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.

Could Rock Your Faith

Saturday started the opening of catch and release in MI.  Needless to say I was really excited.  So at 9 am my best friend Josh and I headed to the river to fish the spot I had found 5 months ago and to see if it was still holding fish.

When we pulled up on it I was determined to not hammer the spot with crankbaits, because I had pounded that spot last Nov/Dec with them.  I wanted to see what else I could pull them off the spot with.  I also wanted to field test the Atomic Tackle Company Ball and Chain (read review here).

Within 10 minutes I had a 2lb in the boat.  The fish came steadily here and there for 2 or 3 hours.  I finally changed to a crankbait because I could not resist the temptation of throwing one.  I began to feel bad for Josh, as I was bringing in fish after fish he struggled and did not bring one in.  I do half to share a funny moment with you.  I was bringing in the largest fish I (and Josh) caught Saturday as the MSU crew team was practicing behind us.  As I swung the 3 lb (maybe more) on to the boat and unhooked it I hear out of nowhere “Nice Fish” clear as day.  In my head I thought “Yes God it is thanks for allowing me to catch it”, but it was the guy giving directions to the crew team saying it over the bull horn.  I laughed about that with Josh for the rest of the day.

Like I said I had been fishing this same spot last Nov/Dec because it stayed warmer than the rest of the river.  It is near the dam and there are some cooling towers right by the spot that I figured kept the spot warmer.  I had not seen the towers run since last summer but I knew they played a part in why this spot produced.

I experienced a rude awakening Saturday as they turned on the cooling tower.  When that happened I expected the fishing to get better, with the current moving more and I also expected the water temp to rise.  When we first pulled up on it the spot was holding around 60 degrees where the rest of the river was about 53 degrees.  Not only did the water temp drop to 53 in that spot but the fishing died.  I could not catch a fish after that (Josh did land 3 after the cooling tower began running).

The day was an eye opener for me.  I kept saying it to josh the movement of water caused the fish to reposition but I could not figure out where.  The same is true as a Christian, when we start to really dig into the Bible and read history of the Church and Bible we begin to see and learn things that we may not have realized.  I can tell you I have learned a lot of things I never knew studying at Great Lakes Christian College.

These things could shake our faith and cause us to question what we believe.  Much like that spot did to me yesterday.  I could question whether or not there are fish there or if I could even catch them.  Instead it has made me think and wonder what I need to change when the cooling tower is on.  Where have the fish repositioned?  That’s what we as Christians need to do when we come across things that could rock our faith.  We need to stop and look at them, think about them and dissect the issue at hand. 

In both our faith and in fishing we need to not let little setbacks rock us but instead work thru them and learn because it will make us stronger in our faith and better fishermen.