ELEVENTH HOUR FISHIN' ... IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!

A stunning hybrid sunfish at 1 pound 7.5 ounces...wow!

A lot of folks just hang up the rods once the frost hits...sheeesh....that's the time to stay with it! November has been an up and down month with a lot of weather diversities in the Mid Atlantic. Okay, though...we still hit enough warm spells to put a few fish in the cooler. Bass, cats, bluegills, hybrid sunfish and more found their way to our hooks. Lookie...lookie...

My first fish of November was this 19 inch largemouth...cool!

William shows off his personal best bluegill at 10.5 inches!

Daily double of ten-inch gills!

And beautiful pumpkinseed sunnies to boot!

The pond owner wanted fillets, so we obliged!

Can you spell s-t-r-u-c-t-u-r-e anybody?

I got to spend a week with a new friend, William, a young man who has a passion for fishing and he served an internship with me for the first week of November. We pond hopped in central Maryland and managed some quality fish despite hammering cold fronts. Here are a few more of out better fish for the week...

Williams first hybrid sunfish at 10.5 inches.

Another giant at 1 1/2 pounds.

Best fish of the week, any species, was Williams spectacular 12 inch hyb at 1 pound 9.5 ounces!

Check it out...10-inch pumpkinseed! Yaozaah!

A couple bass did get in the way.

This fine 21 incher took a chrome Rat-L-Trap...yeah!

All in all, William and I got some very impressive fish for November...eleventh hour fish, you might call them. Walk-off catches to finish up the year. Just goes to show ya...it's never too late to salvage a fishing trip. Or a date, or a plan. Or a life.

I don't care how old you are...10, 20 or 90...it is never too late to salvage your life by trusting in Jesus Christ as your personal savior. I don't care what you have done, the mess you've made or the sins you've commited...Christ will take you and cleanse you. He is a gracious Savior, and He forgives. If a young man like William can give his life to Christ at the tender age of 14, then no one is too old, or too young, to embrace the saving grace of a mighty and forgiving God. Psalm 71:3 puts it this way...

'Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

God's beauty goes far beyond what He has created...it goes straight to your heart.

A CRAZY WEEK OF FISHING

Matt had two on at one time, managed to land this fine channel cat.

For the past week or ten days, we have had some exciting big-fish action at some local waters that are public, yet under the radar. A few panfish, but mostly quality bass and channel catfish. I'll keep it short, and just toss up a few of the better fish we have been fortunate enough to catch.

Catties are long and lean, powerful fighters.

Matt's 27.5 incher weighs over 8 pounds...a good 'un!

Now, let's get that hook out!

Another lean cat at 26 inches.

Yes...I actually think these fish are purdy!

My best cat of the year...a powerful 30 incher that gave me the run around all over the pond!

Another look at the 'thirty'.

Check out the catfish cocktail...imitation crab meat with a chunk of nightcrawler.

Okay...enough of the whiskerfish...here are a few largemouths from the same water, mostly on small earthworms below a bobber and a few on live bluegills.

Bass before the storm on a garden worm.

Another 4 pound class bass!

Matt's best last week was 19.5 inches long.

Back she goes!

Chubby 17 incher is well over 3 pounds!

This fatso bass actually took a piece of crabmeat intended for the cats.

And this was the star of last weeks show...a 'near-five pounder'.

What a week of fishing! 15 bass from 3 to 5 pounds and catties running from 24 to 30 inches....wow! The cats like imitation crab meat and the bass just like worms...easy fishing and quality fish! It was a great couple of days to fish with my son Matt.

I am reminded of the scripture verse that says...' it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man, it is better to take refuge in the Lord, than to trust in princes'  ...Psalm 118:8-9.
The same can be said about trusting in a government, a government that increasingly denies and scoffs at the Lord, one that sees no need in honoring God. The further we separate ourselves from a Holy God, the more destruction and pain this nation will suffer...it's in the Bible, it's guaranteed.

The next time you enjoy a day on the water, think about who really blessed you with that great experience.

FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT...

I must admit it...I am getting soft in my old age. Everybody knows it. They can see it in my gait, my mannerisms and by my selective hearing. When I was in the work force, I was a 'tough ole bird'. But those days are gone now. For example...check out this torn and tattered thumb and palm...

Looks like someones an old softy.

Looks pretty nasty, huh? You can tell I'm a burnt out bluegill fisherman. Soft hands, soft heart...I just had to release all 14 bass I caught last Wednesday just ahead of that big low-pressure coastal storm that pounded the Mid Atlantic. I wasn't fishing for them, rather, I was out for bluegills and close kin. And I caught a pile of fish during the 4 hour tour at a small public lake that is way under the radar. 118 total fish altogether. Great fun on ultra light spinning and 2 and 4 pound test, and all on bobbers and worms with #8 Aberdeen hooks. Just let the wind blow the bobber along with a garden worm 4 feet down...pretty simple. Lots and lots of gills, redears, a few crappie and bullheads. But check out the 'by-catch'...

First big green fish of the day was this pale rider at about 5 pounds.

Followed up by another chubber largemouth!

Hey...this could get habit-forming!

You know, I'm willing to sift through a pile of medium panfish for a few of these!

And all I really wanted was a couple of these.

Been that kind of year...fish for one thing, catch another. Of course, I am not complaining in any way, even with the thumb thing and all. It's just like, well, what does a man have to do to catch a couple of decent bluegills around here? And even last week, when my bro-in-law Paul, hit the same water, the big green fish, and a few other surprises, came out to play...

Paul's 25 inch channel cat put the test to his ultra-light gear.

Paul with a foot-long black-nosed crappie.

Another crappie..this one's a black.

Check it out...black stripe across the head and back distinguish this as a 'black-nosed' crappie.

Fishing in shorts is just about over.

Yes, even the week previous, with temperatures in the low 90's fishing was pretty good for variety. Weather changes, as God always is in control of the heavens, the clouds, the wind , air and the rain. The Weather Channel has nothing on God...for he knows the weather for tomorrow, the next day and for all the days yet to come on earth. He knows the forecast...as pointed out in Psalm 19:5-6...

'In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun...It rises at one end of the heavens and makes a circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from it's heat"

Think about that...NOTHING is hidden from it's heat. Nor are any of our deeds or thoughts. That's scary, and runs chills down my spine. God knows it all, all about us, about the weather and about what we truely need... His love, His kindness, and His grace. Rocky shorelines and all, I want to walk with the King!

DAILY BREAD...AND A LITTLE MORE!

Ahhh...I haven't been here in a while. But that's OK...been busy. It's been dry here, not much rain in central Maryland the past 4 weeks. We are shifting gears, going for panfish, keeping a few fillets, eating like Kings!

Matt's 12.5 inch hybrid sunfish did NOT get eaten. Released to fight another day.

Breakfast, errr, supper of champions!

We've been catching gills, crappies a few bass and some huge hybrid sunfish. We release those trophy hybrids, but have found fillets and 'bluegill cakes' to our liking! Add the side dishes or they can stand alone...

Behold...Bluegill Cakes!

Boiling fillets so they flake.

Lots of meat! Add the good stuff and pat the cakes!

I take a bunch of fillets and put them in a slow boiling pot of water and heat them up til the flake easily with a stir. Throw in a beaten egg or two, seasonings and a few bread crumbs and roll them in flour or batter and fry em at 375 degrees. Cook til golden brown, drain on paper towels and serve...YEEEESSS!!!

So...like, is anybody getting hungry yet?

Of course, before you get to the bluegill cakes, you need the bluegills. Here are some select pics of our latest panfish catches for the daily bread line...

Matt shows off a chunky 3/4 pounder.

Nine inch pumpkinseeds make for great Halloween masks!

Another purdy 'seed!

A dozen gills like this will make 5 to 6 nice cakes.

Drop-shot rigs have been doing most of the damage.

Along the way for keepers, we managed a few more trophy hybs...here's a closer look...

This 11 incher is huge, yet small compared to Matt's giant.

Another look at Matt's sensational 12.5 inch hybrid sunfish...a fish of a lifetime! Released!

This hyb shows male bluegill dominance yet green sunfish coloration. Cool!

Of course, these trophy class hybrids came from a private pond, unmanaged and unfed, and were all released. We caught them 8-10 feet deep in heavy weeds with drop-shot rigs and live earthworms. They were bulldozers to land!

One of the great things about panfish is that there are alot to go around. They taste great and are the staple of many a fish fry throughout the land. Keeping the right ones is critical to have fish in the future. We eat 7 to 9 inch fish when they are in high number from specific lakes and ponds. The biggest fish always go back, to reproduce and keep the gene pool of big fish present. Yeah, we know, hybrids don't reproduce much. But we haven't got the heart to kill these giants. Takes about 10 years to get a fish that big.
Much is said in Proverbs and the Psalms about daily bread, having enough, and using it wisely. Fishing, hunting, grocery shopping and buying essentials all fall into that category. Same with other items that we 'think' we 'must' have, but really don't.

Proverbs 30:8 states...'give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
                                   Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you...or...
                                   I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God'




Think about these words, the next time you think you absolutely must have something...something you might just be able to do without.

                                       DAILY BREAD, AND A LITTLE MORE, IS TRULY A BLESSING!

What great blessings!