A Prize Worth Fighting For

      With a cool morning breeze in my face, I looked out over the horizon and watch the Autumn sun rise.  A shrimp boats silhouette moved across the cinnamon sky as the gulls hung low behind it.  I sometimes wonder if anyone else is looking at the beautiful early morning portraits God creates.  It gives me great pleasure in knowing that He allows me the chance to see what heavenly depictions He has instore for me, and for allowing me to tell people about His awesome wonders.  Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in the moment, and just admire what God has created. 
      The targeted fish for the day was tarpon.  It had been a few years since I had seen one of these powerful game fish, so the thought of catching one was exciting to say the least.  I anchored my boat just off a sandbar that ran out past the demarcation line.  A deep channel ran off to my right.  I settled into my boat and reached for my favorite rod.  The bait for the day was live crab.  One needs experience and finesse in handling one of these finger pinching crustaceans.  After carefully hooking the crab, I stepped to the bow of the boat and cast my bait out on the sandbar.  I placed the rod in its holder and settled back in my seat.  Now the hard part of the day set in -- waiting on the bite. 
     To entice one of these tarpon into biting, I broke up a few extra crabs I got from the local seafood market and tossed them over the side, letting the current take them out over the sandbar.  The problem with doing this is that it draws other species of fish from the deep channel as well.  It wasn't long before the drag on my reel started to click.  I eased over and slowly picked up my rod out of its holder and sat down to ready myself for the fight.  Wham!  This fish nearly jerked the rod out my hands.  I noticed one thing wrong in fighting this massive fish.  He wasn't shaking his head.  My line stretch from the tug, as he headed for deeper water.  I fought this beast for about thirty minutes before I got him to the side of the boat.  It was a seven foot lemon shark.  Well, since fishing for sharks wasn't on the agenda for the day, I reached out with my knife and carefully cut my line.   Feeling the joy of freedom, the shark whipped his tail across the surface of the water splashing the salty brine in my face and mouth.  I guess it was his way of thanking me for letting him go.
     Whew!  I was tired after that battle.  Rigging my line for a new bait gave me the break I was looking for.  I cautiously baited my hook and stepped to the bow of my boat.  Off to my right the surface of the water boiled.  A tarpon streaked across the surface and with a mighty surge cleared the water by six feet.  Trying to entice a bite, I cast my bait towards him.  I began reeling in fast so that the crab skimmed across the surface of the water.  I made another cast as far as I could and waited.  No luck!  I eased the rod back in the its holder, sat back in my seat, and waited with anticipation. 
     It wasn't long before my rod bent and the drag on my reel sang out loudly.  I jumped up and grabbed it, carefully taking it from its holder.  Holding on with both hands this great king leaped out of the water about a hundred feet in front of me shaking his head trying to rid the hook from his mouth.  I felt the adrenaline rush through my veins as the power from this great game fish set in.  I not only asked the Lord for help, but thanked Him as this magnificent creature leaped again and again.   I fought this master of the ocean for about an hour.  My arms were feeling the strain from the tug of fighting this awesome creature.  He came up on his side about five feet from my boat.  He starred at me with his large eyes as if to say I can keep going.  With a hesitant thought of keeping up the fight, I cautiously reached out and cut my line.  He sank slowly down into the murky water.  I sat back in my seat exhausted from the fight.  Out in front of my boat this great king made one final leap, as if to say he had won.  I tipped my hat and said with an exhausted breath, "You win".   I slowly gathered my gear, pulled the anchor, and headed for shore.  On the way back I thanked the Lord for the wonderful day and the rare chance to catch and release one of his great creations.
     In Romans 1:17 it says, "For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written": "The righteous will live by faith."
     Faith is not a weak emotion, but is strong confidence to rely on ones relationship with our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ.  If we stay focused on Him, we will grow faithfully as well as spiritually.  Then when we call on His name, He will recognize and respond to our prayers.  It is an inspiration to pray in His name.  If we have Gods assurance behind us, His strength becomes ours.  Always seek God with a humble heart, ready to serve Him.  Narrow your focus and interest to rely solely on His Word and Glorify Him in all you do.   May God bless you all.

The Fighting Bulls of Summer

     To find the big bull reds meant a long ride up river to a small creek I found last fall.  The morning was quiet and calm.  The suns rays were just streaking over the horizon.  My boat lights seemed bright in the early morning twilight.  After a prayer and a quick look around the boat to make sure everything was in its proper place, I readied myself for the ride.  I pushed the throttle down hard, plaining the boat out to a smooth 50 mph.  It was then that I eased back in my seat to enjoy the ride as the cool morning wind blew in my face.  Forty-five minutes of fast riding, and  I was at the mouth of the creek I wanted to fish. 
     I stopped the boat and looked around, not a boat in sight.  "Thank you Lord", I whispered to myself.  I bumped the boat back in gear and headed up the creek.  The trees hung low over the water, making the passage seem as if I had stepped back in time.  The birds were singing loudly as I stood over my console to watch for fallen trees in the water.  As I rounded the next bend a deer darted from the bank of the creek.  Thoughts of how man first saw this land entered my mind.  The moss laden majestic oaks hung low over the water.  Up ahead the water was dark and smooth.  The brackish water was just what I was looking for. 
     I slowed my boat to a crawl, looking for any sign of red fish.  There in the distance I saw him roll.  I stopped the boat and eased the anchor over the side, still watching the surface for any sign of the bulls.  I knew these big fish would spook easy, so I stepped quietly around the boat.  I grabbed my favorite rod.  I set my depth for two feet.  The bait for the day was finger mullet.  I reached in the livewell and netted a rather large one.  I hooked him through the back to allow him the ability to swim freely.  I eased my baited rig over the side of the boat, and allowed the currant to carry it upstream.  The cork moved around slowly as the mullet swam beneath it.  I was using a circle hook, so all I had to do was reel down on this prodigious beast to catch him.  Suddenly my cork slipped under the the surface of water.  As I reeled down my rod tip started to bend.  I reeled faster and the fight was on.  This big boy was not going to give up easy.  My main concern was to keep out of the trees in the water.  My drag sang as he peeled off my line with authority.  I played him ever so easy; I didn't want to loose this one.  This struggle ensued for twenty minutes.  The big red finally gave up and swam slowly up to the side of the boat.  I didn't net this beauty; I grabbed the hook with my pliers and with a good twist he was free.  This great creation of God lie there motionless as if to thank me for the gentle release.  As I leaned down and tapped him on the side, the big red came to life, splashing water in my face.  I sat back, wiped myself dry, and thanked the good Lord for time to fish.  I then grabbed another bait and went after his big brother.
     All your obligations may end in rejection because you have no power to accomplish them without the help of God.  Once you realize that their is nothing you can do without prayer and trusting in the Lord, you will be able to give yourself to Him completely.  Every now and then God will bring you to a turning point or a crossroads in your life.  From that point you either go toward a slow approach to the Lords will and a lazy Christian life, or you become a steward of the Bible; giving yourself to he Lord completely.  There is only One who directs the course of your life ---- The Lord Jesus Christ.  May God bless you all.
    

A Warm Winters Day

    Winter redfish require a stealthy finesse that is necessary when they are schooling up on the flats to warm up on an incoming tide.  Anything that looks remotely edible will get gobbled up if it falls anywhere near there aggregations.  These fish are not the big adults who have gone offshore to winter, but are the 15 to 30 inch fish that are not yet mature enough to make the journey.  To find these fish one must choose a calm day with very little tide movement. 
     It was a beautiful crisp cool morning of 50 degrees.  The high for the day was around 75; a perfect day for hunting and catching these prodigious fish.  After launching my boat, I said a prayer thanking the good Lord for a beautiful day and allowing me the opportunity to fish.  I took a moment to bask in the beautiful sunrise, and then slowly headed out to my favorite fishing spot. 
    Arriving near the area to fish, I slowed my boat down to a gentle crawl.  As I readied my anchor on my bow, I kept an eye out for any movement on the surface of the water.  I didn't have to wait long.  About a hundred yards out in front of me I saw them.  They were feeding on fiddler crabs on the bottom.  Their tails were waving high in the air as they dug deep in the mud to get to them.  I knew getting to these fish would be tricky, and require a lot of patience.  I headed my boat in the direction of these tailing reds. I bumped the throttle hard one time and shut off my engine, allowing my boat to drift in.  I eased my anchor over the side leaving my rope loose.  This way I could pull myself out if I were to get stuck in the skinny water ahead of me.  I eagerly picked up my rod and baited my hook.  The bait for the day was simple - dead shrimp.  I had stopped the night before at the local seafood market and bought two pounds of headed shrimp.  This ensured me that it would be fresh.  I used a small piece of peeled shrimp.  This allowed the sent to penetrate the water and antagonize the large redfish into gobbling it up. 
    I saw my target about 50 feet out in front of me.  This gentle giant was waiving his tail high in the air. By the size of the spot on his tail, he looked to be well over the legal size limit.  My cast was out to the side of where he was feeding.  I popped my cork, click - click - click;  his tail slid down in the water.  He was too fat to hide in the skinny water where he was feeding.  This redfish raced towards my cork making a wake with his back.  I readied myself.  As he gobbled up my bait, my cork laid on its side and raced across the surface of the water.  This mighty redfish was hungry.  I let him have the bait until my cork disappeared.  The rod tip started to bend as I tightened down on my line.  I eased back on the rod letting this massive fish hook himself.  The drag on my reel sang its beautiful tune that I have grown to love.  The water boiled as he tried to loose himself of the hook.  I fought this fish hard for a good 10 minutes.  After he had given up on his great battle, I eased him along side the boat. I gently raised him out of the water and removed the hook.  A quick measurement of 30 inches, a kiss on his nose, and I said farewell to my friend of the sea.
     The Lord says in 1 John 3:22,  "And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him, because we keep His commandment and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."  I often stop and think of how little time we have here to help others and to do the will of the Lord.  Do you say, "I should have done that yesterday, or I'll get to it tomorrow?"  The older we get it seems we have more yesterdays than tomorrows.  Take advantage of the time the Lord has given you and try to do His will.  When you do His will, God will reward you not only with blessings here on earth, but also in heaven.  Remember to help those who are in need and to always pray for them, and when possible with them.
     May God bless you all.
    
   

A Cold Day in December

     It was a cold December morning as I set out to find some fish to catch.  The fog had set in so I knew it would be along time before the sun could burn it off.  Heading to my favorite fishing spot, my journey was slow and tedious.  As I moved across the sound the fog thickened.  I switched on my newly installed fog lights.  This illuminated the area enough to take the worry out of the day.  I slowed my boat to a snail's pace, taking my time to ensure I didn't run aground.  Thirty minutes later, I arrived at the mouth of the creek that I wanted to fish.  This trip would normally take me 35 minutes, but due to the fog it took me over an hour.  I paused at the mouth of the creek and said a quick prayer to the Lord for a safe trip, and allowing me the opportunity to fish this day.  I checked my livewell, readied my anchor for fishing, and started easing my boat up the creek. 
     The creek was narrow and as I made my way back into the trees, the fog lifted a little.  The seen was like a painting.  The moss hung low off the large majestic oaks that overhung the creek.  The water was like glass.  It had a dark color, which told me there was some fresh water mixed in with it. This made it perfect for fishing.  As I glanced behind me, I noticed the wake of the boat just drift into the bank and disappear as the water took on its mirror effect again.  I rounded the final bend, and shifted my boat into neutral.  I slowly walked to the bow, picked up the anchor and eased it into the water, careful not to make any noise.  Tying it off, I noticed that the fog was hanging about treetop level. 
     I reached in the livewell and grabbed a polywog, and hooked it through the lips.  I set the depth of my cork about 5 feet.  My fishing spot was a liveoak that had fallen about halfway into the creek.  Its limbs, covered with barnacles, made there way down into the creek.  I made my cast just out in front of the limbs.  With a quick pop of my cork, it slipped out of site.  I set the hook hard.  The line on my reel peeled off as I struggled to set my drag.  The fish rolled in the water as if it were boiling.  With the water tempature being in the upper 50's, I knew the fish wouldn't put up much of a fight.  After about 10 minutes, I eased the fish along side the boat.  I placed my net behind him and slowly raised him out of the water.  It was a large black drum.  I gently took my hook out of his mouth and eased him back in the water.  With a couple movements back and forth, he quickly revived and slowly swam down into the dark water.  I continued to fish most of the day, catching and releasing fish.  On the way back, I took a picture of the sun setting over the sound.  Again, it was like a painting.
     I sat back looked to the sky and thanked the Lord for a beautiful day.  In Mathew 6:33, God says "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
     Christmas is a time for giving.  Remember to help others who are in need, and to pray for them.  God knows your needs and will remember you on his timetable.  His blessings will be overwhelming if you trust and believe in Him.  I know there is a place in Heaven for me, I just hope you are there with me.  May God bless you in all that you do.