I’m Kayla, and I hoard reels. Not fancy museum stuff—just a big mix. Some shiny. Some cranky. A few my granddad fished hard. It got messy. Boxes in the garage, labels falling off, me asking, “Where’s that old Ambassadeur with the green plates?”
I tried a bunch of apps. I stuck with one. (For the full blow-by-blow, I broke down every contender and exactly why Airtable won in this Popdex deep dive.) Here’s what worked, with real examples, bumps, and a few small wins that felt way bigger than they look on paper.
My Pick: Airtable (with my phone as the camera and a label maker)
I use Airtable on my phone and laptop. It’s simple, but not boring. I can snap a photo, fill a few fields, and later sort or filter like a gear nerd. It looks like a spreadsheet, but it acts like a mini database. That’s what sold me.
I cataloged 126 reels over the winter. I did a few each night, usually after cleaning them. Honestly, the smell of oil and old cork grips kind of pulled me along.
Real Records From My Shelf
Here are a few reels in my base. These are real, and yes, they all crank smooth now.
-
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5000C (1975)
- Serial: 750304
- Gear ratio: 5.3:1
- Country: Sweden
- Notes: Bought at a flea market for $25. Cleaned worm gear. Replaced one drag washer.
- Value note: Good shape comps were around $80–$100 when I checked.
- Photos: Side plates, foot stamp, spool arbor
-
Mitchell 300 (France)
- Gear ratio: 3.8:1
- Spool: 200 yd / 8 lb mono (my note, not printed on body)
- Service: Bail spring swapped on 2023-06-14
- Feel: A little thump under load; plan to polish rotor cup
-
Shimano Stradic FJ 2500 (2012)
- Use: River smallmouth
- Line: 10 lb braid + 8 lb fluoro leader
- Reminder: Regrease main gear every spring
- Condition: Very smooth, slight play in handle
-
Penn 209 Level Wind
- Boat duty: Bottom rigs
- Fix log: Pawl replaced 2024-08-02
- Note: Old-school charm; heavy but honest
-
Pflueger Medalist 1494 (fly)
- Backing: 20 lb, orange
- Cosmetic: Rim rash on frame
- Plan: New foot screws next order
That’s the kind of detail Airtable makes easy. I made fields for brand, model, year, gear ratio, spool capacity, country, serial number, purchase price, current value, condition, service log, and storage location. I also added a checkbox called “Ready to fish.” It keeps me honest. That Stradic has also logged miles on some epic waterways; if massive flowing systems get your heart going, you’ll like my chase for giants on the world’s longest rivers.
How I Set It Up (no fluff, just what I did)
- I created a table called “Reels.”
- I added a Gallery view so I can scroll by photos. It looks like a sticker album. If you’re curious, Airtable’s own getting-started guide to Gallery views explains the setup in about five minutes.
- I made a Form view. When I’m at a yard sale, I can add a reel fast. One photo. Brand. Model. Price. Done.
- I linked a second table called “Service Log.” Each entry has the reel, the date, parts used, and a cost. It’s nice when you forget what you did last fall.
- I used a Brother P-touch to print small QR labels. Each label has the Airtable record ID in plain text. When I scan the code with my phone, it pulls up that reel’s record. It feels fancy, but it’s just practical.
You know what? The QR labels were a game changer for my shelves. I can stand there, scan, and see the last time I greased the main gear.
What I Tried Before (and why I moved on)
-
Sortly
- Good: It’s great for bins and shelves. I liked the QR tags for boxes like “Spincast” or “Ambassadeur Lefties.”
- Why I left: It feels more like warehouse tracking. I wanted reel-specific fields like gear ratio and drag washer notes. I kept it for storage bins, but Airtable runs the reels.
-
Memento Database (Android)
- Good: Super flexible, works offline, great for custom fields.
- Why I left: Sync across devices felt clunky for me. I still recommend it if you’re deep in Android and fish off-grid a lot.
-
Google Sheets
- Good: Fast and free. Everyone knows how to use it.
- Why I left: Photos and service logs got messy. No gallery view. Filters felt stiff.
-
“Collector” style hobby apps
- Comics, games, stamps—lots of choices. But nothing for reels that fit my needs. I needed custom fields without weird workarounds.
If you’re still hunting for inspiration, the curated list of trending productivity tools on Popdex can spark a few more options to test drive. For Airtable-specific creativity, skim the platform’s roundup of top Universe bases—it’s a quick way to see how other collectors, makers, and tinkerers structure their tables.
The Good And The Bad (with real-life bumps)
What I love:
- Photos live with the data. No more guessing which folder has the Penn.
- Fast filters. Show me only Sweden. Or only 1970s. Or only reels with “Needs bail spring.” It’s instant.
- Service log links. I can see each reel’s “medical file.”
What bugs me:
- Free plan limits. I hit the cap once my photos piled up. I upgraded.
- Offline can be tricky. If the lake has zero bars, I add notes in my phone and sync later.
- It can do a lot, which means you’ll tinker. I spent a weekend making it “just right.”
A Quick Example Workflow
Saturday garage sale run:
- Snap a pic in the Form view.
- Brand: Zebco. Model: 33. Condition: Fair.
- Price: $7. Note: Sticky button; probably needs a clean.
- At home: Clean, add service note, tick “Ready to fish,” stick a tiny QR on the reel foot guard.
Later, I want to find all reels under 8 oz with a 5.x:1 gear ratio for pond hopping. Filter, sort, pull two Shimanos and an old Daiwa. Easy. Side note: if your tackle obsession leans more toward lures than reels, you might like my breakdown of the best redfish lure for Virginia waters straight from my own bag—it’s landed me more slot fish than I can count.
If your reel-chasing road trip rolls into a brand-new town and you’d rather spend the evening with good company than tinkering alone in a motel, you can discreetly line up a friendly companion through FuckLocal’s directory of independent escorts—their verified, up-to-date listings help you connect quickly and safely so you can unwind between swap-meet hunts. Anglers heading through eastern Idaho for a crack at the Snake River runs might appreciate an equally straightforward option: explore the welcoming profiles at Idaho Falls TS escorts to set up a relaxed meet-up with someone who knows the local scene and can point you toward the best post-river eats in town.
Who I Think Will Love This
- Collectors with mixed eras and brands who want real specs and stories in one place.
- Folks who tinker. If you swap drag washers or log bail springs, this fits you.
- Sellers who track cost, value, and photos for listings.
If you only own five reels and never change them, this might be too much. A small list in Notes may be enough.
Tiny Tips That Helped Me
- Shoot photos on white foam board by a window. It cuts glare on glossy side plates.
- Take one tight shot of the foot stamp. Future you will thank you.
- Add a “Next job” field. Mine often says “Clean level wind” or “Order bail spring.”
- Keep a “Sold or Gifted” checkbox. Collections shift, and that’s okay.
Final Cast
I wanted a neat list. I got a system that lets me enjoy the hunt again. When I can pull up that green-plate Ambassadeur and see when I last greased it, it feels like I’m taking care of the story too. Old reels, new reels, all in line.
Airtable isn’t perfect. But for my