Hey Steve (Sanford)-Push Pole?

[Jon Yenulonis]

Did you post a thread about a wooden "push pole" a while back? Or maybe someone else?
I've done a bit of a search and can't seem to come up with what I'm looking for. I know I saw a few pictures of an old wooden boat pole somewhere. Where one would grip it, it was wrapped with rope, and had a push-pull wooden end on it. I think it may have had a little strip of copper on the end? I'm envisioning a sorte "Y" at the end with one upper leg of the "Y" a hook.
I came across an old, round dowel- type piece of Doug Fir yesterday, about ten feet long and 1 1/8" or 1 1/4" in diameter. It has "push pole" written all over it. And just what I need for my sneak box restore.
Thanks,
Jon

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, John~

I'm not sure if I'm the right guy - or if I ever posted on pushpoles and wading staffs. I did post on an old "shovin' oar" given to me last year: http://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=246709;search_string=oar;#246709

Shovin' oars are best if you have hard bottoms and will be shoving for long distances and using the blade to keep on course. All the Scooters in the Pattersquash Club (see Connett's Duck Shooting Along the Atlantic Tidewater) used shovin' oars. But, Bellport Bay is very shoal and hard bottomed (for the most part).

Since I used to gun all around Long Island - in all water depths and bottom types, I preferred the duckbilled pole below - mostly to get the boat out to water deep enough to run my outboard. On my Sneakbox, I like the old Herter's Duckbill - because it is so good on soft bottoms. I use one on a 13-foot pole for my Sneakbox but also made a 7-footer that I use in my canoes (because it stays out of the way) and even for wading in treacherous mire. Here is the business end resting in its stern bracket:

I do also have wading staffs - for stony river bottoms and for soft stuff - each is about 6-feet long.

The river staffs get a copper pipe cap (set in 3M 5200):

The marsh staff has 3 triangles of Cypress screwed and epoxied around the pole:

Turk's Heads go on the ends of all my poles, shafts, handles. And the poles get several soaking coats of linseed oil - refreshed each off-season.

Hope this helps,

SJS

 

[Kevin Puls]

I really like that marsh staff Steve. Do you find it suitable for all bottoms? I might make one for my aging father whole still likes to wade streams for Steelhead and climb the occasional hill to hunt.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Kevin~

I think you need to make your Dad a complete set!

For mountains and rocky streams, the copper tip is the way to go. The splayed foot is fine in marshes and on soft bottoms - but cannot match the performance of the duckbill in real soup.

SJS

 

[Jon Yenulonis]

Sorry Steve, I thought you had something like this a while back. I'm thinking either I saw it somewhere, or my imagination is running away...again.


Here is a rough, very rough "Etch A Sketch" drawing of what I am thinking.

I'll put something together later in the summer.


What is rather interesting is, I used to have a long pole, about 1 1/4" in diameter, with just a single 4" length of 3/8" threaded rod inserted in a perpenicular hole drilled very close to the bottom. There were flat washers and a pair of jamb nuts on each side. At the other end, a loop of rope. That thing was VERY useful. I could push, pull, and retrieve decoys with it. I am not sure what happened to it, but it's not around anymore.


Jon

 

[Kevin Puls]

Jon, you clearly missed your calling as a graphic designer. Lol.

Wish I had something like that with my old blind to set the corners.

 

[bob welsh]

heres two that came from a firehouse pike pole. added the end.

 

[bob welsh]

 

[Capt Rich Geminski]

I use the duck bill like Steve has and use the other end for sandy bottom. Red Magnus made some long push poles shaped like a oar with with a notch to pick up decoy lines. Maybe one of the South Shore guys has a a pic to put on line...