FISHES OF THE CORN

Central Maryland backdrop for country fishin'.

Wow...it's hard to believe that I haven't put any thing up here in 8 weeks or more. It's been a crazy year and summer. But as most of you know, I spend a lot of time fishing in rural areas where small ponds and lakes rule. Big bluegills and other panfish are my intended quarry and the fishes of the corn can be amazing, if one takes the time and effort to locate and pursue them in un-pressured, under-the -radar locations. Here are a few of the highlights from our recent weeks on the water...

World-class hybrid sunfish at 13 inches and 2.255 pounds...a fish of a lifetime!

Standard issue 10-inch class bluegill!

Even a few red ears joined the party!

Nice dynamics on this plus-sized male gill.

Sage...the bluegill guard dog, keeping watch over the bait bucket.

Perhaps the most notable catch this summer was a 13 inch hybrid sunfish I caught on a spoon that weighed 2 1/4 pounds! What a fish, and a splendid release!  Incredible fight and fish!

Caught a few trophy class pumpkinseeds as well. Here's a couple recent giants...

Mombo 'seed!

Monster male p-seed. Purdy!

Beautiful seeds, my friend and from a local pond. The biggest taped out at 10.5 inches and the other right at 10. Crusher fish anywhere, both released, and even appeared to have been spawning. This late? In August? Shhheeesssshhh!

And check out these couple of bass that got in the way as well, some from ponds, and a few from Long Arm Dam in southern PA...

Nice 18.5 incher while gilling.

Average Long Arm bass go about 17 inches. I can dig that!

Another cookie-cutter from LA.

Yes, it's been an exciting summer this year and God has blessed Linda and I with trials and triumps of all kinds. She had a great recovery from her knee replacement in April and is walking better now than she has for at least a decade, maybe more. We both celebrated our 63 rd birthday on August 23 ( that's right...we are born the same day, same year) and our precious 5 yr old grand  daughter Elena just entered kinder garden this week. Great times!

One good, and bad, thing happened, but it was a blessing. The day before she was to have ankle surgery I had chest pains and we had to go to the emergency room to get it checked out. Before the day was out, I had emergency heart cath surgery to fix a coronary artery blockage of 95% in the artery known as 'the widow maker'. I had been having chest pains for several weeks before and fortunately a heart attack was averted by God's perfect timing. As a result, I have made major life style changes, lost 23 pounds, lowered my cholesterol levels to a safe range and slowly but surely gotten back into the swing of things. In truth...
                                          
                                     I'M A LUCKY MAN!  LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!

This is one of my offices...

...as is this...

...and this one as well.

And as you can tell, I don't mind going to work! I have been blessed way beyond what this broken-down, shell-of-a-man deserves. Having a stent implanted in my heart allowed me to live a bit longer, but having Christ in my heart permitted me to live for an eternity. When I crossed over from death into life by accepting His grace and forgiveness, I became a new man...'the old was gone and new had come' as it points out in 2 Corinthians 5:17. And I love also what it says in Psalm 148:7-13...

'Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and ocean depths,
     lightning and hail, snow and clouds,stormy winds that do His bidding,
you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
     wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,
     young men and women, old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord'

That just about covers it all. Change your life tonight, accept Christ as your Savior.