TOXIC

It’s posts like this that make me glad my only consideration is what lb test mono I want to spool. 😂😎🤣

It helps to be friendly with those of us who fish pretty regularly. Had a friend IM me and ask if I could help him catch a snakehead on the Rappahonock River. He fishes the Potomac mainly. Being a guide, I was able to give him the specific information he needed to go get some. Pic is him yesterday and me last Sunday. I will be heading out again this Sunday.

There’s no shortage of conflicts on the water and as the recreational boating season kicks off up here in the northern states, I’m sure there will be a lot more posts. Sorry you had to endure the rudeness and ignorance of some boaters.

Sad to say at my age, when I first started fishing, you had to learn how to read water. Sonar units were more for making sure you didn’t run aground. I learned how to read what I saw above the water to know what was going on under the water. Sure I missed some hidden gems but for the most part I was able to read the water. Modern electronics have provided a shortcut to that skill and exposed the hidden spots. I also fish tidal water and that brings a whole new set of considerations but a creek mouth, is still a creek mouth and I don’t need my electronics to tell me that. 😂

Yamamoto Ichi worm.

Congrats. My biggest frustration in retirement has been what I THOUGHT I was going to earn and what I ACTUALLY earn after the tax man gets done with me at the end of every year. I retired 4 years ago from a Federal Agency where I had been very prudent about putting $$ away for retirement. I have a 401k and the Thrift Savings Plan both of which had very good matching $$ from my Agency, a pension, a few investment accounts and now I’m in my first year of Social Security. I was giddy about being able to finally enjoy the fruits of my labor from 35 years of intense work. My advice is to get a good Certified Financial Planner because you’re going to need them. We live very frugally, been in our house 32 years, and have “cash outed” some of my smaller investments for things we have wanted to do. Some traveling, home updates, holidays, etc., nothing big to date. My pension and the fact my wife is still working pays all of our day to day expenses. I have not dipped into the 401k or the TSP yet. My tax bill at the end of the year is alarming and add to that now that I am drawing Social Security, 78% of that is going to be taxed as income as well. My wife keeps reminding me that all of my accounts were pre-tax $$ and I get that, but it still stings. congrats again btw….😂

@MN Fisher how do you keep them from rusting?

Don’t confuse rod quality and different models with rods that have different actions for different techniques.

If you want the easy answer it the fact that every technique has a “better” action in a rod/reel. While you can use one for multiple techniques, it doesn’t make sense to throw a weightless Senko on a flipping stick. How far into matching the rod characteristics with the technique is personal preference and many times changes with experience. I do use the same rod for multiple techniques in many cases. Back in the day Rick Clunn advocated one action rod/reel but that didn’t last long.

May 17th-25th will be on Harsens Island in Smallmouth heaven!

@Kyle S in the areas we fish that are from Little Falls to Port Royal, our spots consist of almost all creek mouths. We don’t go into any of the creeks. There are some bays that we fish but very few. After all the trips over the years we have spots that are on the main river. Ledges, drops, rim rock, boulders, channel cuts, etc. shoreline structure is not consistent because it is constantly changing with storms and tides. You have to be very aware of the tides because the fish set up differently depending on the tide. We will be out there again this Sunday.

That sucks. My 2005 Yamaha is a 2 stroke but I don’t direct mix. I trust the auto oiler. If it fails, I get an alarm for low oil and it’s designed to fail to full oiling.

I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time, so regular maintenance is a must. My last truck, a 2004 3/4 ton 2500HD with the 6.0 had 175k on it when I traded it in on my brand new at the time 2016 Silverado High Country 5.3. I had lifetime oil changes from the dealer on my 2004 and they wanted it in every 3,000 miles. I have 95k on my 2016 and I do the oil every 5,000. I have also had all of my fluids changed (transmission, transfer case and both differentials) I’ve had a radiator flush, brake fluid flush (found out the hard way on my 2004 what happens if you don’t) and just had new plugs, wires and induction service. I’ve proactively done a new AC Delco battery, Powerstop pads and slotted rotors and Bilstein rear shocks. Did Michelin LT tires at 65k. All receipts are in my center console😂

I use Simple Green for a lot of things. It’s biodegradable but does have a strong odor.

Yes, everything was on a Ned, I throw a custom poured Ned head with a 4” Senko. My partner throws the Zman setup both head and trailer. Water was 55-60. Not too much junk and clarity was 2’. As usual most productive areas were creek mouths. We fished both tides. We fished both up river and downriver from Hopyard. Downriver was better.

Made our first trip out to the Rappahonock River out of Hopyard landing. Lots of small fish snakeheads were chewing and bowfin in spawning colors. Ned rigs did the most damage.

You are correct.

Just read this morning that they are cutting manufacturing staff. Screenshot is for relevance, you can find the articles.

One of my best experiences was living on the St Johns for 2 years and having my bass boat on a lift right in the front yard past the pool. The dang river can humble you quickly. It took me a month to catch my first bass. I fished a tournament trails out of Whiteys and Clark’s fish camps. It wasn’t until I paired up with a local river rat that I started unlocking its patterns. I had an Elite Series angler spend the entire prefishing period at my house for a tournament on the river. I learned a lot and he tuned his baits in the pool.😂. He stayed with me in Virginia for a tournament on the Potomac as well.

For food…Walleye and hopefully enough to bring some fillets home from St Clair in May. Locally, Snakeheads are fun went out for the first time Sunday on the Rappahonock River and caught a few. My buddy got a 9 pounder. Pics are from last year.

I didn’t put up any pics of the workshop. It would hold 3 combines and 3 tractors at a minimum. The workshop has its own office. 😱

Day spent out on my daughters horse farm in Middleburg, Virginia putting the Black Pearl up for a short stay. I am having my driveway and boat pad repaired and sealed on Friday. She has a pretty impressive array of outbuildings that most of us would gladly give manly body parts for. An original carriage barn with water outlets, sky lights and a floor drain attached to a storage barn where she keeps round bales of hay for the horses and all of that attached to a monstrous workshop capable of storing and working on tractors and implements. Not to mention she has 2 other barns that are stalls for horses. She runs her facility geared to retired horses living out their best life on the farm. This is the first time the Pearl has ever been stored inside. If she was closer, I can guarantee it would be the permanent storage facility.

Just don’t confuse polarized with water clarity. If the water isn’t clear, they will be of minimal use. Lense color does matter. Just like most shooting glasses are amber, some colors magnify light, others mute it. I wear progressive Oakley polycarbonate glasses at the recommendation of a fishing friend who is an Optometrist. Clarity with glass may be a bit better but in his opinion it is not worth the risk.

Retired from a “quasi-governmental” agency after 34 years of service. Non appropriated (not taxpayer funded). Every year we would get a summary of benefits that showed base pay, locality adjustment and $$ value of our benefit package. Usually the benefit package was what made the job more special. Hiring and retaining good employees has been a challenge going on for ever. Because of the type of work I did, I was compensated well (ended up a SES) and had a gold standard benefits package. In retirement I am able to keep my health/life/medical insurance, get a pension, have both an IRA and 401k that had a high level of matching and still be able to draw Social Security. That didn’t come without a lot of sacrifice on my part (having a special skill set, moving all over the country and living on the road for much of the time). It would be hard to say I “loved” my career but it was never dull and I worked hard for every benefit I have in retirement. I ask myself now that I’m retired if it was worth it due to all of the sacrifices I made and I answer with a resounding yes and no.

Without knowing how you fish a Senko or how you’re trying to fish a Senko, everybody’s answer will be what works for them. I normally have 3 Senko rods rigged for different applications.