Side Imaging

I have been fascinated by the side imaging scince it came out a few years back.  I love the idea that you can see what is going on under the water and at such a long distance.  I have looked at the units many times and see the advantages of having one.  The problem is the dollar amount of side imaging units.  I saw an ad for a down imaging unit from Lowrance and It got me to think about them again.

As I looked over the ad I thought of Luke 12:7

^“But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

God knows all he knows even the hairs on our heads.  Just like with side imaging we can see what is happening under the water around us.  It amazes me that God does know very hair on my head.  The side imaging and down imaging allows anglers to know a place we are fishing like God knows each and every one of us.

So remember the next time you are using your side imaging that just like you knowing every rock, hump and tree in a given area God knows everything about you as well.  Just a thought.

Lurking Bass

I set out today to test some products and I only had a little bit of time and we had storms rolling in and out all day long, so I hit a small pond to do some work.  As I walk up I see 10 to 15 bass lurking around gills on the bed.

As I stood and watch I was reminded of 1 Peter 5:8 which says “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  I was reminded of this because of what the bass would do.

They would just sit there looking at the gills swimming around.  They would just sit there waiting for the perfect time to go in and get a meal.  The gills had to know they were there and what they wanted.  I know that the Devil is prowling around looking for the perfect opportunity to go in and make a mess of my life.

We as Christians need to be careful and not get separated from God.  When the small gill fry would venture just far enough from the safety of the large group of them the bass would gobble it up.  The same is true for us.  When we stray from God the devil gobbles us up.

Keep that in mind the next time you start to stray away from the Lord.  Just a thought.

Hard Times

Have you ever had one of those times in your life where being on the water seemed to fix your problems?  I seem to be able to deal with my problems better when I am out fishing.  Yesterday my wife and I found out that she had a miscarriage.  As soon as I found out about it my heart dropped.  I had grand visions of fishing with “Baby Mac” (what we nicknamed the baby). 

As we were driving home from the ER last night I told my wife I was going fishing tomorrow.  With loving eyes she looked at me and said I know.  It’s funny how people find comfort during difficult times, for me its fishing.  Others find comfort in crying or some other thing.

I texted my friend Josh last night and he joined me on the water today.  I had a great day on the water I got a bunch of smallmouth bass and a few pike.  Nothing big or worth bragging about, however time on the water allowed me to forget about baby Mac for a few hours.   

I spent the day trying to be distracted and not disappointed by the loss.  I began to think about Job, and all the hard ship he went through.  My wife and I had lost a baby one not even born yet.  Job lost everything kids, land, money you name it he lost it.

Job had people he sat with and talked about what was going on with.  When you read Job they give him bad advice.  I have Josh, unlike them he helps me see God and helps me put things in prospective.  We all need people like Josh in our lives.  Don’t let things get you down, now things will get you down don’t get me wrong.  Look for the good in it, I still have not found it in the situation in which me and Cyndi are going through but I am sure there is one. 

Please keep me and Cyndi in your prayers.  I know God has a purpose in this I just have not seen it.  I thank God for good friends like Josh who are willing to spend time with you when the world seems to some down around you.  Remember God loves even in the hard times.  Job did and in the end God gave him more than he had before.

The Crankbait has Returned

I was out fishing the river today using a Strike King Series 3 crankbait in chartreuse with a blue back.  I was fishing a bank that goes from rock to trees.  I have fished the spot a few times, and have had some luck in the past.  The last time I was out I was fishing the same color lure in the same model when I hung it in a tree.

I had forgotten the tree was there, and I hung my lure up again.  I tried a couple of the tricks I know for getting it loose.  As I was working on pulling the crankbait free up pop what looked like my crankbait.  I thought it was until I realized that mine was still hung up.  I finally worked it free and there in the water was two identical crankbaits.

I snagged the one that came up out of the water.  I knew right away that it was mine because I mark the depths my crankbaits run on the bill of every crankbait with a Sharpie.  As I got the crankbait out of the water I was reminded of the story of the Prodical Son from the book of Luke.  The crankbait returned to me just like the son in the parable, it was also grimy and dirty just like in the story I heard as a child in Sunday school class.

Luke 15:11-32:

“Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

    “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’””

I lost a crankbait and yet it was returned to me.  It was dirt the hooks and split ring were rusty but with some cleaning and replacing the parts that had rusted it would be as good as new.  This parable is not just about a son (or in my case a crankbait) it’s about those who come to God (the father) and ask to come home.  It is a parable about the fact that those who don’t have a relationship with God can come into a relationship with him not matter how dirty with sin we are.

Don’t forget that no matter how bad we think we have been or what we have done in our lives the Lord still loves us and will be there for us when we come to him.

I Need Help

So I need some help.  I am working at a Church summer camp this year where we are going to teach young men/boys about being the man God wants us to be.  I am going to be teaching kids about fishing.  How to cast, different lures and when the conditions are best that sort of thing. 

We are going to have a casting contest where 8 kids get a chance to go out in the boat and run the trolling motor and fish for bass (that’s not off shore).  We are also going to let the kids fish off shore for bass or gills. 

So to all my followers I need your help.  I am in need of tackle for these kids.  I plan to use some of what I have but to be honest I don’t want to go thru all of my stuff.  If you can help me out and donate anything except hooks we have like 400 that we got from Eagle Claw.  I would really appreciate it.  You can email me at cmac4445@hotmail.com.  We will make a list of all those who helped out and it will go home with the kids so if you have a website you can use this to help promote it I have no problem with that.

I look forward to hearing from you guys and thanks for any help you can give.