Author Topic: Shy Poke  (Read 1957 times)

AL

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Shy Poke
« on: January 21, 2016, 02:27:48 PM »
 I do know it was available in the late 1950s and 1960s in many, many retail stores in the WI-MN-IA region, so it is likely the distributor was based in the Twin Cities. It was advertised in a number of small retail and department stores in a wide variety of newspapers, including the following ad from The Waterloo Daily Courier on 24 April 1958.

Matt W

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Re: Shy Poke
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2016, 05:51:21 PM »
Shy Poke was used on rods, reels, minnow buckets, tackle boxes, and likely other items as well. Shy Poke was a trade name with many companies making sporting equipment for them, such as Tru Temper, Bronson, Great Lakes Reel and of course, Johnson Reel.  They were marketed mainly in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Indiana.

I believe that the Shy Poke made by Johnson is a Century 100a that is labeled "Shy Poke" with the addition of "S.M. 230" on the side plate.  It is a combination of three colors with a black plastic cover, yellow side plates and a tan/brown frame.  The cover is not consistent with the cover of a Century reel and may actually fit a different Johnson model.  I believe that the "S.M. 230" is a catalog number of some sort.

Companies other than Johnson made reels marked "Shy Poke."  I am aware of an open faced model with a shy poke (Another name for a blue heron) engraved on the side.  It is an attractive reel, unfortunately I do not recall the name of the manufacturer, perhaps it is Bronson or Great Lakes...

Not much is known at the present time about the Shy Poke reels made by Johnson other than the fact that they are quite rare.  I've never actually seen one in person. 

TIMMY

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Re: Shy Poke
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2019, 04:43:35 AM »
this is very interesting. i don't seek out trade reels as a rule, but sometimes you run across one that you just can't resist. if one of these showed up on ebay there would be a bidding war over it. i think it ranks right up there with other rare johnson trade reels like the cooks premier or the ace hardware 50th anniversary reel or the bright red revelation.  I have now found 2 super rare johnson trade reels that were listed in a way that it was a miracle that i found them. both reels are identical - the flying fishermen and the sportmaster No 78460. this leads me to think there may well be others not yet discovered. could the FF division of johnson been producing many gold capped laker reels with different brand names ?

 

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