The Old Mitchell 300 Spinning Reel…(If You Know…You Know)

I have my original 300 from the early '60s. I bought it with paper route money. At one point it stopped working. There was an authorized Garcia Mitchell repairman that had a small shop in town. I took it to him and he said "Kid you filled it up with grease didn't ya?" Guilty as charged. The grease hardened and jammed the reel. He then told me to sit down at his bench. He showed me how to take it apart, and I cleaned all the old grease out and "lovingly" re-greased it. Fast forward, and i started seeing them at flea markets. I have quite a collection of them now. I can't see spending big bucks for rare items. About 90% of my collection has been cleaned and set right. Most work good as new. I still fish with a Model 330 with the automatic bail. The original price of my 300 was $11. A princely sum at that time.

So when the Salmon in Lake Michigan first returned to the rivers in 1970 guys were sent seeking gear that didn't get obliterated as nobody up that way had caught anything that fought that hard and that exact Mitchell became the mainstay on the river banks spooled with 20lb green Maxima CORD!! But that reel would whip a big King like none other. Randy what was that dang purple or black worm that came snelled with the 3 gold Aberdeen hooks and that propeller on the front??? Man we drifted them on St Clair back in the day and pounder the Smallies

My Dad had bought a Micheal spinning reel in France after WW-2. He was fishing in Tennessee when he was arrested by the game warden and taken before the county judge. The crime: “ using illegal fishing equipment to catch fish.”

Apparently the spinning reel was not common back in the 40’s and bait casters were the norm. The judge refused to bring charges against my Dad; even against the warning the warden stating: “ If everyone has a spinning reel, there would not be any fish within a year.”

This brings back good memories. Can't tell you how many fish I caught on the grandfather of all spinning reels. The Mitchell 300.

I'm still fishing with my 301's and 309's the correct sided reels its all I ever use..

My Dad taught me to fish with the Mitchell 300. He kept spare bail springs in his tackle box. Great memories i will never forget.

Left handed. Had a 301. Dad had a 301 as well. He had taught himself to cast left handed so he didn't have to switch the reel back and forth. My first reel was a Zebco 202 spincast reel. My 301 was my second, first spinning reel.

Great subject Randy, I still have 3 or 4 Mitchell reels from the 60's of different models. I understand they produced 12,000 reels a day in 1970. Back in the day everyone seemed to have a Mitchell 300. By the way my last name is Mitchell (no relation) Thanks for the memories

Back in the early 1960’s my best friend Tom and I lived on LI. We both scrimped and save until we both had 10 bucks. I still remember the day we took the bus into Jamaica, then the LIRR into Manhattan. We walked to HERMANS and each bought. Mitchell300 …. Still have it … In the box …. so does Tommy!

I am 66 years old and remember fishing those Mitchell 300's and Glass rods with my Grandfather on our farm pond back in the 60's and 70's. It was the best of times. The world was right during those times.

I've got an old Mitchell 320 that was in the house when I bought it.

It was always my go to reel Mitchell 300 was just a great reel