Memory Lane

[silvercliff_46]

Okay, In another post about line, leaders and such, I got to thinking about the gear I started with.

My first casting reel was a Pflueger AKRON (I still have it). There were no buttons to push. When you cast out your Creek Chub,Pike Minnow, or Hawaiian Wiggler, attached with a wire leader to the black nylon braid, the handles spun like a fan blade. There were no fancy brakes on it. Everything was controlled by your "Educated" thumb. You used that thumb to control the cast, and pick out the back lashes on every third cast. The reel was mounted on a solid steel rod. You could tell how much a guy fished by the "Set" in his rod. Some guys fished so much their rods looked like a strung long bow.

I don't believe I ever saw a spinning reel until I was 12-13 years old. The well heeled guys had those fancy Mitchell 300's. Although some of the WWII guys had some they got in France. They brought those back along with some of those "French Spinners" (at the time I thought that was what they were calling the gals on the post cards I saw, in the cigar box behind the old mans tackle box). Those were usually mounted on a solid fiber glass rod (the reels not the gals). By the time I saved up enough cash for one they came out with a tubular fiberglass rod. We had a new line for those called Monofilament line. It was nice line, but pike could slice it like a hot knife through butter. We got some new lures about then, Hula Poppers, Jitter Bugs and an old stand by the "Bass-A-Reno" made out of a new material..,plastic. They also came out with something I never thought would work, called a rubber worm. The darn thing had a propeller front, and back with some red beads fore, and aft. It had some of that monofilament stuff running through it with a loop on the front to attach to the snap on your line, and hold the three hooks, front, middle and rear.

My first boat was a flat bottom homemade fishing boat propelled by oars. Later on it few across the water with a 1 1/2 hp outboard by "Damned If I know". I then moved up to 5 hp Scott Atwater. That one vibrated the slats when I gunned it. From there I got a 14ft Mirrocraft open fishing boat powered by 12 hp Johnson outboard. It was brown with white trim and the most reliable outboard I ever owned. The only thing I ever put in it was gas, oil, (mixed of coarse) plugs, lower unit oil, and that's it. I gave it to my nephew for his 18th birthday (he's 50 now), he kept it for years. He gave it to his brother in law, who still has it, and still runs it. I graduated to a 15 hp Evinrude. It got me on the road to my first bass boat.

I got the idea from a neighbor kid, who's dad fixed one up for him. I put a indoor/outdoor carpeted plywood deck on the front half of the boat. I screwed a black post (they still sell them) to the floor and the other end to a padded seat. I started with an Eska electric motor, then a Shakespeare, and finally a Minn Kota.They were attached to the bow using a mini deck over the front gunnel's. Brother it was the "Nuts" and did I catch fish. Later I added electronics to it. A Lowrance flasher that you could set at 30 or 60 ft. I liked that flasher unit. I could read bottom content (wide bright line hard bottom, narrow weak line soft bottom. weeds (flickering thin lines). I used that thing until a couple of years ago for ice fishing (I still got that and it still works).

Bass fishing knowledge came from two sources, a TV fisherman named "Gadda About Gaddis", and a kid named "Homer Circle" who dressed in a red jump suit (jeeze).

Today I have a real bass boat, modern rods, and reels, modest electronics, and good trolling motor. It's getting old now too, but it will last me until I take a dirt nap (that may be, or not, as far away as I'd like it to be either).

We have come an awful long way in fishing since I started as a kid. How about you? What are your recollections.

[SirSnookalot]

I remember that old equipment as well. I may still be in the dark ages as I have never used any electronics or trolling motor for bass fishing. I was weened on oars and 6.5hp Elgin ob, I'd have no qualms using that set up today.

[Bluebasser86]

I have a really old Pfluegar baitcaster that has the silk line and the reel handle turns when you cast it. It's mounted on a casting rod made completely of metal except for the reel seat and handle. I took it out once just to try to fish with it and wow that was rough! I caught a couple but it made me really glad to have the equipment that I have!

[Sam]

All of my old stuff is long gone.

Would have been worth a lot of money had I kept it.

But when you are young and new equipment comes out you just have to have the new stuff and forget the old things.

Good story. Thanks for sharing.

[deaknh03]

When we were younger, someone gave us an aluminum boat, probably something like a 12 footer, but no oars. We were very young, and had no money for oars, so we took snow shovels from our house, and would load up 4 or 5 of us to go fishing, and paddle around with our shovels. Quite the site now that I look back on it.

[silvercliff_46]

I can't imagine any kid doing that today. There would be a half a dozen government studies on why that would be bad for you (at a few billion each). You would have to be supervised by a government approved czar. Your snow shovels would be replaced with government approved paddles or oars. Your state would be block granted 10 billion so you could have approved training by a government union worker in how to sit in a boat.

I sometimes complain about the present generation, but heck the poor kids ain't got a chance.

[Fishing Cowgirl]

I recently took a trip down memory lane through my Dad's tacklebox. It was great. I still use one of his reels.

I fished starting with a cane pole, moving on to a zebco, taking the bobber off and began line watching. I would ride my pony and fish up and down Shingle Creek. I next used dad's jon boat and since the original oars were old and shattered, dad rigged up old "DETOUR" signs bolted onto shovel handles to use.

I guess I was about 10 and my little brother was 8, when we fished a deep hole in the creek. I was using a Rebel crank bait and I flubbed up the cast. It was within 5' of the boat. When I snatched it back to try again, we had a monster bass blow up right next to us. We were both splashed and slightly freaked out by the size of it and how close it was! I distinctly remember a HUGE mouth, fins and a LOT of water! We spent until dark trying to catch that bass! I was seriously into bass fishing then.

Great memories!

[silvercliff_46]

You didn't say if your Dad was around yet or not, but in either case you made his heart smile.

[bass or bass ?]

I remember watching Gadabout Gaddis on Sunday afternoons with my parents when I was in school. Didn't American Sportsman with Kurt Goudy come on either before or after Gadabout?

[Fishing Rhino]

I started with a cane pole, kite string, a cork slit halfway through for the line, as a bobber. The line was tied to the tip with a long tag end. That long end was then tied further down to the stouter portion of the rod so there was a bow between those two ties. Then a few more half hitches, and the line was finally tied off about halfway down the rod.

Bamboo while fairly flexible is also fragile. If it snapped near the tip, which it frequently did on new poles, you could still fish with it.

[silvercliff_46]

I remember watching Gadabout Gaddis on Sunday afternoons with my parents when I was in school. Didn't American Sportsman with Kurt Goudy come on either before or after Gadabout?

Your pretty darned old too!, ain't cha'

[Fishing Rhino]

Quick quiz. What was Gadabout Gaddis' nickname?

[silvercliff_46]

Ah! I'm thinkin' that was his nickname?????

[Fishing Rhino]

Ah! I'm thinkin' that was his nickname?????

Gadabout was probably a nickname, but that's not the one I'm thinking of. I believe the one I'm thinking of was used on every show, at least those I saw. No fair googling.

Let's try it this way. Gadabout Gaddis was also known as.......................................................................

[A-Jay]

Quick quiz. What was Gadabout Gaddis' nickname?

Vern, as he was known in pre-Gadabout days, acquired the nickname "Gadabout" due to his wanderlust, and as such had a hard time confining himself to any one location for more than a few months at a time.

A-Jay

[silvercliff_46]

I think he was the first TV personality to promote catch and release. He drove my Grandpa nuts when he would throw back fish. When you came through the Depression, you had a different attitude about fishing.

[deaknh03]

Gadabout was probably a nickname, but that's not the one I'm thinking of. I believe the one I'm thinking of was used on every show, at least those I saw. No fair googling.

Let's try it this way. Gadabout Gaddis was also known as.......................................................................

The Flying Fisherman

[Blue Streak]

I started with a cane pole, kite string, a cork slit halfway through for the line, as a bobber. The line was tied to the tip with a long tag end. That long end was then tied further down to the stouter portion of the rod so there was a bow between those two ties. Then a few more half hitches, and the line was finally tied off about halfway down the rod.

Bamboo while fairly flexible is also fragile. If it snapped near the tip, which it frequently did on new poles, you could still fish with it.

Good thing about kite string.................. it didn't have any memory.