Memorable fishing poles from our youth

[Shadow11]

Most of what I just read was in a foreign language to me, lol. I dont know any of these names.


I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine.


Not record breakers or anything, but they've been a lot of much needed fun this summer, during these tough times...

 

[Rabun]

I have an old Ted Williams spinning rod and Shakespeare reel that I got when I was a kid…thinking late 60’s. Also have a rod I got with S&H green stamps. As I recall it was a graphite composite. I’ll have to dust them off and shoot a pic

 

[fishfryer]

Most of what I just read was in a foreign language to me, lol. I dont know any of these names.


I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine.


Not record breakers or anything, but they've been a lot of much needed fun this summer, during these tough times...

View attachment 1169691View attachment 1169692View attachment 1169693View attachment 1169694View attachment 1169695View attachment 1169696View attachment 1169697View attachment 1169698View attachment 1169699View attachment 1169700

If the fish winds up in the boat he’s still caught whether it’s a zebco or any other brand. Could be a cut hand pole and a bent pin and a four sack string for that matter.

 

[Railroader]

Most of what I just read was in a foreign language to me, lol. I dont know any of these names.


I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine.


Not record breakers or anything, but they've been a lot of much needed fun this summer, during these tough times...

View attachment 1169691View attachment 1169692View attachment 1169693View attachment 1169694View attachment 1169695View attachment 1169696View attachment 1169697View attachment 1169698View attachment 1169699View attachment 1169700

That is success that can't be arugued with!!! Hat tip ?

 

[OwlRNothing]

I didn't want to hijack another thread, but I really enjoyed the following posts and thought I'd start a new thread.





As a teenager back in the mid eighties I lived and breathed fishing. The folks on the pages of Bassmaster Magazine were my hero's. I remember trying a baitcaster for the first time,,, a small framed Ryobi V-Mag. My neighbor entrusted it into my hands and I promptly made a nest of it. That same summer I tried a Diawa Magforce, with the same results. I went on to fish with strictly spinning reels after that,,, and did well. Later on in life I purchased another Ryobi V-Mag 3 (shown below) and committed myself to master it. I did,,,, and now I have at least 10 different baitcasters and these days I rarely use a spinning reel. Every now and then I will take the old Ryobi for a spin. Love it in creeks. I also have another vintage Diawa Magforce, but I don't like it as much as the Ryobi. I am keeping an eye out for an old Cardinal 3 spinning reel at a favorable price.

Anybody else got a memorable fishing setup they'd like to share?

View attachment 1168901

Same as you. I never missed watching Bill, Hank, O'Neill Williams or anyone else that happened to be on. Only difference is my first baitcaster was a Shimano bantam. Wish I still had it. Heck, wish I had alot of that old gear, and my Dad's old fishing stuff too - but over the years some of it was lost, a bunch of it was stolen and now I really don't have anything like that. This is a good thread. Good use of internet bandwidth. Thanks for starting it.

 

[GA1dad]

Most of what I just read was in a foreign language to me, lol. I dont know any of these names.


I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine.


Not record breakers or anything, but they've been a lot of much needed fun this summer, during these tough times...

View attachment 1169691View attachment 1169692View attachment 1169693View attachment 1169694View attachment 1169695View attachment 1169696View attachment 1169697View attachment 1169698View attachment 1169699View attachment 1169700

Right on! I still roll out the zebco's from time to time.

 

[saltysenior]

My first casting outfit was a Bronson Green Hornet level wind mounted on a steel casting rod..

 

[Ruger#3]

My first casting outfit was a Bronson Green Hornet level wind mounted on a steel casting rod..

I was just thinking of my grandfather taking me fishing early on. Pflueger bait casters on steel rods with braided line.

 

[Timberman]

Red ABU 5000 on a Fenwick and a Zebco Cardinal 4 spinning reel on an Eagle Claw rod

There were many but those two in particular I remember well.

 

[panfishvinnie]

I remember my very first spincast rod and reel. I was 8 years old and got a Zebco Jr. It had about a four and a half foot rod and the top of the reel was permanently fixed to the rod. There was a metal clip on the back of it which held the handle and lower part of the rod together with the top part of it. Before that all I ever fished with was a cane pole.

 

[cowhornedspike]

I remember my very first spincast rod and reel. I was 8 years old and got a Zebco Jr. It had about a four and a half foot rod and the top of the reel was permanently fixed to the rod. There was a metal clip on the back of it which held the handle and lower part of the rod together with the top part of it. Before that all I ever fished with was a cane pole.

That was probably a Zebco 77.

 

[oldfella1962]

That was probably a Zebco 77.

I had to Google that Zebco 77 - that is a very unique type of rod/reel setup!

 

[oldfella1962]

Johnson Century on a red Johnny Walker fiberglass rod.
Grand kids still fish with it.

View attachment 1169479

Man that Johnson Century is AWESOME! I went online and there's a you-tube video of a guy using one he bought at a garage sale. I love that big numbered drag setting
knob!

 

[oldfella1962]

"I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine." - Shadow 11

When I first moved to Georgia from Germany in 2004 I caught the two biggest bass I have ever caught - both of them weighing 7# on the nose and 22 or 23 inches long a few months apart on a Zebco 33 reel & cheap rod from Walmart using cheap plastic Walmart Rapala knockoff discount lures. Matter-of-fact I'm going fishing tomorrow for the first time in about three months (I hate fishing in the heat!) on one of the ponds where I caught one of the 7# bass. I will be using a Zebco 33 BTW. Will lightning strike twice? I shall find out tomorrow morning!

 

[sbroadwell]

I remember an old Johnson Century reel, a Zebco 33, and an Ambassadeur 6000. I still have the 6000 and it is still in use at 54 years of age.

That Century was a big upgrade to a Zebco back in the day. I bought several 33s when I started, then got a 909. That was a pretty good reel. I still have all of them, and use the 909 every now and then. They were made a lot better than the Chinese Zebcos of today.

I upgraded to a spinning reel. First a Mitchell 300, then a Pescador Italian made reel Cal Parker sold me. That was a great reel, wish I still had it.

Then I got an Ambassador 6000 and I still use it for special purposes, like trolling.

I don’t have many of my old rods though. Only two I can think of - a Garcia 5-1/2 foot ultra lite and a fiberglas Fenwick worm rod. Don’t use them, though. Haven’t used anything I didn’t make for almost 20 years now. Just don’t feel right to use a store bought rod.

 

[Wood999]

Got this from my dad, 1974 ish, when I was 14. When in hand, fish feared me. Huge upgrade from the other Zebcos at the time.

 

[sparky]

My most memorable pole as a kid would most likely be a telescopic bream buster.
Would take them with some catalpa worms up the Yellow River(FL) to some natural lakes with Grandpa…Would slap wear out Warmouth/Goggle eyes slipping the worms down in the cypress knees & stumps!
I remember Grandpa hooking into a big Ol’ blue cat one time as we were heading back to the ramp. Fought it for about 5-10 minutes on one of them bream busters before it finally wrapped around a log and broke him off. Talk about a sleigh ride!
Never could cast a bait caster worth a flip other than an abu wide spool. So I had a couple 5500 & 5600’s…As I have gotten older, I’m pretty much a spinning outfit user.

G18,I'm from Andy,used to fish yellow ,you prob seen your Gpa scull a boat before troll motors,good friend lives upper santa rosa,wendell thomas,william lee golden 1st cuz

 

[Geffellz18]

Most of what I just read was in a foreign language to me, lol. I dont know any of these names.


I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine.


Not record breakers or anything, but they've been a lot of much needed fun this summer, during these tough times...

View attachment 1169691View attachment 1169692View attachment 1169693View attachment 1169694View attachment 1169695View attachment 1169696View attachment 1169697View attachment 1169698View attachment 1169699View attachment 1169700

Looks to me like you’re the one laughing all the way to the fryer! Nice fish.

 

[sparky]

Most of what I just read was in a foreign language to me, lol. I dont know any of these names.


I get made fun of a lot, but I still use old zebcos... It's what dad taught me 35 yrs ago, and I still use them, and they still work just fine.


Not record breakers or anything, but they've been a lot of much needed fun this summer, during these tough times...

View attachment 1169691View attachment 1169692View attachment 1169693View attachment 1169694View attachment 1169695View attachment 1169696View attachment 1169697View attachment 1169698View attachment 1169699View attachment 1169700

zebco,me too,then and now,I'm 66

 

[Geffellz18]

G18,I'm from Andy,used to fish yellow ,you prob seen your Gpa scull a boat before troll motors,good friend lives upper santa rosa,wendell thomas,william lee golden 1st cuz

You’re exactly right….Grandpa could straight skull his old Kennedy craft into those lakes like a pro. One thing I admired about him. That takes true talent my dad and I were never able to master.
Many times we were the only ones in those lakes because no one else could figure how to get in them or their boats were too big.
Always thought it was funny that he had a very nice blazer bass boat-along with several other boats(commercial fishing vessels), but never used it. Always took the Kennedy Craft. Don’t think I ever seen him once in the Blazer, and surely never when I went with him!
I’m sure my parents probably know your friends mentioned. They know just about every family that’s lived in Santa Rosa Co for any length of time! Mom grew up in Spring Hill between Milton & Munson. Dad off Berryhill.