It was Saturday on the last weekend of teal season. The alarm clock didn’t have a chance to go off. I was up and ready with anticipation. My guide Kyle, who happens to be my son, had given me reports of good numbers of birds in the flooded rice fields the previous evening. That fact made it easy to get up at 3:30 and head to the marsh. Light winds and a warm morning were on deck. A quick stop at Buc-ee’s for some breakfast tacos and down the highway I headed. I arrived at my son’s house at 5 and was greeted by his dog Goose, who was in the truck with the door open, and with a look of “come on let’s go” on his face. Kyle’s girlfriend Sabrina, with her infectious smile, would also be joining us this morning.

It wasn’t long before we pulled into the barn and loaded up the trailer with the ORV, decoys and guns. My son’s coworkers Wayne and Chris arrived, and we were ready to roll. Chris had a dog named Couchon, pronounced (Kooshon). This would be his first hunt. Arriving at the blind, the sound of chattering teal and excited dogs filled the air under the starry night. In the distance you could see the lights of other outfitters on neighboring properties arriving to their brushy habitats.

It would soon be shooting time, and we were already covered up with the lear jet whistling wings of hundreds of teal. At legal shooting time (6:42), we heard the guns of local outfitters ring in the new day, and it was game on. The action was non stop with mostly smaller groups of birds buzzing our blind and decoys. After going through a lot of shells and laughs at 8am, we had our limit of birds (30). I was amazed at the precision of Kyle’s dog Goose as he retrieved bird after bird. The time he and Kyle have put into training has really payed off as he found birds we would have never found. One retrieve was 75 yards behind the blind in the next rice field behind a levee. It was a blind retrieve and an impressive run. It was equally exciting to watch Couchon (one year old) retrieve his first teal. I truly think that a young dog can learn by watching a more seasoned dog. He seemed to get better as the morning continued. Watching dogs retrieve your ducks adds so much to the experience.

Here is a video of our Saturday hunt:

After a successful hunt on Saturday, we agreed to repeat the process again on the final day of the season Sunday morning. This hunt would be unique in that Chris would bring his son Nick, and this would be his first teal hunt. Wayne would also bring his son Justin, a fireman by trade. This hunt we had more wind, and the birds seemed to decoy better into the wind from right to left. It was a classic setup for some fun shooting. I decided to take my good camera instead of the go pro for some better quality footage. The ducks flew higher early but decoyed better later in the morning. Around 10am we had our limit of 36 birds. The good company of everyone in the blind, the cooperation of hundreds of birds, and the amazing work of the dogs all contributed to an awesome finish to a great weekend of wing shooting. Here is a video of Sunday’s hunt.

What a great way for fathers and sons to bond. Spending time with your son or daughter is a valuable experience we should never take for granted. In today’s society I see far less of this. I truly believe that if dads and moms would spend more time in the outdoors doing things together with their children, they would have less problems in the future.

Our heavenly Father also wants to spend time with you. If you let Him guide you in your earthly efforts, you can achieve heavenly results. I encourage you to get to know Him. Read the Bible, pray and allow Him to come into your life. You will find He will fill every void in your life.  Philippians 1:9-10

Thanks for reading my blog and God Bless You!

Tim Lumpkin

Finally the winds of May have subsided and the summer night jetty fishing has become accessible. The winds were light out of the north west and the waters were calming. Time for a much anticipated trip to my favorite jetties to see if the trout were cooperating.

This is one of my favorite ways to fish for trout in the summer. Why you ask? I avoid the summer crowds, the weather is cooler at night and the bait comes to your lights which in turn attracts the predator fish aka trout and reds. My set up is simple, but I think is critical for success. I have experimented with several light sets and found that the par 64 (1000 watt) theater lights with a very narrow beam works best. I like to set them up where the beams concentrate to a single spot closer to the rocks than most people do. My generator of choice is the Honda EU2000i. The fuel capacity is approximately 1 gallon which lasts me about three to four hours pulling 2000 watts with two lights. The main reason I like this generator is its portability and how quiet it is.

I primarily fish all artificial baits. My go to set up mimics the glass minnows which are attracted to the lights. Many nights I have caught more fish than someone using live shrimp. This is especially true when there are abundant glass minnows in the light. I think the Down South Lure in white ice for clear water or glow chartreuse for off color water are the best for local conditions. The tail action is amazingly similar to the glass minnows in the light. Presentation is the key to success. Keeping the bait on top or slightly subsurface with a slow retrieve mimics the glass minnow and will usually draw more strikes. Sometimes they like it simply floating or slow sinking as a lot of strikes occur when I stop reeling or I am picking out a back lash (lol). I prefer not to use jig heads as they take the lure deeper into the water column. Instead I use a #6 or eight treble depending on the fall rate desired. This keeps the bait on top just like a glass minnow. I put one of the treble hooks up through the underside of the head of the lure and leave the other two exposed on bottom for balance and a better hook up ratio. The trout usually attack the lure head first and that usually means a good connection.

A long net to reach the better fish is a must especially if the tide is out. One with a rubber net will save you the trouble of picking the treble hook out of it. The rod needs to have a fast tip to throw the light lure set up. Sometimes if the wind is in my face, I will throw the larger Super Model version of the DSL which has a little more weight. Spinning gear will also allow you to cast the lighter setup. Last summer I caught a 24 and a 25 inch trout on back to back casts using the DSL White Ice Super Model.

Take your mosquito spray in case the wind dies, and plenty of water, and have fun exploring this different style of fishing.

The first video was shot last Sunday night at the Surfside Jetty. The tide was coming in very slowly, and I had a ten fish limit by two am. The second video is from last Wednesday night at the Texas City Dike. That night the trout did not show up until the tide started coming in at ten pm.  I had a limit of ten trout by midnight using only one gallon of gas. It seems the fish usually feed better with tidal movement but that is not always the case. I have had good luck with both high tides and low tides as long as there is bait in the lights.

I hope you enjoyed this post. It takes a little effort to get set up for this type of fishing but the rewards are ten fold (no pun intended). I am very blessed to be able to fish this way and really enjoy this time of year. I hope God has blessed you with a passion that allows you to honor him. Fishing, kayaking, surfing and even playing golf provides me with great pleasure and makes me appreciate the beauty and wonder of God’s creations. Be sure and take the time to thank him for everything he has placed in your life. Especially for sending his son to die on the cross for our sins so that we may have eternal life with him in Heaven. Philippians 3:20

God Bless You!

Sincerely,

Tim Lumpkin

I  waited in anticipation for the full moon this past Wednesday. The day was also the first day of spring. Called the spring equinox, the moon is closest to the earth and the spawning bass will begin their migration to the shallows to renew the cycle of life. This is the only time of year when 80 percent of the fishermen and 80 percent of the bass are in the same area.

The weather was sunny which warmed up the shallow water and invited the bass back to their local spawning ground. I launched my kayak around two in the afternoon hoping the water would be warming as the day wore on. I paddled my way to the shallow water full of reeds and thick cover. It was tempting to fish the areas on my way, but I knew my target was where I caught them a year ago on a certain flat. All the elements seemed to be coming together for a successful trip. Even the winds were light. The only negative effect the weather produced was that a weak front had moved through over night so the wind was out of the north and the barometric pressure was rising. Sometimes this slows the bite down and make the bass more lethargic. Last weekend on the Sundown Valley Ranch the same scenario didn’t seem to effect the bite at all. On the paddle toward my destination I noticed that there was not as much green vegetation as there was last year. I assumed that was due to the cooler temperatures we had this spring.

Earlier this month, I had heard of a eleven and ten pounder caught. They were probably pre spawn bass full of eggs located in deeper water. My plan for today was to throw a topwater ribbit frog and to follow missed strikes with a weightless craw worm. As soon as I reached my destination, I noticed swirling fish in shallow water. My heart raced with anticipation of a bucket mouth inhaling my topwater frog as it passed over head. First cast with the frog and and a large swirl knocked the frog out of the way without a connection. This scenario began to repeat itself as I worked my way through the endless reeds along the flats. I picked up the craw worm to slow down the presentation and tempt the finicky bass with very few takers. Thinking back I should have put on a scum frog and let it sit motionless over their head until they could not stand it.

I did manage to coax some three and four pounders to inhale my frog, but the larger fish were very spooked and unwilling to eat. This is usually the case with spawning fish. They sometimes refuse to commit to a bait unless you repeatedly put it in front of them and cause a reaction bite. I have seen a fisherman fishing two beds with large fish on them for several hours before he caught the males protecting the nest and tied them up to his kayak and then caught the larger females who moved back on the nests.

As the sun began to get close to the horizon, I began my paddle back to the launch. On my way I fished the outer edges of the thick cover with the frog. As I neared an isolated patch of reeds, I cast my frog to its edge and began to reel. The frog legs began to gurgle as they made their way back to me. After several cranks of the reel a huge explosion occurred and my frog disappeared  on a speed run toward the cover. With fifty pound braid and a stiff rod, I put the brakes on the monster, and he began to get real angry. As the green monster began to surface and violently shake his head, I realized this was not a large mouth bass. I had connected with a nine pound bow fin – a prehistoric looking speed demon made of pure muscle and a mouth full of short sharp projectiles. Luckily he got the hook placed perfectly in his mouth so he was not able to cut the line. After a few swift runs and some thrashing attempts to escape, he reluctantly landed in my net. This is one ugly fish as you will see in the video, but the fight was quite enjoyable.

I released the flat headed fish and continued my paddle back to the launch. As I neared the launch, I saw several small logs the wind and current had pushed together. This is a favorite target for many bass fishermen.  I cast my frog past the log jam and began a retrieve across the logs. As you will see on the video, a bass attempted to hit the frog twice as I drug it across the logs. When the frog cleared the log jam, the fish continued to follow the frog and inhaled it a few feet past the cover. Anticipating the strike and watching the waking fish lunge toward the gurgling offering is one of my favorite ways to catch fish. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience to let the fish take the bait and not try to set the hook too early. You almost have to close your eyes and wait for the rod to load up with the weight of the fish before you set the hook. After the hook set, he expressed his displeasure with a head shaking dance on the surface of the glassy water.

I talked to several people as I arrived at the launch and everyone agreed that the fish were not that cooperative this day. That is what makes fishing so challenging sometimes. You think you know that the weather and solar charts are all lined up for an excellent trip only to be surprised by the slow bite. It is amazing how God set up the moon, tides, wind and frontal systems which all effect the wildlife behavior and routines. Just like the different circumstances we experience in our pursuit of fish, God shows us some challenging circumstances in our personal lives. We may be cruising right along enjoying life, and out of the blue we are hit with some difficult circumstances. Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and putting your faith in him makes facing adversity much easier. Romans 5:3-5 says “³ Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Whether you are struggling with catching fish or dealing with a real life struggle, you can always choose JOY knowing that God has plans for you to prosper and and he will never give you more than you can handle. As I have gotten older I have learned to appreciate the special times he gives me in his amazing outdoor world and to never take those moments for granted. It is his gift to me and I will always cherish each moment.

Thanks for reading my blog and enjoy the video.

God bless you,

Tim Lumpkin

Our arrival was late as we lay our heads on the soft pillow. A few short hours later we awoke to the sound of strong southerly winds and cloudy skies, classic pre-front conditions for a Saturday passage.

First order of business was to check the hog trap. The corn offerings yielded a midsize boar who was angry and thrashing the cage walls trying to escape. This was just one of forty pigs seen in the wheat field this week according to the talk amongst the area ranchers.   The destruction these creatures can do to the land is incredible. With such a short gestation period and rapid breeding, the ranchers are fighting a losing battle.

The front soon passed with a few drops of rain and a strong north wind behind it. It was time to retreat to the ranch house for a filling breakfast.

An amazing aspect of springtime is how quickly the weather elements can change. It went from cloudy and rainy to sunshine and gusty north winds in the matter of an hour. It was too windy to fish the white capping water so we drove the gator to a delapidated pioneer farmhouse located on the highest point of the property. It was part of the Boggy community of Norwegian settlers built in the 1850’s. The water well was hand dug and the panoramic view from the hilltop is majestic.

Waiting for the wind to lay down and the barometer to settle proved to be a smart choice. The sun was warming the water which we hoped would trigger the movement of bass into the shallow water to spawn. Armed with chartreuse spinnerbaits, we began patrolling the shoreline. Close to the banks we picked up several small male bass hungry and willing to attack our gold bladed offerings. In an effort to pick up some bigger fish, we had to change strategies. Slow rolling the spinnerbaits to find the edges of the drop offs proved to be a successful strategy for catching some of the larger females waiting to move up to shallow water to spawn. The frontal boundary and high pressure probably pushed the females off the shoreline.

The perfect bait to catch these fish was waiting to be thrown on my other rod. A Sixth Sense deep diving, large crank bait in a shad pattern color with a slow wobble and the knock of a large bb. This tactic proved to be very effective as the first four casts yielded three fish with heavy bellies full of eggs. For the last hour of daylight the winds calmed, the water warmed and cleared which triggered the bite even more.

What an amazing springtime day at Sundown Valley Ranch. It was full of changing weather and fishing tactics in the beauty of God’s creation. The beauty of spring, the newness of life and growth brought on by the change of seasons is a true testament to a living God. All you have to do is look around you to see and feel His presence.

I hope you get the chance to get outside and experience God’s creations this special time of year. Remember to thank him for the gift of life on this earth, for sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins, and the undeserved grace He has given us through salvation. (Gods Riches At Christ’s Expense)

God bless you and thanks for reading my blog!

Enjoy the video!

Tim Lumpkin

High wispy clouds, warmer temps and breezy was the order of the day. A golden chance to perfect my 8 weight skills with a crabby offering. As I loaded up the kayak visions of aggressive takes flooded my mind. I had heard the back lakes were holding plentiful amounts of willing Scirenops Ocellatus (redfish).

Four wheeling through the deeper sand, I arrived at my destination. The wind had the water a little more turbid than I had hoped for, but the active fish would willingly give themselves away. Fighting the wind in the kayak and making accurate presentations with the fly proved to be a challenge. Finicky fish and poor presentation proved to be my demise as I spooked fish after fish.

A change of tactics was in order. A 6’6″ bait casting rod and a concept reel allowed for more accuracy and consistencey. With loads of grass coming back with each cast, I tied on a frog to glide over the persistent resistance. Having only one blowup had me thinking another change was in order.

By this time the three quarter moon was rising in the east and the sun was nearing the horizon in the west. The tide movement began to increase and the wind was laying down as the magic hour approached. Nearing one of the many grass islands, I noticed a stronger current and a deeper trough between two points. The mullet began to jump trying to escape their predators.

Armed with a gold spoon, I launched the shiny offering to the flat on the far side. Flashing and falling into the deeper channel drew a hard jolt from a hungry rat red. The golden missile found it’s way into my net with a blushing blue tail waving in the wind. Another cast and another red answered the dinner bell. Rinse and repeat as the sun began to disappear.

The moon compensated for the sun’s refusal to cooperate as I tied on a pink topwater tormentor.  After three casts across the channel from flat to flat,  an unexpected explosion occurred almost at my feet. One quick run and a shaky rod tip indicated a different species. This sinister shake was obviously a Cynoscion Nebulosus (speckled trout) trying to snatch a large pink meal. I led the snaggle tooth warrior to a resting place and took a selfie with my new found celebrity and slipped him back into the grassy flat.

Not wanting to leave this magical time of day, I forced myself to paddle back to my point of entry. I savored the last few strokes as the darkness heightened my senses to all the sounds around me. What a beautiful day to spend in solitude on the marshes of Matagorda. Although the fish did not cooperate until the end of the day, my cup of enjoyment was spilling over. The sites and sounds God puts around me makes every outdoor journey an adventure to be cherished. Providing me with a few rewards at the end of the day for my persistent effort makes the day that much more special. I thanked God as I drove away already anticipating my next time back to the marshes of Matagorda.

How much time time have you spent in prayer thanking God for all you have been blessed with? Jeremiah 29:11-12 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Whether you are enjoying the outdoors, working or going through a tough time, know that God has good plans for you. Plans worth waiting for whether it is at the end of a long day, year or a lifetime. Take time to enjoy the journey and everything around you, trusting that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Have a great week and slow down, take a deep breath and soak in the surroundings of God’s beauty in the great outdoors. Enjoy the video and thanks for reading my blog.

God Bless You!

Tim Lumpkin

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your holiday season has been a blessing to you and your family. I pray that you continue to find joy throughout the coming year on a daily basis. One year ago I retired after a 38 year career as a teacher and football coach. I still keep in touch with other coaches and stay active in the Coaches Outreach Bible studies. I love to read inspirational stories involving coaches and the many lives they touch. I recently read a social media post about a message sent to the Clemson football team by the head coach Dabo Swinney. Each year he choses a word for his players to use as a theme for the new season. This year he chose the word JOY. He wrote: “We are made for the climb, the journey, the grind, the relationships along the way, the struggles. Those mountaintop experiences are great but life is about having JOY in the journey. Finding JOY and PURPOSE in our day to day activities is what it’s all about. Just having JOY in the moment. JOY I believe, comes from within. It comes from having the Holy Spirit inside you. We can have J.O.Y. by focusing on Jesus, others, and then yourself. This is the perspective God wants us to have daily. Quit worrying about SOMEDAY and find JOY in the journey TODAY. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

What a great perspective for our lives. Now that I am retired I have the opportunity to participate in some simple things that bring me joy. During the holidays I had a chance to go behind the house and fish a small creek with my son’s 5 weight fly rod and a woolly bugger brown fly. The sky was overcast and the barometer was dropping due to an approaching front. During this scenario the bass are usually willing to eat.

It doesn’t have to be a huge fish or an exotic location to make me happy. Any small body of water or any size fish brings me joy. Here is a video of that fun afternoon.

I hope you find the time to get outdoors and enjoy the many pleasures it has to offer. God Bless You and have a JOY filled 2019!

Tim Lumpkin

During the 1980’s I spent a lot of time fishing for bass on Lake Fork. I had a clone of a Skeeter boat with a Mercury 115HP motor that took me anywhere I wanted to go. We sold that boat to help fund my wife staying at home with our children in their early years. I down sized to a small two man bass boat and a 35 lb thrust trolling motor. It made me slow down and fish areas more thoroughly. Slipping the boat into the back of a cove and working my way to the mouth proved to be very effective.

We eventually sold that boat and moved to my home town on the Texas Gulf Coast. With more water to fish and the children going to college I began to look into purchasing a sit on top kayak. Surprisingly I found an intro level kayak at a very reasonable price. It was a bright red, 10 foot Perception Pescador for which I paid $400. The small kayak gave me access to a local marsh were I began to explore its possibilities. I took it under low bridges and through culverts to arrive at some very skinny water. The first fish I caught was a 28 inch redfish that took me for a sleigh ride in a narrow ditch. I think you could hear me hooting and hollering from miles away. Little did I realize that I now had an extra drag to work in my favor on big fish. Here are some trout, reds and flounder I caught in the marsh in my red kayak.

Soon I was eager to find other locations to fish that required a longer paddle. To make these journeys I saved up enough money to buy a longer better tracking kayak that I could actually stand up in to fish. After a lot of research, I decided on a 12 foot Jackson Cuda. A more streamlined design allowed for more glide and less sway without a rudder. This kayak has been a dream come true. It has plenty of storage, an adjustable more comfortable seat, rocket launcher rod holders to keep your reels high and dry, and it even has a mount for your Go Pro. The accessories and possibilities for rigging the kayak are endless. Surprisingly the first fish I caught from it was also a very large bull redfish. I was fortunate to have my son video the lengthy struggle on his iPhone from my old kayak.

I really love the stealth like approach a kayak offers when searching for tailing reds or bedding bass. Cutting through lily pads, thick brush or pulling across a sand bar can be managed to get you where the fish are. Here is a video I shot last spring on a local lake searching for bass in the thick stuff.

My best reason for fishing out of a kayak is solitude. I love the fact that I often do not see anyone fishing were I can paddle. That solitude is very relaxing and the areas I fish receive very little pressure. That old saying that you feel at one with nature really rings true in those situations. To me it really means to be at peace within God’s creation.

John 1:1-5 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.”

On Christmas Eve in 1968, three astronauts circled the moon in solitude and shared the beauty of God’s creation from above.  They recognized God’s mighty hand in creation and shared it with the world.

Clearly we are blessed to live in a world full of God’s majestic creations all around us. At this time of year as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, we are reminded that we were created by God and everyone is beautiful and worthy in his eyes. Take some time out from your holiday hustle and bustle to thank God for all he has given you and share it with others.

Thanks for reading and watching.

God Bless You and Merry Christmas!

Tim Lumpkin

My first experience with bass fishing was with a friend during my early teens. Jim lived outside the city limits and had access to a small pond in a pasture across from his house. We spent many hours walking across the pasture, poles in hand, trying to avoid the big bull who patrolled the local real estate. On one trip we were not so lucky and were chased up the only tree in the pasture by the Brahma bully. After some time we were allowed to pass. We usually arrived at the pond and waded into the shallow waters. Partly to cool off but primarily to reach the pockets of lilly pads and submerged grass beds with our offerings.

This pond is where I learned to throw a fly rod tipped with a surface popper. With the first cast, I was hooked. Bass and bream were plentiful and willing to devour the small bug imitations. There is something about using a buggy whip (fly rod) that takes you back to the very roots of fishing’s existence. Learning to pick up the line and place it back in the perfect position takes patience and persistence. When it all comes together and you connect with your target species, the experience is quite gratifying.

Fishing as a young boy on small ponds and creeks gave me just as much pleasure as it does today. I think the challenge of reading the water conditions like depth and current, along with the wind and weather conditions, makes finding and catching fish very satisfying, even at the age of sixty one.

Here is a video I made of my experience fishing some small creeks and ponds with my son’s  five weight fly rod and an assortment of poppers.

As you can see, the enjoyment I get from fly fishing for bass which began as a young boy still pleases me today.

I am very lucky and thankful that the house we have lived in for the last twenty six years, which has a small creek behind it,  gave me an opportunity to introduce fishing to my children at an early age.

Being thankful for all God has given us is something God has called us to do. Colossians 4:2 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.”

I am thankful that we live in a country where we are free to worship as we choose, where we can fish so many public places and have regulations that preserve our outdoor resources for future generations.

I hope you have that peace in your heart. Thanks for reading my blog.

God Bless You!

Tim Lumpkin

It was the summer of 1970. I was spending two weeks of vacation at a friend’s beach house in Bolivar on Lazy Lane. In the mornings we caught speckled trout, and in the afternoon we pulled each other on skimboards using a long rope and a small dirt bike. One day we found an old surf board on a trash pile in the neighborhood. As teenagers we were thrilled to try it out in the mushy knee high shore break. We rode the first few waves on our bellies and then began trying to get to our feet on the board. It wasn’t long before we were riding the crusty fiberglass water craft straight in until the glassed on fin dug into the sand.

Wow.  What a fantastic feeling it was gliding with mother ocean under your feet. Little did I know that this would be the start of something I would pursue for the rest of my life.

In high school I bought a brand new blue 6’8″ Challenger with lightening bolts on each rail from Island Surf Shop in Galveston. This was the beginning of a new outdoor adventure looking for bigger and better waves. My parents questioned me about the excessive amount of long distance phone calls made to Sunrise Surf Shop to get an accurate daily surf report. Now we have the internet with daily and long range surf forecasts and surf cams from all over the world.

The summer after high school graduation, my brother and I drove by a longboard on a trash pile while coming home from work. I am not sure how we got it home on the yellow Super Beetle as it was a thick 9’6″ Rick single fin made in California. That board would catch any ripple, and you could walk on it like a battleship.

Some of my favorite memories were made traveling to South Padre Island in my parents’ Volkswagen bus with friends. My dad took the middle seat out and put two cots cut to fit even with the back seat. My mom rigged curtains on the windows. It soon became my favorite surf mobile. South Padre has some of the most beautiful clear blue water and some of the best waves on the Texas coast.

When I graduated from college and began teaching and coaching in North Texas, I still looked forward to trips home and the hour drive to the beach. My parents were kind enough to store the old 9’6″ Rick in the garage for me to use when I came home.

As the years passed, God blessed me with a loving wife and two wonderful children. We moved back to my home town in 1992 to allow me to coach with my high school coaches and players my dad had coached. It wasn’t long before beach vacations were a regular part of our summer routine. I spent numerous hours pushing my son and daughter into waves and hooting and hollering when they stood up and rode each wave. They also loved for me to pull them on the skimboard in the pools of water left at low tide.

When my son got old enough to paddle into waves, I bought him an old 8′ Fry tri-fin. What a thrill to see him trim the board and head down the line with a big grin on his face. It wasn’t long before we were chasing waves up and down the Texas coast. Years later we expanded our travels to include California from San Diego to Los Angeles. I can not begin to tell you how important it is as a parent to spend some quality with your children doing an activity they like.

When I was young, my mother, father and brother all had an interest in photography. I took to it also and became the annual staff photographer in junior high school. That love for capturing images was a natural transition into documenting many of our surf trips. Over the years I have edited and posted over 40 videos on Vimeo and YouTube. My screen name on an old surfing forum was Slug which I used to close each video with. I chose that name because I had a Hobie “Peter Pan Slug” surf board which was 9’6″ long and three inches thick. Here is a video I posted of me riding that board at Malibu. The video was shot by my son from PCH.

My son progressed to the more versatile short board but has some classic old school style on his 9′ McTavish Original longboard.

One of the nice things about surfing is the number of good people you meet in and out of the water. Doctors, lawyers, pilots, blue collar and white collar workers. The diversity of people all drawn to the sport creates a unique bond. The mostly positive vibe in the water as we all hoot and holler when someone catches a good wave is contagious and creates a fun atmosphere.

Surfers are like any other sportsmen looking for that next wave and challenge. One of the best scenarios for waves on the Texas coast occurs during hurricane season. When a hurricane generates a swell, and you’re lucky enough to be on the dry side, you may get long period wave intervals and offshore winds. This happened recently with Hurricane Michael. I caught some of the best waves I have ridden in a while in Surfside. Here is a video I put together of pictures I took in Galveston and Surfside during the swell.

Another quality time for waves on the Texas coast occurs in the fall as frontal boundaries start moving through. Before the fronts hit the coast, the strong onshore flow creates a building short period wind swell. When the front arrives, the offshore winds clean up the choppy surf and create long clean lines. When the wave breaks over a shallow sand bar and the offshore wind holds it up, you get a hollow section of wave that all surfers love to tuck into. Here is a video of that scenario I shot in Galveston featuring one of the best local surfers Gabe Prusmack.

Here is one more recent video I shot with a Go Pro session a couple of weeks ago. It was in Galveston with some clean post front conditions.

If you would like to see more older videos you can search my old user name on Vimeo (McTavish Original) or (Tim Lumpkin).

As you can see, surfing to me is more than a sport. It’s almost spiritual in the way that it makes me feel. In the water I feel closer to God and more at peace with the world and myself. When I come out of the water tired and happy from a good session, my attitude is good for the rest of the day. The closest thing that I can parallel that feeling to would be the relationship I have with my savior Jesus Christ that gives me peace.

Just like the north wind cleaning up choppy surf, our attempt to keep our spiritual life on a true north heading can be a challenge. Scripture reminds us of how we ought to be in and out of our comfort zones. 1 Peter 3:8-9 says, “Finally, all of you, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

It is my prayer that you find that peace and forgiveness in your heart as you go through your daily routines. Take the time to breathe deep, enjoy the outdoors with those around you. Catch a wave and leave a legacy for others to follow.

God bless you and thanks for reading my blog!

Tim Lumpkin

I heard a report this week on the radio that the bull reds were running at the Texas City Dike. This would be a perfect opportunity to try out my new Penn rod and reel on some bigger fish.

I chose a weekday thinking the numbers of people on the dike would be smaller. As I pulled up to Boyd’s to get some bait, I noticed a long line coming out the door. Surely the line would not reflect the number of people fishing on the dike.

As I drove down a few miles to the end of the dike, I saw cars and trucks lined up on the south side and lots of surf rods and pop up shade tents. Word had traveled fast that the October bull red run was in full swing.

I found a small opening and pulled my truck into an area I often fished at night with my lights. After talking with those around me, I  found I  had landed in a spot where, the day and night before, someone had caught fifteen bull reds all on a single rod using shad. My anticipation was now at a fever pitch.

I met a father and son duo from Sealy who were very kind and gave me a very nice leader made by a local fisherman. Just an hour earlier, the couple to my right had caught a thirty-eight inch red. For the next four hours, I soaked crab, mullet and shad without a single take. No one was having any luck as the hours rolled on.

Although the fish were not cooperating, the weather was beautiful with light winds and a slightly overcast high cloud day. We spent the hours hand feeding a local resident pelican and watching the ships roll by.

When the east wind picked up I decided to head for a more protected and uncrowded spot on Bolivar peninsula. After a short ferry ride, I set up on a point facing the deeper channel and slung my first offering in hopes of a run. It wasn’t long before the drag on my Penn reel started to click, and my rod tip bowed to the tug of a big fish.  I tightened the drag, picked up the rod, and the circle hook penetrated its prey. After a few strong runs the big bully gave me my first glimpse. Big, bronze and unhappy, the red made one last explosion as it neared the rocks. I applied more pressure with the large surf rod and the hook proceeded to pull out of the large jawed creature. I could only watch as he swam away with an exhausted lazy swagger.

With no more activity at that location and the sun fading on the horizon, I decided to return to the dike with my lights thinking the nocturnal bite would be more aggressive. As soon as I  set up my lights, I started catching small specs and sand trout on my smaller rod and reel using a shad imitation artificial bait. I had baited the surf rod with shad and thrown it out earlier. Soon I was out of shad with no reds to show. As soon as I caught another sand trout, I put it on the circle hook and cast it to the outer reaches of the light and began packing up for the trip home. The generator ran out of gas and it was getting late. The surf rod was the last item to load up. As I walked toward it to take it out of its holder, I heard a faint single click of the drag. When I picked the rod up, the tip gave a familiar wiggle from an undecided taker. As I slowly applied pressure, I could feel the fish began to move off with the live offering. One good steady pull and fish on. The outgoing tide was moving fast and the fish seemed to use this to his advantage. With my lights put up, I could not see my line but knew he was heading toward the rocks at a rapid pace. I made a drag adjustment and put more pressure on it. After several strong runs he went belly up with exhaustion. Using my long-handled jetty net, I scooped it up with only half of the heavyweight fitting into my net. As I lifted him over the rocks, I thought – finally success.

Patience and perseverance had allowed me to experience on of my favorite sensations. The steady strong lunges of a large bull red is a feeling I will always cherish.

Patience and perseverance seem to be dwindling virtues in today’s “I want it now” society. God’s timing is not always our timing. A verse that reminds me of that, and we should all strive to live by it, is Romans 5:3-5.  “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

What an awesome message. God wants what is best for us. We just have to be willing to understand and patiently seek his will in our daily lives. What ever you’re going through, I hope and pray that you have the patience and perseverance to see it through.

Thanks for reading this weeks journal and enjoy the video. Remember to get outdoors in God’s wonderful creation and leave a legacy for those around you.

God Bless You,

Tim Lumpkin