BrianMDTX

Time will tell. But I believe your assessment will be correct!

Ok, so the Fuego won’t be here until this coming week, so I swapped reels off another rod and put on a H2O Xpress Ethos HD spooled with 50 lb Sufix 832 and 12 lb YZH leader. I tied on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG with a 3/16 oz tungsten bullet weight and a Mann’s Jelly Worm in blackberry. I casted the worm (hook 100% buried in the bait) on my lawn and reeled it in to see what I could feel. I’ve done this with other rigs as well, but there is no comparison. I could feel the transition from soil to leaves, small twigs, etc. Wow. I was planning on spooling 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier mono on the Fuego, but I may go Seguar Smackdown to leader. Hope to wet a line tomorrow and really give it a true test.

That’s a whopper for sure!

You want easy in a boat, try the Lefty Kreh leader knot. I have used this knot for three years and I’ve only had one failure and that was on me (don’t tie knots when exhausted). Every snag I’ve had to break off has broken at the bait or hook, never the leader. I use it on all my spinning rigs (20 lb. braid to 6 lb. mono or YZH leader) and my frog rig (50 lb. braid to 12 lb. mono leader). I have no issues with casting (I do not have micro guides. YMMV). I takes 30-45 seconds to tie. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GDxGy3Nld2g

I’d say my jig bite always sucks. But I think that’s mostly due to leaves and muck. Even swimming a jig hasn’t produced. But I keep trying! Their shop is nice. Smelled like new. Shows pride in their product.

I don’t fish from a kayak-I have a small inflatable boat. But it has a 7” pedestal with a seat so it’s likely close to the height of a fishing yak. 90% of my casts are sidearm unless I’m out in open water casting bigger baits.

Me, too! All those nice rods laying there. Begging for a new home. And all I got was one! ?

I won’t be able to compare, of course. But that’s the hope!

Kinda was my thought. And I really like my current Fuego. Especially after the clean and lube job I just finished.

Once short sentence. So much wisdom! You can entice them to bite, but hooking them solid and keeping them hooked is just as important.

Stopped by their shop and picked up my Helium HE-TCJ-70MH, labeled as “Texas-Carolina Rigs and Jigs”. It’s a 7.0’ MH/F. Haven’t had much time to look at it closely but at first glance, it looks great. The blank is bare, which may not appeal to some, but it reminds me of the feel of my old Carbon Express CX-300 arrows, so I like it. Very lightweight for sure. I have a Daiwa Fuego FGCT100XS on the way for it. I have the same reel on my current Texas rig rod (a Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast) and it’s worked great (I like a higher gear ratio for Texas rigs to reel in slack quickly if the bait gets taken as soon as the bait hits the water). At some point I may upgrade to a higher-grade reel, but it will do the trick for now. Going to spool 15 lb. Sunline Shooter Defier on it and hope to fish with it on Sunday!

Are you talking about the area on the left side of Rt. 1 as soon as you cross the Conowingo Dam and pass Rt. 222? When I was a kid we’d park there and walk up the tracks to what looked like a big pond with a small and short access to the reservoir. There were some monster 8”-10” bluegills there and some big bass. Never caught the bass lol but we did catch many of those fat bluegills. I think the access closed shortly after 9/11.

Somewhere, George Blanda is smiling.

We need a Ukrainian drone to drop a bomb on that &@#% groundhog today!!! ?

I’ve said this before, but it beats repeating. For decades I frequented hunting forums as I was ate up with deer hunting. And especially bowhunting. And while hunters love to talk about gear, they are loathe to ever discuss where they hunt lest someone kill their deer. And arguments and insults were plentiful. This forum is so different. And I believe the mods are the key. Things get shut down quick if it tends to go too far. Want to kill a forum quickly? Have no mods. Glenn and the mods here do a superb job. Kudos to all of you!

Every house I lived in until 2019 has had a basement. Never had issues with water intrusion in any of them. Maybe it depends a lot on types of soil as well as proper grading. All I know is that the sheer amount of space makes a basement worthwhile. 80% of my neighbors use their garage as storage. That’s madness! ?

No. He already skeedaddled! ?

That’s what I noticed moving to Texas. I’m guessing the lack of basements has something to do with that. Man, I miss having a basement. So much extra space.

I have a Fenwick HMX MF as my wacky rig rod. It’s not $$$ but it’s a pretty darned good rod for that application.

Well, I might be in trouble in the future lol. I was shocked to discover after being here since 2019 that I live that close to a manufacturer of top-shelf bass rods. And pretty darn close to Lone Pint brewery. I think I’ll have a cold Yellow Rose after I pick up my new rod!

2020. LMB. Between 6-7 lbs which beat my old PB by over 3 lbs. But I had been away from fishing for about 25 years, so that had a role in it.

One of the reasons we moved to the Houston area was to escape typical Maryland winter weather. Current Bel Air, Md temp: 35° Current Conroe, TX temp: 37° But at least no white stuff! High of 68° Sunday. I’m hoping to be fishing!

My wife took boneless pork chops and coated them with panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic and oregano and cooked them in an air fryer at 400° for 12 minutes. I wasn’t really expecting much. Holy crap, were they good! Crispy, juicy and full of flavor.

But not today. He just left on vacation lol.

Man. Monkey squirts sounds like some really bad Sunday morning after a 12-hour bender on a Saturday. With two stops at Taco Bell.