Stupid Tackle From the past

I remembered something I bought in the 1970s for one of my first fishing trips: It was a packet of white tablets which when thrown in the water let off bubbles which were supposed to stimulate all the fish in the lake into a feeding frenzy!
Anyone remember these or any other daft contraptions?

The daftest contraption I can think of is the rod with all the bracing on it to stiffen it. There is a picture in the magazine "Waterlog" of this anachronism. Looks like the angler is holding a Christmas Tree.