First Rod and Reel

[fatrap]

Ok a few days ago we were talking about our past memories of things. Who here remembers their first Rod and Reel. My fist fishin rod was a 12 foot pole used to check the amount of gas in the buried gas station tanks. Had inches and feet on the side.

BUT!!! My first crankin rod with an actual reel. Was a Zebco rod and reel combo.

fatrap

 

[Mini]

Zebco202/Eagle Claw combo here

 

[Jim B]

I dont remember what the rod was because it broke and got replaced but i do remember my first reel. My father bought me a mitchell 300a spinning reel and i learned to fish with it when i was 5. I still have the reel today and it still works.

 

[Barry Dufour]

Mine too. An old Zebco combo I bought from Western Auto. She was a beaut.

Barry from La.

 

[Bill Hamilton]

While I used many of my Dad's rods and reels, the first rod and reel that was "mine" was a Pflueger Akron baitcaster. I received it for 8th grade graduation (1960) and still have it. It was a level-wind reel with a "real" solid fiberglass rod made by Zebco. My still works also and still has the line on it from 47 years ago, it is part of my trophy case of old fishing memorabilia.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Mine was a ten to twelve foot bamboo pole with no reel at all. We just split the end of the bamboo and attached regular string to it. The original flippin' and/or pitchin' rod. That, along with some Eagle Claw hooks, sinkers we made and poured ourselves, cork bobbers, grass shrimp and minnows were deadly.

I don't remember what my first Rod was but is was two pieces and a hexagon shape and so fast you could use it on Sunday to buggy whip the horse. The reel was a

Johnson 300 and though it was not a good match with the rod, I loved that outfit. I still have the reel and it works but the rod is long gone somewhere.



Uncle Billy

 

[al cannia]

My grandfather took me fishing every weekend.He taught me how to use his baitcasters and for my 8th b'day he gave me a Pflueger reel on a TrueTemper glass rod.Still have it,and just for fun sometimes I take it out and cast it. Those old direct drive reels were hard on the knuckles if you had a big fish on, and the handle started spinning .

 

[Bruce Freeman]

At least you had willow, we used maple



BF

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I think most all kids start out with the Ol' Trusty Zebco

Caught a many a fish on em'

 

[Edward Lea.]

Zebco 202 from the gas station on the highway by the creek. Walmart didn't exist or target or k-mart or any of the big box's.

 

[Mark Hofman]

Not only do I remember my first fishing rod, a red Zebco rod/reel combo....my dad sent me a picture of the first FISH I caught with my first fishing rod!!

Don't laugh. EVERYTHING was small in those days.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Can't hep it Mo!:lol::lol:

 

[Mark Hofman]

Yeah, but that fished LOOKED really big to a small kid like me. Today I'd use it for bait.



(Everytime I see look at that picture I hear someone whistling the "Andy Griffith" theme.)



"OhhhhhhPEEE!!!!" :lol:

 

[Texas Transplant]

Not sure that I remember, but I'm pretty poitive that it was likely a zebco. Probably used up in Canada. My family used to go up there and fish.



My first true rememberance of a fish was a huge sunfish I caught up there, on Bob's Lake.



Tex

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I remember when I was 13 and caught my first 4 pound smallmouth at Dale Hollow with my dad in the front with a short paddle (that was our TM back then) and me trying to keep it out of a laydown with my trusty Zebco and dad starts for the net and WHAM!......HE has one on too and we are both strugglin' to keep it together! :lol:

Ahhhhhhhh memories!

 

[TritonGlenn]

The rod belonged to my father, who had passed away several years before. My mom had kept it, and my stepfather made sure it was passed down to me. It was an Garcia rod, burgundy in color. The reel seat was completely detachable via a furule that disconnected the rod part from the handle. The reel seat dropped down a bit too, so the line coming out of the reel was closer to the rod. There was no reel on it, so he brought me to a hardware store (at the time, that's where we got ALL of our fishing stuff), and bought me a spincast reel for it. I don't remember the name, but it was silver, had a skinny back, and a regular wide front for the spool. I want to say it was a Ryobi, but I could be wrong.



Second rod and reel - Zebco 202 combo



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Larry Harp]

I don't remember what brand it was...probably didn't know at the time. I do remember that I got it for my 8th birthday (1958). It was a light blue baitcaster with tan handle grips. Direct drive of course...for you younger guys that means the handle spun along with the reel when you made a cast. It had some black braided line that was closer to parachute cord in thickness. The rod was fiberglass with an offset handle. My mother bought it for me at OTASCO (Oklahoma Tire & Supply), a store similar to Western Auto.



I caught my first bass on that rod & reel on a homemade Jig (I guess you'd call it) that my brother made by clamping some broom straw and pillow feathers to a hook with a split shot.



Harpo

 

[Bob G.]

Here I am in 1964 in my first fishing photo at 3 years old at my grandmother's pond. I'm certain the reel was a Zebco on a fiberglass rod. I think it's still in my dad's garage.



Bob G.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Cool pic Bob

 

[Andrew Zuber]

No zebco for this kid...

My first rod and reel was a Sear's Ted William's model...

Don't remember the exact one, but it was green and a spin-cast...

Caught a lot of 'gills on that outfit...LOL

Also used a bamboo cane pole...



az