How things have changed

[bigr]

My first tackle box was a steel single tray green. It had a couple anise worms. black and purple. Think that was the only color at time they had. A black jitter bug,yellow hula popper,black Floyd's buzzer,red and white daredevil,a couple different sizes of red and white plastic bobbers, a round container of sinkers and a container of hooks of assorted sizes. What i treasure chest i had back then. The good ole 60's. Now i have a carry type with all kinds of crap.

[tomturkey]

My first tackle box sounds about the same. EXCEPT plastics were unheard of back in the mid 50's.

[DanO2013]

i think my 1st tackle box was a double tray plano...a big guy, we used to use them for seats at the river when i was in middle school...im sure it would not support me these days, but i used to love my giant tackle box...now days i just like to travel as light as possible and bring a camo fanny pack i sling over my shoulder and call it a man pouch cuz "fanny pack" dont cut it

[trophytaker1]

My first tackle box was a bag because i had to ride a bike to get to go fishing

[Teacherpreacher]

Mine was a metal Kennedy Tackle Box, Hip Roof version.
When I was about 10 years old my two Uncles would come over and ask if I had any good "Trading Material" in that box. They'd show me some old piece of crap bait they had in their box and tell me how many fish they had caught on it, then talk me into trading one of my good baits for it. Later they'd come over and give me back all my good stuff!
Back in the late 40's I had a number of old classic wooden baits made by  Heddon, Creek Chub, Shakespear, etc. Pikie Minnow, DareDevil, Johnson Spoons, Heddon Darter, Jitterbug, Plunker, Palomine, Hawaiian Wiggler, Zara Spook, Flat Fish, River Runt, Crazy Crawler, Hula Popper, Super Sonic, Heddon 2 Ten, Meddow Mouse.
I have a small plastic box with most of these baits that when I'm up in the UP each year I will take one day and fish only these baits. I catch just as many bass on these old baits as I do with the modern day ones.
Teach

[rivereddy]

First box for me was a steel Simonson.  It had one tray that was lined with thin cork. Cost durn near $2.00.  I soon graduated from a cane
pole to a Zebco Jr. #77. I still have it. First lure was a Heddon River Runt which cost 77 cents, followed sometime later by a Jitterbug. A small
black/white dardevle & shyster followed.  I also got a few of them new fangled rubber worms which more or less immediately melted their way into my jitterbug.  I remember when the first Rapalas came out.  Dang things cost $2.15 if you could find them.  Some stores actually rented them out for
$1.50 a day (with a $3.00 deposit)  There were 3 honest to gosh fishing shops in Indy back the; Budnick's on Mass Ave. Emroe's (the mother
ship....had musky dardevles) and Charlie Sutfin's in Speedway (mainly archery but great tackle shop).

Look up the May, 1962 Popular Mechanics Magazine.  It contains a couple of ironic twists.  On the cover there are several Indy cars, among them
a front engine offy and a rear engine Brabham.  The head line story was "Is Indy racing Dead?"  It also contained an article about fishing lures
called "The Deadliest Dozen" The irony here is that the article was written just before the name Lauri Rapala made if over from old Suomi.....
My childhood quest was to own the Deadly Dozen and catch a fish on each of them. Between birthdays, Christmas, and my morning Star route
I got them all and did indeed take a fish on each one.  Sadly some years later, someone stole nearly all of my tackle and I lost them.  I am
now working on replacing them.

Fish on, and on

Rivereddy

[rivereddy]

As of May 1962

  1   Arbogast Jitterbug   Red head/ white body
  2   South Bend Bass Oreno  dark brown/ black stripe finish
  3   Arbogast Hawaiian Wiggler #2  red/green
  4   Kautsky  Lazy Ike  green scale finish
  5   Helin Flatfish   grey w/ black spots..2 trebles on hangers
  6   L & S Mirrowlure   grey over white  mirror finish
  7   Johnson Silver Minnow
  8   Eppinger Dardevle  (I actually met a young lady who was an Eppinger at a sports show. She smiled and said "Hi."
                                    I immediately fell in love... I'll bet I was all of 10 years old at the time)
  9   Abu Reflex Spinner  ( a Johnny come lately)
10   Original Bomber  yellow coachdog finish
11   Heddon River Runt Midget  red w/ silver stripes
12   Creek Chub Pikie Minnow  red head/orange body/black spots (This is the only one I haven't replaced.... I saw one being
                                             auctioned off on the net.  It sold for $580.00

BTW - first fish on an artificial was an 11 inch lmb on a black over silver Rapala.....

Nailed that sucker flat unhuh...who got the memory....huh?
Now if someone would just tell me where I left the truck keys.........

fish on, forever

rivereddy



 

[stinkybaits]

I still have a dozen unopened Floyds buzzers. Never were worth a darn after he sold out.

[pearly]

My first tackle box was a canvas pack that was used in WWII to carry a gas mask. Came from Dicks Trading Post in Wabash. My Granddad bought it for me Actually worked real good. Pearly

[gilldan]

My first pole was a stick, string, and a large safety pin.  Lots of fishing in the St Joe river by the dam as I lived only a block away.  Lots of baloney and peanut butter for bait.  We lived on the banks of the river from the Parnell bridge to the dam all summer long.  Shame its all gone now.

[bigr]

Great stories guys. I catch many more and bigger fish now than ever before but my best memories are of the old bicycle days.