The Zebco 33 Platinum is the most advanced model in the series. It has four stainless steel bearings and an all-metal body, which is why it costs more than some other Zebco 33 reels.

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Sports Zebco reels can last for decades, but only with proper maintenance Published: May. 27, 2012, 3:40 p.m. By Michael C. Bolton ...

But it’s the reel that got away that gets him down. Houston can remember the first Zebco reel he saw. It was a Zebco 33 and built as solid as the 1950s into which it was born.

By the end of 1949, the first Zebco reel, the "Standard," rolled off the company's production line. The first reel carried the name of Zero Hour Bomb Company. In 1956, the name was shortened to Zebco.

In June 1949, the first 50 hand-made, closed-face fishing reels rolled off the production line. The bomb business was phased out in 1954, about the same time the legendary Zebco 33 was introduced.

Zebco was bought by the Brunswick Corporation in 1961 and continued to innovate the fishing industry with new reel and tackle designs. Location Currently not on view Credit Line Brunswick Corporation, ...

Pontius said Zebco lost about 40 percent of the spincast reel market between 1995 and 2000. Its volume peaked at 7 million reels in 1995. Wages weren't the only factor.

However, there’s one style of reel that’s less prone to user-induced issues — spincast reels. The ease of use of closed face reels makes them perfect learning tools for the angler just starting out.