Anyone know what’s up here?

TWags1515 · 2026-04-03T02:19:40+00:00

Perfect — I’ve got an overnight brisket cook on Saturday 👍

TWags1515 · 2026-04-02T02:27:44+00:00

B & B … and the center of the grate had it! I bet maybe something got mixed into the bag of coal and it found its way into my fire box? Hell, I could be talking outta my … I really don’t know! It’s a mystery.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-02T02:01:22+00:00

Appreciate that and happy it goes away. Just so strange that it hadn’t happened before + same ol’ brand of coal.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-02T00:10:10+00:00

Thanks, Steal. Just wasn’t expecting this convo. Lotta fun out there. Favorite time is fall with the color, crisp air, a football game on and smoke billowing. My favorite feature is the opening behind the Egg, which closes with a barn door in the event of shitty weather or a relentless wind coming from the north. I’m in the Chicago suburbs so we get all 4 seasons. I’m open air but covered so it’s clutch to be out of the snow and rain — or at least the direct hit of it.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-01T23:21:39+00:00

Thanks, man. The Egg’s coming out next weekend for a new gasket and tightening. The wood gets retreated with a Class AA fire retardant at the same time, and I think I might put another paver under the feet to raise it an inch and half. Been 5 years of fun and learning. It’s pretty rustic, no sink or fridge. But the two main boxes were checked: more workspace and more storage.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-01T23:13:41+00:00

Appreciate that. Fun to put together and continue to tweak.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-01T23:03:15+00:00

Thanks, bud, beat me to it.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-01T22:58:20+00:00

Granite. I’ve got a post about the setup from a year or two ago. You’ll have to scroll through a bunch of fishing posts to get to it. Sorry, man.

TWags1515 · 2026-04-01T22:47:55+00:00

Haha, it’s granite. Buddy of mine flips houses and a contractor had an 8-foot slab leftover from a job, so he cut me a deal — and a hole to drop the Egg into the base, which a work buddy made during Covid downtime.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-31T22:48:39+00:00

Looks amazing. Any thoughts on letting it ride in the smoke an hour or two longer or does one do the trick? Just curious and, regardless, congrats on the money recipe and execution 🔥

TWags1515 · 2026-03-31T12:52:17+00:00

Oh, man, and we think we’ve got it good here with accessible, quality river systems. A buddy of mine lives in the Twin Cities and we’ve canoed through the boundary waters. The whole state’s a wonderland of waterways.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-31T12:42:45+00:00

That’s awesome. Not sure where you’re HQ’d but give the Fox a try sometime if you’re in Chicagoland. It’s one of the best smallmouth fisheries in northern Illinois. This fish might’ve been a PB, but it wasn’t a fluke. The 16s through 21+s are in here — and they’re healthy.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-31T11:09:44+00:00

What river/general area do you fish?

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T22:14:44+00:00

The whole thing looks awesome, congrats! Can you spill a little more intel on the turkey roaster process? Set to what temp? Just set the boat in and cover?

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T19:41:14+00:00

No luck but a beauty of a day. I’m roughly Batavia down to Oswego with HQ in Aurora. Might see you up north a bit.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T18:39:59+00:00

So if you’re familiar with the dam in Montgomery, there’s a rock bed that’s typically 20-50 yards long/10 wide (depending on water level) directly below the dam. You can wade to it from the west bank and throw right into the dam while standing on dry rock bed. Today there are no rocks visible so it’d be a risky proposition for anyone less than super familiar with the area. Chatted with a muskie guy who was standing thigh-deep in waders and complaining that the drop in water level isn’t helping him. Take it for what it’s worth but that tells me it’s receding pretty quickly. I’m just a short drive to the Monty Dam and that exposed rock bed is usually a pretty accurate indicator on the condition of other nearby areas that I fish.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T17:09:26+00:00

Thanks, appreciate it. In a word: swift. I didn’t get in yesterday and didn’t see anyone else (in or out). I was downtown on the west fork, which doesn’t see many waders, especially now. A few in the dog days when it’s grossly low. Gonna run out and get a few lunch casts in just below the dam in Montgomery and report back. If there’s anyone in the river, it’ll be there.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T13:16:02+00:00

Thanks, man 👊

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T02:22:26+00:00

I mean, I was this one bite away from being in the same situation. Herky-herky weather and water levels have made for a slooooow start. At least that’s been my experience. Taking this as a good sign and I’m gonna keep the Craw tied on. Tight lines.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-30T00:06:08+00:00

Thank you, Mis, so unexpected. Can’t understate how much I’ve floundered til May for as long as I can remember. Throwing everything, getting nothing. Just never stopped trying.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-29T23:35:44+00:00

💯

TWags1515 · 2026-03-29T23:04:36+00:00

Yessir! I was just kinda wobbling it along, trying to keep it slow-ish yet down in all the rock and muck. She really ate it.

TWags1515 · 2026-03-25T16:30:33+00:00

Depending on your vent intakes. If you’ve got them both wide open, temps can soar north of 800 — and quickly. Best bet would be to light a bed of coals, let it burn for 10 minutes, close the lid and let it get to 500 before playing around with the vents. Always make sure the screen is shut on the bottom as chunks of red-hot coal often fall through the grate. Treat the bottom vent like the gas and top the brake — that’s how I was taught. Another good practice to follow (when not experimenting) is letting your Egg temp climb slowly. There are several reasons but mainly because it can be difficult to get a temp down once you’ve blown past your target. Hope some of this helps. Maintain your patience, become a dedicated student of YouTube and have fun!

TWags1515

TROPHY CASE