u/HeadlineINeed

I took up fishing for the peace and I have gotten a lot of peace now I know why people like fishing. However I don’t know what I am doing.

I got a 6’6” Medium Ugly Stick 50th Anniversary it’s pretty good for me.

I got Trilene mono clear 8lb 330yd, I spooled a decent amount on with tension (held the feed spool with my feet), wasn’t close to overflowing from the reel. Any time I would cast the line just seemed loose, would create loops when reeling in etc. I continued to use it for a week.

Yesterday I got new line, Trilene mono vis-green 10lb 400yds. I soaked it in warm water for about 20 mins, screwed the feed spool down to create some tension, fed it on the spool. Thought I had enough went fishing today and noticed there wasn’t a lot.

Went to the car, took it all off. Spooled the clear back on while holding the feed with a towel to create good tension. Went back out and when I would cast it was curly.

I’m using a #2 octopus hook with a strike king dark watermelon worm. Today I added a split weight (unsure weight)

I put the worm on like a wacky worm and got nothing, tried putting it on so the butt end is next to the knot going down straight.

Edit: I’m fishing a stocked pond that’s fairly large. Not today but last time I went fishing I could see the fish fairly close to shore.

I am looking into getting a Mobile GMRS radio for my SUV (I don’t off road or anything in it) just city and highway driving.

End goal is to also get a mobile unit at home for the kids to use to talk to me occasionally while out, a goal to get them interested in hopefully getting a Ham license. I understand GMRS generally goes less distance than Ham.

I’m thinking about getting either a Midland MXT115p Pro for $239 (with antenna included) or a Radioditty DB40-G (no antenna included) $175.

Each has pluses and minuses.

What would you guys recommend? I already have a ICOM 5100A in the SUV. I’d like to also get a CB for the hell of it later

I have a comet mag mount on my SUV and a SBB1 NMO attached. It’s a great antenna but I also keep a SBB5NMO in the car. I’d like to keep the SBB5 on full time. Getting out and flipping it up and down every time I park in the garage (multiple times per day) gets tedious.

These antennas are stiff metal so it’s not like a thin CB whip that bends easy.

I was gonna try putting a spring between the antenna base and the mag mount but can’t seem to find any. And it will make the antenna poke into the garage roof. There’s about 1-1.5 in clearance from the top of the SBB5 and the ceiling of the garage.

Any solutions or just keep running the SBB1 unless I’m out traveling.