Johnson Reel Collectors Assn. (J.R.C.A.) since 10/10/14
Johnson Trade Reels => St. Croix => Topic started by: Berkleyboy on July 06, 2017, 10:43:04 AM
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Does anyone know anything about the St. Croix Ranger Finder reel? I found pictures of this reel and it looks identical to the Laker 140 with the exception of a slide on/off buttion. Any information about this reel would be greatly appreciated.
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Sorry I missed this when you posted it. I have two, 1 new in the box & 1 used. I haven't touched the new one, but I took apart and cleaned the used one. I haven't taken a Laker apart yet , but I see some differences. You already mentioned the range finder button. With your line at the depth you want you slide the button forward and it shoves a pin through a hole in the reel body and the spool to prevent any more line escaping on the next cast. The first four pictures below cover that. It also has a star wheel drag control, the Laker has the dial on the opposite side. I'm disappointed in the quality of this reel, thin cheap metal and weak plastic body, it looks so pretty in the pictures. I haven't fished it yet and not sure if ever that I will, so I can't criticize its performance. The fifth picture is of all the parts laid out. The next four are of the new unused reel. At the end you'll find a PDF files containing the user manual that came with it.
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A different kind of mechanism for sure! Kind of hard for me to imagine that depth control thing working that great.To me the frame looks more like an 088 and 98 series frame than a Laker frame. Seems to have same shape, button like a 98, and star drag. Metal foot kind of fits in with that series too.
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Dennis, I just recently grabbed a new in the box RF-76. It is interesting to me that the "line tag" on the end is a wire clip which your new one in your pics also appears to have come with. Cheap way to add a tag! If I decoded the numbers on the box and the owner docs correctly, it appears this model is from 1974.
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I agree, mine is the same.