Causeway Sporting Goods

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Causeway Sporting Goods has been providing fishermen with all of their fishing needs for 52 years. This business was made possible by Dan Galbincea, a World War II veteran, dedicated angler and legendary lure inventor. Growing Up Dan Galbincea grew up close to the Mahoning River in a manufacturing town called Liberty, Ohio. He developed a love for fishing at a young age, which carried on with him throughout his life. In 1936, when he was only fourteen, he would wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning and fish in the Mahoning River for carp with dough balls that he made from scratch. At eighteen years old, Dan served the United States in World War II in the 17th Airborne division. When he returned from the war, he began work at Mullin's manufacturing as an arc welder in his hometown. As a side job, Dan would seine for minnows in the river and then sell the bait to local bait shops for extra cash. A hometown woman, Helen Kachenko, caught his eye and he told his friends, "that is the girl I am going to marry". Sure enough, on June 21, 1947 Dan wed the love of his life and over the years had five children. The children's names are Janice, Dianne, Linda, Cathy, and Dan III. Starting a Business On a Sunday drive through Mecca one day with the family, Dan came across a newly completed Mosquito Creek Lake. While driving across the causeway, he saw cars parked and many fishermen casting from the shoreline and thought that would be a perfect place for a bait store. It was from there that Dan turned his hobby into a business and truly enjoyed what he was doing. He gave the owner of the land $1,200 for a little more than an acre of swamp. Dan's boss at Mullin's was in disbelief at his decision to quit his job as a welder and provide for five children by selling worms and minnows. In 1953, Dan and Helen opened their own bait and tackle store what is known as Causeway Sporting Goods. The Causeway sport shop was not only a store that sold fishing supplies, but it was also home to Dan, Helen, and the five children for many years. The bait store remained open 365 days a year, even in the winter months. During the winter season, Dan provided ice fisherman as well as bought and sold fur. He was a fur buyer for 25 years to make money during the cold "off" season for fishing. Inventing a Legendary Lure While Dan and Helen were running the business, Dan also managed to make trips to Lake Erie and learn the ways of walleye fishing. At the time in Lake Erie, fishermen were using a standard type of spinning lure. Dan thought of a way to improve the spinner by adding a weight-forward feature. The weight gave the lure a very realistic "swimming" motion and when it was tipped with a juicy nightcrawler it brought in the walleye time after time. In 1956, he called his new lure "Old Reliable". He would hand out his hand-made lures to his favorite customers to try out as he continuously tried to improve on the lure. To perfect his lure invention, Dan would reel it through the minnow tank at the Causeway Sport Shop and continued to shape the lure until he liked the result.

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