

# Lessons from Fisherman's Rig

# for Church and Small Group Study

#   
By T. C. Radcliff

# Copyright 2011 T. C. Radcliff

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

No portion or part of this work may be quoted or used without the written permission of the author except for limited quotation for scholarly purposes with proper references. All material including text and drawings is the work of Thomas C. Radcliff. The book itself is the property of First Baptist Church of Logansport, Louisiana. The Christian Catfish logo and other drawings are the property of the author and all rights to the logos and drawings are retained. Mary L. Gore of Toledo Bend Baptist Resort Ministries is granted license to use drawings from this book only for promotional purposes for the Toledo Bend Baptist Resort Ministry. Trademark, company, and product names are the property of their respective owners. Photos are from the family album of Michael W. Radcliff and all rights are retained by him. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB®, are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

2011 Thomas C. Radcliff

All rights reserved.

This book is dedicated to my earthly father, Thomas M. Radcliff. He passed beyond to the Kingdom on January 4, 2009. In the last years of his life, it finally dawned on me how much he really loved me and how much I really loved him, almost too late.

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# Table of Contents

Chapter 1-Lessons for Week One

Chapter 2-Lessons for Week Two

Chapter 3-Lessons for Week Three

Chapter 4-Lessons for Week Four

About the Author

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Acknowledgments

Without the love and patience of my wife, Beth, this book would never have happened. She seems to have a sixth sense of when she needs to let me alone and when she can interrupt. I tell her that interrupting is OK, any time, but she knows me better than I know myself. She does what most of us only wish we could do; really live a Christian life.

I also have to acknowledge the people that helped put this project together. As I have no knowledge of such things, they deserve all the credit. Mrs. Marjorie Bull, a great friend and fine English teacher, did me the great honor of proofing and correcting my errors. I owe her a great deal of thanks. She spent many hours reading, correcting, and supporting me. She is a fine Christian witness.

I have to offer many thanks to my church shepherds and family that have offered encouragement, chief among them our pastor Lance Cypert, former associate pastor Jonathan Langley, and friends David Martin, Jackie Kirkwood, Gary Henderson, Parker Garrett, Dale Morvan, and others. I also especially want to thank Mr. Wayne Adams, a man who has encouraged me most of my adult life. The late Bernard Waggoner, as well, was a great influence, always giving the soundest of advice. They both deserve the title, "man of God."

They all together uphold the scriptural reference "as iron sharpens iron." Without such men as friends, I would never manage to accomplish very much at all.

The highest praise and acknowledgement of all goes to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. God the Father provided His own Son's blood as the sacrifice that paid for my salvation. That brings me into the very presence of God. He provided the Holy Spirit to call me to Jesus and be my Comforter, my Inspiration. The very best work and praise I could ever give would never be enough to pay the debt I owe to Them. Thank God the debt is paid in full.

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"As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ' Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once, they left their nets and followed him. When He had gone a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." Mark 1:16-20

***

As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God's word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret. 2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5 "Master," Simon replied, "we've worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I'll let down the nets." 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, 'Go away from me, because I'm a sinful man, Lord!' For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took, and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's partners. 'Don't be afraid,' Jesus told Simon. 'From now on you will be catching people!' Then they brought the boat to land, left everything, and followed Him." Luke 5:8-11

***

Here are two sets of scripture that tell of Jesus calling His disciples. He loved fishermen enough to live for them and die for them. He loved them just as He loves us, enough to live for us, and enough to die for us. Why can't we believe? Why can't we tell others all about this wonderful good news?

***

These words came about from a very simple realization that I take as inspiration from God. Take what you know and love and use that to illustrate God's great grace through His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. It doesn't matter what work you do or what pastime you love, if God is in it, you can use it to share the Gospel. You know your family. There will be much about my family here as it sets the stage. God provided the family. We must love it, care for it, and defend it.

You know your job. I know mine. I teach science. Your profession, if it is in God's will, is His gift to you. If you are happy in your job, thank Him. If you are not happy, ask Him to help you to be happy and do an excellent job for your employer if you are where He wants you. Ask Him to move you where you are supposed to be if you should be somewhere else.

You know the things you love. I love to fish. I am genuinely a multispecies angler. This is a fancy way of saying that I don't really care what we are fishing for, what's biting, or what we catch; my fishing methods show that. My last trip I caught four small catfish, one large freshwater drum, (we call them gaspergou), and a very large spotted gar. It was one of those days.

I like to talk fishing, read about fishing, work with gear, and work with my boat. I really love to be able to give away fish to friends that need them and don't mind cleaning them. Over many years I've gained a lot of knowledge about fishing. I'm not a great fisherman and most of the time I'm probably not even a very good one, but I love to fish!

You have a lot of knowledge about your favorite things. Ask God for the inspiration to use that knowledge in His work. Inspiration is a good thing. All good things, like Godly inspiration, are from Him and Him alone. Anything else....it depends on who you ask. Ask His Word.

From my understanding of Scripture, bad things are bad luck, according to King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, a result of actions of the Evil One, a result of some sinful human action, especially my own, or sometimes discipline, a trial, or even an opportunity from my Lord. He can make good come from all of them.

With that in mind, I take credit for any mistake or error in these pages. My Lord Jesus Christ gets credit for any good thing here, as He is the source of all good things. You need to tell yourself that and thank Him for that a lot.

***

It's easy to mess with baits, or hooks, or rods and reels, or even the boat. I do that a lot. It takes a lot more work to actually hook up the boat, go to the lake, put it in the water, and fish. Make up your mind now that you are going to obey our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit and actually go fishing. Gather your equipment, hook up the boat, go to your nearest lake, river, or what have you and fish! We'll fish for fish, but more importantly, we won't be afraid, we'll follow Him and become fishers of men. And remember, it's not about the catching; it's always about the fishing.

Each day we will start with a scripture reference, sometimes more than one, a comment on the scripture, then a short prayer for the day, and finally fishing and witnessing tips. We may swap the order around sometimes or even wander off a bit. It's OK, fishing is like that, and I am fishing. I'm fishing for you if you are not a believer in Jesus. I'm fishing for you if you say you believe in Him, but you've never been fishing for people.

You don't have to follow the tips or even agree with me if I think that one way is better than another is and you disagree. Pray about it and ask for knowledge, wisdom, and strength. His Word promises that if you have faith, confess your sins, and repent of them, He will certainly answer. He has a path for each of us. Remember, it's about the fishing.

It worked for my granddaughter Sarah, though. She didn't know if she had truly accepted Jesus. We talked, I shared the fishing witness with her, prayed with her, and it was all good. We will see each other in Heaven one day. Sarah loves to fish. Her daddy doesn't take her enough. He'll wish he had someday.

Even one soul makes the fishing worthwhile if you're fishing for people. We always hope for a few more than that when fishing for fish. Let's hope for many more than that when fishing for people.

***

_Father God, may it all be for Your Glory. Make me an example of what your love can do in times of trouble. Help me not to fall flat on my face and make You ashamed of me._

***

My father and I fished often when I was a boy, not so often in later years. This book was written to share some of our great love of fishing, each other, and God, not in that order. Our Lord must come first. Daddy never talked about that sort of thing much. I've learned that I must. It can't be bottled up inside. I'll explode. That's why we're here.

It is written so that fishermen and women might learn that they can witness to family, friends, and even strangers, so long as they have anything at all in common, perhaps even if they don't. For us, it was fishing. You gotta love it to do it a lot. But if you do, God gave you a ready-made witnessing field.

Good fishing, Daddy. May your line always be tight with a great fish, a nice lunch with something cool to drink in the ice chest, and a cool breeze in your face when you want it the most. I hope the old home place pond is there. Mama will be coming along. She'll be calling us to the house for supper with Jesus.

Save me a place in the boat. I'll be there as soon as I can. God's not done with me just yet. Still have a few things to do for Him.

# Chapter 1-Lessons for Week One

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# Week One-Day One

***

You're Going to Need a Line

# Called God.

# ***

#### "He is before all things, and by Him

#### all things hold together."

#### Colossians 2:17

# ***

That's strong words as the old folks would say. A fisherman will understand needing a strong line, whether for bringing in the fish, tying up the boat, or holding an anchor. If God holds literally everything together at once, and He does, that's about the strongest line you can imagine. Close your eyes and imagine holding on to that line forever, having it wrapped around every part of your life, every thought, every action, knowing it can never fail, never break, for free; anyone can. Just ask. Let's pray about it, just you and me.

Now, before you get all over me, I know that section of verses in Colossians is talking about Jesus as the image of the living God. He is, too. When you've seen Him, you've seen God. You've seen the Holy Spirit, too, because they are all one and the same even though they are all separate, distinct individuals. That's called the Trinity and it is one of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity. No, I don't understand all there is to know about that and neither does anyone else, either. If someone tells you he knows all about it, run the other way as fast as you can while keeping a close eye on your wallet! There are plenty of self-styled experts out there. You can tell them by the size of their palaces. They're good at fooling people. Just understand that we are going to get wrapped up in that Trinity, line, hook, and all!

***

Father God, wrap yourself around me. Protect me. Save me. I am your servant. I'm sorry for the things I've done to disappoint you. Forgive me. Please, God, be my strong line forever. Tie me to you so I can never get loose, never drift away, and never lose my grip. Pull me now in the direction you would have me to go so that I can follow you and not my sin that has hurt so many. I have sinned against You and only You can forgive me. Please, please forgive me and help me to follow only You and keep your commandments, to live only for You and not for myself.

***

After using a lot of different types of line, Berkeley's Fireline Crystal®, a fused braid, makes the top of my list. The stuff is tremendously strong in all weight classes, much stronger than mono. Being translucent, it is less visible in the water but it is white above the water, making line watching a bit easier. You can add a mono or fluorocarbon leader in the same pound test with back-to-back uni-knots and it still slips through line guides on rods just fine. The two-pound and four-pound are great for light line fanatics but I usually use the six for panfish and eater cats, eight-pound test if there are more snags. I've read that these "super lines" as they call them actually break at about double their rated test but I don't know about all that.

The twenty-pound test is on one of my heavier spinning rods and it probably really tests out at who knows what break strength. I'm thinking about putting it on all the smaller spinning equipment. The stuff is a confidence builder even in heavy brush. You would probably have to order two-pound test but the rest can be found in large sporting goods stores or they can get it.

I use PowerPro Braid® for situations requiring heavier test, Trilene XT® when I want monofilament and Berkeley Vanish® fluorocarbon when that is needed for nearly invisible leaders. These make great presents, too, for those who don't know what to get their fisherman or fisherwoman for Christmas or birthdays! (Note to myself: say, "Fisherman," even if it is a woman as a lot of the women are manlier than the men are nowadays anyway. I mean that in a good way. They have to be. The men aren't carrying their share of the load, at home or in the Church. That's another story.)

The other day I bought a spool of the new Berkeley Nanofil in the twelve pound test. Wow, I may have a new favorite! On a seven foot, medium action, Ugly Stick Lite Pro Graphite spinning rod with a thirty weight Pfleuger reel it will throw an eighth ounce weedless jig with half a Z-Man finesse worm just about out of sight! But, and it's a big but, the stuff is twenty bucks for a 150 yard spool no matter what test. That really gets your attention. Plus, the line is so thin and slick that you have to use different knots. The twelve is the same diameter as four pound Trilene XT!Instead of a regular Palomar you need to double loop the first overhand. Doug Stange says a back-to-back Uni splice to a leader needs to have the Nanofil doubled and tied off with a Spider Hitch first before tying the splice. I just super glue the knots. Put a small drop of glue on the finished knot and quickly roll the knot between thumb and forefinger. Then let it dry. Don't glue your fingers. Yes, I've done that. A reasonable substitute is to tie tiny snaps, zero or one sizes, or snap swivels separately to the line and leader with Palomar knots so that the snaps hook together. This allows changing leaders, lures, or hooks much easier. I use those tiny snaps a lot.

Never try to break line with your hands when you are hung up! Even mono can cut you to the bone and the braids and super lines are guaranteed to do it. Use a break stick instead. A six inch section of ½ inch diameter oak dowel works well. Rap the line around the dowel four or five times and then pull. Never throw used line in the water or on the ground! Save it for regular trash disposal. Wading birds, turtles, fish, and even larger creatures can be injured or killed by the stuff. It lasts for years in the water and we don't want to kill anything that isn't a threat or food for the table.

Whether it's God's fishing or regular fishing, you have to have a quality, strong line. God is the best for His work. Fireline Crystal® is the best mainline for other things as far as I am concerned. Choose what suits your circumstances best, so long as its fish you're after and not people. Then, only God will do.

Now we have the strongest line there ever was, so we have one of the only three things we absolutely have to have. Make sure that line stays wrapped around the cross and you clutch that cross ever so tightly in your hand and heart. Then wrap yourself up tight in the whole thing. That's the only way to hold on to the line. It holds on to you. God's good about that sort of thing. Really, He is!

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# Week One-Day Two

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# You're Going To Need A Hook

# Named Jesus

# ***

#### "I am the way and the truth and the life.

#### No one comes to the Father except through Me."

#### John 14:6

# ***

Jesus is the only "hook" that the Bible allows. Now, notice. I am not the one that says Jesus is the only way. The Bible says that. Either the Bible is right or it is not. There is no way around that. To use an argument from a great scientist, Blaise Pascal, if the Bible is wrong then the Bible, this book, and what I have to say don't matter at all. When you die, you die; that's it. But if the Bible is right, it matters forever. Are you willing to risk a 50-50 bet on forever? Not me. The wise person makes a conscious decision to follow Christ.

Jesus said that if you really belong to Him, nobody can ever take you out of His hand. You are His forever. Once you are really His, you are on the hook forever. You can't be taken off; you can't even get off on your own by being rotten if you were really His to begin with. That's some hook! Think of it, a hook that no fish can escape and no bigger fish can come along and eat you up once you are on it either. What a deal! And all you have to do is ask!

So we have a line, God, and a hook, Jesus. In order to be on the line you have to be hooked. But unlike my fishing hooks, this hook will never come out and it's always sharp! Let's pray.

***

Lord Jesus, please be that hook in my mouth so I can be forever safe with you. How could I pass up the strongest line and hook ever? Be my Lord and Master. Save me. Forgive my many sins. Help me to turn away from them and follow You, instead. Get me out of the water with these sharks that are all around me! You are my only hope and salvation. Help me to do the things you said to do and not what I've done in the past. Forgive me, Lord.

***

You and I know we can't catch fish with just a line. Oh, I might manage to fashion some sort of snare to use where there are lots and lots of fish. I could make a net if I knew how, but a snare and a net are not just a line. Just throwing a line in the water by itself is not going to catch me any fish. I need a hook. With a line and a hook, I can at least snag one every now and then where that is legal. I have to have at least a line and a hook.

Sometimes fish will bite a bare hook. In fact, one way of fishing for blue cats is to use a gold white perch hook suspended beneath a floating plastic jug with no bait. It works, too, where there are lots of them. Blues will sometimes strike at bare hooks as any trotliner can tell you. Some of the trotliners only bait every other hook, on purpose. Daddy used to do that sometimes.

I like circle hooks in the smaller sizes, ones, one-ought, and two-ought, as these fit the smaller size cats, the ones that taste best, really well. They will handle much larger cats just fine, too. I use Eagle Claw® and VMC® hooks mostly as they are high quality and the price is right. I hang these over the side of the boat on a good rod, with the best line, put the rod in a rod holder, and wait for the fish to hook themselves. With circle hooks, they do and they are rarely hooked too deep to release them if I don't want to keep them. Never set the hook with a circle hook. Just wait till the fish has hooked himself and then reel.

There are literally thousands of types, styles, and sizes of hooks. The Eagle Claw 84® bait-holder and plain shank hooks are incredibly strong and economical for their size. They are one of the best values around and still made in America. But these are not circle hooks. If you feel the fish, you have to set the hook! A number four size is about right for a single worm or small piece of cut bait for small, eater cats. A three-ought is a good all-around size if there is the possibility of larger fish. Look at In-Fisherman's website. Doug Stange will be happy to let you read all about it. That's where I learned it. That, and Daddy—we didn't have fancy hooks.

I would likely fish a one or one-ought, though, with small pieces of cut bait, if I were using the bait holder hooks. We have lots of gar and they don't seem to bother small pieces of bait as much as the larger stuff. If you look at the websites for Eagle Claw® and Mustad® hooks and look at their catalogs, you will see the hooks I mean. The Mustad® site even has a great section on the history of hooks. It seems that man has used metal hooks, much like the ones in use today, since before the time of Abraham. A good idea really lasts. Forbes.com rates the fishhook in the top twenty useful tools ever developed by man! I agree.

Another good hook is the split-shot/drop-shot hook from Gamakatsu® in the number one size. These are more expensive and fish may swallow the hook if you are not careful but where there are a lot of small channel cats, it sometimes works better as they will nibble at bait and you have to be able to set the hook to get them. Don't yank it. A short wrist lift will usually do just fine, as these hooks are very sharp and penetrate well. With braided or fused line, there is little to no stretch so setting the hook too hard often results in a ripped lip or torn mouth for the fish and no fish for you.

Fine wire Aberdeen hooks work well in many situations, too. I almost always change out the small treble hooks on spoons and in-line spinners with small Aberdeen hooks, a six, or even an eight for really small ones and a four for larger ones. Some folks like heavier hooks but I like the light ones. We call these cricket hooks or bream hooks here. They will hold more than you think if the drag on your reel is set right, but you can often straighten them out when you are hung up without breaking your line. Then you reshape the hook and go back to fishing.

Your witnessing should be like that fine wire hook. Do it gently, repeatedly, and patiently. Be flexible in your approach. Let the Lord work. The fish will hook themselves. Don't yank on the line! Everybody always wants to do that! Hold on and pull gently. It's not about you, your church, or numbers. It's not about your own success or failure as a witness. You are a success the very second you obey God's Word and go fishing for people. It's not even about "winning people to Jesus" as strange as that might sound. He already knows who is coming! It's about obedience. Fish! Remember, you are responsible for fishing, not catching.

Now we have the strongest line and the strongest, sharpest hook there ever was. We're two out of three. The Bible says we need one more thing. What works occasionally for fish, doesn't work for people, ever. If people bite on the bare hook, they are only striking at the flash. It will never last without the third part of the rig in their lives. There is only one way to get to God, that's Jesus. There is only one way to get to Jesus.

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# Week One-Day Three

# ***

# You're Going To Need Bait Called

# The Holy Spirit.

# ***

#### "No one can come to Me

#### unless the Father who sent Me draws him,

#### and I will raise him up on the last day."

#### John 6:44

# ***

There, that's the last thing we absolutely have to have to catch people. Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, and the Comforter. The 139th Psalm tells us we can't hide from the Holy Spirit. He reaches everywhere. Second Corinthians 3:17 says that freedom is wherever that Spirit is. That is some bait. The scent of it is everywhere. A cat man knows that the farther the scent of the bait travels in the water the farther the cats will come to find that bait! Freedom is there with the Spirit, the Spirit is the only way to get to Jesus, and Jesus is the only way to get to God. Now our rig is complete. Let's pray about it.

***

Father God, now I know how Your Word says it works. Let Your Spirit call me loud and clear, no matter where I am or what I am doing, that I might really know and obey Christ. I want the Spirit in me. I want Jesus in me. I want you, Lord God, in me. Help me. Forgive me. Cleanse me from my sin. Let me be clean and forgiven in Your eyes. Help me to stay clean, stay focused on Christ, and do His will. Let me be His servant. Show me what I am to do, where I am to go, and what I am to say in order to do His work. Help me to make my life a constant witness for Jesus so that my every word and deed glorifies only Him.

_  
_***

I would like to say that if you prayed those prayers and really meant them in your heart, you're a Christian now, whether you were before or not. But, did you really mean it? Do you really believe Jesus is really the Son of God? Good, so do the demons and Satan. Do you really want Him to really be your Lord and Master? Good, the demons and Satan must bow before Him as Lord and Master, but only because they have to and at the resurrection and judgment they will receive their just reward, Hell. Why? Because they don't want Him to be Lord and Master and their actions show it. They chose their fate. They rebelled and will not repent.

Now, that last part about the possibility of repentance for the evil ones is conjecture on my part. I don't know that the Scripture addresses that issue for Satan and the demons. God is just, so I have to figure that they had their chance and refused. But, and it's a big but, Scripture does address the issue for us. Without repentance, real repentance from sin, there is no salvation. Jesus demanded it. The apostles demanded it. All of the Holy Scripture from beginning to end demands it. The idea of the quick "believer's prayer" without the evidence of repentance and a changed life is a modern heresy that comes from man's pride. It centers on our wish to get to heaven, our wish to say, "Look how many professions of faith we had in our last revival!" It is centered on half-truths and wishful thinking. He is merciful, right? Absolutely, but He is also just.

He will dispense the ultimate judgment as a result of the ultimate evidence, the Books. What books do I mean? The Book of Life and the Books of Works, as told about in the Book of Revelation, provide the evidence. If your name is in the Book of Life, you're His. The final evidence is in the other books. If you are His, there is the evidence of repentance from sin, a changed life, and works that show the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

If you are not in His Books, I don't care how many times you said a "believer's prayer", how many times you were baptized, how many times you joined a church, how good anybody thinks you are; it means nothing. The Bible says are going to Hell, forever.

If you really asked Him to be Lord of everything in your life then there will be evidence right away. Much of it will come later as you mature in the Lord but there will be some evidence right away. You no longer want or have the same life you had before. You want the things of the Lord. It's that simple. Like old bait, there is something about sin that smells bad to you now, even when you give in to it. The old life doesn't appeal to you in exactly the same way anymore. You actually have a conscience that makes you feel guilty when you go against God's will. That conscience is a very important gift to us.

The road to perfection is a very long one for us, but don't worry about that. He will take care of it. That's all there is to it. If you really believe and call out to Him for help, He's there. If you really believe and ask for forgiveness, it's yours. If you really repented of your sins and accepted His salvation you will be with Him in Heaven forever. He wants you to have His peace, worry about nothing, do good works for others, worship with other believers, read and study His Word, and fish. I'll concentrate on the fishing part. He doesn't need me to take care of anything else. He is perfect; I am not. Let's obey His commands and go fishing.

Oh, by the way, you are going to slip and fall flat on your face in the mud fairly often. Get up, ask Him to forgive you, and get back to work. This is what the example of washing the disciple's feet was all about. If He has cleansed you of your sin, you are clean but contact with the world will require a bit of touch up fairly often! It's sort of like Mama with a wash cloth going after your ears or face even after you took a bath!

***

I like to use those small drop-shot or octopus type hooks on a drop-shot rig with a small piece of cut shad for bait lots of times. I catch the shad with a small cast net. It is really not hard to do but does require some practice. We'll talk about nets later. Small pieces of night crawler, crawfish, bait shrimp, or minnows will do, too, but I like shad when I can get them. They're greasy and oily and catfish love them. So does everything else in the water! You can try to keep them alive in a minnow bucket with an aerator but it is probably just as well if you throw them on ice. Use them within a few hours. They are fragile, hard to keep alive, and don't keep well, but worth the trouble. Learn to throw a cast net. That's another lesson.

Make sure you are following the laws about what you can and can't use for bait in your state and on the water you are fishing. The laws vary a lot and what is legal bait in one state or on certain waters may get you a ticket in another state or even just on a different lake! Don't say I didn't warn you.

A drop-shot rig is simple. It is the old idea that we used to call tight-lining. You tie a hook on your line with a Palomar knot leaving a tag end of line about a foot or so long. Line at a knot or lure has what we call a standing end, the end that goes back to the spool or reel, and a tag end, the end that is loose. At the bottom, below your hook, add a split shot or small bank sinker depending on the speed of the current, if any, and the depth of the water. That's it; couldn't be simpler. Practice it until the hook faces up.

Don't be suckered into the expensive drop-shot clamp-on weights. You don't need that. If you don't crimp it too tight, a split shot will pull off if it hangs in a limb and you haven't lost much. If you don't want it to slip off, tie an overhand knot in the line below the split shot. The buckshot size split shot work best for this. Lower that rig into a good brush top and hang on! You can cast it out and let it rest on the bottom if you like. Just reel up and keep a moderately tight line.

Using a small circle hook or drop-shot type hook, I've caught just about every kind of fish in Toledo Bend and the Sabine River using small pieces of cut-up shad or other fish for bait. Shad's the best, though. Just don't forget and leave them in the ice for days like those that I did last time out. Buzzards were circling the house by the time I got the smell out of that so-called five-day ice chest!

Commercial stink baits work well sometimes, but not as good as natural baits in my experience. I like Secret-7®, but there are lots of different ones out there. They all have one thing in common. They stink! You need special hooks to hold these soft baits. Dip worms or sponges with small treble hooks in them are used for dip bait. Trebles with small springs on them hold dough baits. I recommend substituting a circle hook for the treble hooks with dip worms or sponges but that doesn't work with dough bait.

There is a third type known as punch bait because you punch a bare treble hook down in it with a stick, swirl it around and lift it out ready to fish. It works better than the dip or the dough in hot weather as fiber holds it all together. It works best if you mold it on by hand and forget the stick. All are readily available along with preformed baits in various shapes and flavors. I keep some handy for when I can't catch shad or bluegill to cut up. Grocery store baits like beef or chicken livers can work well, too. Buy some of that citrus based hand cleaner. You're going to need a really large bottle. Keep plenty of paper towels or rags handy, too.

Sometimes I mix my own. Don't ask my pastor, Lance Cypert, about the first time I had him bait his own hook with some blood-based dip bait that I mixed dryer fuzz in to make a punch bait. I thought he was going to completely balk on me for a minute there. Later, he even told the story in church! It's never good when you become fodder for the sermon, but I don't bait hooks for grown men, even preachers.

Bluegills are legal bait here on Toledo Bend but, again, check your local laws. The small, 2-4 inch live ones make great bait by themselves, especially for flatheads, bass, stripers, etc. Blue cats and flatheads really, really, love them. Too, some bass fishermen say the only thing better is a really large shiner minnow or water dog, what some folks call a certain salamander. Check the law on that one!

So now, we have the minimum tools Scripture says we have to have, the absolute necessities, a line, a hook, and very special bait. The bait, however, requires preparation on our part. Having bait ready for fish requires some work and having yourself ready for the Spirit requires even more!

In fishing for fish, you have to take care of the bait and get it ready. You have to know about different baits. You have to know how to use each one effectively. With commercial stink baits, you have to add vegetable oil or fish oil when they are too thick and some sort of thickening agent if they are too thin. I like to add cod liver oil for thinning and cornstarch and plain old clothes dryer fuzz if the bait is too thin. You really have to get in there with a spoon and mix it up. Spooning smaller amounts into a heavy zippered plastic bag and then squishing it around works well, too.

Do not ever, I repeat, do not ever use one of your wife's spoons or any of her other containers! Buy your own and don't mix it anywhere near her if you want to ever come close to her again. My dear wife won't sit within a hundred feet downwind or upwind when I am doing this and getting the stink off your hands takes at least several applications of GoJo® or similar products.

If you are not prepared to get messy, really messy sometimes, you just aren't going to have the bait the way you need it on that particular occasion. This even includes natural baits like shad or other baitfish. They work best cut up in the right size pieces or fileted and that is just plain old messy and stinky sometimes. Even worms work best in small pieces, most of the time.

So let's get fishing! In order to let the Holy Spirit do His job and be the bait that calls people to Jesus, you have to get right down and roll in the bait, put it all over you, live in it, play in it every day, especially if you intend to fish for people regularly. You need to look at the fact of the Holy Spirit just as an old sow pig looks at the fact of mud. You don't worry about how it seems or looks to anyone else. You just get out there, jump in, wallow around, and enjoy it! If you are not willing to play in it, you are never going to get the benefit of it nor will you ever reach your potential for helping others come to know Christ.

So get down on your knees now, if you are physically able, and ask for His presence, His blessing, His indwelling, His inspiration, His call, His purposes, His direction, His control of your life and your fishing, especially for people. Bask in His radiance. Soak it up! Ask Him to help you sing, dance, and rejoice in Him always. Play, play like a little kid that just isn't worried about a thing in this world because that's what only He can give you, peace, joy, and a love and confidence you've never known.

I'm not talking about ecstatic experiences and speaking in tongues, although if that happens, it's fine, so long as the dictates of the Bible about such things are followed to the letter. Most people that claim such things nowadays are not following the directions of scripture, so unbelievers think they're crazy or faking. If we followed the scripture exactly, that wouldn't be the case. Don't worry about what someone else might think or what someone else might do. Do what God's Word says, exactly!

The Holy Spirit is God's own bait, the only one that brings people to Jesus, who is the only one that brings people to God. You have to be willing to play in the bait or you can't get on the hook. You have to get that hook in your mouth or you can't get on the line! You have to get a hold of that line or you can't fish for people. That's just the way it is.

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Week One-Day Four

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# It Will Really Help If You

# Learn To Tie Knots.

# ***

#### "but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you."

#### 1st Peter 3:15

# ***

If I am without hope, then I don't have Jesus, simple as that. He gives hope to all that are His. He is our hope. My "defense" is how I explain to someone the good news of the gospel, the free gift of eternal life through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, the way this has changed my life. If someone asks, I should answer.

If it didn't change my life, if there is no evidence of Christ in the life I live, then I may not be really His. I may just be fooling myself. Satan loves that more than anything else, I bet; a lost person that thinks he is saved is no threat to Satan. They are a warrior for his cause every day. It's that simple.

These "defenses" are my "knots." They tie the story together so I can explain it to someone else. The more I know, the better I can explain it all and the better my fishing will be. So let's pray about it.

***

Father God help me to learn every knot I need to fish for people. Only you know the exact ones that I will need but I know if I ask, you will help me to learn for your Glory. May everything I learn, every "defense," be for your Glory and Yours alone.

_  
_***

You can fish and never learn any knot but an old Granny knot, pretty much the same way you tie your shoes or anything else. But if you are really going to be good at the fishing part, (God only knows about the catching part), you will find it best if you learn to tie a few basic knots. Web sites like netknots.com, Grog's Animated Knots, Steelheader.net, and Striper Surf help a lot and there are lots of them. A good book on knots from the sporting goods store or library can help, too. That's another great gift idea. Sometimes you can find free leaflets with various knots in them at line racks or in other places in sporting goods stores. For fishing for fish, you only really need a few but it's good to know others.

I like the uni-knot, the double surgeons' loop, and the Palomar. It's good to learn to snell a hook, too; hooks with up-turned or down-turned eyes were designed to be snelled. The snell knot is strong, as well as being pretty. We'll use a few of these knots to make our primary conversation starter and witnessing tool. It involves nothing but some line, a hook, and a red pipe cleaner, all things easy to find at your local sporting goods or discount store. If God gives you a better idea after you learn this one, use it! Tell me about it, too!

Take a piece of line about two feet long and form a loop in one end about six inches long by doubling it back on itself. Tie an overhand knot in that loop, putting the end of the loop through the circle of the overhand knot twice. Wet it with a little spit and pull it tight by holding on to the two ends. Leave the loop big enough to put your first two fingers through. Trim the loose tag end up to about a quarter of an inch from the knot and that part is done. That's a double surgeons' loop. It won't slip. It's a really good knot for tying loops up a line from the hook or weight where you want to add a hook. Tie the loop and then pinch it and put the loop through the eye of the hook and pull it over the whole hook like a Palomar; it's easy.

On the other end of the line, do the same things; only put the doubled section of line through the eye of your hook before you tie the overhand knot in it with the hook hanging in the loop of the overhand knot. Loop it only once, twice with Nanofil™. Then, take the loop and put it completely over the barb end of the hook. Pull it all back up to the eye of the hook while holding both the standing end and the tag end. Wet the knot, and pull it all tight by holding the hook and pulling both of the other ends. Trim the tag end up short. That's a Palomar knot. It's easy to tie and works great.

Now, take a section of red pipe cleaner and wrap it around the hook as the bait. It represents the Holy Spirit and that red color reminds us of the blood Christ shed for the forgiveness of our sins. That's all there is to it.

Technically, we made a looped leader with a hook on it. With a little more work, we have a Carolina rig. If I put a sliding sinker on my main line, add a bead to stop the sinker, and then tie in a swivel on the end of it to stop the bead, I'm almost ready. Then I put the loop of the leader through the swivel, over the hook, and tighten it up into a rig that lets the fish pick up the bait and pull without feeling the sinker. I can add a small foam float just ahead of the hook if I want to make the bait float off the bottom. This helps fish find the bait and reduces snags just a bit. The float gives a little color as well and perhaps helps fish see and find the bait better.

People that fish mostly for catfish and bass use this a lot but all sorts of fishermen use a Carolina rig. It is basic and it works. It is not always the best thing to use in fishing for fish. There are certainly many other ways, and I use the other ways more for fish, but the Trinity, (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), are always the only thing for catching people. It's the only way you can really help them find their true place in eternal life.

You now have your conversation starter, "the rig." You can use anything from trot line with a nine-ought, stainless steel, bait holder to the little Eagle Claw® pre-made snelled hooks you can get at the store, though I think it is best to make your own. If you learn to tie a snell knot, use heavy trotline, and large hooks, it makes a truly impressive illustration. Be sure to squeeze the barb of the hook down with a pair of pliers and blunt the hook point a bit on the big ones before you use it or carry it around in your pocket, as it will hurt like crazy if you stick yourself or someone else with a hook that size!

I like to use heavy PowerPro® or other braided line, though mono will do and is cheaper, and an Owner Tournament Circle Hook®, with no kerf, (a kerf is a bend away from the line of the shank of the hook), in about a two-ought size or smaller most of the time. With a little practice, I can actually put the hook in my hand, close my fist and pull hook and all out without sticking myself. This illustrates the idea that Christ will never hurt us. He has already done the hurting for us, once for all.

The Bible says that in Heaven, there will be no more pain and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. What a promise! I don't want to hurt anymore. Does anyone you know actually want to hurt more?

You can introduce the rig something like this. "You're a fisherman? Let me make you a fisherman's present. It shows how God made sure we could be with Him forever when this body dies. Can I tell you about it? If not, well...you keep the present."

Be brief, polite, and respectful of the other person's beliefs, or lack of belief, no matter what they say. Even if they don't want to hear, leave them with the present if you can. There is something about it that will speak to them later. That's called chumming and that's a different lesson.

It might help if you put a card or piece of paper in a small zip-top plastic bag with the "rig" that explains what the items represent and how a person can accept Christ. A phone number for your church, pastor, or yourself might help, too. Pray over it and ask the Holy Spirit to be in it. Ask Him to help you present it and give you opportunity to do so. He will.

If you're shy, make up a basket of these and go to a fishing tournament. Ask permission to just stand somewhere and give these out. You don't have to say a thing. God will take care of it.

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# Week One-Day Five

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# Trouble Finding A Place to Fish?

# The World is our fishin' hole!

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***

#### 35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

#### Matthew 9:35-38

#   
***

Jesus is telling people there are lots and lots and lots of souls around to be saved; we are just not seeing it. Sometimes we're just ignorant of the situation. Sometimes we just won't open our eyes because we don't want to see. Sometimes we would like to say, "That's the preacher's job." But it is our job, every one of us, from the greatest to the least! No one that belongs to Christ is excluded. No one gets a "buy" into the tournament. Not me. Not you. Not anybody that claims to follow Christ. Every one of us is supposed to be fishing, all the time! Let's pray about it.

***

Father, teach me to fish. Teach me to do it Your way. Teach me to love fishing for people just as the disciples did. Teach me to love the fish like You do, even when they are most unlovable, just like me.

***

God has blessed me. I live near the Sabine River not far from where it turns into Toledo Bend Lake. As an old commercial said, it just doesn't get any better than this! Perhaps it does, depending on where you live, but you wouldn't know it by me. I can hook up the boat and be at the river, at Garret Park, in fifteen minutes or drive south to the ramp at Circle Drive or Oak Ridge Park on the lake in about thirty minutes.

It doesn't matter. Just about anywhere, there is fishing within reach. You might have to drive some, but it's there. Be it lake, pond, river, ocean, or trout stream, you can get there if you really want to fish! If it's private property, remember to ask permission. Wherever it is, stay legal, use good manners, leave the place cleaner than you found it, and remember, go out of your way to help other fishermen. Above all, enjoy the great place that God has given you to fish!

Places to fish for people are even easier, especially if you are fishing for fishermen! Just how hard is it to get to talking about fishing with one of your buddies or some guy at the ramp, at a sporting goods store, out on the lake, or in the coffee shop? Hand them "the rig." Tell them how good God is!

Do you care where they are going to spend eternity? How about your wife, parents, or kids? If you fish, or even want to fish, using "the rig" to explain it to someone you love couldn't be any easier. How about, "Son, this is important. This is how our relationship to God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit seems to me. The Bible says this is how it is, too. Can we talk about it a bit and then maybe plan a fishing trip together? I would really like that!" God will give you the words to say if you will just ask. You don't have to use mine. He has a way and a road planned just for you. Do you know why? Because He loved you before you ever loved Him. He knew you before you were ever born. You're special. He died for you; you and you alone if that had been needed. It was, too.

# Chapter 2-Lessons for Week 2

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# Week Two-Day One

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# If You Belong To Jesus,

# You Are Already In "The Boat."

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#### 23 As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping.25 So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to die!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this?

#### — even the winds and the sea obey Him!"

#### Mathew 8:23-27

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# ***

#

Why were they afraid? Because they were human and this was a human boat! Humans, in human boats, in bad storms, sometimes sink and drown. Imagine yourself in the middle of the Pacific in a twenty-foot rowboat. That was pretty much the deal.

We are talking about "The Church," here, not the building, or denomination, or historical established church, or any of those things. We are talking about that great, uncountable assemblage of those that are justified and sanctified through the blood of Jesus Christ. Only God knows the number, but once you are counted as one of that number, the Saints are going to go marching in for you forever and ever! We don't mean the New Orleans Saints, either. The real Saints have an advantage over the New Orleans Saints. It's once in, always in for the real Saints. Not so, for the New Orleans Saints; you never know what they are going to do. Let's pray.

***

Father God, thank You for the greatest boat of all, one that can't sink, drift away, or get lost. Help me to know just how wonderful that is and worship You for it every day. Help me make the boat a better place to be, not a place where the other people in the boat might be better off if I had drowned.

***

We've all seen them; the people that you almost wish had drowned instead of making it into the boat. Sometimes we are those people! They gripe and complain. They are never happy about anything. Somehow Satan has so messed up their outlook that they have failed to be a real witness for Christ; somehow they have become bitter, isolated, lonely Christians, yet, there is no doubt they know and love Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. We certainly don't understand people like that but we have a duty, I believe, to try to help them be happy in Jesus again.

There is room in the boat for all kinds and someday we will all be made perfect! You and I are no more perfect than they are. All of us are perfect when covered by the blood of Jesus, but that is the only way! Remember, there is room in the boat for everyone that is called. We will never be perfect except in that day when He calls us all home. There's room in the boat!

That is some boat! It is impossible to imagine the size of the boat that would hold all of God's Saints. However, think of it another way. Scripture does describe the New Jerusalem that will come down from Heaven. The way it is described, it could hold any amount of souls and heavenly bodies you could ever think up!

Why is the Church our boat? Think about it. It is never the building or organization that obeys and praises God. It is never the building or organization that offers you help and comfort. It is never the building or organization that tells His story, the Good News, the Gospel. It is the people of the Church who praise Him, worship Him, make offerings to Him, pray to Him, obey Him, tell His story, spread the Good News, and offer help, comfort, and compassion to those around them. They are the real Church!

You are safe in that boat. It will weather any storm. It will ride any wave. It is steady. It is eternal. He said He would build it on Peter, the rock, and after all his failures, Peter did a pretty good job, from what I hear. It will triumph over any enemy. The very gates of Hell will not stand against it. The army in that boat, God's people, cannot be defeated. God has promised it. His promises are good.

Out in the water are the lost souls, the ones that the Devil torments for his pleasure and the pleasure of his angels, the demons, the sharks. You say you don't believe such things are real. Why not? Is that idea too unscientific for you? Is it too old fashioned? Jesus is about as old fashioned and unscientific as it gets. Jesus said they're real. He called them by name. That's good enough for me and I've taught science for many years.

That's where you were, in the water with all of them. Not anymore. Not if you belong to Jesus. You are safe in the Boat He loves. He is the Captain of the Ship, forever. That's good enough.

***

I took out the middle seat in the Alumacraft and used old cedar planks from a remodeling effort to make a floor, open-top bins, and a cover for the back seat and deck area. The foam flotation from under the middle seat went under some deck extension at the back, as it wouldn't be wise to get rid of that. At first, I used Daddy's old two-stroke, 1958, 3-horse Evenrude folding sailboat engine. That really got some strange looks from people. I just laughed and put-putted right along. He got it from my Uncle Charles, an old Navy Chief. No telling where it came from. It ran like a top after a little work. It still would if needed.

No one had to worry about my wake; there wasn't one. Daddy's old MotorGuide Stealth 200 mounted on the front with blocks of wood under the clamps, the way he taught me, was as fast as the three-horse. Slow was the only speed we had. Now we go faster and farther with the 9.9 but I doubt that it's any more fun.

Whatever boat you have is a good boat, so long as it floats. You can sit in it, pretend to fish, and keep safe at home if you want, but that's not where a boat was meant to be. Boats are meant to be out on the water! Jesus didn't intend for the boat to be on a trailer parked in the yard looking pretty. Get on the water and get fishing!

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# Week Two-Day Two

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# The Church House Is

# Just A Net Set Out In The Water.

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#### 16 As He was passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. 17 "Follow Me," Jesus told them, "and I will make you fish for people!" 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in their boat mending their nets. 20 Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.

#### Mark 1:16-20

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# ***

I have to think that this day was already planned out with the first disciples. I think they were just waiting for His call. The phrase "fishers of men" brings to mind other illustrations in Scripture of God fishing for people. They would have associated it with the Lord.

The Romans held the whole country in an iron-fisted grip. Fishermen paid for a license, a concession, and also paid heavy in-kind taxes on their catch. Depending on the mood of the Romans at the moment, failure meant loss of the concession and possibly jail or death because the expected amount of taxes wasn't paid on time. Only a fool or insane person would have followed a stranger away from their work on a spur-of-the-moment whim. No, they acted in faith for the One they believed, or at least suspected, to be the Master. Others had to pick up their slack with the work, so there was sacrifice all around.

Most fishing was by net, either cast nets, (I wish I practiced enough to really do this well with a big net.), or with various types of nets set by boat or pulled behind boats. The net and the boats were your only chance of making a real living. Hook and line methods were known and common, but it was too slow to make a living that way. Even the cast net is a slow way for me sometimes. I have to watch about falling out of the boat and I often don't get it to open up all the way. Ask Lance. He'll probably just laugh.

The church house is only a net. It sits there empty most of the time, people driving by, sending out its invitation, "Come in. Come in." Every once in a while someone answers, a fish swims right into the net. After all, we go there voluntarily in order to worship the Lord together. Then we leave. You can get out of this net anytime you want and never come back. It just serves as a meeting place for fish. It is best if we keep it looking as inviting as possible. At the very least, keep it looking clean, ready for worship.

Perhaps a few more fish might swim in to see why everyone gathers up there, if it looked like there might be some bait around to find. Perhaps they would stay if we would all gather around in welcome and make sure they always felt that way, no matter what sort of fish they were. Let's pray.

### ***

Father, help me understand that it's a building. We are "the church." Help me understand that I need to help keep it looking nice and inviting so folks will want to stop there. Help me understand that I am not inviting people to a building but to an everlasting community of believers. Help me treat them that way so they don't turn around and swim right back out of the net because of me.

### ***

You know, cast nets and landing nets are the sort of utilitarian thing we don't think much about until we need to make a better throw to get more bait or need a bigger one for a bigger fish we have on the line, or any net at all for some of the toothy critters we might find holding onto a hook and grinning at you. I know that a big gar will make you wish for just about anything that will help you get him off your line! No landing net is going to help either! I am sure fishermen in more northern waters have the same feeling about pike and muskies except that they want to keep those, at least as far as I can tell from what I read. We only have gar and pickerel to worry about in our freshwater. Gators don't count though they will hit a lure sometimes. Don't try to get it back!

When you buy a landing net, you have to think about the fish you are planning on being in the net. Will they be small trout or bass, maybe even crappie or bluegills? Why do you even need a net for those? Is there a chance at trophy sized fish or fish that are commonly larger such as salmon, muskies, steelhead, or catfish? Then buy as much net as you can afford and have room for in your boat. They even come with rubber net bags that are not supposed to hurt the fish as much as cord does. There are long, collapsible nets with extension handles and really huge net bags for big boats, big water, and bigger fish like monster cats.

If you are looking for a cast net, start with the smallest one you can find, four or five footer at most. You will be very frustrated trying to throw a larger one. Eventually you give up and throw it back in the box. Get someone that already knows how to help you practice at first. There are also really great Internet sites that show how with pictures and video. Follow the directions for prepping the net so it won't be too stiff. A good soaking in soapy water overnight does wonders. The more weights there are around the edge, for the size of the net, the better. More weights help the net spread into a circle much better. Practice in the back yard at first.

When you can throw it fairly well, try your hand at the lake while standing on good, firm, dry ground. Then, try from the boat. Throwing a net well from the deck of a small boat is another story entirely. Wear a life jacket! If you fall in, don't get wound up in the net! Good places to try for bait are around feeder creek inlets, docks, ramps, current eddies, or any places you see bait fish running near the surface. Again, obey the law!

Suit yourself. But buy quality, not junk. Better yet, ask for the exact one you want for Christmas or a birthday! Other than that, it's like asking someone what is his or her favorite color or song. If it fits your particular needs, it's good, whether you're wading, walking, or riding. Fishermen have been doing this for thousands of years. You can, too!

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# Week Two-Day Three

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# Rods Connect You To "The Line."

# His Word Is Your "Rod."

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#### 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff — they comfort me.

#### Psalm 23:4

***

What's the difference between a rod and a staff? They both sound like a big stick to me. In Scripture, a rod is generally just that, a big stick for hitting things. A staff though, is often associated with rank or prestige. Like a personal seal for letters, messages, or contracts, the staff had the owners name and or mark on it. It might be highly decorated or plain. A ruler or other influential person could have his servant carry his staff when the servant went on any mission and it showed the authority of the ruler was with that person. The shepherd's staff or rod had a crook in it for hooking onto wayward sheep. I suppose it worked just fine on animals and people, too. I don't want to take a "whack" from rod or staff either one, and God's rod or staff can really give you a "whack!"

The psalmist is saying that even when times are the toughest, the authority of God as Absolute Ruler, His power to lift us up, and His power to strike down our adversaries make every step down the toughest road easier. We don't have to be afraid. Now that's a great promise.

***

I can fish without a rod, especially for catfish. Where legal, you can use trotlines, limb lines, stump hooks, and even hand lines. The rod is not a deal breaker in fishing for fish. It does help me throw a line farther. It helps me throw the bait where I want it. It also makes it easier to guide the fish away from obstructions and toward the boat.

The Bible is our rod when fishing for people. It is also our staff. It has His seal all over it. It is our symbol of His authority that keeps us honest and working in His cause through His instruction. It keeps me in touch with what's happening in His world. Sometimes it keeps us in touch with reality, too. Not the world's reality, His reality. The world's reality is fake, a fantasy.

Just as I can fish without a rod, I can witness without a Bible, too, but fishing and witnessing are both a lot easier and more fun with that "rod" to help. Let's pray.

***

Father God, I don't need a fancy rod or even a pretty one. I need whatever you decide to give me. I pray that it is strong and true, that it never breaks, and that I learn exactly how I am to use it, work with it, and take care of it, for Your Glory. Amen.

***

I have lots of rods, of all sizes from saltwater down to ultra-light. Can I guarantee you that I have just the right one for any situation? No. But I have some pretty good compromises that will get me through the day having fun and catching fish, no matter what we are after!

Let's jump to the nitty-gritty here. If it says "Ugly Stick®" on it, buy it. I have used them for decades and never broken one. I've never had a guide come loose. I've never had a handle come off. Several of the ones I have now, I had in college. (We won't admit just how long ago that was but "Tricky Dick" was president and I know lots of Bob Dylan songs.) The color is off of them but they work fine. They will handle a lot bigger fish than you think if the size of the rod is remotely appropriate for the size of hook and bait you have on. Best of all, they are very moderately priced for their quality. You can pay less but you get a lot less. You can pay more but I'm not sure it's worth it. They really are "the people's rod."

Remember that we are talking fun fishing here. We don't want to spend a fortune. We don't want to be replacing equipment unnecessarily. When fishing for fish, we want to have fun. Come to think of it, when fishing for people, we want to have fun, too! If you are not having fun obeying the Lord, there is something very wrong in your relationship with Him.

I do own other brands of rod than Ugly Sticks®. In fact, one that has become almost my all out favorite is a Shimano Voltaeus® ultra-light. You just can't break the thing and it is sensitive as my bloodhound's nose on a cold trail. It casts the tiniest jigs and hooks with ease, right where I want them. This line of rods is priced to compete directly with the Shakespeare Ugly Sticks®. I like Shakespeare's guides better but other than that, I think it is a winner. Remember, this sort of thing is really a winner for Christmas, birthdays, and one of those times when you want to give a little extra, "I love you" present!

Choose your rods carefully. In most cases, except for heavy brush or standing trees, you are best to remember that longer is usually better than shorter. It is exactly this way with Bibles. Get the best study Bible you can afford in a translation that feels comfortable for you. Again, buy quality. The color doesn't matter as long as it is a "read" Bible.

Then, read it and study it, as they say, "from Genesis to the maps." In almost every case, a Bible that is a long-time friend will push you to do God's work in a way that is pleasing to Him. Keep it with you. Have more than one. I'm not sure exactly how many I have, but I do have my favorites. They are a bit dog-eared and marked up, just the way I like them.

They are the "rod and staff" that comfort me. They are the only weapon we need. They are the only sign of authority we need. It is as though the Master Himself has said, "Here's something special just for you. Hold on to it. Work with it and it will work for you. Keep in touch."

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# Week Two-Day Four

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# Artificial Lures-

# The Church House And The Water

# Are Full Of Fakes!

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#### 1 But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people!

#### 2nd Timothy 3:1-5

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# ***

This passage of Scripture is well-known by many Christians. It describes our present world exactly. Older generations will tell you that things have steadily become worse over the years. As I wasn't there when they were young, I can't testify to that. I can only say that it all seems worse than when I was young. Respect what the elders have to say. They have much experience among them, some of it good, some of it very, very bad.

There are fakes and predators in our churches. They molest children and weak-willed people, steal from the church, build palatial palaces for their performances, and line their pockets. Some are there just because it's "good business." Some sincerely believe they are children of God but the world is the only thing they have ever known.

You will know them by their fruit. You read about them in the paper and see them on the news. They are an abomination in the sight of the Lord. If criminal activity is involved, expose them, remove them from the church, and call the law! Never keep quiet "for the good of the church." If the situation is not criminal, but a violation of morals, ethics, or the teachings of Scripture expose them, remove them from the church and stay away from them.

I know that some people can be redirected from acting in a sinful manner. I know that some can be returned to a sound establishment in the church. I know that some can be redeemed from wandering away from the right path. We are not talking about that. A brother or sister that can be redirected, returned, and redeemed should be treated with grace and dignity but if that person insists on continuing in error you must stay away from them. Pray for them, but stay away from them! Let's pray.

***

Father God, I don't know if we are in the exact last days described by these verses, no one really knows. But it sure seems to be a good description of what we see around us all the time. Help me live the life that you desire, not the life that I would desire or the life the world would force on me or fool me into accepting. Please, don't let me ever be a fake Christian. Help me to always be "real" in what I say and do for You.

***

Why in the world would a person interested in catfish need to know about artificial lures? To begin with, sometimes that is the best way to fish for Mr. Whiskers! You don't think so. You think it is all about things that are alive or so dead they stink. Not so! Too, I often fish for whatever is available to have fun with and I have caught enough catfish on artificial lures to know there is something to that idea. I slow troll a lot with small Rattle-Traps™. Blue-backed chrome is a favorite color and blue and channel cats regularly bash these things like they are going out of style with, or without a little piece of shad on the hook!

Cats regularly fall to spoons, plugs, jigs, and plastic lures of all sorts. Most bass fishermen have occasionally found themselves so victimized! They often don't consider it a good thing. Some folks never learn.

Admittedly, natural baits like crawfish, minnows, worms, live or cut wild baitfish, chicken livers, or all of the various stink baits of some sort are what we usually think of for cats, but I learned better the first time I tried jigging spoons and small jigs with a piece of shad on the hook. Now that's still natural bait on the hook but the addition of the flash of the spoon or color and bounce of the jig adds a lot to its appeal. We just add a piece of cut bait, Gulp®, worm, or most anything with some scent and taste appeal and jig it up and down at an appropriate depth. That depends on what I see on the depth finder. Catfish, white bass, crappie, drum, and stripers all fall victim to this tactic, and it is consistently one of the best, particularly in cold water and during the white bass and catfish spawning runs up the river. It works well over planted brush tops for crappie, too. Hold on tight if you do that. Big cats just love a crappie for dinner and tend to hang around those tops! You might get more than you bargained for!

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# Week Two-Day Five

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# Chumming Up Some Sheep...Or Fish.

# Chumming Can Increase Your Chances.

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#### 1 Send your bread on the surface of the waters, for after many days you may find it. 2 Give a portion to seven or even to eight, for you don't know what disaster may happen on earth.

#### Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

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# ***

Some versions say, "cast your bread." It's all just the same. Solomon is saying here that you should be generous to the many people that need your help. They are everywhere, all around you, not just in some far off country. The idea is not that of indiscriminant giving to others. We are not talking a "Black Friday" no-holds-barred sales event rush, here. Instead, if someone needs it and you have it, then you give it.

People need food, clothing, and shelter and we should be always willing to help out. Most of all, they need Jesus Christ and we should be "casting" that message every chance we get! You can't catch fish if the bait is not in the water! Feed and clothe people. Make sure they have shelter. Answer their cries for help. If someone asks "Why," just tell them "God loves you." Make sure they have a chance to get to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Master if they nibble at the bait!

The idea of being rewarded for your giving is also expressed in these verses. There is an ulterior motive expressed in verse two. If you help people, when disaster strikes, maybe they will help you. But remember, Jesus is our ultimate and ever present help! If you read the Scripture carefully, it is filled end-to-end with "what goes around comes around." So watch what you do and fail to do!

***

Father God, make me ever ready to help others in their time of need. Help me have a heart for the well-being of others. Let me be always looking for a chance to serve You by serving others. Keep their need for the things of this world and the next in my mind and their need for Jesus Christ always uppermost.

***

Now chumming for fish is not legal at all in some places so check your local and state laws. Telling the game warden that I said it is OK is just going to get you a strange look from a guy who has a gun, a radio, and a ticket book. Don't make his day any more difficult than it is already.

That being said, chumming works great in some situations, especially for cats. When I do use chum I am looking for the smaller, eater cats, restaurant size. This is what is mostly attracted but larger fish are always a possibility.

I make mine from soured chicken scratch. Just fill a five gallon bucket about three quarters full of scratch or any other grain, add enough water to cover it by about an inch, and loosely cover the bucket with its lid. Buckets from the home supply store are just fine. It will be ready for use in four or five days. Do this well away from the house! It will really smell foul!

If you leave the lid loose after it has fermented it will fill with maggots and they get to be part of the chum! Over time, it will also form a sort of dough in the bottom that can be scooped out in big hunks that will sink right to the bottom.

When ready to fish, just load the bucket in the boat and put out a few scoops of the mash in a few likely spots. It shouldn't take more than about thirty minutes for the first catfish to start showing up. If none show in that time or the ones you are catching are too small, pick a new spot. If it's a good hole with good sized fish then just add another scoop of mash whenever the bite slows down.

That's all there is to it. It takes a little extra work and smells to the highest heaven but works really well if you are in a good area. Some folks skip the smell entirely and use twenty percent protein range cubes. I've never tried it because they say you have to wait several hours for results. I suppose that's fine if you have the time or if you fish the same spot daily for a while. Chumming really works best if you bait the same hole regularly for long periods of time. I don't get to fish often enough to make good use of the technique but there are always a few buckets out back---way, way out back.

Now how does this relate to catching fishermen? It's simple. You are being "chummed" all the time by advertisers. They try to make their product or service seem appealing to you in order to lure you in to buy! I've often wondered just what results we might see if churches banded together to buy up all or most of the local advertising in an area. Wow! We could take back the networks. Television would be safe for Christians and other children again.

So every flier, mail-out, card, letter, event invitation, church sign, and yes TV or radio advertisement is chumming up the fish we want to catch. Every cheerful, loving act and every "May the Lord bless you, today" calls out to those in need. Do as much of it as you can individually and as a church and then do some more. Youth and children's activities are some of the greatest chumming there is. The return on investment in this case is incalculable. Even one soul is worth it all, and never let anyone tell you differently!

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# Chapter 3-Lessons for Week Three

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# Week Three-Day One

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# Wear Your Life Jacket!

# Prayer Is Your Life Jacket.

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#### 6 Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

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Notice, Paul says that the "peace of God...will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." It's not that safety, health, well-being, and even life on this earth don't matter. They matter to us a lot! God wants these things for us, too. What really matters though is that our hearts and minds remain focused on Jesus Christ. In any of the rest of life, if good happens, that's gravy! Christ is supreme.

Our relationship with Him should be above everything, even our lives. That's a tough one. But look at the rest of the verse. Read from the beginning. He says that we aren't to worry; we are to put everything before God with thanksgiving! In every situation, we are to realize that we are not in charge and let God handle things. Thank Him; make whatever request you wish knowing that He hears you. What a life jacket! In every trial, test, or terror, don't worry, tell God. Ask for His help and guidance. You'll get it. Your heart and mind are protected in His peace, if you will just put everything in front of Him. Remember, Jesus left us His peace. That's better than any manmade life jacket. What a way to wear your "floaties!"

***

All too often, we read or hear on the news of someone that drowned while fishing, boating, or even water-skiing. It even happens when we would otherwise feel safe, when friends or family are right there with us and all are relaxed, laughing, and having a good time.

What a waste! Basic life jackets are cheap. Buy them and use them, all the time, every time you are on the water! When I decided to start fishing again, even though it was from the bank at first, Beth was quite fearful that I would fall in and drown. It was cold weather and the river was high with quite a bit of current.

A long-term diabetic on an insulin pump who is sometimes unsteady when walking or turning is a prime candidate for a fall, even on steady dry ground. A muddy riverbank, slick sea wall, or moving boat increases the risk to an unacceptable level in the eyes of the wise. I can't claim to be wise, but even I can figure that one out. Although falling in and drowning is not on my agenda of things to accomplish on any fishing trip, she's right, as wives often are.

Her fear is totally understandable. Over the years, there have been a few instances that could have turned tragic for me. Every fisherman or boater sees this sort of thing happen. You suddenly run over a stump or rock and flip the boat or spring a bad leak; the weight suddenly shifts or there is an extra-large wave and you take on too much water; the motor dies and won't crank on some cold, icy evening as it is getting dark and starting to rain or snow. There is a tremendously long list of things that can go wrong. Been there, done that, don't want the t-shirt!

Every wife, mother, sweetheart, husband, father, and girl-boyfriend knows well that it can happen to his or her loved ones, too, usually not a boating accident, usually something else, but tragedy on the water is far too common and almost always preventable. Wear the life jacket always!

I bought one of the fancy ones that will automatically inflate if you hit the water. It is even designed to hold your head above water if you are unconscious. Those are quite expensive but worth it, if only to make a loved one feel better about you being out on the water. That kind of feeling is not an option. If they are afraid every time you go, you have to do everything you can to lessen that fear. Do it!

Even the best-manufactured life jacket is no substitute for prayer. According to Scripture, we should be constantly in prayer about everything. Countless souls and lives have been saved by fervent prayer. Confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and pray for a safe trip with a good catch whether you are fishing for fish or for people! Pray for the opportunity to fish for people even when you think you are primarily after fish. Pray that your loved ones are not afraid while you are fishing because you are in God's hands so all is well. No matter what happens, if you belong to Jesus, it will all be wonderful beyond all understanding in the long run. Wear your life jacket and make sure everyone you are responsible for wears theirs, too. Pray without ceasing! Let's do it!

***

Lord, thank you for listening. I know the Spirit will say it right for me even when I say it wrong. Put it in my heart to have gladness about prayer so I come to you in conversation in every situation. I know I can't be happy about everything that happens. Your Word isn't saying that. But I can sure ask that You lift me up to be happy in every situation. After all, I know the Master of the waves, wind, and the waters. He lets me talk to Him whenever I need to or just want to say, "Hello, I love you. Thank you." Prayer is the best way to stay afloat that could possibly exist. Talking to the "Boss" keeps me afloat. There's always love in it. There's always hope in it. There are always Your promises in it. Thank you, Lord, for the freedom of prayer.

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# Week Three-Day Two

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# Better Keep A Sharp Knife Handy.

# Memory Verses

# Are Verrrrrrry Sharp Knives!

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#### 12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.

#### Hebrews 4:12-13

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The Scripture says that we can cut to the quick of any question or subject using the Word of God. Notice that I said "any" question or subject. We may not immediately know the answer in every situation, but "ideas and thoughts of the heart" cover everything. Is something a good idea? Ask His Word. Sometimes it is not the particular thing or activity itself that makes it acceptable in His eyes or not, but the purpose, and believe me, He will know the real purpose and we will have to give an account of our actions! Any problem, any plan, any want, or need, any objection to accepting Christ as Lord and Master has a Scriptural answer. Witnessing Bibles often contain a section at the end that will help give answers to you and others. Look at some of these and commit several of the verses to memory. Use the ones we have here, too. They will help you!

***

Lord, only You know just when I'm going to need to be able to use the sharp knives of Your Word to cut to the quick of some discussion, to help someone see the truth. Help me keep the knives sharp and ever ready to use for Your Glory and Kingdom!

***

Knives are very personal things. A knife that feels just right and works well for every use, as far as I am concerned, may be a piece of junk, totally unsuitable for anything, as far as you are concerned. In the kitchen, a cook will have favorite knives, usually leaving all the others in the drawer or block. A hunter will have his favorite in a sheath close at hand. The person that cleans fish or butchers meat for a living will be the same. Only a certain knife or type of knife will do.

Why is this? Our hands are different sizes, for one thing. The way we work and our level of expertise are another. Our experience with various tools, especially knives, will always prejudice our selection. We get comfortable with a certain tool or way of doing things and we don't like to change.

My favorites vary. My overall favorite, just because I like the temper of its steel and its general looks is a handmade Sizemore dive knife with parachute cord handle and nylon sheath. Rambo couldn't do better! Of course, it sits on the shelf in my office because I would hate to lose it; so actually, it's quite useless except for looks. I carry a Gerber™ lock-back, vent blade folder for everyday use.

Cheap "bait knives," commonly available in ocean coastline shops are OK but won't hold an edge. The various moderately-priced "fisherman's knives" sold in discount and sporting goods stores are all right, too. The very best value for the money, to me, is an Old Hickory® paring knife. The handles last. They are not too short to cut bait, line, or even rope quite handily and not so long as to be overly dangerous or unwieldy. They sharpen easily with one of those filet knife sharpeners from Berkeley® that use the two crossed metal bars and they will hold an edge long enough to be useful. If you can find them with a hole in the handle, get several. Tie them off in the boat at places where you are likely to need one. If there is no hole in the handle, drill one, but it is going to take a really good drill! For the boat, a discount store filet knife will do as well as the good paring knife and probably cost about the same. For fileting get a high quality electric or regular filet knife. Rapala® makes great ones. They are well worth the money. Actually, for cutting up bait I mostly use a really rugged, top-of-the-line set of kitchen shears with titanium coated blades and a fish scaler. It works better for getting through bones and cutting small pieces without leaving a fingertip on the deck! Get your own. Don't use your wife's.

That's just my opinion. If a loved one gets you a pretty fisherman's knife as a gift for birthday, Christmas, or no special reason at all, (not a bad idea), it might become your favorite knife of all time.

Whether we are talking memory verses or real knives, you have to keep it sharp! Work on the memory verses. Sharpen the knives regularly. A dull knife is frustrating and dangerous to use. A memory verse that you don't really have memorized can be a hindrance to your witnessing. You don't have to know many, but know them.

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# Week Three-Day Three

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# Don't Forget

# The Anchor And Sinkers.

# Hope In Christ Is Our Anchor.

# Our Sins Are The Sinkers

# That Weigh Us Down.

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#### 19 We have this hope as an anchor for our lives,

#### safe and secure.

#### Hebrews 6:19

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#### Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.

#### Hebrews 12:1-2

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There are two different verses here with two different ideas. The first is that we have a great anchor for our entire lives in Jesus Christ. He will hold the boat safely in any storm. That anchor will dig in and never come loose. The rope will never break. You, if you're His, and His Church will be around long after the storm is over. Nothing can really harm either one.

The second idea is different. We need to completely throw away every thought and action of our own that holds us back from serving Him. These things weigh us down. Sin will sink us if we let it and will surely hold us back from doing His will.

***

I only have a fifteen-foot, flat bottomed, jonboat, but it has two anchors, a twenty-pound mushroom in the front and a smaller one in the back. Each is on fifty feet of good quality anchor rope and tied securely. Each rope runs through a simple device to hold the rope securely at the length I set. There are other types than mushroom, of course. Ask around and buy a type that fits the typical bottom and application in your area and for your size of boat. There are also electric and mechanical winches that make lifting the anchor much easier. If you have to be in deep water where long anchor ropes and heavy anchors are the norm, or you have a physical condition or disability that prevents a lot of rope pulling then you need to seriously consider those options.

Why so much attention to a simple anchor? I mostly troll or tie off in tops or on stumps so why would I want to go to the trouble? Lots of people go without any anchor at all. It's simple. If I need it, I want it to work. In an emergency, an anchor that doesn't work is not just worthless; it can turn into a hazard and work against you just when you need it most.

Occasionally, I need to anchor upwind of a spot that I want to fish because there is no place to tie off. I don't want the boat shifting position. If you are going to catch fish you need every legal advantage you can get. After all, that fish makes the choice whether to bite or not! If I can't even stay on the right spot, I have no chance to put a bait in front of that fish for long enough to help him make up his mind. Anchors don't get much respect in fishing advertising but they are vital when you need them.

My hope in Jesus Christ is my anchor, but He gave me sense enough to take care of rigging the boat right!

***

Lord, help me to always remember Who holds it all in place. Help me remember that You are my anchor in this life and the next and that there is no other.

***

Sinkers and weights are another story. They can be as simple as a rock, bolt, nut, tire balancing weight, or anything that will sink when tied on a line. I've used them all. They all work. They can be as complicated as homemade "slinky" weights where you put buckshot in a large hollow shoe lace and seal the ends. I don't need that so I don't make them. Lead is still legal in our area but you may have to shell out for the more expensive types of other metals where you live. In that case I'd be tempted to go back to nuts and bolts. Old lug nuts from car and truck tires are the best!

Sinkers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, each supposed to be the best for some certain situation. I suppose that's so, to some extent, but for most of us a few simple types will cover what we need. I use bank sinkers and egg sinkers for simple Carolina rigs. Heavier bank sinkers are good for heavy drop shot type rigs, the old fashioned tight-lining, and for heavier Carolina type rigs. There are also "no-roll" types that hold bottom better in current and pencil types that slip through rocks and other debris quite well. There is almost an endless selection!

One of my very favorite rigs is a simple split shot, sometimes heavy, or a small bell or bank sinker with a Gamakatsu Weedless wide-gap finesse hook in a number four size tied about a foot above with a Palomar knot. If you practice a few times you will be able to tie it with the gap of the hook facing up. You can also use a small drop shot or circle hook for this. Fish this on lighter line with a small, thin, strip of shad or other local fish for bait straight down in tops or log jams. Lower slowly and gently. When you lift, do the same. It's a basic drop shot rig with some individual modifications to fit your own local situation. I don't buy the expensive drop shot sinkers. It's just not needed.

You want to feel your way up and down through the structure. When you feel a fish take the bait, strike immediately and work him out of that top. Sometimes they will wrap you but you can often work that problem out a little at a time by slacking up and giving the fish room to come back around the limb or log he is on. As long as you can feel him pulling, there is a chance of getting him out. Gentleness is sometimes needed as crappies love this presentation and they have soft mouths but they will usually come to the top fairly easily. Catfish, drum, bass, and really big bull bluegill or red ears are another story. They're going to fight!

Another way to make this work is to use a sliding, cone-shaped slip sinker like you would use for fishing soft baits for bass and allow it to slide all the way down to a number four or even six drop shot hook. Put the same strip of cut bait on that hook but rig it Texas style like a plastic worm and work it slowly up and down the same way. Matched to the size of hook, the slip sinker shields the hook from catching in wood too easily. You can also hook the bait in one end of the strip so that the point is free just like nose hooking a soft plastic lure. Just be sure you're setting the hook in a fish and not the side of a limb! You'll get better hookups that way but it requires that you pay a little more attention. This works really well with those long "panfish" type collapsing poles commonly sold as crappie rigs. You can take that pole and reach places you couldn't otherwise get to but they are very limber so you have to really work and get fish out of the tangles quickly. Use heavy line and a hook that will straighten easily or you will break off a lot of rigs! On these rigs you can also use a jig, (not my favorite), or a tiny spoon such as a Cotton Cordell Mickey or very small Kastmaster. Change out the hooks to those same weedless Gamakatsu wide gap finesse hooks or small, easily straightened, light-wire panfish hooks.

Sometimes the best sinker is no sinker at all! A piece of worm, cut bait, or minnow free-lined under the boat or cast to likely cover and allowed to sink slowly on its own sometimes works better than anything else by presenting a more natural offering. Try it sometime. If that's what the fish want you'll notice the difference right away! This is a slower way to fish, and you really have to pay attention, but it works! It works well with plastics for bass, too.

***

Lord, help me to cast aside every weight that inhibits my catching fish for you. I need to let you take control of the bait and not hold it down with my sin.

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# Week Three-Day Four

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# Leaves In The Boat;

# Keep It Clean On The Inside

# Where It Counts.

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#### 43 "When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn't find any. 44 Then it says, 'I'll go back to my house that I came from.' And returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. 45 Then off it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that man's last condition is worse than the first. That's how it will also be with this evil generation."

#### Mathew 12:43-45

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Sometimes it is necessary to clean house. It may be personal; it may be within your family, or church, or local, state, or national government. It is guaranteed that it will be needed because life just gets, well, dirty. Satan and man guarantee that.

Let's keep this personal. You can't do a Godly job of getting something else cleaned up until you yourself are clean. This is what Jesus did when He washed the disciples' feet. He cleaned us with His blood sacrifice, but we get dirty regularly by our contact with the world around us. Can't we just cut off contact? Nope, not allowed. We are supposed to be out fishing for people.

This set of verses is actually a simple idea but is often misunderstood. What it is saying is this; clean up your act! Clean up your life! Clean up your mind and spirit! Then make sure you don't leave it all empty. Fill it with Christ. Fill it with His people. Fill it with His Church and church fellowship and work. Christ will clean it for you if you ask, but the world and Satan will creep right back in if you don't stop them. Cover up! Cover your activities and thoughts with prayer. Get in a group of like-minded men, women, or youth and hold each other accountable for Godly lives and activities! They are a safety net and wall around you. God provided them just for you. Use them.

***

Lord, help me get clean and stay clean so I can do what you've asked me to do. Give me the will, the mind, the courage, and the means to clean up my act so that there is nothing in my life that would make You be ashamed of me and the job I'm trying to do.

***

The first winter that I had the boat I left it uncovered in the back yard. This was a very bad idea. We have large oak trees and smaller mulberries. When I decided to make a run to the river, the boat was full of leaves, sticks, and worst of all, acorns. The leaves and bigger sticks came out with some work but the acorns and small sticks were jammed down in the water drainage grooves and up under the stays that support the side of the boat. I had to take a small rod and individually clear every spot where water wouldn't drain. What a nightmare!

So I bought a cover for the boat. I tried every possible arrangement of bows and supports, but I would still get a sagging mess every time there was a hard rain. It was almost impossible to lift out some of the areas that filled with water.

Finally, I got smart. Now I remove the plug and anything that would be easily damaged by water from the boat and cover it with the cover. I don't worry about bows or supports. Instead, I took a sharp knife and cut water drainage holes in the spots that sag. If they fill with trash it is a simple matter to clear them. This keeps the leaves, sticks, and acorns out and allows the water to drain. Problem solved. If only I could keep my life clean that easily.

Remember, too, that clean is relative and situation specific when it comes to boats. A jonboat doesn't really need to be showroom clean. What's the point? We are not out there to show off like the speed boat folks and water skiers. They are having fun but they want to be pretty, too. They want the boat to shine! They want to be noticed! It's OK to shine and OK to be noticed, but in life we need to be clean on the inside first before we ever worry about the outside. Jesus will take care of it for you if you let Him.

He talked about folks worrying about the outside of a cup and not worrying about what was inside it! We need to take care of the inside of the cup! That's where the nourishment is going to always be found! Be clean in your own life. Keep it clean at home, at work, and everywhere else.

Keep it clean at church. Work to banish every activity and thought that is not worthy of God. If it is not an acceptable sacrifice to Him it certainly doesn't need to be present in His House. Buy a cover for the boat. They are readily available, not too expensive, and easy to use in most cases. You don't have to buy a cover for your life. It's already bought and paid for by the Master himself!

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# Week Three-Day Five

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# Fill An Empty Stringer-No Size Or Possession Limits.

# Your Stringer Gets Filled With The Fruit Of The Spirit! That's The Only

Catch That Counts For You‼!

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# ***

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#### 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

#### Galatians 5:22-23

####

# ***

Our "catch" is not saved souls. Our "catch" is not professions of faith. Our "catch" is not people who walk the isle and join the church, names on a list, rededicated lives, or any of the things you often see talked about in religious and church newsletters. I believe that idea is in error and contradictory to God's Word. We have absolutely nothing to do with any of that! Those things belong to God alone. He decides.

No, the "catch" on our "stringer" is the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives. This is where most of us fall short and where there is question about the actual salvation status of many of us. Our stringer should be full of fruit! The Bible describes "Books" that will be opened at Judgment Day. One is the Book of Life. If you are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, you are going to Hell, no ifs, no ands, and no buts.

The other one we refer to as the Book of Works, though there could be other interpretations, I suppose. This is the record of the things we have done. The Bible indicates many times that there is a payback for every good and every evil thing. You want that record to be just loaded up with fruit. Galatians gives a great list of fruit that we, as Christians are to show. It says that if we have the Spirit in our lives we will show this fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Now that's quite a list! Are you showing these things to everyone, every day, everywhere you go, in all circumstances? Neither am I; but if we belong to Christ, then we automatically have the Spirit in us and we should automatically show these fruits as evidence of that Salvation! Uh oh...

Without that evidence, we are no different than anyone else, including the lost. If salvation really happened for us then the fruit of the Spirit is supposed to be there.

The Scripture also points out that there is no law against such things. Now why would it add that? Sometimes we look at people that truly show the Spirit and wonder if they really understand the world around them. Is there something wrong with them? Are they just naïve and don't have a clue about the world? How can they be so happy? How can they always seem like they have been heavily into the entire collection of antianxiety, antidepressant, energizing, calming, and love medications all at once? Why do they remind me so much of Smurfs, those happy little creatures in the cartoons?

Why does it seem there is just no limit to their capacity and ability to love and serve others? It's simple. They are showing the fruit of the Spirit. Their stringer is full and getting fuller. Every day they are adding to that Book of Works with kindness, love, and help for others and through that work their fishing for people borders on the fantastic because of the evidence of Christ that shines in their lives like a lighthouse!

Unlike limits on the number, sizes, and types of fish we can keep and possess at once, with the fruit of the Spirit there are truly no limits to the amount of "goodness" we can show so long as Christ is truly in our lives and we really have the Spirit. So stop and pray right now that for now and forever more you will show everyone, everywhere, every day just what it is like to love Jesus and be loved by Him!

***

Oh, Lord! How many times have I injured someone else and grieved the Holy Spirit by my words and actions? How many times have I failed to truly let the light of Christ, given to me as a free gift, shine out from my life so that some poor soul that is lost and hurting, needing help and encouragement, could gain what You so freely give to those that ask? Please, Lord. Forgive me. Let me go forth this very day a new person that shows the love of Christ one hundred percent, no matter what. Help me to understand that it is not me doing the work, but the Spirit that lives in me because of Your sacrifice. Let my stringer be full of fruit!

***

I don't have a live-well in the boat. I have to depend on stringers and ice chests. If I have someone with me and expect to keep fish I might carry the ice chest with plenty of ice. It gives them a place to sit as well. I don't like for folks to sit on the front seat when I am running from place to place. It's not really safe and it keeps the boat from planing out.

Mostly though, I just use one or two of the chain stringers with metal clips. I usually have to sharpen the clips as the quality of manufacture of everything seems pretty low nowadays and the ones you can buy are blunt. This makes it difficult to place the clip through that soft spot under the jaw of most fish without doing any more damage than needed. I want to keep the fish in as good condition as possible if I need to release them. If I'm not planning on trying to bring somebody a good mess of fish then I just release fish as I catch them.

I like the ones with vinyl tubing covering the chain as they are quieter. It doesn't really matter. Use what you have but respect the fish. Keep some to eat. That's part of the deal. Release the rest, the sooner the better. Let them live and fight again someday. After all, the Master caught us, released us from sin, and returned us right back to the world to do as much good for Him as possible. Go and do likewise.

# Chapter 4-Lessons for Week Four

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# Week Four-Day One

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# Have A Fire Extinguisher Handy.

# Even In The Smallest Boat!

# Your Pastor Will Be Around To Help

# Put Out The Fires.

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#### 18 Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows, 19 so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" 20 Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down. 21 As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

#### Proverbs 26:18-21

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# ***

#

You have to love the Book of Proverbs. It really should be standard teaching material in every home, every school, every Sunday School class, and from every pulpit. If ever there was a guide to a Godly life in practical terms, this is it.

Our poor pastor, like many if not most, spends far too much time putting out fires. Every church has them from time to time. After all, we're just people and face it; many of us are just idiots. How many times have you heard someone say they were "just joking"? Did that help anything at all? Nope, the idiot strikes again.

How many times has something in your community or church been totally blown out of proportion or told wrong, repeated where it never should have been told in the first place, much less repeated over and over again? How many people do you know that are always out to pick a fight, to find something wrong with anything that's going on? Never satisfied, never happy.

They need to read that section on the fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps we all need to memorize that, plaster it on big posters everywhere, repeat it in mass recital every Sunday at church. Nothing tears a family, church, or community apart faster than foolish, gossipy, quarrelsome people. Don't be those people. Show the fruit of the Spirit. Be a fire extinguisher yourself and take a load off the pastor so he can be about his other duties. Stop the foolishness, gossip, and quarreling in its tracks whenever you see or hear it and don't do it yourself.

***

Lord, let me be a fire extinguisher, not a fire starter. My family, my church, and my town don't need such people. I don't want to be like that. Help me to see and recognize all such behavior and put a stop to it whether it is from me or others. Help me to do it gently, with love, but help me to do it, please.

***

Both inboard and outboard motors sometimes catch fire. Electric trolling motors have been known to do it, too, along with wiring systems. This is not a good thing. At best, the motor is damaged or destroyed and you are stranded. At worst, someone is hurt or killed. Remember you are dealing with flammable, dangerous fuel and electricity. That tank and motor can become a bomb under the right circumstances.

Get a marine fire extinguisher suitable for the size of your fuel tank and motor and mount it away from the general area of the fuel tank and motor. Make certain you know how to use it! If you don't know how, the local fire department will be more than happy to teach you. Just ask. Make sure you can get to it and put it into action quickly. In an emergency you are not going to have time to waste. A fire extinguisher mounted right where the fire is will be useless, and you may find yourself and your passengers having to quickly abandon ship!

Don't be the subject of the six o'clock news. Don't be a name in the paper. Don't be a part of a tragedy. Get an extinguisher, learn how to use it, mount it properly, and keep it up to date!

Now that you have that done; go have a long sit-down talk with your pastor and maybe your boss or spouse as well. Ask their forgiveness for any fires you have started or helped to keep going. Even if you haven't been guilty of this type of activity, ask how you can help them in this matter and thank them for the job they do putting out fires. They need your encouragement and they will appreciate it a great deal. Trust me.

#

# Week Four-Day Two

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# Go Weedless.

# My Future Is Weedless

# Because Of Christ.

# Weedless Hooks And Rigging Methods

# Take The Worry Out Of Fishing In Tough Places.

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# ***

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#### 38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life,

#### angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, 39 height or depth, or any other created thing

#### will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

#### Romans 8:38-39

#

# ***

Wow! Remember I said that once that "hook" is really in you it's there forever? Well, Paul said the same thing. There is absolutely no "created thing" that can separate me from Him if I am truly His! I don't have to worry about it ever. Neither do you; neither does anyone else that has truly accepted Jesus as Lord and Master! Death doesn't matter and neither does this life. Satan's angels, earthly kings, presidents, and everybody else can all gang up on me at once and I'll be just fine in all the ways that matter because of Christ! How sweet is that?

This is the thought that should be uppermost in your mind! Whatever it is, it's going to be OK. It can be natural and of this world or it can be supernatural and of some other reality entirely, but it doesn't matter. Christ is King over all of every reality and He's got my back. He's on my side. He hides me behind Himself and dares anyone or anything to just go for it and try Him on for size!

Now that is just the coolest thing you can imagine. It doesn't get any better than this, and I have it because He loved me and knew me before time began! I am safe from every storm, shark, and hung-up lure because of His sacrifice. I am weedless, baby! Everything of this earth is just gonna slide right on off and I will keep on going forever. It may not feel that way now because our faith is weak, but I can guarantee you, because of His promises, that it is going to be OK!

***

Father God, thank you, thank you, thank you! There is absolutely nothing that can get between me and You and get me hung up! Someday everything of this world will pass totally out of existence and there will be a new Heaven, a new Earth, and a new me! I can't wait. I will be able to say with all that know and love you, "I'm alive! I made it! Jesus is Lord forever and ever and He loves me!" Father God, how cool is that? Nobody can take that away from me.

***

Remember the old Creme weedless worms with the wire weed guards and spinners. I loved the purple ones! I caught so many bass just sculling along slowly past weed beds and tops that it was amazing to a kid like I was. It was too simple to be real. Just throw it behind the old boat as far as I could and then let out some more line. I usually didn't have much line on the old Zebco spincast reels I had to use until I got my first Ambassador 5000, (I still have it), but it was enough. Bass just loved that worm and that technique. Now I learn that they call it "strolling" and claim it as new every so often. Like most "new" things, it's not new. Ecclesiastes has lots to say about things that are supposed to be "new." It's all negative by the way.

You really should read that book! Old Solomon was truly a wise fellow. He just wasn't too smart about women. If you are confronted with some business or political deal where they tell you, "By the way, you have to take the woman in the deal," run like crazy! Solomon didn't figure it was a problem, and boy did he ever suffer for that mistake!

I still buy those Creme worms. It's a great product, especially for kids learning to bass fish! Sometimes I cut the hooks off and tie in some smaller snelled hooks for crappie, bluegills, or small pieces of cut bait. If I do, I've learned to use weedless hooks. Some folks don't like them, claiming that fish don't get hooked as well when you use them, but I can't tell the difference. I like to use those same Gamakatsu weedless finesse hooks for most everything. They work great and they're strong. There are other types, of course. You'll find that many of them work just fine.

I don't know why anyone would object to them. After all, professional anglers have been using big weedless jigs with trailer soft plastics for a long time to really score big on bass in some tremendously snag-filled, weedy water; works for them. You just have to pay attention and learn when and how hard to set the hook! I keep a small, single-wire weedless jig with half of a pumpkin or watermelon colored worm on it handy for finesse presentations.

The older type of Eagle Claw weedless bait holder hooks are a favorite of mine as well. They go on all my larger crank baits and spoons and work fine. They're like insurance. Don't leave home without them. Don't leave home without Christ, either.

My favorite way to fish for cats has become pulling one of those old Creme worms behind a large homemade spinner on a bottom bouncer with pieces of shad for bait. For insurance I often snell in a heavier piece of line between the two hooks; twenty to forty pound test works fine. Cats seem to love this arrangement and the smaller hooks on the rig don't seem to cost me any fish since they hit hard and often get both hooks. Most fish hit on the lead hook though for some reason. The bottom bouncers are homemade, too. A heavy coat hanger will yield several and I can add weight to it if needed. Cut it with side cutters, bend a loop in the top to add a swivel, and put the swivel on the line ahead of the bead and swivel that are hooked to your leader. I can change the whole arrangement out in seconds if I need a heavier or lighter weight; simple enough even for me and dirt cheap!

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# Week Four-Day Three

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# Practice Safe Sun.

# Sunscreen And Protective

# Clothing Are A Must.

# The "Armor Of God" Is My Sunscreen.

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#### 10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word. 18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Ephesians 6:10-19

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Paul is saying here that we will be totally covered in spiritual armor if we will just take advantage of the enormous, immeasurable strength of Holy God freely offered through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We have a daily need to put on this armor and replenish our strength through prayer and intercession for "the saints." Paul indicates that our need for this protection is constant. He says to pray "at all times" and to "stay alert" in doing so! If the Apostle Paul says that you need to do it, then you know that it is so.

Notice verse twelve. Paul says that we have the idea all wrong if we think we are fighting some flesh and blood enemy. The evil people of this world are not our enemies. Our enemies are those that fooled and influenced them so that they took the wrong road and became evil. Part of the problem is that we, as a society in America have become so accepting of that which is unholy and ungodly that we sometimes just don't recognize evil when we see or hear it anymore.

Paul says, don't worry, use the shield of faith to "extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Those flaming arrows are the trials, temptations, and situations that Satan sends our way to try to torment us and steal our witness for Christ. Wear your salvation on your head for a helmet, take up God's Word like a sword, and do battle with the evil forces that attack us and those we love.

How are we to do battle? Pray; that is the only way that we, as humans can do battle against such powerful forces. Unless God is on our side, we don't stand a chance. With His full armor, it's no contest. Satan has already lost the war. He still plans to fight though. He won't give up, not until the last day. Let's pray.

***

Lord, I don't stand a chance against the evil one and those that belong to him unless you're on my side fighting for me. Unless I cover myself in the armor you provided I am going to be hurt and injured a lot in this world. You've already won the war but there are many battles to be fought before that final day. Give me the strength to stand up and do my part by getting on my knees in prayer.

***

There is an epidemic of skin cancer in this country. Part of the reason is that we dress differently than we did only a generation or so back. People don't seem to mind showing a lot more skin than they used to and quite frankly, it is killing many of them and making dermatologists into their own separate class of rich people. Part of the reason, weather scientists tell us is that more of the sun's ultraviolet radiation is getting through the earth's atmosphere, and it is that UV radiation that is the culprit.

Like a lot of older men that have spent a great deal of time outdoors without sunscreen, every six months I go to the dermatologist and have precancerous lesions frozen off. It's not comfortable. If it weren't for the fact that I've had colon cancer and just don't embarrass easily any more, it could be pretty embarrassing as well. When some young lady dermatologist is scanning you closely in your birthday suit in a cold room you will regret not using that sun screen!

Some of us are so ignorant of the problem, or so foolish as to think we know better than the experts, that we still persist in using tanning booths after all of the warnings from medical experts. This is one of the oldest and sneakiest of sins. They call it vanity. We want to look good and so we rationalize ignoring common sense to do what we want. Some folks will spend their last dime and take terrible risks just to look as much as possible like society's idea of beautiful. Perhaps we should tend to our spiritual beauty more.

Wear sunscreen! I use a brand called "NO AD™." It gets high ratings from consumer magazines and is not nearly as expensive as some of the name brands. Slather it on like it was free and going out of style! I really like the sun protective fishing shirts as well. Get the long sleeved ones! I often ask for these for Christmas. Don't get the white ones and then use spray-on sunscreen. Something about the combination makes for yellow collars and cuffs. It won't wash!

Get a good sun hat with a wide brim and wear it whenever you are outside. The old custom of both men and women wearing hats all the time was a great one that never should have gone out of style. I like my old Fred Bear hunting hat, just and old brown fedora. They don't make good sun hats though and neither do baseball caps!

Wear the sunscreen. Wear the clothing. Put on a hat. Make sure you have the full armor of God, too, and put it on!

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# Week Four-Day Four

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# Floats Are Your Signs Of A Fish.

# Ignore The "Signs" Of Those Who Say

# "The End Is Near."

# Jesus Said So!

# Christ Is Coming

# But No One Knows When!

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#### 7 "Teacher," they asked Him, "so when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place? " 8 Then He said, "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' Don't follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and rebellions, don't be alarmed. Indeed, these things must take place first, but the end won't come right away." Luke 21:7-9

####

# ***

#

I realize my stand on this issue will be controversial to some. But these are not my words. Jesus said them to warn His disciples about folks that are fakes, charlatans, or just a bit confused. There are some among us that need to repent of what we have told folks, especially some pastors that love to be on television shows and love to sell books. They should get concerned with the Kingdom and preaching the Good News, not the end of this world.

There are many Christians that are convinced the end is near. Perhaps it is. We can rejoice in the knowledge that we will be with Christ when this world ends. Nothing could be better; but Jesus said that if I, or a pastor, or anyone else tells you "the time is near," don't "follow" that person! Don't listen to them! At best, they are speaking in ignorance. His order was plain. There is no mistake. If they insist on taking that position, we are to distance ourselves from them. At best, they don't understand about that particular idea. At worst, they are using emotion and fear to sell books, exalt themselves, or build numbers in the church house. Some take that position only because they read it in some book, or it was taught to them by some professor at seminary. How pitiful. We should not concern ourselves with "the end" or with those that continually shout, "The time is near."

When is it coming then? God only knows. Jesus said so. Our job is to follow His commands and tell the good news of His love and sacrifice on the cross for us. He wasn't much on people looking and asking for "signs." Don't worry about it. Be concerned with things our Jesus said for us to be concerned with: loving and serving one another, telling the good news, getting and staying pure and holy in Christ, not loving the world or anything in it.

***

### The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and as a test, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them: "When evening comes you say, 'It will be good weather because the sky is red.' 3 And in the morning, 'Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can't read the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then He left them and went away.

### Matthew 16:1-4

***

You see, He tried to tell them more than once. I would paraphrase the idea like this, "Look, guys, I am going to be killed, dead, and buried. Then, I am going to come out of that grave alive and live forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That's all you get. If that's not enough for you then you just don't get it, and you never will. Don't let anybody tell you any different, or tell you they know the secret, or tell you they're Me, or tell you they know when I'm coming back, because they don't have a clue. I'm coming back to reign forever, that's guaranteed, but God only knows when that is and He hasn't even told Me, yet! You need a sign? That's it. You want something else? Too bad; get over it."

Now, admittedly, that's what I call the RRSV, the Radcliff Revised Standard Version, but that's the idea in a nutshell. My Jesus is victorious over sin and the grave! Because of Him, Satan and Hell are not in my future! Because of Him, I am looking forward to that glorious Hope that is Jesus Christ, forever. Because of Him, this old frail earth body will die and be no more, but I'll get a new one! His Word says so. Isn't that just a better deal than anything you can think of?

I'm not a dispensationalist. I believe, after much study, that it is truly a new teaching, started in the 1800's by Darby and continued and championed by Scofield and that group. That position says Christians will be raptured to be with Christ before the time of the Great Tribulation and will not have to suffer through all the terrible things that will happen then.

I do take Scripture mostly literally, though some is obviously meant to be taken as allegory. No Israelites jumped on the back of giant eagles and flew out of Egypt but God says "I flew you out of Egypt on eagles' wings." If we are alive when the really bad stuff starts to happen and the antichrist shows up, we are just going to have to suffer and die for His name or prove to the world that we weren't really Christians after all. Look at John 6:44 again. Jesus said, "I will raise Him up on the last day." There is only one "last day." It is a recognized concept all the way through Scripture.

In science, if you have a theory about something you try to prove your theory wrong. I know that sounds backwards but that's real science. If you every find even one instance where the facts don't fit your theory, then your theory is wrong. All other evidence aside, John 6:44 is enough to make me believe that there is no pretribulation or midtribulation rapture. The Master said "I will raise him up on the last day." He didn't say, "Before the bad stuff really hits the fan."

'Nuff said on such subjects. There are learned, devout Christians, with much more study and education than I, that would take other positions. They deserve respect and love. After all, they could be right. God only knows, for sure! The Scripture makes plain that we are not to argue about "disputable things." We are not to concern ourselves with anything but serving Christ. I won't argue or concern myself. That's just a "sinker" holding us down.

***

I am not much of one to use floats when fishing and probably should use them more, especially for fishing jigs or shad in brush piles or log jams. I like to be more in touch with the hook and bait, more connected, more depending on that line and rod to let me know what's going on.

I do use Comal foam floats on Carolina rigs sometimes when catfishing. You slide the float on the leader before you attach it to the line and peg the float a few inches, up to a foot or so, away from the hook. This lifts the bait up off the bottom and allows some freedom of movement. Some anglers maintain that moving bait attracts the attention of cats better, especially blues and flatheads. The floats are cheap, can be broken in half if you're really cheap, and do what they are designed to do. My only problem with this is that rigs like this do tend to hang up more, precisely because of that motion. Do what you prefer.

I also have a couple of panfish-type fiberglass poles in the boat rigged with slip floats to use for crappie, bream, or cats around thick structure. With a slip float, you slide the float on the line before attaching any hardware at all. Then you tie in a stop-knot with another piece of line at the spot where you want the float to stop when you put the rig in the water. The float slides down to the hook and bait while it is out of the water and then slides up the line to the stop-knot when you put the rig in the water because the hook, bait, and sinker are pulling the line down while the float goes up. It's simple and works fine, a great idea when you need to be able to adjust the depth you're fishing a lot.

When I was little, we only used the old red and white plastic ones that clipped onto the line or the real cork or foam ones that you slipped the line through and stopped where you wanted them with a peg. We always lost the pegs and had to use a stick instead. Some folks used the thin quill floats for extra sensitivity, but they were more expensive. Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of different floats out there. You can get as specialized with the float and the way you rig it as you want. Get a catalog or go to a really large sporting goods store and you'll see. It's too complicated for old minds like mine.

We waited, not very patiently, for that red bobber to start moving, dimpling the water with rings of little-kid excitement. Sometimes you had to wait till the fish pulled it under. Sometimes you could tell he "had it" and picked up the line to set the hook. Pick up and set too hard and the line was up in a tree or wrapped all over Daddy! Usually that meant no fish, but a little one might go sailing through the air as though launched from a sling shot!

If the hook or fish were too small, often the float would just wiggle around a bit and your worm was gone, time to rebait. You learned right quick to bait your own hook, too! Daddy didn't bait hooks for people over and over. You had to learn.

The hook I'm on is named Jesus. The bait is the Holy Spirit. It's attached to the strongest line ever, Jehovah God, the God of Abraham. Nobody needs to rebait, ever. The hook will never fail to find its target, never come loose. The line will never break. Wrapped around me and you, too, if you want it and are willing to ask for it, it will always keep us safe. It's the kind of "safe" that matters, forever safe. I don't need a float. I'm hooked on the best Rig there ever was and ever will be.

# Week Four-Day Five

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# You Already Have A Full Tackle Box.

# Your Own Life Is Your Tackle Box.

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#### 3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 4 By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

#### will be richly supplied to you.

#### 2nd Peter 1:3-10

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I know that was a long quote, but it is a very important one. You see, the Bible says you have everything you need. The exact words are, "everything required for life and godliness." You already have a full tackle box of experience and all the knowledge you need.

All of your past hopes, wishes, dreams, accomplishments, disappointments, lost loves, found love, travels, friends, enemies, times when you felt Him to be very close, and times when you felt that He had forgotten you are your very own custom resources. If you already belong to Him, You didn't really need me to tell you anything.

Christ has already provided you with your very own unique life and feelings. You have a tackle box like no other. It couldn't be better. It's yours and yours alone. Use it and the illustrations provided and you're all set.

What if you don't think your life is so hot, is such a great thing, is impressive enough, has enough goodness in it, shows that you love Him and are really His? So what, if you don't think He has provided for you, just compare your life with any one of the lives of the millions of others in the world that are less fortunate. It won't take long to change your tune.

Your life is impressive to someone. It is unique. There is always someone, somewhere, that would trade lives with you "sight unseen." They think their life is so bad they would trade with you not knowing anything about you or your life. I guarantee you would do the same if you were in their shoes, too.

If you haven't lived a life that shows you really belong to the Master, now is the time to start. Confess it all to Him. Right any past wrongs that you can and then consider it all in the past and go on with your life. "Confirm your calling and election." It's cool. He looks at it that way. Let's pray.

***

" _Father God, how can I witness for you? I have so much trouble seeing myself as clean and fresh and new the way You say I am if I love you. I have so much trouble thinking that I have anything to show or say that would help someone come to Christ. Help me understand that it is in Your Hands, not mine. Help me to be obedient and just start fishing for people the way You said. Help me to understand that You will give me the opportunity, the power, and the words to say if I just ask. Amen_

***

Most anything can serve as a tackle box. A shirt pocket, paper sack, plastic bag, and five gallon bucket have all served me well at one time or another and still do, especially the shirt pocket. I have a lot of small plastic boxes from Plano® tucked in all corners of the bins of the boat. There is one for regular hooks, one for circle hooks, one for sinkers and snaps, one for large jigs, one for small jigs, one for swimbaits, one for floats, one for spinners and ultralite crankbaits, and one for large crankbaits. I've got to consolidate some of this stuff!

Then there are plastic bags of worms and other softbaits, manufactured catfish baits of various sorts, the vital roll of toilet paper, and other miscellaneous things. There is a waterproof container for Gulp® baits and one for medicines and emergency snacks. There is a canvas bag for two drift socks and no telling what else. Beth says she doesn't understand why the boat doesn't sink.

Even with all that, there are problems. Most of the containers aren't waterproof so they are in large, heavy duty Ziploc® freezer bags. Even with all that, there is still stuff left over on shelves in the garage. Even with all that, I still have a favorite tackle box, and it isn't even in the boat right now because it takes up so much floor space. It was Daddy's, an old, giant, three trays on each side, Plano™. He probably got it as a Christmas present, maybe from one of us boys, probably from Mama. It's mine now, a treasured possession.

As usual, no matter how big your tackle box, it will never hold enough stuff. You find out that the "stuff" doesn't matter. It's the fishing that matters, not the catching, not the "stuff," the fishing. That's all that matters to Him. That's the job He gave us. I can hear Him now, "What part of 'obey Me' did you not understand? What part of 'go fishing for people' did you not understand?"

I packed the old Plano with all the "stuff" I figured I just had to have and it weighed sixteen pounds! Then there is the separate floats and sinkers box that weighed twelve! That's too much "stuff" to carry around. It's time to clean house and put some of the "stuff" on the shelf as spares.

When I die or He comes back, whichever is first, I want to be found fishing for people with stringer after stringer just loaded up with the Fruit of the Spirit. It's the only way He will be pleased with me, and I want to hear Him say, "Well, done." Don't you?

I'll be awhile yet, Daddy, but then, you already knew that. He promises we will know all

and see clearly. Keep saving me a seat in the boat. I'm looking forward to it! Love you.

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# About The Author

Tom Radcliff was born in 1952 in Helena, Arkansas. He has a bachelor's degree in science education from ULM in Monroe, Louisiana and a master's degree in educational technology from NSU in Natchitoches, Louisiana. He currently lives in Logansport, Louisiana where he has taught high school sciences for eighteen years. He and his wife Beth are longtime members of First Baptist Church of Logansport. If he's not at school, church, or home, you'll likely find him on the river. Dear wife Beth and bloodhound Rosie will be waiting.

Interested parties may contact him at PO Box 264, Logansport, Louisiana or through First Baptist Church, Logansport, Louisiana, or at fisherofmen@outlook.com.

Other works by this author:

To the Angel of the Church in the Place Called America was given to the author in a series of dreams. It answers the question, "If God wrote a letter just to America, what would it look like?"

If I Look Real Hard He's Still on the Porch is a series of essays that serve as sermon topic material or segments for small group discussion.

Fisherman's Rig, one man's journey through colo-rectal cancer as he writes a witnessing guide for Christian fishermen telling them how to use what they already know about fishing to tell other fishermen about Christ.

