Frames for Shimano GT4000

Olde School

Olde School

Well-Known Member
I grew up using Peetz reels, and still love them and use them.
When I got back into serious trolling 20 years ago, I was set up with Shimano GT2000s and GT4000s.
They worked perfectly but looked ordinary so I have spent many years trying other offerings.
After using or owning just about every reel on the market now, I have gone back to the GT4000s.
There will be very few people who can discount the functionality and reliability of Shimano products.

This all led me to a thought last year: it would be excellent if a person could transplant the workings of a GT4000 into a (pretty) machined aluminum frame. This is not uncommon down south with the offshore crowd - google "Tiburon frames" for example.
Do you know of such a thing for the GT4000 reels? My searches haven't yielded any results and I'm not a machinist.
 
Ive used a pair of shimano GT4000's for several years, Ive never done anything to maintain them except a spray down after every trip and they still work like the day I bought them. I think the $500 reels are cool but they don't catch more fish, can be more finicky and really frustrating if they get stolen or lost. Very impressed with the Shimano and ive used them A LOT. My friends have Islanders and Fenwick rods but they don't catch more fish and im always worried about damaging their $1000 rod/reel set-up
 
I have many shimano 4000gts which are for sale. $75-$80each which is fair for good-excellent condition feels.

The new Shimano series with the metal palming ring is the same sh*t with a different look. The spools have also split on these too as I have found out.

I have run Abels, Islanders et al. Shimanos are a good reel.

A local tackle shop here in the Lower Mainland calls that Abels 20% more reel over and Islander mr3. I disagree. You can buy an Abel for $900, and an Islander for $500.

I still run a full set of Shimano Convergences with Shimanos and a full set of Trophy Titan 11' 4 powers with MR3s.

The Convergences and Shimanos are a great balanced set up. The Islanders and Trophys are overkill for anything under 25 pounds.

If anyone wants old Shimano 4000's... send me a PM. Ultimately, they really are good reels at a great price.
 
I just picked up a set of early gen shimanos,one of them had a real surging drag when i was playing an 11# fish the other day. What a PITA that could be in the spring. Im thinkin I just need to pick up a new drag washer, or maybe grease up the existing one?
 
Bait&Sea said:
I just picked up a set of early gen shimanos,one of them had a real surging drag when i was playing an 11# fish the other day. What a PITA that could be in the spring. Im thinkin I just need to pick up a new drag washer, or maybe grease up the existing one?
Click to expand...

Replace the drag washer... super cheap!! and lube up. Back the drag off when you are not fishing. Some people flip the drag washers over... I don't... they easily withstand a whole season without taking them apart and lubing etc.

Not sure what the lodges all use now but they used to pull on Chinooks in th e Gwaii all day long for 4 months on end with a respool of fresh 25-30 lbs test. I guided with them for a season back in the 90's and Islander MR2's were the only thing around back then and we all thought they were obscenely expensive...but eventually every guide was "voluntold" to get their own high end reels. In a later season I was loaned some saltwater fly reels which were excellent doubles as mooching reels and I thought they were better than an Islander... they may have been Penns... and they were gold anodized as well.

Islanders and all these other cork drag reels need to be taken apart, cleaned, lubed... and reassembled often and they're a reel drag. (Pun intended). I captained a boat with 8 Trophy Cheapos... tyees or whatever they are... they are $210-$250 everywhere. Used to dedicate more than an hour taking them apart and relubing every couple of weeks. I regularly ran 6 rods all the time and even 8 in an open water fishery. They aren't worth the money. The handles break off over time and eventually you are left with nothing but annoyance. Solid back Islanders are probably the best value that I have seen in a higher end reel.

Shimanos with working drags offer a good old fashioned raw experience which people no longer appreciate. When you get a hog on, palming should be part of the game. This IS still sportfishing.
 
I have an old Shimano GT4000, and Diawa M-one, but both have an issue with the drag where it takes LOTS of twisting to set it. Perhaps replacing the drag washer would fix this?

Slightly off topic, my wife got me a Peetz reel for Christmas. Looks and sounds like a classic Peetz, but updated with one way drag, and customized. It's a reel beauty!

IMG_2133.jpg
 
I bought diawa 275's, there cheap 10-20 ea. I've got one sand blasted and just waiting to polish it. Put new drag disks on. I do have a islander mr3 and cannot stand it. It's a POS. You have to rinse it every use clean it all the time. I I spend 500-600 on a reel it should be a sealed system. Use it and put it away in my opinion. I've had the spool lock up with fish on and that shouldn't happen on a reel worth 500+ dollars.
 
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