It was a beautiful spring day full of sunshine and a cool north east wind. The bouy readings offshore were 4 feet @ seven second intervals. The surf was working its way down the beach with a fairly strong current in Galveston. I made the decision to go to Surfside to catch the northerly wind switch around noon. I was hoping the offshore winds would clean up the disorganized surf. Upon arrival I witnessed the few surfers who were out getting very short rides in the choppy waters next to the the jetty.    Somewhat disappointed I remembered that some people like to go to the south side of the jetties to Quintana Beach on a strong north east swell. I had never been before, so I thought I would give it a try. The short drive through Freeport and across the intercoastal proved to be a good decision as I pulled up to green water and long clean lines. There were about ten surfers out enjoying the cool spring water. It felt great to surf without a wetsuit for the first time since winter. The sunshine kept the wind chill to a minimum as I enjoyed wave after wave in uncrowded conditions.

After two hours of fun clean waves, the wind started to pick up and went straight off shore. This made for some fun hollow waves and some good nose rides. Soon the winds began to knock down the smaller, cleaner waves. The wind had a cooler bite to it, so I decided to get out and drive back to the larger surf on Beach Drive. I was hoping to see some bigger cleaner waves than I saw before. As I turned onto Beach Drive, I saw a small group of short boarders and long boarders sharing some fun hollow shore break. You had to be fast to set your rail and get down the line to avoid the close out. Having tired myself out in Quintana, I decided to stop and take some close up shots off of the walkover platform in front of the sandbar providing the surfers with some speedy lines. Here are a few from that day.

As you can see, God provided an awesome playground that day with clean surf and offshore winds. After surfing in these conditions, I had just as much fun capturing the day on film and sharing with those who were in the water. Sharing waves and watching everyone having fun and sharing the stoke is what draws me to God’s creation as often as possible.

I hope you take the time to share something you love and are passionate about with someone else. The great outdoors has plenty of opportunities to enjoy the beauty God has created for us. Regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, we were all created equal by God to enjoy his great outdoors. John 13: 34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

God bless you. Thanks for reading my blog.

Tim Lumpkin

Instagram: @tlump10

The winds are warming. Livestock are dropping calves in the growing, tall, green grasses. Coyotes stalk the herds for a free meal. Snakes are sunning on the banks after a long hibernation. Water is warming on the lengthening sunny days. Fish sense the change and are staging near the drop-offs in anticipation of the springtime spawn.

The location is Sundown Valley Ranch. The occasion is the gathering of family. The activities include loading feeders, checking game cams, trapping beavers, blowing bubbles, sidewalk chalk art, riding toy cars, four wheelers and horses. The  good meals and good conversation, along with my granddaughter’s first experience fishing with Paw Paw. I was pleasantly surprised how the two year old listened and slowly reeled as the bobber and jig made its way back to us while repeating my commands “reel it slow”. As it  usually turns out, the largest fish of the trip was caught on the cheapest equipment. Yes, I was testing the pole my wife bought Chloe on the pier in an attempt to see if the bream were biting. I thought that would be an appropriate target species with lots of action. Little did I know that the crappie jig under a cork would draw the attention of a large female bass full of eggs. That reminded me that the Texas state record bass weighing 18.8 pounds was caught caught on Lake Fork by a crappie fisherman Barry StClair in January of 1992.

The challenge for the weekend would be to fish two ponds and determine at what stage the bass were and what bait to use to catch them. It didn’t take long on the small pond as the second cast of a craw worm on the drop off just past the grass line produced a willing male bass. The same pattern proved to be effective on the large pond for small males near the banks just around the grass line. It seemed most of the larger fish were staging just outside the grass line in deeper water. The water was still cold and murky from recent rains which made it a challenge. The lure that seemed to draw the most strikes was a chartreuse chatter bait with a gold blade. The vibration drew a lot of reaction strikes as I slow rolled it parallel to the bank just outside the grass line. A lot of the strikes came on the fall in deeper sections of water.

The strong wind was also factor as it kept the water churned up. We used it to our advantage as it pushed a lot of bait fish into the three small coves on the large pond. I think that is why the bass were willing to take the chatter bait because the blade flash mimicked the flash of a shad getting pushed into the cove. When the wind layed down, we were able to throw some topwater lures over the grass lines to take a few aggressive bass. One afternoon I took out the 8 weight fly rod and a popper and walked the shoreline trying to draw a strike. On the corner of the dam I found a willing taker as you will see in this video. (turn sound up)

On the last evening the sunset over the water was a picture only GOD could paint. Thus the name Sundown Valley Ranch. An oasis of fellowship, family, food and fishing have me looking forward to our next visit.

I hope during this challenging spring with the consumption of our thoughts and energies on the corona virus, that we can take the time to hold our loved ones near and give thanks for all GOD has given us. Remember that GOD is in control and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:18) GOD bless you and thanks for taking the time to read my blog and enjoy the video.

Sincerely,

Tim Lumpkin

Instagram: @Tlump10

Blog: Legacy-outdoors.net

We live in a world of ever increasing concrete structures. Housing developments, roads, highways and business developments. As the land is consumed by concrete, the water running off of it must have somewhere to go. Absorption and evaporation can not meet the demands of large amounts of rain that we often incur. The rainwater must have somewhere to go to prevent flooding of city and urban areas. A temporary fix for most of these areas is the construction of a retention basin. These basins are often areas that never dry and create large and small ponds. They allow for water to flow away from inhabited areas and fill up these basins until they evaporate or flow down stream. When the water stays at a semi constant level and never evaporates it can create some of the most interesting urban fishing possibilities unknown to most anglers.

How do fish get into these retention ponds? Fish can be introduced into these ponds in quite a few ways. Eggs or fry can be carried in on the feet and mouths of water foul and other animals, or can be clinging onto some other aquatic vegetation. Sometimes flooding can wash fish from nearby ponds, lakes and streams.

Regardless how the fish got there, I am always amazed at how productive even the smallest retention pond can be. On a recent winter afternoon I visited a retention pond that was  rumored to have some bass in it. The pond was about 200 yards away from a major interstate and tucked in behind a popular restaurant and surrounded by a hotel and a housing subdivision. This was definitely not a likely place to catch a bass. As I approached the 50 yard long rectangular pond, I noticed fairly clear water with a lot of aquatic vegetation along the banks. It also had some reeds and stumps along the shoreline which provided cover from predatory birds. I decided to tie on a square bill shallow diving crank bait and throw parallel to the bank just above the submerged vegetation hoping to draw a strike from a cold water bass. On my third cast my crank bait came to a familiar abrupt stop  as an aggressive ditch pickle found himself tangled in the treble hooks of my fake offering. As I reeled the fish toward me, I heard the applause of a trucker and his wife parked behind the restaurant. “Nice one”,they hollered as I displayed the fish for them to see. To my surprise I continued to catch fish on several different baits. Chatter baits and a Texas rigged craw worm also did the trick. In all I caught 12 fish from this new found retention pond.

Even though these bodies of water have public access they are not well known and can be productive year round. A general rule is the deeper the pond the better, which allows for a better survival rate. In this age of satellite accessibility , google maps is a great way to find these retention ponds on public property. Once you locate a pond, be careful not to trespass on private property and carry an assortment of lures for what ever conditions you may come across. What looks like a simple drainage ditch could hold a lunker fish waiting to ambush your lure.

The next day after a brief rain I visited a retention pond behind my housing subdivision and used a sixth sense crank bait to trigger the bite of a few warm weather winter bass.

Here is a short video of that trip.

 

Searching, finding and fishing a new found retention pond creates anticipation and excitement. Not knowing the depth, subsurface structure and water clarity creates a new challenge each time you find a pond to fish. If you think about it, that is what makes life so interesting. Trying new experiences whether succeeding or failing makes the journey worthwhile.

God put us on this earth for his purpose. He gave us the great outdoors to explore and to enjoy. Be thankful, take care of the environment and give thanks for what god has done for us.

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures for ever.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Go find some retention ponds, have fun and try your luck. Good fishing and God bless you.

Tim Lumpkin

The wind was light out of the north west on this crisp fall morning. The water temps were cool but warming with the full sun. The tide was slowly dropping as the day wore on. This was a perfect opportunity to paddle the protected north shoreline of a nearby bay. My target was flounder and reds along the rocks and grass. Upon arrival I noticed the wind had more west in it than I had anticipated. It turned out to be a blessing as I had planned to head east. I slipped my kayak into the water and started a slow drift down the shoreline. I set my anchor trolley to the rear so all I had to do was lift and drift when I wanted to move. The lures of choice would be a glow and chartreuse 4 inch Down South swim bait and a Borboleta LeLe jerk bait in an 80H color.

It only took 25 yards of drifting before I got that first thump of a flounder bite. I say thump because that is exactly what you feel when a flounder hits your lure. The bite shocks the line and then relaxes as the fish settles to the bottom. Most people will tell you that you should apply just enough pressure to feel the resistance of the fish and make a slow count to 10 before you set the hook. I know some people who will count for 30 seconds or more before they set the hook. I personally just wait until I am sure I feel the weight of the fish on the line, and then I set the hook with a quick pop of the rod tip. This technique is useful when fishing soft plastics and live bait to make sure they have it.  Sometimes waiting too long to set the hook allows the fish to swallow the hook. This makes releasing undersize fish difficult as they are unable to survive the damage of a hook set deep in their gullet.

This pattern of drift, anchor and fish took me down the isolated shoreline with the flounder bite becoming more aggressive as the minor feeding period approached, and the tide continued to fall.

After catching five flounder with the soft plastic, I decided to see if I could pick up a red cruising the rocks with the LeLe jerk bait.To my surprise, the flounder were coming off the bottom and aggressively hitting the jerk bait. There was no need to set the hook as they set themselves on the treble hooks. After catching two more flounder on the LeLe, I decided to turn around and head back west to my launch site as the sun was getting lower on the horizon. The wind had laid down, and the paddle back was very easy.

The last time I fished this area this time of year, I remembered catching two slot reds on a shell reef which I would paddle by on my way back. As I approached the shell, I noticed some bait flipping and a few large swirls of predator fish. I picked up the rod with the soft plastic and made several casts. On the third cast, my lure made an abrupt stop as a nice slot red started wallowing in the shallow water trying to cut the braided line on the sharp shell below. After three long runs, the fish found its way to my small net with a third of the fish hanging out of it. The brut power of a 26″ slot red on a 6’6″ medium light rod is a fun way to end the day.

What an enjoyable afternoon on the water. The beauty of God’s creations never ceases to amaze me. I saw numerous types of shore birds, crabs, mullet and tiny shrimp hugging the grass lines. I saw two of the largest raccoons I have ever seen as they stood on their haunches to get a glimpse of the shoreline intruder in the kayak. As the sun began to set, I got a flyover in my kayak by two screeching owls fighting over their rodent meal. As I was loading the kayak to leave, I heard a pack of coyotes begin to howl prior to their nightly escapades. Finally, I was treated to a fantastic sunset over the calm bay waters.

As I drove back to civilization, I paused to look at the last glow of light disappearing and said AMEN and gave thanks for an awesome end to a fantastic day in God’s creation.

Agree with God.

Move with God.

End with God.

Never doubt God.

God bless you, and thanks for reading my blog!

Tim Lumpkin

Instagram: @Tlump10

 

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