What is the difference between a bamboo rod and a "cane pole"... the cane pole being a rod with no reel or guides, just line tied to the tip? Is the cane pole made from sugar cane? What is the history on these?

Maybe this will help [www.the-fishing-place.com] or [dictionary.reference.com]

Bill - willierods.com

Gary;
The "Cane Pole", as I know it , is as you described. You tie a line to the tip of it and fish with it as such. You mainly fish for Pan fish such as Bluegill and Crappie. I started out fishing with one as a little boy.
They were made from a species of Bamboo/Cane that grows along stream banks in the southern half of the US. The ones in my area will grow to about 14 ft tall and about 1' in diameter at the butt. Some bait shops in my area will have them for sale. A lot of fishermen still use them, especially for Crappie.
They are normally cut while still green, stripped of the leaves , hung from the tip and dried. They will season out in about a year. After they had seasoned / dried, you would spiral wrap a piece of kerosene soaked cotton string around the pole from tip to butt with the wraps being about 6 inches apart. You would then set the string on fire and let it burn out . That burning process would temper the cane to help protect against breakage and splitting plus make it a little stronger and stiffer. If you wanted to you could then brush on a coat of Varnish.
I have watched my Grandfather make many of them. I have made a few myself.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

Wow I remember them as a kid down at Barnagat Bay. My uncle had a house and one wall had the nets, cane poles, you name it. We would go thru the marsh creeks and walk out in about a foot of water and use them in these salt water ponds and catch white perch.

Back in the day in MN they would troll for pike with them using a daredevil. Right behind the outboard.

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"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Gary, you might enjoy watching this part of cane pole history. These guys are taking 300 pound tuna on them: [youtu.be]

The biggest difference between a bamboo rod and a cane pole is about $1,500!

robbie, and half the orvis store they are wearing

Jay,
I should have known that yo were around when cane poles were first used!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Mike,,,I resemble that remark !!

I caught a 6 1/2 lb Carp on one when I was about 8 years old. My cousin and I ran up and down the creek bank for half an hour before we could get him on shore. At that time I thought it was a world record of some kind. Didn't know what kind of a fish it was. Thats been over half a century ago. I have been trying ever since to top that 6 1/2 pound mark on an expensive custom built Fly Rod .

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

Jay my brother and I were too impatient to wait for them to dry.We just used them green.lol Talk about moderate action.Mama used what we didnt break to stick beans in the garden.Ive always wondered how they got those brown stripes on the dried ones.

Time for me to chime in. I have played with cane poles for about 25 years now, a lot of fun with bream. My question to the bamboo guys on here..... would you refinish a cane pole the same as a bamboo rod? Thanks

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Super Tight Lines......Don