rock's Reef?
Rocks Reef Bait and Tackle | Wix.com

---

If you're asking me, it could be but the lady told me it was a flea market. The onlyone I've been able to find was hwy 59 market.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scbasser

My gear has been showing it's miles on my last few trips - and a few never made it to the water due to issues incurred in travel.
I have been souring the trade sights every few days and scored a really nice Penn 550SS. For a real that's 25+ years old - it's in dang good shape. Not a single scratch or ding. No corrosion on the housing and the reel is really smooth and tight.
Now for the questions...









I am a braid guy - can I use braid on this reel or should I stick w/ mono

If not, Is there a cross wind mod kit available for this reel

I'm still looking for more of these Penns or older Mitchell's if any one has any for sale.

The reel came with a Kunnan 7'1 rod - never heard of them and I need 2 piece for travel. Any reccomendations for a nice live bait rod for pier fishing?

---

Would not use braid on the 550. The line roller is not made for it. It will work for awhile but will eventually burn it up. Need to find a newer reel that has bearings in the roller and were made to use braid. A battle or fierce. I have an upgrade bail wire for the 7500 but that runs about $40.

Thanks for the info - I'll just load it up w/ some good mono. As for the new Penns, I'll give this old guy a try. As my years have progressed, I have learned to look past the gleam and glitz of new models, and have come to appreciate the tuffness and simplicity of older models. I just hope my wife has learned the same lesson.