ABUNDANT LIFE

Monsta' PumpkinGill!

Yeah...you've heard it before...."plenty of fish"...."more where that came from" and perhaps "abundant life". Yeah...I like that last one right there, about abundant life. To a lake or pond or river, it means lots of fish and aquatic critters to sustain them. To God, abundant life means many things. Family, health, a home, a job, good friends and relations and blessings too numerous to count. What's your idea of "abundant life"? To we fisherfolk along the Mason Dixon abundant life can mean a multitude of fish species and a chance to catch them!

To Matt, it might be a big cattie from a small river.

To Alvie, it might be a monster creek smallmouth bass.

To me, it might be a bluegill too big to grasp!

We have been blessed, despite the record heat of September and now October, to still manage to catch a few nice ones in our area. More recently, it's been a panfish gig with gills, pumpkinseeds and crappies now moving into the picture. I got a few nice largemouths at some local venues on the Whopper Plopper 130 and that was a nice change of pace. Crazy weather...we had an 87 degree reading today along the Mason Dixon Line. The week before we were in the 50's...shheeeessshhhh! Here are a few more shots from the past two weeks bassin' and panfishin' escapades...

Ploppin' good times!

His eyes are bigger than his belly!

Live Target sunfish and pond bass...cool!

Fall bassing is picking up!

Alvie and his world class pumpkinseed sunfish...wow!

Plus big bluegills...

...and more pumpkingills...

And some slab crappies on those cooler days.

Sometimes, less says more for big crappies.

Yes...plenty of fish, something for everyone, abundant life. Jesus Christ pointed out in the Gospels that he  had come to provide abundant life to those who follow him. Unfortunately, most people view abundant life as something completely different than what Christ had in mind. "Plenty of money" comes to mind along with "abundant possessions". Perhaps a beautiful house, perfect health, high-paying job, recognition, pride, ownership of many things, image, self-confidence, positive attitudes, boasting and respect in the work place. Not that these are, unto their own, all bad things. But collectively and in a modern world, they are put on a pedestal, far and above things like worship, humility, kindness and forgiveness. We live in a world where the almighty dollar, and the almighty cell phone, occupies our thoughts and lifestyle to the point where we just don't have time for kids, grandkids, friends or family. Courtesy is lost, integrity is terminal and when someone does stand up for righteousness they are immediately ridiculed and written off as "old fashioned", a religious freak or even labeled a "hater" simply because they have an opinion that sides with the Savior.

Yes, abundant life can mean many things to many people. I love what it says in Proverbs 16:25...

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to his death"

Abundant life...healing waters. Think about it.

SLOSHING THROUGH OLD MUDDY

Stream smallmouths have 'saved the day' during the record heat in September.

I AM SOMEWHAT ASHAMED THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN KEEPING UP WITH THIS BLOG, AS THE FISHING HAS CERTAINLY BEEN GOOD AT TIMES ALONG THE MASON DIXON AREA. IT'S EARLY SEPTEMBER, AND WE ARE NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF A RECORD SETTING HEAT WAVE. So...with all that in mind, here are a few selected shots from this past weeks fishing while wet-wading several central Maryland streams and small rivers...

Most creek bass are 10-inchers, but bigger game lurks.

Small crank baits get the nod for many conditions.

Despite low water, we had a great week, landing 54 smallmouths in four separate outings.

With temps in the mid 90's all week, I thought the best bet would be to hop in, get wet, and maybe catch a few fish. We fished several stretches of the Monocacy River and adjoining tributaries Along with the bass we got a bunch of sunfish species, fallfish, rockbass and one giant carp...

A nice fallfish couldn't resist the little lure.

Stunning colors on this long-eared sunfish!

My friend Alvie with a true river monster caught on 4 pound test line...wow!

Red-breast sunfish are a common catch in the creeks.

Feisty bluegills not much bigger than the Rebel Crayfish.

I actually hadn't wet-waded any rivers or streams for a long time, and some of the stretches we fished I hadn't been to in 15 or more years. But I was both thankful and relieved that, after back and heart operations in 2015, I could walk, wade, slip and slide through old muddy for a distance of 2-miles or more and still make it back to the truck and live to tell of it. And as an added bonus, the fishing was very good...as good or better than I recall from years ago. Stream smallmouths aren't known for great size, but many of our fish ran from 13 to 16 inches. And I managed to land a new 'personal best' creek smallmouth of 19.5 inches on 4 pound line and a small floating Rapala. What a fish...and what a fight. Here's a couple more pics of all the craziness...

Bass heads home.

Floating minnow baits were hot.

Another one returning to home.

Alvie's nice smallie took a topwater early in the day.

I think I could get used to this!

Yes, it was an exhausting, yet very fun and rewarding week sloshing through old muddy and battling 2 pound smallmouths on ultra light tackle, along with a variety of other species. I am exhausted, yet relaxed and hope to do it again soon. I like what it says in God's word about those who are weary...Isaiah 43 : 1-2 says...

'I have summoned you by name, you are mine
      When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you'.

Beautiful stuff, beautiful creation, beautiful God.

Thankful to be in a place like this...

It's Been a Crappie Year So Far!

My good friend Loren with a big crappie from the local 'big crappie' lake.

Well, so far this year, things have really been crappie on the fishing front. Not bad...just a good number of big, thick spawning male black crappies that are hard to overlook when you know where to find them. Found some a few weeks ago and they are almost impossible to coax into striking. I have caught some on small garden worms and floating pink trout worms. Big fish...they ran from 12 to 15 inches. Here are a few of them...all released....

He's a biggun'!

Never met a 14-inch crappie I didn't like!

All guardian males were released for parental chores.

Yeah, the Go Pro helps, but he big!

Even my son Matt got into the act...here's his efforts for worm dunking...

Matt worked on this one for about 15-minutes...success!

But as good a year as it has been so far for crappies, it has been just as good for bluegills. Check out some of these early season mombos we've been catching...

What's not to like about 10-inch bulls?

Big hen...these plus sized gals make me happy, happy, HAPPY!

Mottled colors and lack of barring make for a cool looking fish.

Matt caught some big gills and punkins at the local piggy pond.

And here are a few profile shots of some of our more impressive gills we have released so far in 2016...

Boy...do these guys ever fight!

One of many 10-inchers we have released this spring.

The spawn began on April 20...the earliest ever!

Not quite eleven inches. This is how a big fish gets bigger. Any questions?

Double-wide bulls are a sight to behold!

Bull go home.

The past few days have been tough...up and down weather and the gills aren't as easy to pattern. What's a burnt-out bluegill fisherman to do? Go bass fishing! Yup...bass are bedding , some are done and some are just getting started. Stank X Stix and seldom-used bobber/nightcrawler rigs on light line make for some exciting ultralight fishing. Easy and dependable, I tend to bass fish only when I can't rustle up some panfish. Here are a few from the past two days, April 26 & 27th...when we caught and released 39...

Spawned out girls sporting a trim figure.

This 19-incher was the best of the lot.

This one got in the way of bluegill fishing.

Mr Ed got several nice ones on a drifted nightcrawler.

A good un on the Stank X Stix.

I think this one was caught more than once the past two days.

Yes, this has been a crappie year, but certainly not a 'crappy' year for us. My wife is losing weight and

walking better than she has in years. I've lost a ton of weight and am eating better. Our grand girls are growing like weeds and my son is teaching Sunday school at church. I have made new friends and have a lot of folks to go fishing with. I am a lucky, no...blessed man! I don't have a lot of money, but I will tell you...I am a rich man. Most of what I have, well, you can't buy it anyway. Things like love, family, respect, integrity, health and peace. They don't happen by accident. I needed a guide, a plan, a blueprint for my life. That blueprint came in the form of the Holy Bible and the Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know there are some of you out there that might get to this point in this blog and stop reading...yeah...'Gronaw's goin' religious on us again.' To be honest, my faith has absolutely nothing to do with religion. My faith is based only on a relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. It's that simple...really, it is. So many folks who are calling themselves Christians have yet to realize that it's not about religion...it's about a relation. No, I don't always wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, mow my lawn twice a week or attend the 'proper' events that 'religious people' are supposed to attend. But I know this...at the end of the day, I can kneel down at my bed, and thank Christ for everything...I mean EVERYTHING...that I have and every breath I take. And I can ask, guilt-free, for forgiveness of my sins, knowing I will be pardoned, yet expected to improve on my sinful behavior. Just like you and everyone else on the planet, I deserve hell. The only reason I am not getting that fate is because of this incredible relationship He has permitted me to have with Him. I am blessed.

I hope you are having a good year, not a 'crappy' one. If you are it is based on many things, but surely not totally of your own doing. If you have a heartfelt relation with Jesus Christ, you will be set free and your life will be forever changed. It is not of your own doing. Check it out in Isaiah 5:21...where it simply says...

WOE TO THOSE WHO ARE WISE IN THEIR OWN EYES AND CLEVER IN THEIR OWN SIGHT

A relationship with Jesus Christ will release you from  guilt, fear, anger and despair. Be released today!