I remember when I was a kid back in the 70's

[AKM]

and my Dad bought me a Zebco33 rod and reel combo with my very own little tackle box.I used that rod and reel for everything from Bluegill to Catfish and anything else that would bite.
Then in my early teens I got my first top shelf outfit.I always use to read Florida Sportsman Magizine and I remember seeing the adds for the little Shimano Baitcasters.I got my Dad to take me uptown to Big L and he bought me a Shimano Bantam Mag Plus 250SG and 5 1/2' Fenwick Eagle Grafite.
I have no idea what the line class was on the rod.Heck,I did not even know what line class was back then.I probably put 12lb test on it and every knot that I tied was an Improved Clinch Knot.That was the knot my Dad taught me how to tie and that is the knot that am teaching my Son how to tie.Nowadays,when I buy a rod I always look at the line class and and the type of action the rod has.
Lately,when I buy a reel I look at retrieval speed and number of bearings and so on.
Also,I can't have just one rod.I need a rod for different types of fish and lure weights etc.
Life was real simple when I was a kid and life costs a lot more money as an adult but I sure am having fun spending it on the things that I enjoy.

[Rebbasser]

Yep-been there and done that! Guess the saying is true-"The only difference between men and boys is simply a matter of the price of their toys "

Started with that trusty Zebco 33 my dad gave me, moved on to a spinning outfit which I used for everything, then started with baitcasters. Now I have technique specific rods-several for the same technique in some cases-a boatload of tackle, a ton of $$$ invested and love every minute of it!

Guess that makes us bass fishermen .

[flfireman]

Same here, passed it on to my daughter, she now uses falcon rods. Just waiting for my boy to get a year older and start him with it. I believe mine is 20 years old or older. Probably rebuilt the reel 2-3 times since then, the drag is a little off and it's not quite that smooth anymore. But it's a great beginning setup.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

Yep-been there and done that! Guess the saying is true-"The only difference between men and boys is simply a matter of the price of their toys.

yeah buddy .. i have to agree with that..


i started with a fly rod never even used a spinning rod till i was 18 or so.. caught my first bass while i was a junior in high school.. it went straight south from there..

zooker

[lizardsrule]

I'm still a kid when it comes to fishing LOL.

Lizards

[betursweetbass]

Unfortunately, Pops wasn't around when I was growing up, so I can only imagine how that must of been for you folks that did have one around. My first fishing rig was a cheapie from kmart most likely, he** it's been so long ago, I can't really remember it. My first memories of fishing go back to the late 60ties, sitting in a alumimum chair on the shore line of some city reservouir with a bell on the end of my rod, and a chunk of Zeke's floating bait on the end of the line. I didn't get into bass fishing until the early 90ties when some bowling buddies of mine took me "crappie" fishin. I ordered the Alex Langer flyin lure set from TV just for the occasion. Needless to say, I didn't catch many crappie, but I did catch my first bass on one of them silly things, and that's what "hooked" me on Bassin.... On a seperate note, I have several addresses from forum members here that I will be sending packages' too in the near future, money is kinda tight around here lately, so bear with me. I'll try to get those out before Xmas. Hoping you all have a great Thanksgiving Holiday.

[AKM]

Originally Posted by betursweetbass

Hoping you all have a great Thanksgiving Holiday.

Thanks.You too.

[bassintom]

i remember us kids piling into the back of pop's 46 chevy pickup and heading to the canal for carp.we all had the black zebco reels.pop made killer cornmeal bait.......he probably only took us to make up for beating the crap out of us with his belt buckle in one of his drunken rages.

[pig n jig]

I remember walking 4 miles after school to pump gas, so I could buy a Dean guitar. Cruising with a car load of neighbor kids in a Plymouth valiant that had push button shift controls, listening to 8 track tapes and then camping under the stars in the summer, listening to the AM radio stations & making jiffy pop popcorn over a open fire. I will never forget going bullhead fishing with my girlfriend, especially when her mother caught us at the pond while we just happened to be naked at the time.Having to sneak around behind her mothers back after that incident, so we could still fish together, only to discover it was just a matter of time before she caught us again.Damned those peepers for being so loud at night. Yep the 70's were great.

[zooker]

lmao

got to quite bull headin at the same place pnj
them lake salubria peepers are VERY loud..

zooker

[JB]

got my first ambassader baitcaster when I was about 8, no brakes and thread/colored line for the spool. I think I tried the same reel years later but always put it in a birdsnest...after that my dad died and left two push button type browning reels, all of our poles back then where either red or green fibroglass rods.
I think parents beating the shyt out of thier kids was a way of life for most of us tom, back in the 50s-60.

[pig n jig]

and 70's. Having to go out and pick your switch was a whole lot more effective than todays children getting time out on the sofa.It got every kids attention, even if they weren't on the receiving end of it. P N J

[Rebbasser]

PnJ, I got plenty of time outs back in the 70's. My folks would take time out of their busy day to warm up my backside, and I usually deserved it .

[pig n jig]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

PnJ, I got plenty of time outs back in the 70's. My folks would take time out of their busy day to warm up my backside, and I usually deserved it .

Rebbasser, You did something wrong ? I find that hard to beleive for some reason. P N J

[zooker]

no old friend he rarley done it right..

zooker

[Rebbasser]

Zoooker,



PnJ, it was a lot of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" type things .

[st.croixman]

I was born in 1984 and i managed to get my *** whipped during fishing trips but, I have to say i still love my first fishing rod my than anything else. An ugly stick with a penn metal (black and gold 45 series) spinning real. Still have an identical rod and it is still my stripper rig. I retired the first one because it was inherited from my grandfather who died of brain cancer in 90. If you ever have a kid with a dying relative make sure they get to see them they understand more than you think at 6 years old. Sorry for the soap box have fun fishing with your sons fathers. They appreciate everything you teach them. Now at 22 years old i realize after having killed a 160 class buck, and a catching a 6lb 11oz. large mouth. I realize my dad made me a better person who respects and loves the outdoors. So in closing take a kid fishing.

-Chris

[AKM]

Originally Posted by JB

I think parents beating the shyt out of thier kids was a way of life for most of us tom, back in the 50s-60.

Originally Posted by pig n jig

and 70's.

I got my butt torn up quite a bit in the 70's.I now have a 9 year old Son that is just as good a kid as I was except he makes Straight A's and I never came close to making Straight A's.The funny thing is,is that he has never had a belt or a hand put on him in anger.

[CAHughes]

AKM- it's amazing how getting you butt whipped on a regular basis for no apparent reason, or no reason that a young child understands, effects the way we parent our children...I remember having to get my own switches from the tree to get it and not even remembering or knowing what i had done wrong. Brothers always tried to blame things on me, guess they thought I wouldn't get it as bad just because I was a girl??? WRONG!!!!

[st.croixman]

I remember something going wrong while fishing i actually think i would have gotten my butt whipped if i would have said i was sorry a little less.

[bassintom]

when the old man whipped our a**es,if he couldn't tell us why,he just said it's for the next time you do something wrong..the next time we still got it.at least i have learned what not to do to my kids from my old man's actions.
and i do remember the times fishing more than the a** whoopin'..even though there was more a** whoopin than fishing.
to add to the "take a kid fishing" thing...don't yell at them if they do something wrong while fishing..show them the correct way.

[st.croixman]

yep and i never believed my dad saying watch and learn but we look like carbon copys when we fish its amazing how man idiosyncrosies you display while fishing haha esp how you use a spining reel

[flbassman]

Originally Posted by pig n jig

and 70's. Having to go out and pick your switch was a whole lot more effective than todays children getting time out on the sofa.It got every kids attention, even if they weren't on the receiving end of it. P N J

Oh no, I remember picking my switch..... Sure got my attention. Worst was when you picked one that wasn't good enough, and Dad got to pick a replacement.... Mom's weapon of choice was a wooden spoon. But I usually deserved it, and the fishing trips were always more frequent....

[JB]

my mom raised 4 of us, but always beat me the most rofl..her choice weapon to paddle with was a ping pong paddle, (she was a school teacher, used to swinging a paddle..remember those days?)

[dampeoples]

Paddles? Switches? hell yes I remember that stuff, I even got more than my fair share of paddlings in school, and what's worse, my dad worked there, so I got it TWICE. This is what todays kids need, for sure. Mine sure know about getting whupped, and yep, it still gets their attention!

I dont' rememebr much back then as far as fishin', I know we always went to the ponds, my clearest memories are of my dad killin' the fish on a fly-rod, especially when we couldnt' even get a bream on a worm!

I also remember 'running away' when I was 18, I took my truck, my fishing poles and two changes of clothes