Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020 - 29

bib overalls and bare feet, we wore athletic shorts
and sneakers, but our love for the outdoors was
wild and true. The family farm was our Ozarks.
On nights before our morning fishing
escapades, we concocted our "secret weapon" in a
recycled margarine tub. The base for this magical
creation was a can of corn, but we were certain
the splash of milk, salt, and sugar we added to the
mix was the true ticket to success. If the weather
cooperated, we darted around the yard after dark
catching nightcrawlers with our bare hands to
further sweeten our offerings. Before bed, we
circled our ever-growing "wish list" items in a
dog-eared Cabela's catalog.
At daybreak, we bounced down the hill and
past the barn like a pair of jumping vanilla beans,
bursting with excitement for what the day may
hold. After an hour or so of plucking Bluegills
from the lower pond, we migrated back up the hill
to target bass, crappies, and catfish in the upper
pond. It was a great way for two kids to spend a
summer day.
What makes this memory so nostalgic, beyond
Upon hooking up, keep your rod tip high and put tension on the pole to
the fact that Ryan is no longer here to fish with me
work the fish back toward dry land.
anymore, is the innocent simplicity of our fishing
setup. Often, we used cheap spincasting rods. But
pendulum-style cast from your waist while lifting your rod
sometimes just for fun, we rigged up makeshift
tip simultaneously. Let the bait sit or add a little gentle action
cane poles from long sticks found around the property. The
with a soft twitch of the rod. When you hookup, lift your rod
interesting part is that we still caught fish just the same.
tip high again and use the pressure of the rod to work the
Last summer, after acquiring a perfect-sized bamboo
fish back to shore. It is a lot of fun.
switch while traveling, I decided to pay homage to the
As I mentioned earlier, this setup is far from fancy. In fact,
treasured days of my youth by reconstructing my cane pole
outfit the way Ryan and I used to build our poles. In no time, fishing with cane poles, nightcrawlers, and corn is probably
one of the most simplistic setups, but it still brings plenty of
I was hoisting up fish after fish, just like the good old days.
fish to hand. Consider taking this throwback challenge to
Certain big box retailers sell cane pole packages in
add variety to your summer fishing adventures. Bib overalls
fishing departments for less than $5, but it is fun to be
and bare feet are optional.
a do-it-yourselfer. To build your own, pick out a long,
slender, but sturdy pole (bamboo is perfect since it is both
strong and flexible) of at least 4 feet, but longer is better for
greater control and casting. A length of 8 to 10 feet is ideal
if you have access to a pole of this size.
The heavier end will serve as your handle, and the
thinner end will be your rod tip. If possible, carefully
whittle a faint notch in the thin end about 2 inches from
the tip, just to hold the line, but not so much that it
weakens the integrity of the pole. Tie a length of at least
6-pound-test fishing line to the tip with a threaded loop,
and snip off the line about one-and-a-half times the length
of the rod itself. Any excess line can carefully be wrapped
around the pole until needed.
On the business end of the line, attach a size-8 hook,
and affix a splitshot sinker 3- to 5-inches above it. If you
wish to suspend your bait, which I recommend in a pond
setting, add a bobber a foot or two up the line. Keeping
things basic, an old wine cork, gently scribed around the
middle with a sharp knife can be tied on to serve as a float.
There is satisfaction in catching fish the old-fashioned way, as
Add a nightcrawler or two big kernels of corn to the
anglers have for many generations.
hook and swing your bait out into the water using a
www.fishandboat.com

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2020

29
http://www.fishandboat.com
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020
