Spankey

Over the last few days we have been getting hit with heavy showers and quick passing showers. River is not in any flood condition or high flow rates just heavy stained and low visibility. Fished some feeder creek mouth and storm drains managed a handful or runts. Lost as many as I boated. All on crankbaits and jerkbaits. Caught a 7 lb. Channel Cat on a brand new Berkley Hit Stick in FireTiger. But with current water condition and clarity, Shad, herring, gold w/blk, dark green and melon caught fish. Started raining at the time I was pulling the plug for the day. Expected it to rain at anytime during my time out. We are expecting unsettled rains for the need few days.

I have to agree with you. I have to put bone in chicken in there also. I just made some killer burgers the other night on the Char-Griller. I believe the charcoals you use are half the battle for good taste. Adding some cherry, hickory and mesquite wood helps and enhances. I use the various Kingsford’s. The one that I’m the most disappointed has been Royal Oak. For a couple of reasons. But to each his own. Many choices. Different strokes for different folks.

Beautiful place and view. Enjoy it bub. The trees can cause a lot of extra work but I would not trade it for open ground new construction. Couldn’t afford it anyway. I would not trade it. Grills are a dime a dozen in the full scheme of things.

My neighbor has always been a gas Griller. Earlier in the year his wife came home with the Weber Kettle with the a custom color on it. She’s alway out there doing something different on it. Trying different mfgs of charcoals. Experimenting with direct and indirect heating. Cooking around the edges with it. She’s having a good time with it for sure. They last forever.

Are properties are not identical but up here in PA I’m under a canopy of 100-130 foot oaks and hickorys. Have the humidity, moss and mold. I get pretty good air flow under them. Years ago I took off most of my lower limbs. That Char-Griller sure looks familiar. Mine is a beast as well. A yard bird cooking machine. Like to have 10 cents for every piece that came off of it. Found a broom handle out in front of the house a couple of weeks ago and made a new handle for mine. Not sure if you tried it yet, I’ve been using the Blues Hogs BBQ sauce and liking it. Never got into making my own. I’ve tried them all. I basically like them all honestly. My daughters and son-in-laws use these Treager smokers. Stuff does come out great. Good brisket. Smoking is not my strong point. My side smoker box for the Char-Griller works great for thick cut pork chops.

Good luck with it. We were just talking about the lava rocks the other day. I swear those old thing had a nice even heat. They might be a thing of the past.

Both my daughters have the Blackstone Griddles and love them. They use the heck out of it. I liked what I’ve eaten off of them. They are trying to sell me on the idea. The kids are all into the stir-fry type of eating. That griddle surface is great for that. I’m leaning toward another Weber, the 3 burner Spirit. I have no issue with Weber, they put out a good product. To repair/rebuild a propane grill is not hard to do. But if you are not able to a Weber is pretty expensive to put curbside prematurely.

I’ve seen them at Home Depot or Lowe’s. They have a lot of models. I have not looked at reviews on them. But I don’t trust all reviews. Sometimes you just have to try for yourself.

I’ve had it 9+ years. I don’t remember the first time around on the original parts. But the intervals have been about equal. I think I’ll do the burners and deflectors one more time. I’m not an expert in stress on steel but grilling in very cold weather may be harder on components. I know people who have less expensive grills that don’t use them that often, that have had them a long time. When I was younger I’ve had the Sunbeams and Kenmores. I don’t want to come off as being cheap or anything because I use it so much, I can’t live (the way I want to) without one. Mine have all been homeowner types. Maybe I’ll check into one that is commercial built. Rebuild it, or a new one, got to have it. You got my belly growling right now. I’ve used a cutting torch tip cleaner a few time over the years. That’s a good maintenance idea to keep heat even.

I have a Weber Spirit. I use the heck out of mine. In the winter as much if not more than in summer. I think grilling in winter comes out better. I’m twice around (not counting original parts) so far on burners, deflection baffles, igniters and grates. Feeling this thing owes me nothing and might not wanting to sink into it. Weber is a good grill. Their parts are steep and universal parts do not work out well. Are you guys into rebuilding your gas grills? Have or are you using a grill other than a Weber that you like? I have and use a charcoal smoker/Griller all year also. Appreciate your thoughts.

Are they buying them from you guys who catch them? They were at one time wanted to be killed when you did catch one?

When I’m down that way I fish the Mattawoman Creek area. I’m sure you know the area better than I. I love coming down there for the bass. I’ll stumble on one someday.

I try like heck to get down and bass fish the tidal part of the Potomac at least once a season. I thought I would have caught a snakehead by now. But have not. The claim is they will hit bass lures. Not sure if there is a particular way to fish for them.

It’s just a lull you are in. Things will break and it will be like it never happened. Hang tight and finish up what you are doing.

My first symptoms the other week were I had a fever @ 100.5 and you had to wiz with no warning. It would hit you faster than fast. No burning or anything or it felt like you had to wiz real bad and took an extra second or so to get started. So I got meds to treat bladder infection and fever. Somewhat worked for the fever than an infection settled in the jewels. That’s were the real pain kicked in. Fished Sunday in the AM, later at dinner time I had a fever again and the jewels you couldn’t even touch them. Add to it gravitational pull when you were standing up, it was like shoot me, please. They told me the swollen and pain will last a few weeks. I’ll do my best to handle that. I’m always moving around some. Work doesn’t have to be strenuous all the time but I like to keep busy. I’ve heard over the years where guys had that burning hurting. Wizzing standing on their tippy toes. Luckily none of that. When I put the boat in I don’t have to get wet or all that wet. You can bet when I get over to the river in a couple days I’m keeping that junk high and dry.

I think they are cutting me loose from this hospital at 6:00 PM. They want me to get another round of antibiotics in me here this afternoon. Tomorrow I’ll start oral antibiotics for a few weeks at home. The Yak nuts, they are down some. More like that of a buck goat. The pain and swollen will take a few weeks the way I gather it. Be fishing in a jock strap I guess. That will be a first.

Been in the hospital for the last few days. Somehow someway I picked up what was a bladder infection. Was trying to deal with that at home. That somehow turned into a ******** infection and progressed into a very uncomfortable situation. Between dealing with a fever and having a set of jewels that grew to the size of what a Yak would have, I had to do something, landed myself here. Had gotten treated by Dr. a couple of weeks ago but I guess it wasn’t enough. It sucks, never heard or experienced anything like this. Hope to get out of here today and be on the water for the weekend. They seem to be making some progress here. We’ve gotten some rain while I’ve been in here. Was much needed. Generally will create a different bite. Hope it creates a better crankbait bite for me. I’d like to see the lake level come up some also. Push or make some nice Greenies up into the bank and brush. Might be a bit too early in the season for that. Forage has to come up there also I guess. Hope they let me out today. Jewel size seem to be coming down. Pain level is coming down. I’m pretty sure catching a few Smallies will be as good as any antibiotic they are trying to work on for me. But in all seriousness if any of you guys or gals experience anything even remotely different or even slightly out of the norm down in that area, get looked at immediately. Some things don’t get better on their own.

You might have known my uncle. And without a word of a lie he used it on his elbow joints to relieve arthritic pain. He was an old Red Man guy. Any of the line and lure conditioners I’ve smelled, smells like Armorall. Car seat conditioner. I refuse to use anything on my line. I buy my line in bulk spools.

I crankbait fish a lot. Just a big part of my smallie fishing that I’ve also carried over fishing for lake largemouths. Overall Rapalas are my favorite hardbaits. They catch fish and they run true out of the package. Close second are Bombers and Bandits, old school versions prior to any buyout those companies have went through. I’m trying to stay positive about Strike King XD Series of crankbaits. As of lately they have taken a nosedive on quality. Junk out of the package. I have a few they are getting back, I’m not getting stuck with ones that don’t run correctly. I’ve been fishing more 6th Sense and SPRO cranks lately. They might cost a hair more but they catch fish, overall better quality, hooks are heavier and sharper. I feel you get what you pay for.

Overall I’d say no. Texas rig worm, splitshot rig worm will do it for river smallies. The term NED doesn’t me much to me. Jigging grubs, tubes, worms and craws has been productive for me since the 70’s. We never used the term NED.

I saw that last night on the news that you guys had some of the worse air in the world. It sure felt like that here yesterday. Stay safe, the fish are not going anywhere.

It’s pretty bad here in the section of PA I live in. Hazardous warnings. I’m all hooked up from yesterday to roll to the lake this morning. Got up at 4:00am and wife asked me to put it off till Friday. I generally don’t let anyone interfere with my fishing and I do have a wife that never interferes or questions anything I do. So I honored her wishes this morning. I’ll go tomorrow. She right. I’ve been out in this smoke a lot the last few days and my voice has been getting raspy. It will clear up soon.

I would just make up a nylon dip stick with a tee handle. They have small square stock at the hardware store. Sort of like metal key stock. Keep in in a storage compartment in the boat so it doesn’t get lost. Easy to wipe down. Try to keep a spare quart of oil on the boat also.

Dude, I don’t know you. Wish I did. Things will alway work out for you. You are a die hard. You came a long way in a short time with the smallies. You will catch a lifetime smallie in your waters. It will happen.

I’ve seen Mother Nature put a smack down beating on my river. But it will rebound. Locations on the river might change but there is where ya have to work to figure it out. Flash floods have been my biggest problem. Over a long course of years I’ve seen it be cyclical over time. I’m not trying to be funny or joke but I bet this happens to you. Right now the fishing is off for you whatever reason I don’t think it’s because a few guys are catching some. Keep fishing and your slump will break. You’ll get back to catching some nice ones. These dink feast days will be behind you. Maybe fish a different body of water for a few time out and then revisit your river.