Do You Remember....

[JigginIsLife]

List some things that use to be used almost all the time, or what has been used since "back in the day" or things that were made, but not anymore, and you still wish they were.

[skunked_once]

I returned to ice fishing a few years ago and dug out my good old ice stick with the ice pick on one end, the rubber handle on the other, and the two pegs in the middle to hold the line. This stick was 40 years old and my ice fishing partner could not believe I was still using it. He kidded me unmercifully but I still carry it in the bucket and stick it at an extra hole waiting for an equally old walleye or northern.

[oil painter]

how bout metal minnow buckets, zebco's, cane pole fishing for pans. man oh man to many to list. I grew up in the 50's and wow what a different world!!!

[BigDaddy]

Some old timers would keep a short wooden club in the boat for clobbering northern after they were landed. Not a lot of CPR in those days.

[knoppers]

how about those clip on weights for setting your depth. now we all use flashers.

[76k20]

i still use the depth bombs often, although when bouncin a spoon I rely on the vex

[Northlander]

I remember back when I used a Vexilar.

Seriously though does anyone remember the old pocket fishermen? Thats what I 1st used for a ice rod/reel. Actually worked quite well.

[knoppers]

I still have one of those. I don't think I ever used it.

[Ryan Berger]

Quote:

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I returned to ice fishing a few years ago and dug out my good old ice stick with the ice pick on one end, the rubber handle on the other, and the two pegs in the middle to hold the line. This stick was 40 years old and my ice fishing partner could not believe I was still using it. He kidded me unmercifully but I still carry it in the bucket and stick it at an extra hole waiting for an equally old walleye or northern.

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had one of those for a couple years then used it to roast a hot dog on the sunflower a fish bit and it got burnt,, wish I still had that old thing,, lots of memorise sp

[JigginIsLife]

Im kind of a young buck but i do remember crappie candy, where did it ever go??

[Wade Joseph]

I used to have an old hand crank auger, can't remember the name but it was long shaft with a cup like thing at the bottom that was the blade. My Grandfather gave it to me. He had drilled a few holes in it so you could also use it as a scoop. Used to have to sharpen it by hand.

[oldfart]

Too many gadgets have come and gone to even begin to list. My Grandfather introduced me to ice fishing over 50 years ago. I still remember his black and red plaid mackinaw and the smell of his pipe smoke.

Take a kid fishing!

[herb]

Still have the spoon auger that I started with back in the 60's, along with all my jigging sticks with the 2 peg line wraps. Just can't seem to throw anything out I guess.

[Random guy]

Quote:

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I used to have an old hand crank auger, can't remember the name but it was long shaft with a cup like thing at the bottom that was the blade. My Grandfather gave it to me. He had drilled a few holes in it so you could also use it as a scoop. Used to have to sharpen it by hand.

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Ah the old spoon auger! I still think they where one of the fastest/easiest hand augers ever made if they where sharpend correctly.If sharpened wrong you would just make a grinding sound and sore arms.

How about the old "swisher stick" or "swisher rod" Hand over hand rod with a wood handle, little stand that folded out and a BIG horizontal spool on them with notches and adjustments for setting them up like dead stick or indoor tip-up.

[Gissert]

Jon -

Some people will pay a pretty big price for those Swisher Rods. My dad used to have one, but I have no idea where it went.

His minnow bucket used to be an empty pint booze bottle in his hind pocket,

[CrappieJohn]

When the best walleye rig was a willow stick frozen into the ice at an angle so the tip was three feet over the hole (which was chipped out with a spud bar). Then a length of surveyor's cord, tipped with a short length of mono a weight and a minnow baited hook, was dropped down to within a foot of bottom. A loop was formed on the cord and hung on the end of the willow stick. This loaded the stick and when a fish hit it pulled the cord off the stick and it would snap back up.

[Random guy]

Quote:

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When the best walleye rig was a willow stick frozen into the ice at an angle so the tip was three feet over the hole (which was chipped out with a spud bar). Then a length of surveyor's cord, tipped with a short length of mono a weight and a minnow baited hook, was dropped down to within a foot of bottom. A loop was formed on the cord and hung on the end of the willow stick. This loaded the stick and when a fish hit it pulled the cord off the stick and it would snap back up.

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And if you where after pike you would have the line spooled up on a plastic spool that you floated in water in a chipped out hole in the ice next to the willow branch so the pike had room to run without tangling the line.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I still have a couple of the old Swisher rods hanging on my wall!

Cliff

[Panfish Guy]

We started out with a spoon type auger fishing out of my friends dad's station wagon or my dad's van. Then we upgraded to an auger that was a circle with what looked like plow shares on the outside of it. It cut a plug of ice right down the center which you pulled out with the auger. Seemed like the dads leaned toward the seventh grade boys powerhead for it. The powerhead was very inefficient as it ate most of the lunch and drank most of the hot chocolate!

[BigDaddy]

Speaking of old station wagons, look how the vehicles have changed. It's >90% trucks/suvs on the ice now. Station wagons and sedans were the main mode of transport back in the day.

[Wade Joseph]

But realistically, aren't most SUV's just glorified station wagons? I mean, cmon, no-one makes a wagon like an old 72 Ford country squire or a 70 impala wagon anymore, but a Tahoe or Expedition comes pretty close to size, just in 4x4 with more ground clearance.

I also still have a old pair of chopper mits my Grandpa gave me, with wool liners. They are still warmer than anything made today that doesn't have a built in heater.

[Guest]

I started ice fishing a little over 20 years ago. My 1st auger was something I found laying in the basement, and I have never seen another like it. It was dark green in color. It was a hand auger. The cutting edge on it was a chipper type blade edge... but no removable blade... sharpen with a file. There was a tiny centering point(also welded on) on it that was worthless. It would take a good 5 minutes to drill a hole with that monster and it would never be strait. There was only about 1" of auger in height, one full wrap at bottom was it that would sit on/near the ice at the cutting edge.(auger didnt wrap up the shaft to keep hole centered). Drilling through 12" of ice, the hole would jog about 2 inches in at least 2 different directions before I got to the water... I knew nothing of properly sharpening the blades, but I sure tried(made it worse on the jogging part I think)

That auger lasted my 1st season. After that the folding scoop auger was great I found at a garage sale the next year.

My equipment was an old cheap wooden tip up, and the rods with the spikes and a couple pegs as stated above.

I dont miss those days... but it was the beloved sport of fishing to me as a child... riding the bike back home in sorels(more than a mile) with that gear was more work than anything.

[hawkeye43]

The old green wooden tip up with the flat spring with the flag on it. The trip wire that goes thought a small tube, like the water wouldn't freeze in the tube. Got one good that didn't get busted tring to chop it out of a hole, its got to be 40 years old. How about the old yellow or white bobbers with the red peg.

[lars0926]

How about Dr. Juice?

[Northlander]

Still using doctor juice at times. Hard to find though I have some bottles I have had for a few years and it works good for da loopers.