I've been thinking of making a push pole for getting around on the rivers here in VA. I dont carry a paddle on the boat, but do have 2 batterys and 2 motors. A push pole would be more "handy" than a paddle since the waters are so shallow.

Anyone ever built one? I was thinking of making one with a nice cork handle and maybe some wrappings or marbling? Anyone know of a blank for one?

DR.

There are specialty push poles made that will probably work much better than anything you might make from a scrap rod blank. However, you can always give it a try. Depending on how long you need it to be, an old surf rod blank might do okay for you.

Generally a handle on the end isn't needed because you use the entire pole as the handle as you "walk" your hands along the pole as you retrieve it.

Take a look on the Loomis site at their commercially available poles to get some idea of what's currently popular. You can always adapt something to suit your needs.

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Dr,
I agree with the previous post. i.e. there are likely better poles around - ready made.

I have a multi section aluminum push pole that expands and twists to lock at any length. It also has a boat hook at one end to aid in manuevering the boat around the dock.

I really enjoy the ability to telescope the push pole and think that it would be tough to duplicate such a thing in a rod blank style push pole.

A couple that are readily available:

[www.basspro.com]

Note: the use of a "duck foot" on the end of the pole helps to keep the pole from getting stuck in the mud.

Take care
Roger

DR;
I agree with both Tom and roger. I have the $39.00 version from Bass Pro. It would be hard to accomplish the same for that little bit of money. The other convenience is that it collapses down to about 4 ft for when I am not using it

You could also you a telescoping pole like those used on tree pruners or for a pool cleaner. Find one someone who is throwing one out or at salvation army and you've saved a lot of $. You could use that until you are ready to invest more.

I know the pool cleaner poles at Lowes are about $15 and go about 4' to 12'.

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AD

I have a telescoping Frabil lure retreiver that I have also installed a duck foot on. Since I am generally only in a few feet of water it works fine at onlly 5-6ft. in length.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

If you really want to "pole" then longer is better (up to a point anyway). This is where I see a problem with making your own because you're going to end up with something very heavy. So a commercially made graphite model is the best way to go. I don't think you can buy the blanks, and even if you could, in the world of push poles a "blank" and a "pole" are just about the same thing. The pole simply has one end capped and a metal spike or sand web installed in the other end.

But if you just want to push yourself off of rocks and stuff like that, any of the stuff mentioned above should work well.

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When I was full time guiding I made a push pole for my "bait boat", a 16 ft Jon with a 50 gal tank used for netting wild Shad in the shallow creeks and backwaters of Lake Norfork.
What works for me is a 10' section of 1" PVC pipe, capped at both ends, with an aluminum flag cleat on one end (the kind used to wrap line on that raises and lowers a flag on flag stand).
A couple of stainless screws to secure it, another screw for each end cap to remove if needed.
Has come in handy as a push pole, net retreaver, and even a crude paddle.
Cost less than $ 10.00, has been unbreakable, and over 15 years of dureable sitting outside in the boat.
Another plus is that even an electric troll motor seemed to alert the fish when in really shallow areas, the push pole is much more "stealthy", has allowed me to get close enough to throw a net even in clearer water on spooky baitfish.

Hope this helps,

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Alot of the folks down here that fish the extreme shallows use the Stiffy brand push poles but for a heck a of a lot less money you can make one out of 1 1/2" PVC w/ a cap on one end and a tee w/ short lengths (3-4") with caps on the ends. This push pole will float and is cheap. If storage is an issue you can always make it w/ male and female threaded coupling and have it in whatever lengths you can easily store.