What where your first 3 rods?

[Goose]

1st. Describe your 1st rod, any rod, hand me down, yard sale,store bought ect.

2nd. Your 1st factory rod, what was it?

3rd. What was your 1st custom rod?
_______________________________
First rod was a 8' blue I don't know what.
My first factory was an abugarcia 11', the rod was a fish magnet.
Custom was a 9' something glass rod glass but I'm not strong enough to fish with it now.

[luds]

Originally Posted by Goose

1st. Describe your 1st rod, any rod, hand me down, yard sale,store bought ect.

2nd. Your 1st factory rod, what was it?

3rd. What was your 1st custom rod?
_______________________________
First rod was a 8' blue I don't know what.
My first factory was an abugarcia 11', the rod was a fish magnet.
Custom was a 9' something glass rod glass but I'm not strong enough to fish with it now.

1st. rod- 12 foot ugly stick from an MVP Sports going out of business sale

1st good factory rod was an All Star 1145.

1st Custom was a another 1145 because I liked the first one so much.

[Mike P]

My first rod was a 6' cheapo from Benny's. Used at the Canal for mackerel and flounder.

My first "sort of" surf rod was an 8' Berkley glass spinning rod. I guess that qualifies as a factory rod, too. It was many years before I bought another factory rod, and that was an 11' Penn Slammer.

First custom was a Lami 1163, wrapped conventional, and cut down to 11', built by Dave Hammock at Murat's.

[JFigliuolo]

1. Not sure... Some 5-6 glass rod w/a zebco 202.
2. First surf rod, Daiwa Elliminator 11' -- Spags.
3. The RS SU1088 I just wrapped myself.

[MAC]

first fishing rod was an old glass stick with a small silver baitcaster.(back in the middle 60's, when I was a little kid). My grandfather gave it to me. He is the one who got me into hunting and fishing. I thank him for that.

first surf stick was an unknown glass stick around 8' with a penn reel if I remember right.

first custom stick was a 13' 1 piece Lami. with wire guides I bought when I got out of the service in 82. Reel was a penn 750SS. It cost me 125 bux and my father thought I was out of my mind.
Now all these years later I think he may have been right

[striprman]

J. C. Higgins

[JohnR]

First rod I can remember with any fondness as an 8 foot 2 piece, probably of Sears vintage - followed by several other weaker rods with Penn 712/650 reels hanging from them (this does not include Zebbies)

Fist rod I REALLY went after store bought (and foolishly thinking longer rod equated with better angler) was a 12' Daiwa I bought from Darrel Youngblood with a Penn 8500 SS .

Not long after that I went custom and conventional with a PacBay 1208 cut back 6 inches and wrapped by Gil Pope in 1997 with a Calcutta 400 - SOOOOOO much better than the Penn 8500SS/Daiwa 12' outfit

[BigFish]

1. Zebco 202...black and white...a classic given to me by my folks! Used it for sunnies and largemouth, hornpout and perch....when I was at camp or at the pond my Dad worked at summers......used it in the Fore River near my house for flounder and tommy cod!

2. Penn 10 foot medium action.....bought it when I stated fishing stripers about 8 years ago...still got it! Used it chunkin' or pluggin!

3. Ahhhhh.....got sick of the 2 piece rods always loosening up on me while casting so it was time for a custom rod, 1 piece.......Lami 1083 spinning rod! Nice! Now I gots lots of 1 piece customs both spinning and conventional!

[Steve K]

1. - zebco 202 combo from my parents

2. 81/2' Ugly Stick Lite

3. Sabre 1088 conventional

[Terence]

#1 sears Ted Williams glass baitcaster rod with a sears spinning reel. Salesman told me it would be a sweet set up. 77'

Fenwick 6' spinner Custom made by one of the sons at Dees Bait and Tackle on Clay st in New Haven. 79' It had my name and the words :"fishermans pride" written on it. How Cool.

St Croix one piece graphi te w/cork handle. Loved that rod.82'

[Saltheart]

My first rod was a hand me down from my father. It was about 5 feet long. It had a conventional reel.

My first factory rod was a Garcia Mitchel 2508b with a mitchell 301 spinner. That was my first rod , not a handmedown. It was ans still is a first class set up for fishing for freshwater bass., perch , etc

My first custom was a Lami graphite rod built by Dave at Murats. It was 11.5 feet long and I fished it for many years. Still have it but seldom use it anymore.

[chuckg]

81/2 foot garcia two-piece with a mitchell 306, then I found a 9 foot brown lami in a trash can, had it re done, then, several years later, had a 9 foot BT108 "white" lami custom made. That rod still is an all-aorund rod for many tasks.

[daceman63]

Nothing custom and nothing fancy.


1. Penn ???? 6’6” w/ Penn Delmar Reel - mono

2. Penn Spinfisher 7’ 2 piece light action w/ Diawa 4500B spinning reel - mono

3. Shakespeare Alpha 12’ w/ Silstar RXB80m Baitfeeder - mono

4. Penn Slammer 6’6” Medium Action w/ Penn 310GTi - mono

5. Ugly Stik 6’6” w/ Penn 4500SS (for my 5yr old daughter) – pink mono

6. Ugly Stik 6’6” w/ Penn 450SSG (for my 3 year old daughter) – pink mono

7. Penn Special Boat 6’6 “ w/ 330 GTi – no line

8. Aerial 6’6” w 113HSP – wire

9. Tsunami Trophy 6’6” w/ 330 GTi – lead core

10. Penn Pursuit 10’6” – no reel

[EricM]

Bamboo snapper pole

Zebco something or other when I was getting fancy

Glass 6wt fly-rod

[Rob Rockcrawler]

First rod after a zebco 202.
6'" rod my dad built while living on Kodiac, i quickly shortened it too 6' even

First factory, forget the brand but it was a Black Beauty. 10' spin.

First custom, 10' Lami-triflex convench, by Mike.

[bloocrab]

One of the first rods, (if you want to call it that) was a 3 piece reel-less bamboo pole with a line tied to the tip. We used to bait scallops for mackerel (no, I ain't that old but that was my 1st rod)...back in the day when the locally called "King" mackerel would infest the docks at Fort Adams or the State Pier etc///...lotsa fun, used to squid with it too...I'll never forget the choggie catchin contests we used to have after the bite died down. He wouldn't let us use the scallops though...we'd have to use a diamond jig to catch the first choggie...then dice him up for bait, cannibalistic bastages!!

I never really owned my own rod until my first Garcia...the rods I was allowed to use were Dads, not mine...as I improved as a fisherman (meaning caught enough fish to gain a little respect ), he would let me use what he considered the better rods...I don't remember the blanks, (probably Blue-Light Specials)...but I remember the reels...Olympia's and Penns.

1st Rod - Garcia (gift)
2nd Rod - 9' Murat (hand-me down rod from an uncle, I had Joe over on Lindsey street re-wrap it for me)
3rd/4th/5th/lost count/etc - Ugly sticks in different sizes, Penn Slammer, Penn Meatstick
1st custom rod - 11.5 Lamiglass
2nd custom rod - 10' Ben Doer'
3rd custom rod - Alstar that goose built for me
Somewhere inbetween 2nd and 3rd, I won a 7' Amtok that PasNgas built....another work of art....
4th - custom rod, yet to be determined, ...

[NEXT2NUN]

First rod hand me down wood handle boat rod, Delmar reel

Second was a 10'Peterson W/ Garcia reel still have rewrapped with spaced dyed thread in the 80's

First custom BT857S Lami built by me with help from Village Tackle in 1986. Been rewrapped three times and still comes with me every trip!!!

[slow eddie]

ist was a handline. didn't have kids rods back then.
2nd was a squidder with split bamboo rod
3rd was a mitchell 302 with a garcia rod

[Raven]

was my first (shakespere) rod with a mitchell 300 reel...
i just loved that thing.....

but one day ...a terrible thing happened...very strange
the type of thing, that seems like, only happens to "me"

i rowed out in the rowboat to the boston whaler
and placed the rod into the whaler leaning against
the windshield with the flat square boat cushion
sitting on (over hanging) the bench seat and the
butt of the rod was near the backrest...
on the cushion.

well...as i stepped into the whaler a boaters wave
rocked both boats and i stepped in quickly to avoid
loosing my balance and stepped on the edge of the
boat cushion launching the rod into the air and it sunk.

i tried diving for it several times but had no luck.

[numbskull]

Started for real with a cheap 6 ft spinner that my mother amputated in the rear window and I fixed with a ferrule. Got a Fenwick PLS65 to replace it next Xmas (God, was I thrilled).......then, when I graduated from high school, I got an original 6.5 foot Fenwick graphite blank and built my own. At the time (1973) I think it may have cost $75, and they hadn't yet brought out production graphite rods (at least that I knew of). Still have and use it.

[Backbeach Jake]

My first was a bamboo stick with tarred cotton line that my Grandfather gave me. I forgot to retrieve it from the shed when his house sold. I'd love to have it back...

My first store bought was a Shakespeare WonderRod. White spiral-wound glass. Hung a Garcia/Mitchell from it and I was SuperFisherman!

My first custom, well I haven't seen it yet. Got it in a trade and a third party is holding it till this Saturday.

Nice thread, Goose.

[snake slinger]

my first rod was a zebco.my first store bought surf rod was a penn spinfisher surf 10 ft my first custom was a 1088.and thanks to some people on this site iam building my own rods

[vanstaal]

mine was a benny's 7' special with a conventional I was 7 bought a different reel not sure what but not long after bought a 710 Peen still have it !

second rod was another Benny's special

my third was a custom made at Popper Grandys in Silver lake Providence by this guy called one eye Ernie had it re wrapped in the 80's still have it has a lot of mojo

I now own a Ron Erra 11' custom surf rod

[jimmy z]

The first was a metal spinning rod.
The second was also a hand me down, an old Calcutta rod.
The third I bought from Capitol in Man., back in 1977.

[Slipknot]

some zebco push button fresh water rod when I was 6 or 7 got from dad

first real rod for salt, a silstar 9' thing I still have

1st custom = a sabre 1088 Charlie built from CMS
busted it 3-4 years ago at the canal one day, and they made me a new one no questions asked however, it is not a real sabre anymore

[riverrat2]

First saltwater rod was a shakespear big stick or something like that. 7' and stiff as hell. Cought a ton of fish on that.
First factory rod was a 9' ugly stick w/ a penn 704z
First Custom is my 9' canal rod, the thing is a meatstick it was given to me from my boss for my graduation present. I am not sure of the blank but it can throw a 9" storm with ease.

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by Slipknot

....first real rod for salt, a silstar 9' thing I still have....

Ahhhh...Slip, thanks for reminding me.
I'll guess the rod was also a Silstar as it was bought as a combo, but I do remember the reel being a Silstar -

I also remember that it got it's gears completely stripped by a LONG Bloofish Blitz, could have been the same school that completely anhialated the Nanaquaket Pond YEARS ago, not sure if anyone remembers that day...

[RickBomba]

First rod, 12' custom Fenwick my old man had made in the early 70's (great bomber rod)...heck, #^&#^&#^&#^&y stopped fishing in 1987 and I took it (still in my cellar).
Next a Penn Slammer 12' meatstick.
Still one of my favorites is a 9' FMG Fenwick that I bought years ago, broke on the first time out on a snag at Bass Hole, and had Fenwick replace for me.
Finally a 9' Lami I bought from Bud8fan at Uno's in Framingham...felt like I was buying something else, reel seat is broken, but the duct tape adds character.
Close runner up's, Conoflex Sorcerer 10' and an Allstar Breakaway 10'6".
Later,
Rick

[gone fishin]

My first was a 9 or 10 ft split bamboo. had an old mitchel on that one.
Second and maybe 20 were store bought and I cannot remember who made them.
Third was a Harnel blank that I wrapped with a penn squidder. I still have that rod & reel and sometimes use it eeling.
After that follows many others - most are lami's.

My biggest fear is that when I croak my wife will sell everything for what I told her I paid for it.

[MAC]

Originally Posted by gone fishin

My biggest fear is that when I croak my wife will sell everything for what I told her I paid for it.

Don, I'm sure more than a few guys here are thinking the same thing.