# A Review Jan said no to...



## costefishnt (Dec 11, 2006)

Figured I would go behind his back and share on teh general forum. Please write to Jan and let him know of your displeasure for not posting this in the reviews.

Ok, I’ll bite. 

I Was at Kmart looking for some deals on high-end fishing gear, found a nice set up for $8.00. It’s a zebco snoopy rod and reel combo. Don’t laugh; you guys haven’t been supporting me so I get what I can afford. So here is the break down. It’s a Zebco .0000000202 with an astonishing 0 ball bearings. The quality is unsurpassed as they only use the finest materials in the manufacturing process, such as plastic, and pot metal. It does have a brass pinion gear and a soft nylon drag washer, which is sure to stop those monster fish right in their tracks... (Do fish leave tracks?) the gear ratio on this little wonder is set up for the serious angler 420/.05 and the multi setting drag tensioner has two clicks which is very little drag and no drag. The reel was spooled with the finest 1/100th of a pound test made by uncle bobs high quality plastic line company. The rod was also an engineering marvel; this rod is 3' and made from the highest quality scraps of cardboard and epoxy. The model I bought had the extra eye for more accurate casting, instead of 2 eyes, mine has 3....and to think it was only $8.00! Apparently zebco knows how serious anglers fish, because once again the craftsmanship and quality of the rig can not be touched by ANY OTHER COMPANY IN THE MARKET! The eyes are made from 14awg safety pins and perfectly curled to provide strength for those drunken misplaced steps. You literally can not crush these things, unless you put your whole foot on them.

so, for the testing, I figure I would try out one of my trusty super secret fishing holes, I had to wait until after midnight to gain access to my neighbors koi pond as he frowns upon my fishing there. I advised him before I only keep what I can eat, which on average is 2 fish per trip. Anyway, I get to the spot at 00:00:01 and set up shop. For these very aggressive fish I decided it would be better to use a 4/0 kale hook rather than the .0001/0 hooks that came in the bonus tackle box that was attached to the combo. I did decide to use the 1/2" snoopy bobber, as it really sets off this masterful ensemble. tonight I would be using Oscar Meyer cheese hot dogs, with a dash of fungus (here again, thanks to yalls support my power was turned off last week) this rod really casts nicely I was able to cast clear across the 55 gallon man made lake with out any problems, and the rigidity of the rod allowed for the perfect accurate casts (all within 12 foot of the intended target) the night was slow, and I began to doubt my fishing prowess, but at 03:49:22 I felt the first tug of the line. I go to set the hook, but the koi had other plans as he took me down into the deepest hole near the middle (about 8" deep) then he ran towards the edge where the fearsome and dreaded smooth plastic sides would help the fish gain the uperhand and I was broke off. Not to be beaten in this game that I consider myself a master, I quickly dismantled the hand brakes on my 5 year olds bike, and fashioned a steel leader from the wire. I returned to the fishing grounds, and quickly learned that tonight, everything would come up Curtis! On my second cast I landed a nice 4.5" golf ball of a toad frog. Mind you this was a fight of epic proportions, as this toad did not want to be taken from his blue fog light lit haven, but because of the ingenious design of the zebco snoopy rod and reel I was able to show the natural world who was king. The drag performed oh so smooth, and the precision gearing enabled me to get the toad to the bank of the flowerbed in only 4 minutes of fight time. The rod is so well built that it did not even flex. 

Pros; 
Cheap
Cute
Superb engineering
Quality parts 
bonus tackle box (has 2 compartments 1} loaded with a jelly like substance which resembles the glowing green maggots in my freezer 2} 1-1/2" bobber 1 split shot 1/1000 of gram and 2 .0001/0 rusty straight pins fashioned into a hook like shape)
Abrasion proof 1/100th of pound test line already spooled

Cons;
Paint chips from the reel seem to have lead in them as I have developed some defects
Cardboard and plastic container the combo is set in requires an adult to cuss at and rip open with stolen...err borrowed chainsaw
The white tie wrap that secures the reel to the rod has sharp edges, thus I required a band aid.
Due to its compact design, it’s easy to lose. I thought I heard my neighbor coming out during my celebration so I hid the rod in his shrubbery and ran home; I have since returned and can not find the rod and reel.

My overall advice is if you need a good quality rod and reel, this is the one for you. I would also like to advise that if anyone has an extra 8 bucks to please purchase an extra for me, when I get out of jail (trespassing violation...stoopid neighbor called the cops when I was rummaging through his shrubs) I will gladly write you an IOU.

Team cost efish'nt


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Guys, we should really send Curtis a few bucks, he presents a good (although obscured) case here.

1. He's now fishing with a Snoopy pole
2. He's resorted to catching fatty, lethargic, decorative fish to feed his family
3. He's using fungus-covered hot dogs (which must be very old, because a hot dog can typically survive many days at room temp, and would still taste better than a fatty goldfish
4. He needs a knife, as that tie strap holding the reel on is suposed to be removed, I think.

Nice work sir, I can't belive Jan wouldn't publish this piece of journalism!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

[smiley=worth.gif]

                             [smiley=bravo.gif]

Nothing wrong with zebco 202's
I took a 4 lb bass out of a submerged 57 Chevy Nomad with one,

but that was 47 years ago... ;D


http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1248820850


Ya' know, this might be fun...I'm going to buy a 202 kit,
and using only the gear in the kit, see what can be caught.

Anyone else care to try it?      [smiley=happy.gif]


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## costefishnt (Dec 11, 2006)

brett, i learned on 202's. will gladly accept this challenge. we should give a time frame to see who can get the most species....


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

Sounds like a good tournament idea!

Only gear allowed is the kiddy pole (Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Dora the Explorer, etc) and the pocket tackle box included. 

Pick your flavor...


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Brian, those are shakespeares, not zebco 202's... 

Gotta be a zebco 202!    ;D

How about final post as Monday, September 6, 2010
The end of the Labor Day weekend?

Now the question is...
Do we post pics in fishing reports, or the bragging section?

                                       :-?

Or maybe this is one of those off topics?


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

I know, but Shakespeare's theme variety is much better, and style is very important here. Besides, the guts are very similar.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Got a wally world nearby, so on lunch  break, wandered in and picked up a 202.
This will simplify my tackle selections for the summer.
Only rod'n'reel and tackle box on the Slipper, together will have cost less than 20 bucks.
I guess that means no more hook-free topwaters for a while...

                                     [smiley=1-biggrin.gif]


This might be as much fun as fishing 10 lb tippet on fly.
No leader materials in the blister pack...
sounds like double line to the hook if something big shows up....
I'm so easily entertained.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

No lead in the tackle box, bismuth or tin split-shots and jig heads.










The star-drag actually functions, but I recommend the least drag possible.
The reel is pre-loaded with 10 lb test, not brittle at all.










I'm looking forward to the evening feed.
5 hooks, 2 jig heads in the box
I'll get to see if the crappie jigs, spinner blades and rubber tails do any good.










8 usable bronzed hooks to get through the summer.
Fishing with this rig is going to have be done
the same way porcupines mate....very carefully!

                                   

Good thing I've had lots of practice with no hooks.


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## B.Lee (Apr 29, 2008)

I admire your speed and ease of entertainment Brett, well played!

Come to think of it, I have a very old 202 combo I salvaged from a sunken boat a coule years back. I may go home and give it a once over, killing two birds with one stone. A "Blast from the Past" and "a 202 Tourney tool." I'll post pics.


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## Gator_Bob (Jun 26, 2007)

Don't knock Zebco! They helped us win the war. You do know what Zebco stands for..............


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

http://www.all-fishing-reels.com/zebco-reels.html


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## tguasjr (Mar 9, 2009)

Alright!, so what are the rules? Only what comes in the package?


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

OMG! My eyes are watering from laughing so hard! ;D If that isn't writing talent, I don't know what is.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

> Alright!, so what are the rules? Only what comes in the package?


Seems fair to me. Keeps the playing field level.
Only the rod, reel, line and those lures and hooks that come with the package.
No leaders or wire allowed (unless you can fabricate one from the spinner baits)
Double line is acceptable for the last 36 inches to the hook.
If you sna...err...catch a small fish, you can use it for bait.
Once you've lost all the hooks and jigs, or get stripped of line,  game over.



> we should give a time frame to see who can get the most species....


Starts today and ends September 6, Labor Day, 2010.

Anything else need to be covered?



btw, what I said about minimum drag...the hooks are wire, not forged.
Good thing or I would have lost one already to a submerged rock.

The hook bent before the line broke...  

And, I can cast a fly into a 15 knot headwind
further than I can cast the 1/16th oz jigs that came with the rig.

                                              ;D


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## makin moves (Mar 20, 2010)

lets try not to get the line striped off. Otherwise we have more fishing line in the water to tangle up a bird or fish.


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## OSWLD (Apr 20, 2008)

i have a 202 on my bow fishing rig. does that count? i shot a 6lb tilapia with it


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I will slay peas on this.
And win outright.

My buddy claims that our other buddies brother caught a tarpon on one of these in a jon boat in the lake behind their old house years ago.
Supposedly got dragged around for a while till he finally got it.


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

If you can get pix to follow up this review I will post it on the site! It's priceless!

LOL!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Talk about entertaining...3 tip twists, one in spool loop,
casts that only go 35 to 40 feet and that's downwind!
All in the span of an hour this evening, yet I still managed 2 bass
and almost managed a crappie, but it spit loose at boatside.

                            ;D ;D ;D ;D

                   Look Ma, I'm using hooks! 










First a 16 incher just before sunset
I was laughing so hard I almost lost her










Then just after sunset this 18 inch plus girl slammed it on top
just as the grubtail hit the water, yee-haw!










Are we having fun yet? Oh yeah!
Almost as complicated as a flyrod
with less range and more rod flex.

       [smiley=supercool.gif]


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

Leaving the tag end long for extra weight are we? ;D


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Forward weed guard...new technique!   ;D

I was fly casting with a 5' spincast rod, in order to get distance,
while standing in a canoe, at sunset, with neighbors on a nearby dock making fun of me!
The grubtail weighs about the same as a clouser.










It's not just about largest fish, or the most fish,
the challenge is, as Curtis said:



> to see who can get the most species....


using just the contents of this blister pack combo.










That takes care of largemouth, now to see how many other species
this spincast combo can produce. Gonna be an interesting summer.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Part of your tournament could be a mini-tournament at the rally.


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## Bissell (Feb 27, 2010)

wat does the winner get? lol microskiff goodie bag? :


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

I'm not interested in a prize,
just the challenge alone is enough to make me grin.
I'm really making an effort to use only the components
that are included in the blister pack.

                                     

I'm trying to avoid using any kind of bait,
so I got to looking at the package, and realized
there was more than just fishing tackle.
Plastic and colored cardboard are part of the package.
I can make lures from them also, kinda like fly tying.

                                ;D

               Funny thing...it worked!

Tore some bits from the cardboard...











Hung it on a hook











Then free lined it along the vegetation edges of a local pond...










Which adds a bluegill to the list of fish I've caught,
using only what came with the 202 blister pack. 

This is better than fly fishing!  [smiley=1-whoops1.gif]


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## out-cast (Jan 27, 2009)

Now that's ALMOST unbelievable!!!!! If it were anyone else I wouldn't. Nice work Brett.


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## kbuch312 (Feb 17, 2007)

Entertainment at its best.
Thanks to all.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Small bass are annoying
when you're attempting to have a crappie afternoon...










The 202 has about 225 feet of 10 lb test spooled on it.
Yes, I hung the hook on a fence and pulled it all out to see how many backyards I'd cross.
Had to in order to untwist all the kinks.

Now I can cast 50 feet... ;D


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

The 202 tackle pack comes with a crappie jig.










Which, surprisingly enough, catches crappie.










Caught at sunset, as the minnows were getting popped on top.
Worked it just under the surface, across the deeper portion of the pond.
My dogs liked the fishy smell on my hands.
But then, they like anthing that smells crappie.
Now I have to find some small gar to harass.
I'm not sure the reel can handle the carp in the pond.
I'll wait on them until the end of summer.
I don't want to destroy the 202 on a 25 lb carp this early in the challenge.

                                     

                     Can you say "cheap thrills?"


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## Canoeman (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm impressed with the design of the "new" 202. Mine (circa 1960) had only a plastic thumb wheel drag adjustment instead of your infinitely superior, tuna stopping star drag. Anyway it was a fine review.

BTW-since we are on the topic, Timex Watches began as a company that made bomb fuses. After WWII they had to make something else.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I really need to pick one of these up.
I will get big peacock bass on them for sure, if they don't break me off.
It'll be tough to get one without being broken off but I'm sure playing with the drag...lol


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Any time you're ready str8.... 

My daughter saw my bluegill pic










And immediately started dawgin me,
"Dad, that's not a bluegill, that's bait!"
She disappeared, I heard doors open and close,
things were quiet for a while, then she called from outside.

"Dad, bring the camera!"

So I did and was allowed to hold the fish while she snapped a pic.
Whereupon she grinned " See, now that's a bluegill!"










Wizeazz kid... ;D  and on my 202 no less...


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

is that google guru brett using hooks ??   holy smokes !! [smiley=eek2.gif]


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Hooks? Moi?  

Solely for the purpose of scientific research!  

There was no challenge before.
Now I'm documenting what I can do when using only a 202!

How about you?   ;D










btw, it's not as easy as you'd think.
Some of the rubber tails in the pack scare fish away!


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

i havent held a 202 in the palm of my hands in probably 35 years   ;D since i discoverd the "pocket fisherman" there was no going back for me


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Aw, c'mon SBC...I want to see one of those 30 lb bruiser reds caught on a 202!

                                          ;D

I finally snapped my first hook this evening, after 10 days of fishing.
Spent an hour of catching and releasing over 2 dozen bluegills in the rain.
The lure of choice is a small section cut from a white grubtail, hung on a hook.
Still using only the components in the blister pack,
but I am starting to reconfigure them into more effective lures.

From bait sized bream










To plate sized bream










What can you do when limited to a 202?   

Only 7 hooks left!


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

now i mean no disrespect for the beloved zebco 202, its a timeless classic that the majority of us cut our fishing teeth on but i seriously think that if any of the reds i chase saw me fishing with one they'd come up out of the water, take it from my hands and smash it on my deck, slap me upside my head with my wang it [smiley=slapped-with-a-fish.gif] then splash my face as they head back to the security of one of they're deeper holes and i know none of yall would believe it so i'll stick with my state of the art equipment thank you very much  ;D


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## drewrossi (Jan 30, 2010)

Picked up my 202 today....ready to start the challenge!  ;D








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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Don't just use the gear as is, apply a little imagination.
Some of the rubber tails included in the kit scare fish off.
The lack of weight decreases the effective casting range
so sneaking up on the fish becomes a necessity. This is
more challenging than using my flyrod!

                                     ;D

I always liked the old Mepps spinner baits











But nothing in the kit looks like one.
So, using a few tools I'm building my own.
Starting with blades and wires that come with the kit











A little destruction and straightening











Grabbed the two split shots that came with the kit











Then with a little twisting and crimping,
adding a hook and a rubber tail, reconfigured
non-catching components into something
that looks like lures I used to catch fish on.











So next attempt with the 202 maybe I'll be able to stop a fish with teeth, or not.

I'm so easily entertained.


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## Tyler (Apr 30, 2010)

> Don't just use the gear as is, apply a little imagination.
> Some of the rubber tails included in the kit scare fish off.
> The lack of weight decreases the effective casting range
> so sneaking up on the fish becomes a necessity. This is
> ...



Brett puts Macgyver to shame! Of course here in Tn. I think it is state law to own at least 3 202's and 2 of them have to be in the yard!


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## DSampiero (Oct 18, 2009)

Str8, I think you've got the best chance at variety of species if you concentrate on it, it's all about location and dedication. ;D ;D


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Finally got a chance this evening to do a little casting with the modified lure.
Paddled the canoe to a spillway nearby to try for gar and shellcrackers.
Flipped the "McGruber" to the overflow zone and got a hit and a miss.
It irritated this little guy into chasing it all the way back to the canoe
where he finally snagged the hook.
Couple of splashes and he was aboard for a quick pic and release.










Bluegills like to tag the rubber tail, but no gar or redears.
I may have to make a trip to the St. Johns River to get a few more species.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Saw this while on vacation and remembered this thread...


if only I had packed the 202... 

Hey Curtis, they're big and they're tailin' !!!!!!


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

They school up quick when a french fry gets dropped in...

too bad my local reds aren't this easy ;D


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

another fine example of why you should always carry a pocket fisherman with you when traveling  ;D


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

i wanna get in on this. lol i have a little honey hole where i can try and catch some two pound snook..


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Just adding to the variety of things caught on a cheapo zebco,
using only that which is included in the blister pack.

                                     

Dang, I've got a little spot on my new lure...











As usual, try to get rid of a spot and it just gets bigger...











Then you end up getting the blues











The "McGruber" lure takes a red (rat)











Followed with a massive strike by some overly rapacious oysters.











It's amazing what you can do with a 202...  ;D


GladesGhost won't play...muttered something about children's toys and grown men.
He'd prefer to wave a whippy stick or flip a spinner rather than be seen handling a 202.
After taking over poling duties, he did pick up a purdy blue-tailed rat red...











So, what can you do with a 202?


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

We should have Microskiff Zebco 202 Online Fishing Tournament. 

- Fish must be caught with a Zebco 202
- Coolest pic
- Most fish
- Most inches
- Double your score for fishing with a kid.

Prize - Good Times and Good Memories.


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## FSUfisher (Jul 16, 2007)

Good job Brett. You caught more fish today with a 202 than I did with three different expensive spinning combos on board. :-[
I heard the tails are blue from eating crabs. Is that true???


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

> > Alright!, so what are the rules? Only what comes in the package?
> 
> 
> Seems fair to me. Keeps the playing field level.
> ...



FSU, I've never read anything that explains the blue coloration on the tail.
I have noticed that it seems to be found mainly on reds in the vicinity of oyster bars.
I've been using only the 202 since May when Curtis started this thread.
Using only the gear included in the blister pack has made fishing a blast.
No bait, no flavored plastics, no treble hooks and maximum cast distances less than 50 feet
leave me laughing every time I actually hook something.
And the looks I get from other boaters, or from guests on the Slipper, get me giggling to myself too.

Highly entertaining way to fish.


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