Cowboy Church Christian Bass Club 2012 Tournament Recap

 

Cowboy Church Banquet Recap
10/27/2012   5:00 PM 

BBQ, beans, & potato salad, ice tea and desserts were provided by the J Bar C Cowboy Church cooking team and church band played while we ate.

At 5:40 pm Reggie kicked things off by playing the Nitro Boats commercial on the big screen.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgFhJN4H0T0  

Reggie announced that our guest speaker had a last minute conflict and was unable to attend so we watched a few of the great Bill Dance bloopers.    

Next was more fun and games with bass fishing trivia.  Club hats and Line & Lure conditioner were given out as prizes.  http://www.lineandlure.com/  Darren Coslin, Joe Crouch, David Lewis, Joe Lee, and Lisa Walden were the winners.  Joe Lee and Mike Thurman also won a prize for being the best dressed. 

Special guest, Tonya Fletcher sang "Jesus In A Song Lyrics" and "Amazing Grace"

Mark Mitchell played another video. It contained pictures of the 2012 season with music from the songs "River Bank", Just Fishin'”, "Between Fathers and Sons", an "You Raise Me Up".  If you would like a copy of the picture video they can be purchased. Contact Mark Mitchell at mark.mitchell@cowboychurchpalmer.com   

     
Awards and Recognition
 
Sportsman of the Year: Tommy Stewart 
This year leadership team members (Al, Joe, Jon, and Mike) were responsible for choosing a candidate worthy of the award.  They unanimously decided on Tommy Stewart because of his behind the scenes support of the club’s operations.         

Team of the Year: Joe Lee and Mike Thurman 53.58 pounds
It’s a three-peat!  They weighed in the most fish again this year.  Not only are they great anglers, but they often cut their fishing time short to get back to the ramp to setup for the weigh-in.       
 
Big Bass: Al Kohutek   9.37 pounds   Lake Palestine
This was Al’s personal best bass.  Reggie had a very special award made for Al.         
 
Largest Stringer: Joe Crouch and Darrell Walden 14.70 pounds Cedar Creek
 
Smallest Stringer: Kenneth Mahone and Scott Mohone 0.49 pounds Lake Fork
 
First to guess the Classic lake: Danny Stokes 
Danny was the first to guess the lake on September 5th at 4:58 pm. He had only 5 hints before he submitted his guess.  He won a club hat and window sticker.

First Place Tournaments – plates & plaques
Charley David & Donna David       14.47 - Palestine         02/25/2012
Danny Stokes & David Lewis        11.15 - Athens            03/24/2012   
James Cook & Eric Cook              5.16 - Fork                04/28/2012  
Joe Crouch & Darrell Walden        14.70 - Cedar Creek  05/19/2012
Darren Coslin & Bud Benner         11.85 - Richland         06/23/2012
Joe Crouch & Darrell Walden        10.25 - Ray Roberts   07/28/2012         
Tony LeCount & David Lewis       8.21 - Joe Pool           08/25/2012  
Joe Lee & Mike Thurman             15.55 - Tyler               09/22/2012 The Classic 
Danny Stokes & David Lewis       18.67 - Rough Creek  10/13/2012 Top Ten
 
Big Bass Patches 
Al Kohutek         9.37 pounds - Palestine         02/25/2012
David Lewis        9.15 pounds - Athens           03/24/2012
Brandon Slavak   2.14 pounds - Fork              04/28/2012 
Darrell Walden    6.31 pounds - Cedar Creek  05/19/2012
Danny Stokes      6.36 pounds - Richland         06/23/2012
Tracy Derrick      6.38 pounds - Ray Roberts   07/28/2012  
Tony LeCount     6.32 pounds - Joe Pool         08/25/2012  
Joe Crouch         6.35 pounds – Lake Tyler      09/22/2012 The Classic
Bud Benner         6.04 Pounds - Rough Creek  10/13/2012 Top Ten
 
Closing
 
Through much prayer and consideration Reggie announced that he will be stepping down as the Bass Club leader and Charley David will be moving into his position.   
 
Reggie started the Bass Club minister 8 years ago and last year he took on the position as the full time pastor of the “J bar C Cowboy Church”.  Reggie told us that he decided to put all his focus and energy into leading the “J bar C Church”.  He said that he realized that both leadership positions come with a heavy load and that if he continued to lead the church and the club at the same time, one would suffer.
 
Reggie talked about the club’s early years.  He used a cast net as a reference to describe how the club has brought men to know Jesus.  That a cast net is a one man operation and it catches a few at a time.  He said the club has grown and we are now using a big seine that catches many more at a time.  The difference between a seine and cast net is a seine requires several men to operate and they have to work together.   The club is growing and the men are working together to focus on the club’s mission…….to unite Christians and reach out to non-Christians with the love of Jesus Christ through competitive bass fishing tournaments, to Glorify God, Create Fellowship, and bring people to know "God and His Word".
 
Reggie said he plans to still be active in the club and thanked all those that help with the club’s operations. 
 
Charley David presented Reggie with an appreciation card signed by all at the banquet.  We closed with a prayer, and were dismissed at 7:07 pm.

Pictures: 
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Banquet%202012%2010%2027/?start=all         

 

Top Ten Tournament
ROUGH  CREEK  LODGE - GLEN ROSE, TEXAS 

October 13, 2012

By Jon Griffin
 
TEAM  LEWIS / STOKES WIN TOP 10
 
     The Cowboy Church Bass Club culminated it’s 2012 season with the final event of the year with Danny Stokes and David Lewis taking 1st place in this special event held on one of the main lakes @ Rough Creek Lodge, outside of Glen Rose.  The format was a lake section tournament with the approximate 40 acre lake separated into 10 sections.  Each team, comprised of the regular season’s top 10 finishers, had 40 minutes fishing time per section.  Reggie would then sound an air horn to indicate time to switch sections.  Only once was there confusion as either Reggie or brother Tommy accidentally sat on the air horn.  This body of water was created specifically to grow big bass, allowing anglers to fish all parts including bank, main lake water, rises and plenty of structure and timber.  The format was a paper tournament, each team putting together their best five fish stringer.  While the fishing was well above average with everyone catching nice chunks, word is the fishing can even be better on some days.  Most fish were caught on soft plastics, many on c-rigs and Texas rigs.  Fishing began at approximately 8am thru 3pm…perfect timing as the wind steadily increased in gusts until a front blew through right @ 2:45-3pm with moderate rain.  Team Charley & Donna David proved talking on a cell phone while running a trolling motor do not mix.  Charley was communicating at the same time a stump broke his motor shaft, forcing he and wife/fishing partner Donna to negotiate the lake on very limited gas motoring, anchoring & bank fishing.  (They remained in their boat).  Their big challenge resulted in a 10th place finish with 10.39 pounds…but was actually a huge blessing to the rest of the anglers.  The Davids were the 1st to trailer their rig, thus allowing Charley to assist many others regarding the challenge of a now wet, muddy,  make shift ramp.  With his ¾ ton Dodge 4X4 and tow rope, Charley pulled several of the non 4 wheel drive trucks and trailers out….huge thanks go out to Charley and Donna!! 

    A post-tournament meal had all 10 trucks with trailers in tow head straight….actually almost straight with only 1 turnaround or we’d ended up on San Angelo….to the popular Loco Coyote.  The food was tremendous and the food portions were astoundly massive.  The entire bill was covered by the bass club, as well as every angler receiving $50.  While Team Lewis / Stokes won 1st place, the lone cash payment was for big bass of $250, of which Darren Coslin & Bud Benner won with their 22” fish.  The chart computed that as a 6.04 pounder. 

     This writer notes  a huge thanks to Al Kohutek…please no applause this time, as he was the only Top 10 Angler who could not fish the event…thus 11th place angler Jon Griffin (me), was allowed to fish, going down the line until I could match up with another angler/partner of Jeff Harrington.  We both appreciate it Al!  By the way, Al was fishing another club tournament on that same day, an event that he won both 1st place individual & 1st place team.

     The consensus was everyone had a tremendous time, great fun to fish a fun lake loaded with bass…often times competing boats were within talking distance and both reeling in fish simultaneously.  All agreed, this was a great reward to fishing hard to make the Top 10….thanks to Reggie, Mike & Joe  for arranging.

Results:

1-David Lewis / Danny Stokes…………….…18.67
2-Darren Coslin / Bud Benner………………..14.95
3-George Walker / Brandon Wooddell…....….14.60
4-Joe Crouch / Darrell Walden…………….....14.57
5-Jon Griffin / Jeff Harrington…………….…...14.37
6-Reggie & Tommy Stewart…………….....…14.35
7-Jeremy Elliott / Brandon Slavak……….....…14.28
8-James & Eric Cook…………………...........12.87
9-Mike Thurman / Joe Lee……………….…..12.29
10-Charley & Donna David………………..…10.39

Pictures
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Rough%20Creek%20Lodge%202012%2010%2013%20-%20Top%2010/?start=all

Slide Show
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Rough%20Creek%20Lodge%202012%2010%2013%20-%20Top%2010/?albumview=slideshow

Results on the web site (click on the "Top Ten" tab at the bottom of the web page)
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm

Rough Creek Lodge
http://www.roughcreek.com/fishing/

 

The Classic Lake Tyler – September 22, 2012    Safe light - 3:30 pm     

Joe Lee and Mike Thurman dominate the field!  Last month they earned the “Team of the Year” title.  This month they take 1st place in the Classic and take home $1,000.00 in prize money.  Fishing the East lake they caught their keepers on small watermelon candy grubs and Texas rigged watermelon red worms on the rock dam in 3 ft or less. They weighed in 15.55 pounds with a 4.64 pound kicker.

Joe Crouch hooked the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 6.35 pounds and was caught on an underwater hilltop in about 12 ft of water surrounded by slopes that dropped to 20 foot.  Darrell Walden and Joe put a 12.91 pound sack together and took 2nd place.  Total take home was $750.00. Watermelon red C-rigged red bugs and rattle snakes where their winning baits. They fished the East lake and did good near the spillway. 


LAKE CONDITIONS


The lake was 4 ft low and that made it easy to pitch under the docks.  The winds were 0-5 mph out of the south.  The air temperature was 61-90. The water temp was 79. The water clarity had a medium stain to it. There was ½ a moon the night before. The barometric pressure rose from 30.05 to 30.11 at noon, then it fell back down to 30.05.  The skies were sunny. The fish were biting shallow. If you could find a brush pile under a dock, chances were pretty good that there was a fish there. There was no grass but a few of the guys found some pads. We launched at Lake Tyler Marina.  There was a $3 per boat ramp fee. The bigger ramp was in good condition. The smaller ramp had a slant to it so it was not any good for pulling out the boats.  There was a nice sandy beach next to the ramp to pull up to.  We setup the weigh-in next to the marina store in the shade. The owners were very accommodating and there was a nice bar and grill next to the marina called the South Lake Grill. The BLT trail had a tournament the next day. Here are their results http://www.budlighttrail.com/Results_YTD/2012/2012TylerFallTeam2.pdf

THE RESULTS

24 teams fished
10 limits were caught (a limit is 5 bass 14 inches or over).    
4 teams zeroed
77 fish were weighed in
2.16 pounds was the average fish weight 
$1,150.00 was collected in entry fees and $2,250.00 was paid out.


1st Big Bass: Joe Crouch..................6.35-lb  $250.00
2nd Big Bass: David Lewis...............4.88-lb  $100.00

1st place team: Joe Lee and Mike Thurman.............15.55-lb  $1,000.00
2nd place team: Joe Crouch and Darrell Walden......12.91-lb     $500.00
3rd place team: David Lewis......................................12.34-lb     $250.00
4th place team: Randy Crabb and Kirk Margraf.......11.37-lb    $100.00
5th place team: Al Kohutek and Jon Griffin...............11.09-lb      $50.00

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm  (click on "The Classic - Lake Tyler" tab at the bottom of the webpage)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Tyler%202012%2009%2022%20-%20%20The%20Classic/?start=all                                            

Slide show
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Tyler%202012%2009%2022%20-%20%20The%20Classic/?albumview=slideshow   
    
   
SCATTER SHOOTING

Brandon Wooddell
caught a bowfin (grinnel) on a Zara Spook. He fought it for awhile before it broke off.......Randy Crabb and a sore arm that was preventing him from getting a good hook set. He lost a lot of fish because of the that............David Lewis fished alone and was still able to take 3rd place. His partner Danny Stokes broke his right leg and had to stay home. David caught his fish on c-rigged watermelon red super flukes..... 4th place team Randy Crabb and Kirk Margraf caught their fish on C-rigs and shaky heads by the pump station....... 5th place team Al Kohutek and Jon Griffin caught 3 of their keepers off a lone dock near the water intake. The other two came from a boat dock near the dam and a dock next to a summer camp.  They fished the west lake using senkos, and plastic creature baits........One team’s weight was zeroed due to an ineligible partner (the partner had not fished in 3 tournaments during the year). That moved some teams up a notch...........Reggie liked fishing the sailboat dock near the canal.........Charley David must have lost a good one by the pump station. You could hear him a mile away.......Jon got his boat stuck at the launch site during takeoff. In an effort to free the boat, Al took off his windbreaker long pants and was going to jump in to push the boat off the sand bar. He was wearing a faded orange colored swimsuit under his windbreaker pants that looked almost like the same color as his skin in the dark. Donna thought Al had just gotten naked in front of everyone...... The Big Bass Slash on Lake Fork took some of our teams.....Nick Fletcher skipped the tournament to fill his deer feeders.....Tim Casbeer skipped to attend the NHRA races......Mike Grove skipped to participate in a community lake cleanup........The lake was off limits, so 95% of the teams were fishing it for the first time.....The Barfields were great guides!  


LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Reggie led the devotional. He began by reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Reggie asked us put are name in the place of word "Love" and if our name does not fit any of the phrases, then that's the area that we need to pray about and work on.

He reminded us what could happen when love is missing by telling us the story about the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky, known as the Hatfield–McCoy feud. 

The feud started in 1865 with the murder of Asa Harmon McCoy. Thirteen years later in 1878 a dispute over a hog reignited the feud. 

Between 1880 and 1891, the feud claimed more than a dozen members of the two families and has become a metaphor for any bitterly feuding rival parties. The story of the feud has become a modern symbol of the perils of family honor, justice, and vengeance.

After 138 years, the feud was put to an end on June 14, 2003. A truce between the families was written and signed by more than sixty descendants. The truce was touted as a proclamation of peace. The Governor of Kentucky and Governor of West Virginia signed proclamations declaring June 14 Hatfield and McCoy Reconciliation Day.

Reggie main point was, if both families had focused on Jesus and love in the very beginning this feud would not have escalated. He said if we have a dispute with someone then we need to meet with that someone and bring love into to the picture. 

Dennis Lambrecht then closed us with a final prayer and we were dismissed.

 

Joe Pool – August 25, 2012    6:00 am - 1:30 pm  

The last points tournament of the season.
   
Congratulations to David Lewis and Tony LeCount! They catch the only "OVER" and easily take first place plus big bass.  Their big bass was caught within the first 30 minutes of the tournament and all 3 keepers were caught before 7:00 am. Top water poppers around the grass were their key baits. Another 1.37 pounds in the sack would have landed this team angler of the year.  Total take home $657.00

THE 2012 TEAM OF THE YEAR

It's a three-peat !!!  Congratulations to the Green Team, Joe Lee and Mike Thurman.  It took 54.58 pounds to take the title.  Consistency was the key to winning the race this year.  They never placed 1st or took big bass but they weighed in a heavy sack in just about every tournament.  The club set a record for participation with an average of 36 teams per tournament. Joe and Mike out fished them all.  

Charlie and Donna David had the lead from February through June.  In July, Joe and Mike finished strong at Ray Roberts, overtook the lead and held on. 

Team of the year titles:
2012 Joe Lee / Mike Thurman  54.58 points  
2011 Joe Lee / Mike Thurman  61.04 Point
2010 Joe Lee / Mike Thurman  56.02 Points
2009 George Walker / Brandon Wooddell   49.18 
2008 Brian Barfield / Kyle Barfield   48.99 points
2007 George Walker / Brandon Wooddell   42.7 Points
2006 Randy Crabb / Charlie Corviana   48.83 points
 

LAKE CONDITIONS


Winds blew hard out of the South with gusts up to 26.5 mph.    The air temperature was 79-89. The water temp was 82-83. The lake level was about 1.5 ft low.  The water clarity was normal.  There was 3/4 a moon the night before. The barometric pressure looked liked a bull stock market chart ranging from  29.81 - 29.87  (see pictures).  The skies were cloudy with light sprinkles all day.  We launched out of the State Park.   There was a $7 per person entrance fee. The ramp was in great condition and there was plenty of parking but there was no beach area and very little dock area.  Since we could not beach our boats,  we all dropped our trolling motors and rafted out in front of the ramp. Reggie gave us the tournament briefing and led the pray out on the water.  The sun came out during the weigh-in.  There was no shade at this ramp. There was grass all over the lake.  Not too many pleasure boaters out on the lake due to the high winds.  The lake is full of dinks. Several teams caught slot fish.  Only one "OVER" was brought to the scales.
 

THE RESULTS

35 teams fished
24 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass.  Slot lake - Bass under 14 inches were legal and bass 21 inches or greater were legal).    
8 teams zeroed
76 fish were weighed in with a weight of 73.59 pounds
0.97 pounds was the average fish weight 

1st Big Bass: Tony LeCount................................6.32-lb  $131.00
2nd Big Bass: Brandon Wooddell........................1.71-lb    $43.00

1st place team: Toney LeCount and David Lewis..................8.21-lb    $526.00
2nd place team: George Walker and Brandon Wooddell.......4.00-lb    $306.00
3rd place team: Darren Coslin and Bud Benner.....................3.57-lb    $183.00
4th place team: Jeff Harrington and Terry VanCleve............3.55-lb    $122.00
5th place team: Randy Crabb and Kirk Margraf....................3.48-lb      $53.00 (tie breaker was big bass)
6th place team: Joe Lee and Mike Thurman...........................3.48-lb       $0.00

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm    (see the Joe Pool  tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Joe%20Pool%202012%2008%2025/?start=all

Slide show
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Joe%20Pool%202012%2008%2025/?albumview=slideshow



SCATTER SHOOTING

"Say it ain't so, Joe,"  Reggie and Tommy Stewart brought a "SLOT" fish to the scales. Joe Lee DQed the fish and penalize the team 1 pound.  Oooouch! 
Now you know why we measure every fish, no matter who you are.  Reggie does not know what happened. Different lakes have different slots.  Maybe Reggie got mixed up and thought he was on Lake Fork or something.  The fish was a quarter inch over 14..................Tim Casbeer fished the first tournament in his new boat.......9 anglers fished from the Vilbig Bass Club (3 made it to the "Top Ten").............Big thanks to Joe Lee and Mike Thurman.  They arranged everything with the launch site............A pack of park raccoons ran across the boat ramp while we were launching......5th place team Randy Crabb and Kirk Margraf caught their limit on c-rigs........4th place team Jeff Harrington and Terry VanCleve caught their limit on watermelon red senkos .........3rd place team Darren Coslin and Bud Benner caught their limit on c-rigs and flukes in 30-ft water.....2nd place team Brandon Wooddell and George Walker caught their limit on Texas rigged zoom worms.  Brandon caught the 2nd biggest bass weighed in on a black tube......There was a tied for 5th place. The team's big bass was the tie breaker.       
 

THE  FINAL "TOP TEN"  TEAMS 2012

1. Mike Thurman and Joe Lee...........................53.58
2. Danny Stokes and David Lewis.....................52.01     (1.57 pounds out of 1st)
3. Charley David and Donna David....................49.45     (4.13 pounds out of 1st)
4. Al Kohutek...................................................44.47     (9.11pounds out of 1st)
5. Reggie Stewart and Tommy Stewart..............43.65     (9.93 pounds out of 1st)
6. Brandon Slavak and Jeremy Elliott................ 41.79   (11.79 pounds out of 1st)
7. Darren Coslin and  Bud Benner.....................40.61   (12.97 pounds out of 1st)
8. George Walker and Brandon Wooddell.........39.87   (13.71 pounds out of 1st)
9. James Cook and Eric Cook..........................39.05    (14.53 pounds out of 1st)
10. Joe Crouch and Michael Walden.................38.94    (14.64 pounds out of 1st)


LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Charley David led the devotional. He said he is participating in a Bible study class about the Holy Spirit and wanted to share a few thoughts on how this plays out in our life.  He quoted...

1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink
.

Charley said everyone gets a gift from the Holy Spirit when we ask to receive the Lord.  The gift is for the betterment of God's glory.  Some of us have just one gift and some have several.   

Gifts may be simple or complex. Kindness, a smile that touches others, speaking in tongues, healing, or any of the many things that exalt Christ.

We should not judge anyone's gift and he used speaking in tongues as an example.

Charley quoted John 3:16 
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He reminded us to love each other.  Love God and Love our neighbors.

A lot of don't use our gifts and Charley reminded us that we owe it to God to use them.

Reggie then closed us with a final prayer and we were dismissed.


 

Ray Roberts – July 28, 2012    6:00 am - 1:30 pm
   
Joe Crouch and Darrell Walden do it again! They sack up 10.75 pounds and win 1st place.  They credit their first place win to a little luck and their electronics.  Joe said they first went to the spot where they won the 2010 tournament (the big brush pile on the dam) but someone was already on that spot, so they headed to their second spot and again someone beat them to it.  So they found an open spot on the other end of the dam and caught 3 keepers within the first 30 minutes.  After that they went scouting and found a point that was holding a lot of fish.  Joe said “You really need to trust your electronics.  I found a point that had 30 ft on each side and 40 ft in front.  The spot was graphing lots of fish and had a boat ramp type of slope.  The bass were moving up the slope to a flat that was in 25ft”.  It was there that they loaded up!  A kicker 5.50 pounder and 2 others put their total weight at 10.75 lbs (a dead fish knocked them down to 10.25 lbs on the books).  Key bait: 12 inch jalapeno pepper Gene Larew worms.

Congratulations to Tracy Derric!  He caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed a whopping 6.38 pounds and was caught at 7:20 am at the dam on an 8 inch watermelon-candy power worm. 

LAKE CONDITIONS

It was hot!  The humidity at 7:00 am was 82%. Winds blew 0-9 mph from many directions.    The air temperature was 78-101. The water temp was 87-88. The lake level was normal.  The water clarity was normal.  There was 3/4 a moon the night before. The barometric pressure was almost flat at 30.06 - 30.05. The skies were bright and sunny.  We launched out of Sanger Park.   There was a $7 per person ramp fee and the ramp was in very good condition.  There would have been no shade, but thanks to Doyle Ray, he brought a big pop up canopy that we got under at the weigh-in.  Lots of little spotted bass were reported caught but the ones over 14 inches were hard to come by.   


THE RESULTS

22 teams fished
6 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass).  
9 teams zeroed
26 fish were weighed in with a weight of 66.55 pounds
2.56 pounds was the average fish weight

1st Big Bass: Tracy Derrick................................6.38-lb  $82.00

2nd Big Bass: Reggie Stewart............................6.05-lb   $27.00

1st place team: Joe Crouch and
Darrell Walden................10.25-lb    $331.00
2nd place team:  Reggie Stewart and Tommy Stewart .......9.11-lb    $219.00
3rd place team: Mike Thurman and Joe Lee.......................8.61-lb    $115.00
4th place team: Jim Love and Tracy Derrick......................7.95-lb      $77.00
5th place team: Darren Coslin and Bud Benner..................7.78-lb      $53.00


Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm    (see the Ray Roberts  tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Ray%20Roberts%202012%2007%2028/?start=all


SCATTER SHOOTING

Half of the teams were missing.  Matt Love was married the same day as the tournament and a few of the teams attended his wedding ceremony…..... Ethanol gas knocked Dennis Lambercht out.  His fuel line fouled up and clogged his motor. That’s a bummer because Dennis probably lives the closest to the lake than anyone else in the club.  Al Kohutek is still having carburetor issues due to ethanol.  He didn’t make it far from the boat ramp before his motor died again.   Jon Griffin had motor issues too.  A small rubber washer in his VRO pump broke loose and from what I have been reading the damaged may be caused by ethanol. He did not make it to the weigh-in on time……Tracy Derrick caught his personal best bass…….Welcome new members Mike Callahan and Joshua Callahan.  They finished 1 place out of the money……Darren Coslin warned us about getting too close to water intake at the dam.  He said there are no “keep out” buoys to let you know if you are getting too close and the wardens will write you a ticket (they found that out during practice)…….2nd place team Reggie Stewart and Tommy Stewart caught their bass schooling at the dam on rattle traps and big June bug power bait worms……3rd place team Mike Thurman and Joe Lee caught what they said was a “small” limit using watermelon brush hogs in 6-8 ft flat over grass……….5th place team Darren Coslin and Bud Benner caught their bass on square bill crankbaits……Brandon Wooddell sold 64 raffle ticket for the rod/reel combo to benefit Lake Vilbig fish stocking.......5 teams in the top 10 zeroed.

DOOR PRIZES

5 Heavy-duty skirted umbrella rigs. www.frenzybaits.com 

The following teams won a rig:  Reggie and Tommy,  Jon Griffin,  George and Brandon,  Doyle Ray, and  Charley David.

Big thanks to Ryan Habenicht for sending the club the samples!


LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Reggie told us about Geronimo (June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) a prominent Native American leader of the Apache

He married when he was 17 and had three children. In 1858, a company of 400 Mexican soldiers attacked his camp while he was in town trading.  Among those killed were his wife, children and mother.

Geronimo sought revenge and attacked the Mexican and American. "Geronimo" was the name given to him during a battle with Mexican soldiers.  No one could catch or kill him.

He killed so many that it earned him the title of the "worst Indian who ever lived" among white settlers. In one raid it was reported that one girl was taken alive and hanged from a meat hook jammed under the base of her skull.

28 years after the Mexicans killed his wife and children, Geronimo surrendered to U.S. As a prisoner of war in old age he became a celebrity and appeared in fairs but was never allowed to return to the land of his birth.

In his later years Geronimo embraced Christianity, and stated "Since my life as a prisoner has begun, I have heard the teachings of the white man's religion, and in many respects believe it to be better than the religion of my fathers ... Believing that in a wise way it is good to go to church, and that associating with Christians would improve my character, I have adopted the Christian religion. I believe that the church has helped me much during the short time I have been a member. I am not ashamed to be a Christian, and I am glad to know that the President of the United States is a Christian, for without the help of the Almighty I do not think he could rightly judge in ruling so many people. I have advised all of my people who are not Christians, to study that religion, because it seems to me the best religion in enabling one to live right”.

Reggie said no matter what we have done in our past, if believe in Jesus you will be forgiven for your sins.   There is nothing that we cannot be forgiven for.  He quoted John 3:16.
 

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Reggie told us about the ABC’s (Accept, Believe, & Commit).

Accept - Confess to God that you are a sinner. Repent and turn away from your sin.

Believe - Trust that Jesus is God's Son and that God sent Jesus to save people from their sins.

Commit - Give your life to Jesus.  Ask Him to be your Savior and Lord.

We had a few Prayer Requests and Praise Reports, then Reggie closed us with a final prayer and we were dismissed.



Richland Chambers – June 23, 2012    6:00 am - 3:30 pm
   
Darren Coslin and Bud Benner beat the heat, take first place, and win $541.00. Their 3 fish sack weighed 11.85 pounds and included a 5.39 pound kicker.  Darren said they caught their keepers on 4 1/2 inch blue fleck GrandeBass rattlesnakes in 20ft of water.  The bass were all caught after 1:00 pm fishing in the cool shade under the bridge.   

 
LAKE CONDITIONS

Grasshoppers love Richland Chambers! Everywhere you went there were "Differential Grasshoppers" floating on the surface.  If you were trying to match your baits to the color of the hoppers, a Zoom's chartreuse-pumpkin color was close.  The grasshoppers looked to be a olive/green & yellow color.  There was also a major shad spawn going on at the boat ramp just before daylight.  Millions of them were packed in next to the seawall. They were so thick you could scoop them up with your hands.  The humidity during the launch was 82%. Winds blew 0-8 mph out of the southeast    The air temperature was 75-93. The water temp was 87-89. The lake was full.  The water clarity was clear at the dam, stained mid and murky in the upper.  There was about a 1/4 a moon the night before. The barometric pressure started out at 29.86, rose to 29.94 at 10:00 am, then started a fall back to 29.89. The skies were sunny all day.  We launched out of Oak Cove.  There was a $8 ramp fee and the ramp was in very good condition.  We had a great shaded area with picnic tables next to the water for the weigh-in. 


THE RESULTS

36 teams fished
18 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass).  
11 teams zeroed
66 fish were weighed in with a weight of 161.37 pounds
2.44 pounds was the average fish weight

1st Big Bass: Danny Stokes.................................6.36-lb  $135.00
2nd Big Bass: Al Kohutek...................................5.98-lb    $45.00

1st place team: Darren Coslin and Bud Benner....................11.85-lb    $541.00
2nd place team:  Danny Stokes and David Lewis ......... ......11.31-lb    $341.00
3rd place team: Doyle Ray..................................................10.51-lb    $189.00
4th place team: Al Kohutek.................................................10.28-lb    $126.00
5th place team: Gene Collins and Jeff Harrington....................9.93-lb      $88.55

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm    (see the Richland Chambers tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Richland%20Chambers%202012%2006%2023/?start=all


SCATTER SHOOTING

It was Jon Griffin's turn to poke at Brandon and George.  They were among the last to launch as we were all gathered next to the boat ramp for prayer. Brandon had backed the boat in the lake when George realized he forgot to unstrap the back of the boat from the trailer.  Jon was having a good time with his rookie boat launch comments (Payback for when Jon got stopped by the highway patrol at the gas station in front of Brandon and George who were singing "Bad Boys" while the officer was writing Jon a warning ticket).......Reggie said he and Tommy boated about 30 bass on the dam using Texas rigged brush hogs..........5th place team, Gene Collins and Jeff Harrington caught their bass on Yum dingers and white spinner baits........4th place team, Al Kohutek caught his fish on pumpkin speed craws fully dyed with chartreuse dip. His big bass was caught on a fat free shad crankbait at 6:05 am. Al had motor issues so most of his bass were caught within trolling motor distance of the ramp........3rd place team Doyle Ray caught all his fish on jigs under boat dock......2nd place team Danny Stokes and David Lewis had 3 bites all day.  They caught their 3 on green pumpkin magic speed craws.................. ........This lake can be tough.  Randy Crabb said he is never fishing this lake again! Tim Casbeer had the "Worst day of fishing ever!!!!!". Jon Griffin had been holding on to 2nd place in the standings all year. His nemesis (Richland Chambers) knocked him down to 5th................Nick Fletcher was on the frog bite................The "Green Team" had the home lake advantage, but fished two places out of the money........A couple of us stayed at Mike Thurman's lake house.  He has a really cool setup!  


LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

At the weigh-in Reggie asked Dennis Lambrecht to lead the devotional.  There was no time to prepare so Dennis told the club about the fire at this church.

On Saturday, May 5, 2012, the Denton County Cowboy Church caught fire and burned down.  Dennis is the Churches' Finance team leader so he was heavily involved with the process of dealing with the adjustors, investigators, insurance, expenses, and getting a temporary place for holding Sunday service the next day. 

His message was a testimony to us about when a horrible thing happens, like a fire, God provides.  Dennis said most people would think of a fire as a major tragedy, but looking back, he saw so many good thing come from the fire. 

The response from church members and the community was unbelievable. Before the end of the day on Saturday 10 acres had been mowed and weedeated. A 60x60 ft tent had been setup with A/C and power. Church members came together, worked with each other, and built relationships that would have never happened had it not been for the fire.  God provided and strengthened the congregation.       

He used this as an example of how we can become stronger through Christ.

Reggie close us with a prayer and we were dismissed.


 

Cedar Creek Lake – May 19, 2012    6:00 am - 3:30 pm
   
Congratulations to Joe Crouch and Darrell Walden.  The father & son-in-law team's 3 fish limit weighed 14.70 pounds and was anchored with an "old sow" kicker weighing in at 6.31 pounds.   Darrell caught the kicker on a Grande Texas rigged worm around 6:45 AM on the dam.  Joe caught the other bass on a C-rigged speed craws. All their keeper fish were caught early in the morning.  Total take home was $733.00 / first place team and tournament big bass.  

LAKE CONDITIONS

It was another rough day on the lake. Winds blew 8-10 mph out of the southeast during the early morning hours. By 9:00 am the winds kicked up to a steady 14-17 mph with gust to 26.    The air temperature was 66-89. The water temp was 77-78. The lake was full to the brim.  The water clarity was clear at the dam and murky in the creeks.  There was a sliver of a moon the night before. The barometric pressure started out at 29.92, rose to 29.98 at 10:00 am, then started a fall back to 29.91. The skies were sunny all day.  We launched out of Log Cabin. There was a $5 ramp fee and the ramp was in great condition. DFW Bassmasters was holding their tournament out of Log Cabin too (see their results at http://dfwbassmasters.com/html/may_19_cedar_creek_results.html ).  The size of bass brought to the weigh-in was down from last year.  Some of the bass we weighed in had open sores and that could be caused by bacterial disease called Columnaris. Columnaris, is always present in a fish population, but appears when a fish’s immune system is depressed, usually caused by sudden temperature changes or spawning stress. Fish healthy enough to feed often recover from the disease. 


THE RESULTS

39 teams fished
30 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass).  
4 teams zeroed
100 fish were weighed in with a weight of 224.49 pounds
2.24 pounds was the average fish weight

1st Big Bass: Darrell Walden..................................6.31-lb  $146.25
2nd Big Bass: Josh Forner......................................5.84-lb    $48.75

1st place team: Joe Crouch and Darrell Walden......................14.70-lb    $586.95
2nd place team: Josh Forner and Chris Forner........................10.48-lb    $341.25
3rd place team: Reggie Stewart and Tommy Stewart................9.26-lb    $204.75
4th place team: Cody Pratka and Seth Peugh...........................9.26-lb    $136.50
5th place team: Austin Hodge and Austin Stewart ...................9.16-lb       $99.55


Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm   (see the Cedar Creek tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Cedar%20Creek%202012%2005%2019/?start=all  

Pictures on FB
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.434555106556844.104874.331982723480750&type=1  


SCATTER SHOOTING

Jon Griffin
was pulled over by the Eustace police right at the spot where the speed limit changes from 65 to 50.  The policeman let Jon off with a warning.......The dam was a popular spot.......Darren Coslin caught a 50-lb gar.........The "Green Team" caught an 8.94 pound sack at the dam........It was so windy that a wind block had to be created because it was bouncing the weigh-in scales........Jon Griffin was fishing next to a boat dock when a man walked out on the dock carrying a shot gun.  Jon asked if the gun was for him and the man said "No, I am after snakes".........Tommy Stewart had to leave early to attend a friend's wedding.........Reggie/Tommy and Cody/Seth tied for 3rd place. The team's big bass determines the tie breaker and it was close. REAL CLOSE!..........The club weighed in an even 100 bass.........2nd place team Josh Forner and Chris Forner caught their sack on green pumpkin c-rigged zoom worms.......3rd place team Reggie Stewart and Tommy Stewart caught their sack on Texas rigged watermelon brush hogs with the tails dipped at the old bridge late in the day........4th place team Cody Pratka and Seth Peugh caught their sack on C-rigs and spinner bait..........5th place team Austin Hodge and Austin Stewart caught their sack on shaky heads rigged with  green and red flake brush hogs..........We had 8 new members signup this morning................$390 was added to the "Top Ten" tournament.

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Byron McFarland led the devotional and the theme was about being content and thankful for what we have and what we are able to do.  He encouraged us to read Philippians 4:10-13

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Byron told us that about 2 weeks ago he was fishing in some other tournament and there was another team (not in this club) who were not following the rules.  He got so mad that it ruined his day out on the lake. Later that night he was watching the news and there was a little girl on TV that was near death with cancer.  Byron told us it was then that he realized he was angry for nothing.  God had blessed him over and over.     

Bryon started counting his blessings......being able to fish, having a boat to fish in, fishing with some great guys like his best friend Kevin Davis, Ben Griffin, and Steve Reynolds. 

Bryon said last year he thought his fishing season was going to end when he busted a prop on his outboard. But it didn't end. Bryon said God blessed him by giving him friends like Reggie Stewart who had a spare prop. 

He said everyone here was able to get out of bed and fish on this beautiful lake.  That's a blessings we all have and he encouraged us  to be content with what we have and thankful for the blessings we get from God.

Joe Lee closed us with a prayer and we were dismissed.  

 

Lake Fork – April 28, 2012    6:00 am - 3:30 pm
   
Congratulations to father and son team James and Eric Cook!  They won first place with 5.16 pounds and took home $556.00.  Main lake pockets and Dale Creek produced well.  The key bait was watermelon magic and watermelon candy flukes and drop shots. 

Brandon Slavak caught the big bass of the tournament.  It weighed 2.14 pounds and was caught on a crankbait.  That bass was good for $138.00.  Brandon and his partner Jeremy Elliott also took 4th place team and won an additional $129.00.  Their team stringer was caught on flukes and crankbaits.

LAKE CONDITIONS

Windy!  The report out of Mineola was a steady 10-15 steady south wind with gusts to 26.  The lake was a Rocking! The air temperature started out at 69 degrees and warmed to 84. The water temp was 71-73. The lake seemed full. There was a little less than a 1/2 moon the night before. The barometric pressure started out at 29.84, rose to 29.91 at 11:15 am, started a fall back to 29.84 (the graph looked like a long bell curve). The skies were mostly cloudy until about 11:00 am. The water was stained to clear depending on where you were at.  Fishing was good.  Most of the teams did not have any problems catching a limit of unders.  The spawn was all but over.  We launched out of Pope's Marina. This place has a great ramp, plenty of parking for your truck and a good beach area for your boat.  If you rented a room you also got free use of a covered boat slip.  Other amenities included a convenience store, clean public restrooms,  great cabins right on the water, a motel next to the ramp, a large weigh-in pavilion, plus they gave use of a small building with tables to register the anglers (located next to the boat ramp).  Pope's is first class place to hold a tournament weigh-in. For more info go to http://www.popeslandingmarina.com/      

THE RESULTS

37 teams fished
24 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass.  Bass under 16 inches were legal and bass 24 inches or greater were legal).
4 teams zeroed
89 fish were weighed in with a weight of 120.08 pounds
1.34 pounds was the average fish weight
0 bass 24 inches or greater were weighed in

1st Big Bass: Brandon Slavak.....................................2.14-lb  $138.00
2nd Big Bass: Donna David........................................2.09-lb    $46.00

1st place team: James and Eric Cook........................5.16-lb    $556.00
2nd place team: Joe Lee and Mike Thurman..............5.09-lb    $323.00
3rd place team: Rodney Kieke and Jon Griffin...........5.08-lb    $194.00
4th place team: Brandon Slavak and Jeremy Elliott....5.01-lb    $129.00
5th place team: Bryan and Kyle Barfield....................4.99-lb      $90.00

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm  (see the Fork tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Fork%202012%2004%2028/?start=all


SCATTER SHOOTING

Scott Mohone and Jon Griffin both reported that they had an over break off.......Al Kohutek caught 2 of his keepers from the boat docks near County Road 3440 off FM 2946. The 3rd keeper was caught in the back of Spring Branch. All were caught on jigs............Rodney Kieke guided Jon Griffin to some no name creek where they wore out the bass on C-rigs, small spinner baits, and chatter baits. They took 3rd place team.............Reggie met a some nice anglers out on the lake and they pointed out a hot spot were the bass were schooling.  Reggie and Benny Cowart limited out early throwing spinner baits and C-rigs with blue flake worms in the hot spot...........Donna David caught the 2nd big bass of the tournament on a spinner bait..........2nd place team Joe Lee and Mike Thurman upgraded their catch in Spring Branch and Mustang Creek throwing brush hogs, jigs, and the Alabama rig.............Doyle Ray got a little mixed up on the slot length limit................Kyle and Bryan Barfield were sitting in 1st  place and had big bass to boot. Unfortunately one of their fish died and the .50 pound penalty pushed them back to 5th place. Kyle said they fished between the 154 and 515 bridges in the Longbranch cut and the cove straight east from it. They had a limit in 20 or 30 minutes on a Spro JR. brown frog and Senkos......Al Kohutek got tired of fighting the wind in his 14 foot boat.  He quit fishing around 12:30 pm and headed back to the weigh-in to kick back and relax......Tim Casbeer lost his boat seat somewhere between his house and the boat ramp that morning.  Tim and Mike Grove caught their bass on buzz baits.......Randy Crabb said they caught their bass in the pads between hwy 19 and FM 2946.......Tommy Steward was on a romantic trip with his wife.........AJ's fish house is great place to eat.  Friday night they offer an all you could eat catfish and shrimp buffet........Most of the teams reported catching a lot of the bigger slot bass......$370 was added to the "Top Ten" tournament.

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Charley David told us about a class he is taking at his church called "Not A Fan".  It's a Bible study by Kyle Idleman and is about challenging us all to be not just fans, but completely committed followers of Christ.  http://www.notafan.com/  

In the Gospels, Jesus never seemed too interested in fans. He was looking for followers. Not just any follower though, but a completely, committed, follower.
 
Charley quoted:

John 3:16
 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Charley then challenged us to go beyond just believing and become a follower. His used love as example and quoted:

1 Corinthians 13
    If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 
    Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
    Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 
    And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Charley said it's not just about loving your wife and your friends, but loving your enemies.  That's the difference between a fan and follower of Christ.

Reggie closed us with a prayer and we headed home.

 


Lake Athens – March 24, 2012    6:00 am - 3:30 pm
   
Congratulations to David Lewis and Danny Stokes! They took first place with 11.15 pounds and big bass of the tournament.  David caught the 9.15 pound hawg at 2:00 pm past the bridge off a point in the muddy water.  She was caught on a lime chartreuse terminator spinner bait and the smaller bass were caught on rattlesnakes. Their total winnings were $845.00.  

Charley and Donna David came in 2nd place with at 7.61 pound kicker.  Charley caught his big bass on a jig and threw a drop shot to catch the little bass.

LAKE CONDITIONS

The air temperature started out at 50 degrees and warmed to 80. The water temp was 67-70. The lake was about 1 ft low. There was no moon the night before. The barometric pressure started out at 30.02, rose to 30.09, then fell to 30.00. There was no wind. The skies were clear. The ramp at the marina was in good condition. The water was very muddy on the other side of the FM 2495 bridge and very clear on the main lake. There was grass all over the lake. The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center had a Trophy Bass Management seminar going on and were doing a boat shock survey near the boat ramp around 1:00 pm.  The carp and gar were spawning in the shallows and the male bass were building nest in the shallows.  The lake came up the week before so there were probably lots of nest in the deeper water. Most did not have any problem catching slot bass.  The smaller bass were hard to catch.

THE RESULTS

45 teams fished
15 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass.  Bass under 14 inches were legal and bass 21 inches or greater were legal).
13 teams zeroed
70 fish were weighed in with a weight of 116.23 pounds
1.66 pounds was the average fish weight
7 bass over 21 inches were weighed in

1st Big Bass: David Lewis.....................................9.15-lb  $168.00
2nd Big Bass: Charley David.................................7.61-lb  $56.00

1st place team: David Lewis and Danny Stokes.................11.15-lb    $677.00
2nd place team: Charley and Donna David..........................9.96-lb    $393.00
3rd place team: Albert and Matthew Love...........................8.42-lb    $236.00
4th place team: Leon and Sherilena Dudley..........................7.08-lb    $157.00
5th place team: Ben Griffin and Steve Reynolds....................6.92-lb    $110.00

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm    (see the Athens tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Athens%202012%2003%2024/?start=all

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.394218967257125.98875.331982723480750&type=1


SCATTER SHOOTING

Charley's starting battery went dead around 2:30 pm.  Reggie came to the rescue with jumper cables........3rd place team Albert and Matthew Love caught their bass on ultravibe worms and sexy shad.........4th place team Leon and Sherilena Dudley caught their bass on finesse worms and umbrella rigs..........5th place team: Ben Griffin and Steve Reynolds caught their bass on rattlesnakes........Reggie and Tommy did well on plum blue flake wacky rigs........Someone was having a house party and was blasting loud grunge rock music by the dam at 6:00 am......5 teams had penalties.........Mason Shelley caught a sun burn.......……The club set another participation record with 45 teams…………$450 was added to the "Top Ten" tournament.

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

It was perfect setting under the big cottonwood tree next to the ramp with the lake in the background. 

Jon Griffin spoke to us about similarities between tournament bass fishing and our Christian life.  He compared 2 basic points.

*  The Sacrifices We Make – Many people think we are crazy to get up at 2:00 AM and fish all day with very little sleep and with all the money and time we spend on our boats and tackle to pursue a bass.  Just as many people living in the secular world think Christians are crazy for making sacrifices in their Christian walk.

* Having Heart – A tournament bass fisherman heart yearns to fill that tap or tug on at the end of their line.  The heart is a big player when it comes to tournament bass fishing because emotion is controlled through the heart.  The excitement of landing a big bass….....or losing one right next to the boat is a perfect example. 

When it come to the Christian life, it all starts with the heart. Often people think it takes too much and requires way more effort to achieve salvation.  They think they will have to wear a suit every Sunday, raise your hands in the air, work in a nursery, witness on the street, or put on some show.  This is neither correct or even biblical. 

Jon backed this up with Romans 10:9
 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

So what’s next? 

The Greatest Commandment is in Mathew 22:37-40

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself
.’

Proverbs 3:4-5

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Remember it all starts with your heart!

Jon rapped it up by encouraging us all to tell someone about Jesus and learn more by attending a Christian place of worship in your neighborhood. 

Reggie then led us in a closing prayer.

 

Lake Palestine - February 25, 2012    6:00 am - 3:30 pm

Congratulations to husband and wife team Charlie & Donna David. They take 1st place with 14.47 pounds. Donna caught the kicker bass weighing in at 5.79 pounds! She caught the hawg early on a Carolina rig and they caught the rest of the fish on jigs fishing mid-lake. Total payout for first was $617.00.

Al Kohutek caught the big bass of the tournament. It weighed 9.37 pounds and he caught it in Kickapoo midway between hwy 31 and hwy 315. The big bass was caught on a x-large Senko at 2:09 pm. Al and his brother David also placed 3rd with 12.89 pounds. Total winnings were $369.00
 

LAKE CONDITIONS
 

The air temperature started out a very cold 28 degrees and gradually warmed to 62 by 3:30 pm. The water temp was 53 - 57. The lake was about 3 ft low (1 ft lower than when the club fished it last year). There was a fast current coming into Kickapoo that quit around noon. The moon was a 1/4 full the night before. The barometric pressure flat at 30.22 then at noon it started to fall, and fell down to 30.10. The winds were calm 0-10 mph. The skies were foggy in the morning, high clouds mid morning, then clear. The ramp at the Villages was in good condition. The ramp at Kickapoo was usable but only if you had a flat bottom or shallow draft boat. Some smaller boats were launching off the old Kickapoo road next to the bridges. The Kickapoo area was not as hot as it was last year at this time, but give it a couple of weeks and it will be on FIRE!!!!
 

THE RESULTS
 

41 teams fished
19 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches or greater)
9 teams zeroed
76 fish were weighed in with a weight of 206.72 pounds
2.72 pounds was the average fish weight
 

1st Big Bass: Al Kohutek....................................9.37-lb  $153.75
2nd Big Bass: Jon Griffin ...................................6.54-lb  $51.25
 

1st place team: Charlie & Donna David............................14.47-lb  $617.05
2nd place team: Jon Griffin................................................14.24-lb  $410.00
3rd place team: Al & David Kohutek................. ..............12.89-lb  $215.25
4th place team: George Walker & Brandon Wooddell.....12.68-lb  $143.00
5th place team: Randy Crabb & Kirk Markgraf...............10.14-lb  $105.45
 

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints12.htm   (see the Palestine tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)
 


SCATTER SHOOTING
 

Jon Griffin placed 2nd with a 14.24-lb sack. His kicker fish weighed 6.54 pounds and was caught on a white chatter bait late in the tournament. His other bass were caught on Senkos where the river ran close to the bank…… George Walker & Brandon Wooddell took 4th place fishing up river on jigs and Zoom worms. Their big bass were caught around 2:00 pm……5th place team Randy Crabb & Kirk Markgraf caught their bass on shaky heads................There was a slight delay at the weigh-in due to a battery issue……Doyle Ray caught a 4.57-lb in Kickapoo on a jig.........Mike Thurman and Joe Lee boated 9.92 pounds in Kickapoo around the bridges....………Al Kohutek caught his personal best bass in this tournament.……James Croney’s boat was in the shop and JD Foster was at the Bass Master Classic…………..Brandon Wooddell caught a 15-lb carp on a lizard. When he first set the hook, he thought that he had a lake record bass……….Al Kohutek and Tim Casbeer both caught a giant crappie in Kickappo…..……Many of the teams reported catching sandbass and hybrids……....….Jon Griffin had his stainless steel prop rebuilt right before this tournament, he bent it again!!.......James Cook rescued Scott Walsh. Scott hit a stump and busted up his lower unit…..Al, Reggie, Jim Love and Tommy stayed in a nice time share condo across from the boat ramp, complements of a Palmer Cowboy Church member….………Al and David Kohutek got stuck on a log on the ride back to the Kickapoo ramp. Al had to jump out of the boat in 3-ft of water to free the boat………Jim Love’s dad could not make this tournament, so he fished as a separate team in Reggie’s boat……The club set a participation record with 41 teams…………$410 was allocated to the "Top Ten" tournament…………The "Vilbig Boys" cleaned up winning 3 of the 5 places.
 

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL
 

We were all tired and had a long drive home so Reggie kept the devotional very short.  He said the bass club is like a family.  We share our burdens, suffering, problems, and joys and that many of us have developed great friendships fishing together.  We are all family in God's eyes and that we have 1 father.  

Reggie also reminded us that Christianity is under attack and that we should vote our heart during the upcoming elections.

Reggie gave thanks to God for such a beautiful day, then led the club in a closing prayer. 
 

 

For more information about the Bass Club email cowboychurchbassclub@hotmail.com or contact Charley David at 214-878-3354

 

 

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