Every day I learn something new. Today is no different. I just finished reading Dave Mercer’s book “135 Secrets Fish Don’t Want You To Know”. I couldn’t put the book down and I have already started reading again so I can mark pages that I can refer back to later.
We, as anglers, are always learning. I heard Bill Dance say once that no matter how old you get an angler is always learning. Whether we are reading books, magazine articles, or spending time on the water learning from our mistakes; anglers always want to be better at a their craft. Until this year I would have never thrown a jig around lay downs and rocks, but now after losing a lot of jigs and a lot of headaches I have the confidence to throw them anywhere.
I remember when I first became a Christian wondering how those teaching me understood the Bible so well. I always thought that they had some special gift that others didn’t have. However, I was wrong. We can all become teachers of the Bible we just need to apply ourselves to understanding what the Bible passage we are studying is about. Like an angler those teaching the Bible need to read and learn. Instead of magazines and books to better understand the Bible we need to read commentaries and the footnotes in our Bibles. When we study and read we can learn and teach others about the Bible.
As we learn we can practice to throw our knowledge anywhere just like those jigs but instead of catching the “big one” we can lead others to the top Angler, Christ.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Changing it up
Going to a Christian College I hear a lot about sharing Christ with others. I have learned over the last 3 ½ years that each person is different and unique and one single approach is not going to reach everyone. You have to get to know the person you are trying to reach. Once you understand the person, you may then begin to share Christ with them.
The same is true with a bass. One approach to catching them is not going to work day in and day out. Just because yesterday you caught them on a crank bait doesn’t mean that the next day you are going to catch bass the same way. You may have to adjust your approach and throw something different. It might be as simple as changing the color of your crank bait or even the speed of your retrieve. As anglers become in tuned to what the water temp is, what the clouds are doing and many other factors that affect the behavior of the fish, we catch more.
One of the greatest examples of this in the Bible is in Acts 17:16-34. Paul is in Athens and sees a alter to an unknown god. Paul uses this alter to tell the people in Athens about this god the one and true God. Paul also quoted the philosophers of the time to help him reach the people of Athens. Paul adjusted his approach of preaching the message of God from preaching in the synagogue to Jews, to preaching to the people of Athens
Anglers need to be able to do the same on the water when we are trying to adjust our presentations so we can catch those bass we are after. Christians can also take the leading of Paul and learn that we cannot share the Gospel with an Atheist like we would someone who is Jewish or Muslim. Christians and anglers alike need to look at the situations around us and read the signs of the situation to reach people and to get those bass in the boat.
The same is true with a bass. One approach to catching them is not going to work day in and day out. Just because yesterday you caught them on a crank bait doesn’t mean that the next day you are going to catch bass the same way. You may have to adjust your approach and throw something different. It might be as simple as changing the color of your crank bait or even the speed of your retrieve. As anglers become in tuned to what the water temp is, what the clouds are doing and many other factors that affect the behavior of the fish, we catch more.
One of the greatest examples of this in the Bible is in Acts 17:16-34. Paul is in Athens and sees a alter to an unknown god. Paul uses this alter to tell the people in Athens about this god the one and true God. Paul also quoted the philosophers of the time to help him reach the people of Athens. Paul adjusted his approach of preaching the message of God from preaching in the synagogue to Jews, to preaching to the people of Athens
Anglers need to be able to do the same on the water when we are trying to adjust our presentations so we can catch those bass we are after. Christians can also take the leading of Paul and learn that we cannot share the Gospel with an Atheist like we would someone who is Jewish or Muslim. Christians and anglers alike need to look at the situations around us and read the signs of the situation to reach people and to get those bass in the boat.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
communication
I had a friend of mine call me last night, and share the joy of catching a 7 pound bass on Sam Rayburn. This was the biggest bass he has ever caught. When he called he said he was going to send me a message on Face book, but decided he wanted to tell me over the phone.
It made me wonder, what has happened to face to face communication? We have so many things that allow us to hide behind a computer and never have to talk to someone. We chat on Facebook and AIM, we email instead of sending a hand written letter. I wonder if kids growing up today will have interpersonal communication skills or will all communication be over a computer?
I’m just spouting off but as a fisherman that has sponsors I need to represent them. I need to be able to talk about sponsors’ products with a person face to face. Anglers need to have good communication skills, but with the way culture communication is changing it is becoming harder to develop these skills.
What if Jesus had not come to earth and died for our sins 2000 years ago but instead came today? He would not have been able to preach like he did then. Would we all get on line and listen to the latest Jesus Pod Cast? God is all knowing and He knew that when He sent Christ it was the perfect time. I am so glad that He did come to earth and that I can have a personal relationship with him.
It made me wonder, what has happened to face to face communication? We have so many things that allow us to hide behind a computer and never have to talk to someone. We chat on Facebook and AIM, we email instead of sending a hand written letter. I wonder if kids growing up today will have interpersonal communication skills or will all communication be over a computer?
I’m just spouting off but as a fisherman that has sponsors I need to represent them. I need to be able to talk about sponsors’ products with a person face to face. Anglers need to have good communication skills, but with the way culture communication is changing it is becoming harder to develop these skills.
What if Jesus had not come to earth and died for our sins 2000 years ago but instead came today? He would not have been able to preach like he did then. Would we all get on line and listen to the latest Jesus Pod Cast? God is all knowing and He knew that when He sent Christ it was the perfect time. I am so glad that He did come to earth and that I can have a personal relationship with him.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
When Stress gets ya down
We have all had days when it seems like nothing goes right, whether it is while we
are fishing or in personal lives. It seems like when it comes to fishing it easier to deal with the “bad” days. We can put our head down and keep fishing; fighting through all the bad things that have happened and if we are lucky things tend to start looking up because we catch fish.
When it is our personal lives, keeping out head down doesn’t always work. Remember the old saying “when life gives you lemons make lemonade” does it really work that way? For me I would have to say no. For me when things in my personal life are bad it seems like the other old saying “when it rains it pours” is more what it feels like. I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues lately and it seems like they just keep piling on. So what are we to do? I try the approach I use in fishing and I put my head down and keep pushing through, but most of the time it doesn’t work.
Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” I read this today and thought about what I’m going through. Is there really anything that I could be going through that God can’t handle? The answer is no, God is bigger than the problems I have. The truth is, if we go to God in prayer with our problems he’s there to help and comfort us. Now does that mean the next time you are having a rough day on the water that God is going to put a 10 pounder in your boat if you go to him with it? Most likely not but it’s a nice thought.
are fishing or in personal lives. It seems like when it comes to fishing it easier to deal with the “bad” days. We can put our head down and keep fishing; fighting through all the bad things that have happened and if we are lucky things tend to start looking up because we catch fish.
When it is our personal lives, keeping out head down doesn’t always work. Remember the old saying “when life gives you lemons make lemonade” does it really work that way? For me I would have to say no. For me when things in my personal life are bad it seems like the other old saying “when it rains it pours” is more what it feels like. I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues lately and it seems like they just keep piling on. So what are we to do? I try the approach I use in fishing and I put my head down and keep pushing through, but most of the time it doesn’t work.
Deuteronomy 31:8 tells us “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” I read this today and thought about what I’m going through. Is there really anything that I could be going through that God can’t handle? The answer is no, God is bigger than the problems I have. The truth is, if we go to God in prayer with our problems he’s there to help and comfort us. Now does that mean the next time you are having a rough day on the water that God is going to put a 10 pounder in your boat if you go to him with it? Most likely not but it’s a nice thought.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Slowing Down
It seems like I always have something going on, I need to get from point A to point Z in a day as fast as I can. We live in a fast paced world, and at times we all fish at a fast pace as well. Terms like run and gun come to mind. How many times have we heard a bass pro talk about running and gunning? It’s the world we live in, and at times fish in.
My wife is from Louisiana and when I’m down there it drives me nuts that no one is in a hurry to do anything, unless it’s that bass boat flying across Toledo Bend (which her parents live on). Maybe it’s not such a bad thing if we slow down and take our time. If we don’t we can miss out on some great opportunities. I went out yesterday for what I thought would be my last fishing trip of the year, after a few hours and one fish in the boat (caught by my friend, Josh) we headed in. After the boat was on the trailer and out of the water Josh took off. One of the only times I slow down is when I am locking down the boat on the trailer and rods on the deck. As I cleaned the boat before heading for home one of the other two boats on the water pulled up to the dock. On the way to get his truck he stopped and we talked for what could have been a five minute conversation but turned into an hour and a half conversation. This old guy gave me tons of helpful hints and pointers to try. I could have cut the conversation short because there was a list of things I needed to get done but I didn’t.
It’s like us with God. We can cut our time short with him. We could only spend time with him on Sundays when we go to church, but then like me today we could miss out on a lot of useful information. When we read the Bible and spend time in prayer we get a closer look at God and what He wants for us in our lives. When we rush and don’t make time for God we lose out on all the things He has to say to us. If I had run and had not stood there and talked to this guy I would have missed out on things that I can translate into more fish on that body of water and maybe more tournament winnings next summer. The same is true with God. We could not stop and listen and learn and miss things that will save us hurt later.
My wife is from Louisiana and when I’m down there it drives me nuts that no one is in a hurry to do anything, unless it’s that bass boat flying across Toledo Bend (which her parents live on). Maybe it’s not such a bad thing if we slow down and take our time. If we don’t we can miss out on some great opportunities. I went out yesterday for what I thought would be my last fishing trip of the year, after a few hours and one fish in the boat (caught by my friend, Josh) we headed in. After the boat was on the trailer and out of the water Josh took off. One of the only times I slow down is when I am locking down the boat on the trailer and rods on the deck. As I cleaned the boat before heading for home one of the other two boats on the water pulled up to the dock. On the way to get his truck he stopped and we talked for what could have been a five minute conversation but turned into an hour and a half conversation. This old guy gave me tons of helpful hints and pointers to try. I could have cut the conversation short because there was a list of things I needed to get done but I didn’t.
It’s like us with God. We can cut our time short with him. We could only spend time with him on Sundays when we go to church, but then like me today we could miss out on a lot of useful information. When we read the Bible and spend time in prayer we get a closer look at God and what He wants for us in our lives. When we rush and don’t make time for God we lose out on all the things He has to say to us. If I had run and had not stood there and talked to this guy I would have missed out on things that I can translate into more fish on that body of water and maybe more tournament winnings next summer. The same is true with God. We could not stop and listen and learn and miss things that will save us hurt later.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Sponsorship
It seems that anybody that fishes bass tournaments wants a sponsor (s). I have spent my fair share of time thinking that way too. It wasn’t until recently that I realized it’s not what the sponsor can do for me but what can I do for my sponsor. I think we tend to get greedy when it comes to sponsors. We want more and more.
I have spent some time recently helping some anglers who want sponsors. What keeps coming back to me is that idea of what can I do for them. One of my goals is to help other anglers; I want to be a fishing coach. I want to help other anglers see how to reach their goals of getting sponsorships but keeping in mind that it is not all about them.
As I was writing this I was thinking, what if Jesus had only thought about himself. What if he had decided, you know what this is about me and what is best for me, I’m not going to die on the cross? Where would we be? But instead Christ thought about us, and what he could do for us. We as anglers need to have the same mentality and not worry about what that sponsor will do for you but what we will do for the sponsor.
I have spent some time recently helping some anglers who want sponsors. What keeps coming back to me is that idea of what can I do for them. One of my goals is to help other anglers; I want to be a fishing coach. I want to help other anglers see how to reach their goals of getting sponsorships but keeping in mind that it is not all about them.
As I was writing this I was thinking, what if Jesus had only thought about himself. What if he had decided, you know what this is about me and what is best for me, I’m not going to die on the cross? Where would we be? But instead Christ thought about us, and what he could do for us. We as anglers need to have the same mentality and not worry about what that sponsor will do for you but what we will do for the sponsor.
Monday, November 1, 2010
being content with what I have
I feel like God is trying to teach me to be content with what I have. This has got to be one of the hardest lessons of my life. I really want to fish bigger tournaments and to do so, and compete at a higher level with those in them I know I need a bigger faster boat then the 17 ft bass boat I fish out of with an 85 hp motor.
So where do I say ok? I am content knowing that right now I will not get a brand new boat from the show room floor, I will not get all the cool electronics and all the best tackle. So how do I stay content when I know that a bigger boat is what I need to compete on a bigger scale?
The reality I have come to is maybe I need to be content fishing in the smaller tournaments for a little longer even though I want to fish bigger ones. Last week I was reading about the new rules for qualifying for the Bass Master Classic and got the bug to fish the Open events. How cool would it be to win an Open event and qualify for the Bass Master Classic! Sadly I know my family cannot afford it.
Being content and happy with where I am is a challenge, however its one I know I can overcome with the help of God and my wife. She has been a lot more supportive lately and I know if we could afford a bigger boat I would own one. If we could afford for me to fish the Bass Master Opens I would be fishing them. I have often wondered why God blessed me with such a great women and as this journey in fishing tournaments and other projects has begun I understand why. She is my sounding board, she is my helper, she is my friend (and at times team mate in tournaments), and she is my rock. I know without question I could not do what I have already done in fishing without her.
So being content where I am is hard but I know that with my wife behind me I can continue to be content and on occasion still drool at the Nitro’s at Bass pro Shop, or at new tackle on line or at the tackle store and she will remind me about being content.
So where do I say ok? I am content knowing that right now I will not get a brand new boat from the show room floor, I will not get all the cool electronics and all the best tackle. So how do I stay content when I know that a bigger boat is what I need to compete on a bigger scale?
The reality I have come to is maybe I need to be content fishing in the smaller tournaments for a little longer even though I want to fish bigger ones. Last week I was reading about the new rules for qualifying for the Bass Master Classic and got the bug to fish the Open events. How cool would it be to win an Open event and qualify for the Bass Master Classic! Sadly I know my family cannot afford it.
Being content and happy with where I am is a challenge, however its one I know I can overcome with the help of God and my wife. She has been a lot more supportive lately and I know if we could afford a bigger boat I would own one. If we could afford for me to fish the Bass Master Opens I would be fishing them. I have often wondered why God blessed me with such a great women and as this journey in fishing tournaments and other projects has begun I understand why. She is my sounding board, she is my helper, she is my friend (and at times team mate in tournaments), and she is my rock. I know without question I could not do what I have already done in fishing without her.
So being content where I am is hard but I know that with my wife behind me I can continue to be content and on occasion still drool at the Nitro’s at Bass pro Shop, or at new tackle on line or at the tackle store and she will remind me about being content.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)