Thread: 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!

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

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.

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.