rps

Fussy and equipment dependent, but I rarely (no pun intended) eat steak out. When I do, I say medium rare, but that has a huge range, especially from one cook to the next. At home, I sous vide to 124.5, and then I sear both sides on a smoking hot flat top or a 500+ charcoal egg. Dark pink middle with a nearly black/brown exterior.

Last night I baked cod with a crumb and herb crust.

Lake Havasu in Arizona is in the middle of a drought. They also have golf courses. Seems to me sending him there would be humanitarian aid.

Good ingredients, slow braised - what's not to like?

No one trusts Vernon. Period. Full stop. Bring the boat. If you do not, you will always wonder. One of the best trips I ever made was the one where we went to Broken Bow Lake on Spring Break and it snowed. I never went out, and the wife and I played high stakes gin rummy.

Handsome fish!

Losing parents is difficult. My thoughts are with your family.

I've been a lurker on there for over a decade. That board is one of the reasons my last 10 rods are spiral wrapped and have micro guides. Good advice.

Thank you for the report. I am tickled everyone had a good time until they got home. Heal fast!

Wrench, I think you have put your finger on it. Top water does not mean everything on one rod. Different baits mean different rods. I went astray.

Thank you for carrying over to this post. Your opinion is valuable.

Bacon, mushroom risotto with peas.

Great input folks. Your insight has lead me to a decision. I will continue to use the rod I built for the heavier baits, such as larger spooks, whopper ploppers and the surge shad. The moderate action loads well with the heavier baits. I will unretire the rod I used for my beloved Top Dollars, spook juniors, and chug bugs. It is a 6' medium power, fast action, built on a St. Croix SCIII that I bought deeply discounted. It has nothing wrong with it and I only retired it because I wanted to make a new rod during lock down. Of course that leaves me using the non tubed side box and a reel short until my Revo MGX returns from its rebuild. (Different thread) On the topic of lines, mix, I know your pain. The professional over run problem has caused me to go back to 6# Yozuri for the Ned. I will load the light top water with 10# Yozuri, but I may keep the braid for the heavier top water baits. Heavier baits don't seem to cause as much problem since their weight seems to match the speed of the spool better. Jig rods will stay with the braid as well. Again, thanks for your input.

I want all who regularly follow this thread to go back and review the first 20 pages of this thread. All of us have upped our game.

Now that makes my mouth water.

Went back up to the lake today to verify everything was charging properly. Today it was overcast and mild, so I took the boat out to fish. Within an hour the wake boat crowd showed up and the wind picked up. I lasted only two hours on the lake. I did, at least, pickup one smallmouth. Right at a tail pinch 15 inches.

I caught one squeaker keeper brown today. Color me green.

Direct drive reels. Wow, that brings back memories. My first reel of my own was a Shakespeare President from the 50's. I loved it, of course. Sixty years have seen remarkable changes in fishing equipment.

Thank you.

In 2011 the Revo MGX won the Icast award for the best fresh water reel. I bought one and put it on my top water rod. It served there for years and brought in one 8+ pound largemouth and at least two others over 6. About three years ago, I switched it to my Ned rod. It badly needs work. Besides the corrosion, it chatters on the cast. Were I to replace it, Tacklewarehouse wants $369.95. A Steez would be the most comparable, but that means $550 to $650. My plan is to put it with a pro and have it cleaned, upgraded, tuned, and lubed. I don't need it tomorrow, just sometime before the fall. That leads to the question. Provide recommendations on "the guy" or "the gal" to make this reel the best it can be.

Last year, while sheltering at home, I made a new topwater rod. Per the recommendation of a well known pro on the Mudhole site, I used a particular rod blank.For me, and the way I fish topwater baits, the rod causes more trouble than it should. The action is too soft and too slow. That causes a lob cast or creates back lashes on casts that are not lobs. It feels as if it were one of my walleye rods. It will, therefore, become my new walleye rod. Those of you who make rods , or pay attention to action and power, what blank with what characteristics should I use to tie a new one? BTW, 99% of my topwater baits are light, and I do not often throw a whopper plopper. I look forward to this discusion.

Fished with the new reel today. It took me a while to figure out how to dial it in. Smooth as silk and casts a 3/32 jig head Ned well. I think that will improve as I learn how to set the controls. When the Revo MGX comes back (I started a new thread about that.) I will keep the new reel in my line up. I just don't know on what rod yet.

No. Not that kind. April 30 was a lovely day so I went to the lake. I installed my new, electronics only battery, and fished a bit. Surface temp was 61 to 67 degrees. The rain had stained the water but not turned it to mud. The disgusting part was the yellow surface to the water. So much pollen has settled that your line makes path marks through the water. Caught one fish on a crank and zeroed on the Ned. I hope that soon I can give reports of better results.

Yes, they do. And thanks for the tip on the accessories.

Wrong forum. Reposted