by rickstream » Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:01 pm
Swish-Rods were made by Handi-Shop Industries of Tomah, Wisconsin back in the day. Two size reels were made. The larger reel would put out 18 inches of line per revolution. So Fifty turns was 75 feet. Used for deep water crappie fishing (lake Mendota) they had a thumb screw drag on the reel axle, bi-pod fold out legs, and an ice scrapping wire loop for the line cleaning and a real sweet hardwood maple handle to finish the rig off. And all made in Wisconsin. Nice rigs, however, not used much by anyone now days. The term "Mendota Rig" was known by everyone back in the late 1970's and early 1980's when the Swish-Rods were sold at every tackle store on earth. Now days it is a St. Croix that is in use for deep water crappie fishing. I still use my "Mendota Rig" on Green Lake when going deep.