FINISHING STRONG

My biggest fish of the year was this post Christmas carp.

I have to admit that I didn't catch a whole lot of 'big' fish this past year. So when Bob the Carp Whisperer invited me to try for some Lake Marburg bruins, I couldn't resist. He had been catching fish from 15 to 20 pounds at the lake, maybe 1 to 3 per day, so I knew that action wasn't going to be fast. Still, it was worth a shot on a balmy, late December day and I need to catch up with Bob on family and fishing fronts.

Bank sticks and bite alarms...cold carpin'.

Bob's an expert carp angler and he put me on this nice fish, somewhere between 16-18 pounds, and it was our only fish, and only run, of the day. We consumed a bag of mini donuts and drank some sodas and shot some bull. Chatting with a few other assorted low-lifes helped the day go by. This was on December 26...a day when most are just dreaming about fishing, and spring.

Paul moseyed down the bank and found the 'sweet spot'.

The next day my bro-in-law, Paul, invited me to hit a couple ponds. Weather was 55 degrees and calm and at our second pond, a small public venue, he found the fish close to an incoming runoff seep and it was 'game on' with our float-n-fly efforts with micro-jigs tipped with wax worms and meal worms. We scored an unusual winter slam...bass, crappie, red ear sunfish and bluegills on our ultra light spinning sticks. Here are a few of the highlights...

December bass on a jig & wax worm.

Paul with a nice crappie on December 27, 2014.

I like crappies any time of year!

Most gills ran 6 to 8 inches.

Paul with a near citation red ear sunfish!

It was a great trip, and easily the fastest action I have ever experienced for a December fishing trip, as water temps were at 42 degrees. Non -stop action for over 90 minutes as we totaled 104 fish, mostly bluegills from this catch and release, small lake that is pretty far under the radar. Other December efforts looked like this here...

Foot-long crappie in the cold.

These guys always crash the party!

Red ears in 40 degree water...sheeesh!

My 'personal best' December bluegill at 10.25 inches, from 38 degree water.

Purdy!

Yeah,,,I could go for a mild winter!

We caught numerous crappies throughout the month of December.

Finishing strong...something we accomplished in December with local fishing and the help of God's blessing with warm weather from time to time. We managed to land 3,971 fish altogether for 2014...our best total ever. But wouldn't it be cool to finish strong in our work, family and faith life? I believe it to be a great and worthy goal.  We just finished up a study on Steve Ferrar's inspirational book "Finishing Strong'. In it, Ferrar points out that only one in ten men who enter the ministry to proclaim Gods Word actually finish strong. I thought that was an exaggeration, but it is indeed, and sadly, true.

As I have watched Godly men all around me fall victim to greed, fame, money and sexual sin, I realize that none of us, no matter how deeply rooted we think we are in the Holy Scriptures, are exempt from this potential tragedy. We are weak, but Christ is strong, and we need that strength to 'finish strong' in every aspect of our lives, no matter what the conditions are. As the scripture says...'the enemy roams about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour'. All of us, man, woman and child, carpenter, politician and pastor...are vulnerable to the ememy. Be prepared, suit up, and as it says in Ephesians 2:8...put on the whole armor'...including the 'breastplate of righteousness'. I want to finish strong...how about you?

Be thankful for the calm...rough waters could be ahead.