Grandpa Sebree's Old Fishing Pole

[NYHellbender]

I read Joe Sanders story about his dad's old fishing pole, and it reminded me me of my grandfather's Shakespear fishing rod. I thought I would share my story with you. I figure I got my Fishing Bug from my grandfathers, who both always loved to go fishing. You see, my father enjoys fishing once in a while every few years, maybe. And when he does, it's just to spend time with me. God bless him : ) About 8 years ago, I had him fishing Cayug Lake, NY with a Rapala Skitter Pop. We had waded out to the edge of the weed beds. The fish were hungery that day and we did really well catching more than a few small mouths. As we came out of the water. He told me, "That the first time I ever have caught anything on artificial bait."
He learned from his father, and his father was a fisherman. I never had the chance to fish with him, but he sure had a lot of cool fish tackle.
I have his Shakespeare fishing rod combo, it's a 6' 6'' Shakespeare Wonderod with a Shakespeare casting reel model ED. Also a few cool luers and spoons. My father has grandpa's tackle box. He trided to give it to me a few years back and I just felt, he should hold on to it for a while longer. I guess I just wanted him to hold on to the memories of his father. Anyway,...The pole is in great shape for its age, and still has a lot of flex to it. I have been thinking about taking it out for a trip, just to see how it fishes. I'll have to post a few pictures.
I kept planning to take it out this past summer, but never did. I cleaned it up and always kept it oiled, but it still needs to be respooled. So it was left behind on many fishing trip this year.
I guess I'll have to write a post-it note for myself.
It's almost December now, I could take it to a local farm pond for some nice fat bluegills. Or I could wait and take it out in the spring for blulheads.

[DroptineJoe]

Good read!!!

[Cray]

That's a nice outfit and some really neat old lures. That wonder rod is tougher than rawhide. Had one in the 60's spinning model.

[chucktx]

that "camel lure" will catch fish.....i have a few of them.....good post!!

[NYHellbender]

Cray - I've only seen pictures of the spinning reel. How was it to fish?

I belive this pole has enough strenght to pul in chanel cats, but I'd rather not push it. : )

Chucktx - The camel lure says Hummpy on the lip. I think of Joe Camel everytime I see it.

[olduckhunter]

hellbender, i made a shadow box out of old barn cypress and put some items from my dads tackle box in it. i glues burlap to the inside back to hang some fishing plugs on and put a picture of him with a 5 lb bass he caught on a fly rod in the box. i put one each of his hunting and fishing licenses that were still in the old metal license holder that ark had back then. it's just an idea of what you can do with his old small fishing things even the reel. to me the reel needs to be shelved. and that rod was the rod to have back then. i have my dads rod like that and several other fishing rods and fly rods of his hanging on the wall in my "fishing room." his old fly rod is wrapped up just as he did it the last time he used it about 40 years ago. some things are meant to be used and some things are meant to be kept and passed on down. if you would happen to do a shadow box of his stuff you might want to add a hellbender. from your name i'd say you probably fished the hellbender back in the day and may still have one or more of them. if not i'd bet you could find one at a flea market or ebay. i have some from way back then. they were the "trolling bait"
to use back then.

[NYHellbender]

Olduckhunter - The shadowbox is a great idea, I have been kicking the idea around for years. My father still plans on giving me grandpa's tackle box, so I'll have a more to work with.
I know there are 2 more reels and a ton of lures. I'm not sure what I'll end up doing. Years ago we bought this house we are in now. When we moved in there was a bunch of stuff from the ladies husband still in the basement. Some busted old reels and parts and pieces. There were also some tin buttons, a Seneca Lake map and an old boat decal from the local Lake Trout Derby. I plan on putting those all together in a frame mounted on a peice of camo flease I picked up.

As far as my name goes, I'm from Cinncinnatti. There's a salamander that lives in the Ohio valley region called a Hellbender.
Welcome to this website about the conservation of hellbenders!
I have alway had a soft spot in my heart for these creatures and since I live in NY now, It only made sense to me.

Thanks for reading, and I Wish you Blue Skies and Tight Lines.

[skeetbum]

"I Wish you Blue Skies and Tight Lines."

Hellbender, I'd like to use that from time to time, if you don't mind. I had a Wonder Rod that I acquired in the early 70's. Mine was a spin cast set up that I gave the reel away and had the rod made into a spinning rod with Lew's Fuji hardware and handle. Used it for years and finally beat it up and salvaged the hardware and handle and wound another blank into it's place. Carried it in Oklahoma when I lived there and caught many fish on it, my first "Bass" rod. Thanks for the memories it brought up.

[olduckhunter]

hellbender, if you do make a shadow box make it bigger than you think you will need and if you are gonna put the reel in it it will probably need to be around 4 inches deep. make it bigger and with a sliding front glass you can always add more things. and yes, we have the hellbenders here too. when i wrote that i was thinking of fishing. you might check on ebay and find a reel box for that reel. sometimes the box is worth as much or more than what's in it. when you get the tackle box you will have a ball going through it. look for the little metal sinker tins. old spools of the black casting line may be in it too. anything fishing is collectible now.

[NYHellbender]

Skeetbum - Go ahead and use it. I started signing that to my posts a few months back. I'm glad you like it.

Some of those ol poles are fun to fish. I still fish with a caine pole in the summer for fun.

Olduckhunter - As far as a shadow box goes... I have come up with a few options, but don't have any current plans.
And collectibles, Everytime I go into an Antique Store. The first thing I look for are old reels and lures. Knifes are another thing to keep an eye out for.