South Bend N Gage R2F – 120/SP Fishing Reel

by Todd
(California Delta)

I bought the light action South Bend NGage fishing rod and spinning reel combo a few years ago. I wanted to get a couple of extra poles to take my kids and some younger family members fishing with me. So I found this at Walmart at a really low price and snagged it up.

One thing that caught my attention was the cool looking color. Although I've seen the color to be noted as being copper, it's actually more of an orange, like a burnt orange.

I suppose I can tell you the specifications it has:

• Left/Right Hand Retrieve
• 5:2:1 Gear Ratio
• Ball Bearing Drive
• Vented Spool
• Line Capacity
• 6 lb / 180 yards
• 8 lb / 120 yards
• 10 lb / 80 yards

It came pre-spooled with line, but can't seem to remember what kind it had on it. I just know that it just needed to be rigged and baited up and was ready to hit the water.

I've used this fishing reel and rod combo nearly until the wheels fell off. As you can see in the picture, I put this thing through it all. Despite the abuse, this reel is still in decent shape. I haven't used it in a couple of years though. I just need to get it cleaned and lubed, then it will be ready to see the water again.

I had bigger South Bend N Gage spinning reel similar to this one, but it broke and fell apart. As a matter of fact, I was reeling in a big channel catfish and the spool broke loose. To make matters worse, the handle crank gears were slipping from being worn down. Somehow, I still managed to land the fish.

The main reason why it was so beat up like that is because a friend of mine advised me to use WD-40 on it for lubrication. As I found out the hard way, this actually does more harm that good.

I've had a whole lot of great memories with this spinning reel. My wife, kids and myself have caught quite a few fish using this, including some pretty decent sized catfish, crappie, bluegill and little undersized striped bass. So many good times.

I think that if you're on a low budget, this would be an excellent consideration for a cheap reel. I honestly don't remember what I paid for this, but it has outlasted my expectations.

Todd