Jaw Hit the Floor

[Flippin TN]

I had some storm damage to take care of now that the rain let up (supposedly) it meant removing the storm door front door, and rip out the jam back to the frame. Well I had drug out all my tools and got going. Well about an hour into it a friend drove up and offered to lend a hand. Great! We went at it, wife cooked lunch and we hit it again. As usual the day job turned into a 3 day job with more than a few unexpecteds. By the end of the 3rd day there was about as much as he could do and I know his wife has his chores lined up for him and it began to rain so I knew it would be a couple of more day before I'd get to finish the project up but the doors were hung and I just have to finish it off. Well before he left for home after coming over for 3 days in a row he mentioned he had something for me in the back of his truck.
I was in my work shop and he went out to get it returning with 2 old tackle boxes and a wicker creel. I said whats that? Well his arthritis in his hands is severe to the point of crippling him. I never could get him in the boat but he was always talking about how he used to love to fish. So he left these 2 tackle boxes and said just go thru it and see if I wanted anything, keep it all throw away what I dont want or give it to someone else. So I said ok and that Id see him in a couple days when I am going to bring over something he needed for something. Later this evening I opened the tackle boxes.
There must be over a hundred old lures some of which I have never seen all look like classics. Buzz baits, crank baits, too much to comprehend. It'll be a few days but Ill get them laided out and take some pictures. Its looks like a bass fishin bonanza of relics. He said he hadn't fished in years and the reason he doesn't go out with me is he cant hold a rod and any more. I'm still trying to get him in the boat. I'll get the pictures of these posted in a few days.

[nofearengineer]

That makes me want to weep, man. Getting old sucks. Enjoy what you can while you're young. It doesn't last forever.

[carolina-rig-01]

That's a really cool thing he did for you. I don't know if it's much help or not but Blake Muhlenbruck that owns Naked Bait Co. might be able to help your friend out. Several years ago Blake was hurt badly in a work accident and his hand was crushed and he lost a lot of use in it. I could be wrong but I am certain that Blake designed a product that aided people with hand disabilites to fish. I looked all over the internet for it and came up empty but ig you email Blake he might be able to get your friend on the water.

[TN_Bassin]

I know a guy in a similar situation. He's fished his whole life, but his hands tremble so much he can hardly hold a rod anymore. I can't see him being able to fish for more than a year or so. Probably my greatest fear is what will happen when my body betrays me.

The baits might have some antique value.

[keithdog]

Boy I hate to hear about a fellow fisherman reaching that stage in life. It's a wonderful gift he gave to you. It will be neat to see the photos. It's just too bad he can't get oout for just a few hoours. I wonder if accupunture might help him. My friends wife was nearly crippled with knee pain. Now she is walking around just fine after trying an accupuncture treatment. I'm going to try it for my knee and hands. It's worth trying.

[Flippin TN]

The 2 spoons appear to be made of Mother of Pearl


Sure wish I knew of something beside photobucket sooooooooo slow

When he was still fishing it was in upper state NY I dont remember the rivers specifically seems to me near the Syracuse regions. I'll just keep on pestering him. What he cant do I can do for him. His hands are nearly immobile along with the wrist and elbows. His hands don't look a lot like hands anymore and he takes a lot of meds now. I think if I can get one on for him he could manage to get it to the boat maybe, I dont want to push it too much with him. Hell I'm telling him don't fish just take a ride. He seemed receptive to that.

[bamabassman]

you have got some CLASSICS there flippin. some of those don't EVER need to see water again pal. i mean it.
here is a little something oyu cna do for him if oyu want to. either make or buy a shadow box and have a few of these OLD baits in there and give it to him. i can't name the baits i am taling aobut but i am willing to bet they are made from balsa wood. and are fairly old and worth some money. not a million bucks of course. but worth some money.
the white with red head, double jointed one is a fine example of what i am taliking about. as well as the one with the metal "wings and the 2 below it. i am pretty sure these came form the 60's. oyu have several of the "winged" topwater plugs i see........be best to check em out man. oyu may throw one in the water and lose a plug worth bout $30.00 or so. oh and the spoons..........awww man, i jsut can's see casting one of those away. fantastic collection man..........absolutly fantastic.

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

you have got some CLASSICS there flippin. some of those don't EVER need to see water again pal. i mean it.
here is a little something oyu cna do for him if oyu want to. either make or buy a shadow box and have a few of these OLD baits in there and give it to him. i can't name the baits i am taling aobut but i am willing to bet they are made from balsa wood. and are fairly old and worth some money. not a million bucks of course. but worth some money.
the white with red head, double jointed one is a fine example of what i am taliking about. as well as the one with the metal "wings and the 2 below it. i am pretty sure these came form the 60's. oyu have several of the "winged" topwater plugs i see........be best to check em out man. oyu may throw one in the water and lose a plug worth bout $30.00 or so. oh and the spoons..........awww man, i jsut can's see casting one of those away. fantastic collection man..........absolutly fantastic.

Yeah, something like what AUFred showed in this thread is way cool for old lures!

.

[Flippin TN]

The shadow box idea is great. I seem to use a rubber worm for 90% of my fishing or frogs. I'm probably the worse with crank baits and but I love fishing the top water lures. For sure the lures will be scrutinized and taken care of. I'm sure he'd love to see them on his wall. Great idea. It never entered my mind. Thanks for that idea.It was fun laying them all out and the spoons which don't show up very well in the pics almost look engraved I've never see anything like most of them. The two pearl looking ones Im almost sure are. The were a number of old boxes and pamphlets to that describe the proper presentation I think they would be fun to mount somehow.
Also many or probably most have no name on them and the plugs are mainly wood and painted if good shape and some do not appear to have been fished or maybe a little.
Im thinking Ill go through and re photograph them individually and see if folks recognize who might have made them.

[Jrob78]

That's a really cool collection! Thanks for sharing it with us. I think the shadow box for your friend is a great idea.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

That is a nice collection of nostalgia going on there. I also like the shadow box idea. Where have times gone. I remember fishing some of those with my Grandpa.

[Flippin TN]

I went fishing with my Uncle when I was a kid in a place called Watermelon Pond a lot somewhere near Jax Fla and I remember he caught a lot of bass with spoons or live bait. Dont recall him using plugs that much.

I wonder how much the catch is up nowadays compared to back in the 50's now with all the high tech baits. One thing I can say is the old stuff sure had character. It even smells different.

[kennethdaysale]

Hey Flippin...You might want to see if he can manage Jigger-poling or maybe using one of those telescoping "brim busters". My (lived to fish..taught me how to fish) Uncle had a stroke late in life but we still managed to spend hundreds of wonderful hours together catching fish using the Jigger-pole method (no casting no reeling..just swing um bavk to me to unhook) Theres got to be a way. BTW great pics....shadow box idea is excellent.

[oglejust]

i own a few of those old lures, seems i do better on old stuff than i do the new haha. awesome collection man, thats a cool thing he did for u

[carolina-rig-01]

That is an awesome collection of old tackle. When I read your original post I pictured a tackle box that had a handful of baits in it, which would have been cool. But I had no idea it was this big of a collection. That's a very special thing he did for you and I hope you can get him out on the water to spend some time with him.

[Flippin TN]

Jigger-poleing cool idea never entered my mind. Ill bet he would go for it. Lets see where this goes. I'll be going over to his place tomorrow.