Conditions were almost perfect for a great outing today, so I was on the water at sun up.  Four hours later I had zip to show for getting up and out early, but I kept at it.  I'd built a couple of new rods over the off season and was really giving one of them a good work out with a SwitchBackShad on a flat just off the beach area on my home lake.  About the time it started digging bottom, it just stopped like I'd buried it into a thick stand of weeds. Next thing I know, the rod is literally bent in half and my line is screaming off the reel.  Five minutes later I netted a catfish that went 30in. and had to be at least 15lb. New best for a cat and that  M/MF  blank proved to me to be worth every penny I paid for it.

Way to go, papajoe.  Nice work catching a new PB on a rod you crafted. Congrats.