Cowboy Church Christian Bass Club 2014 Tournament Recap 

 

 

Cedar Creek – September 20-21, 2014   

 

How do you pick the opening headline on such an event packed weekend?  The last points tournament winner, the Classic winner, Saturday's DEVO, Sunday morning church service, AOY crowning, Saturday's cookout, Head-to-Head championship, Classic booby prize, big bass winners, $4,755.00 in payouts, and the big bass of the year winner are all worthy headlines. Let's begin with the club's mission.   

 

SUNDAY  MORNING  CHURCH  SERVICE

 

Jon Griffin led a simple but powerfully 6:00 am service.  It was not quite dark and not quite light, as the club gathered on a concrete pad next to the lake. 

 

Charley David asked the club leaders to sit down in the chairs that were lined up at the end of the pad and after everyone was seated, Jon with his reading lamp began to share scripture & the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.    As Jon was speaking, Charley was on his knees quietly washing the feet of those seated.

 

John 13:1-17

  

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

 

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;  so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

 

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

 

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

 

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

 

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

 

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

 

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.

 

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

 

Jon explained three details and the significance of the passage. 

 

* How for Jesus, it was a display of His humility & His servanthood.   Jesus took the place of the lowliest of servants by washing their feet…thus setting the example for Christians to live their lives.

 

* For the disciples, the washing of their feet was in direct contrast to their heart attitudes at that time.

Jesus had told them over & over that He came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”  (Matthew 20-28)  (Isaiah 53)

 

Peter at first refused, then requested his entire body be washed.  Jesus very clearly told him the true meaning of “being washed by Him”.  Peter had experienced the cleansing of salvation and did not need to be washed again in the spiritual sense because salvation is a onetime act of justification by faith.  The washing of the feet represented the sanctification of washing from the stain of sin we experience as we walk through the world.

 

* For us, washing feet is symbolic of how we are to live our lives like Jesus.  We should, very simply, love one another. 

 

1 John 4:11-12

 

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

 

I can't do justice to the scene of Charley in the shadows washing the fisherman's feet as a backdrop to the powerful words spoken by Jon.....you really had to be there. I truly believe that everyone there was moved by it.  

 

John 13:17

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

 

Pastor Reggie Stewart closed us in prayer.

 

Amen & Amen!

 

SATURDAY'S  LAKESIDE  DEVO

 

Brent Stanford led the Saturday evening devotional.  He gave his testimony...."I am a sinner saved by grace". 

 

Then he told the story about how Jesus picked his first disciples

 

Matthew 4:18-20

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

 

He compared some our fishing skills.....persistence, stubbornness, determination, and few others to the skills that it takes to be a disciple of Jesus. 

 

In closing he told us a story about a tournament he was fishing back in the 80s.  He remembers this particular tournament because it was there that he asked the advice of one of the pros about what size bass boat he should buy. The response from the pro was "whatever size you get, 16, 20 or 26 foot, don't get a boat that's so big, that it takes you away from God".  That advice has stuck with him to this very day.....because the truth is, no matter how much stuff we have, without Christ we have nothing!  

 

ANGLER OF THE YEAR 

 

Congratulations to husband and wife team Charley and Donna David!  They finished first even though they have less time on the water then everyone else.  Donna checks in the teams, collects the money, works with the late entries, calculates and packages up the payouts while we are all out fishing. Charley is the last to launch and the first to pull up.  He sets up the weigh-in site well before the end of the tournament.  During the course of the year, they probably lose 6 or 7 hours of fishing time. They finish the season with 1,519 points and placed 4 times in the money. They ARE the best sticks in the club!

 

BIG BASS OF THE YEAR

 

Steve Cooksey's 10.28 pounder could not be beat!  He caught the hawg in the first tournament of the year on Lake Palestine.  Congratulations Steve!  

 

FIRST PLACE - Cedar Creek Points Tournament

 

Congratulations to Joe Lee and Mike Thurman! They sack up 14.79 pounds and win the big bass of the tournament with a 6.28 pound kicker.  Fishing close to the weigh-in site, they filled their sack using jigs, crank baits, drop shots, and Texas rigged worms. Total take home is $581.45.

 

FIRST PLACE - The Classic  

 

Congratulations again to Joe Lee and Mike Thurman! They sack up 25.44 pounds and win another $1,500.00.  Total take home for the two day event was $2,081.00.  In celebration, they bought lunch for everyone who showed up at Kamman's grill after the tournament.   

 

SATURDAY'S COOKOUT

 

Big thanks to Charley, Donna, and Sam David! They provided the burgers and fixings. Joe and Tina brought the watermelon, and others provided the chips, drinks, hot links and dogs.  Charley even grilled some of fish from the weigh-in.

Good times and good fellowship!

 

HEAD-to-HEAD CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Matt and Albert Love win the Championship.  Matt's big fish weighed 5.13 pounds and was caught about 2:00 pm under a dock in about 4.5-ft of water.  It was caught on Texas rig watermelon blue fleck brushhog with the tail dipped. Matt had 3 bites off that same dock,  2 broke off and he lost one even bigger than that earlier on a c-rig right at the boat that probably would have won them the tournament.  For luck, he wore a Jason Christie jersey that he had won in a contest.   

 

BOOBY PRIZE - The Classic

 

Congratulations to Brandon Wooddell and George Walker.  They caught the smallest 8 fish sack and win $100.00.

They also placed 10th and win their entry fee back.  Their keepers were caught on shaky head and Texas rigged worms.

 

LAKE CONDITIONS

 

The air temperature was 68-89.  Water temperature 79-85. Winds were 5-12 SE with gust to 18 mph on the first day.  Day 2 calm to 5 mph. There was a sliver of moon the night before.  The skies were sunny.  The water clarity was clear. The lake was 5 ft low.  Good ramp but the parking was rough. 

 

THE RESULTS

 

Day 1 - last points tournament / first day of the Classic

29 teams fished

20 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches and over)

02 teams zeroed

69 fish were weighed in with a weight of 155.42 pounds

2.25 pounds was the average fish weight

 

1st: Mike Thurman /  Joe Lee................14.79       $436.45         

2nd: Albert Love / Matthew Love..........12.13       $253.75         

3rd: Jeff Harrington / Lynn McNeely......8.76        $152.25         

4th: Charley David / Donna David..........8.10        $101.50         

5th: L.C. Watson / Tommy Huley............7.96         $71.05

 

Big Bass:  Joe Lee...................................6.28       $145.00

 

Tackle Pack: Jason Francel / Keith Smith...............$30.00

 

Day 2 - last day of the Classic

25 teams fished

10 limits were caught (a limit is 5 bass 14 inches and over)

04 teams zeroed

71 fish were weighed in with a weight of 160.13 pounds

2.25 pounds was the average fish weight

 

1st: Mike Thurman / Joe Lee.........................25.44  $1,500.00                                 

2nd: Jeff Harrington / Lynn McNeely............23.19      $840.00                      

3rd: Charley David / Donna David................21.40       $400.00          

4th: Joe Chancey / Bud Benner.....................17.71      $250.00          

5th: Reggie Stewart / Tommy Stewart..........17.62      $200.00          

6th: L.C. Watson / Tommy Huley..................17.19       $100.00          

7th: Chris Forner / Lynn Forner.....................15.70         $80.00  

8th: Al Kohutek / Jon Griffin..........................15.32         $75.00           

9th: Ben Griffin / Steve Reynolds..................15.17         $70.00

10th: George Walker / Brandon Wooddell...14.94         $50.00  

 

Big Bass:  Lynn McNeely.................................................................6.28     $145.00

 

Booby Prize: Brandon Wooddell / George Walker.........................14.95  $100.00

 

Full results:

http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm   (see the Cedar Creek tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

 

Pictures:

 http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Cedar%20Creek%202014%2009%2020%2021

 

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/CowboyChurchBassClub   

 

 

SCATTER SHOOTING

 

Al and Jon caught a gar, a catfish, a sandbass and a goo...........On day 1 Charley ran out of gas and to boot he didn't have any fish in his livewell.  Somehow he made it to the 198 bridge and had to walk to a gas station. There he was able to buy a small gas can and gas, but since the gas can was so small he had to make two trips. By now it's past 11:30 and with no fish, he pulls off one of best come from behind AOYs in the clubs history, beating Al & Jon by 2 points. There might really be something to washing your competitors feet!...........Most people try to motivate their fishing partners with positive reinforcement but Joe Lee beats his partners into performance. Joe slammed a crank bait into Mike's head so hard it bent his hooks.  Mike said after that he caught some big fish............Ben and Steve caught their fish on rattle snakes……Reggie and Tommy caught their fish on 4 inch ring worms and creature baits……Joe and Bud caught their fish on sq. bills and shaky heads……L.C and Tommy caught their bass on crank baits and rattle traps……Jeff and Lynn caught their bass on deep diving sexy shad and crank baits…….Someone fell overboard at launch dock..............This was a great tournament! If you missed it, there is always next year!

 

 

Athens - August 23, 2014    6:00 am - 2:30 pm

 

The winning sack was caught by team Jon Griffin /Al Kohutek.  Their big bass weighed 8.28 pounds (24 inches).  She was caught on a Texas rigged Zoom speed craw at 6:35 am, in front of the weeds next to the shore.  By 7:30 am Jon and Al had a limit.  At 9:00 they culled using a C-rig speed craw and never upgraded after that. They boated 8 "UNDERs", 2 "OVERs" and somewhere around  10 "SLOT" bass.  The bass that made it to the scales was caught very shallow in the creeks between CR 4817 and CR 4825. The shallow bite lasted until about 9:00 am.  After 9:00 am they were biting offshore.  The 2nd "OVER" was caught by Jon and it measured 22 inches and weighed 6-lbs 2-oz (on hand held scales).  Jon's "OVER" was caught on a Carolina rigged Culprit type of curly tailed green pumpkin worm offshore around noon.  The tournament rules allow only one “OVER”, so this one was released.  The "UNDERS" were hitting watermelon pepper 5 inch Senkos.  Total weight for their 3 bass was 10.22 pounds and the total take home was $658.00.      

 

LAKE CONDITIONS

 

The air temperature was 71-91.  Water temperature 85. Winds were south and SSW 1-11 mph. There was a sliver of moon the night before.  There was not much happening with the barometric pressure. It started out at 30.01 climbing to 30.04 by 11:00 then fell down to 29.98.  The skies were sunny.  The water clarity was very clear. Grass and pads all over the lake.  Good ramp, great marina, restaurant, store, campground, and shaded weigh-in site.   This has to be one of the best places to hold a bass tournament because it's almost a guarantee that you will catch fish.  The lake is a bass haven.

 

THE RESULTS

 

35 teams fished

16 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass outside the 14-21” slot. Only 1 over 21 per team)

09 teams zeroed

66 fish were weighed in with a weight of 73.50 pounds

1.11 pounds was the average fish weight

 

1st Big Bass:  Al Kohutek............................... 8.28-lbs   $131.25

2nd Big Bass: Danny Childress........................6.18-lbs     $43.74

 

1st place: Jon Griffin / Al Kohutek...........................10.22-lbs        $526.75

2nd place: Pat McCaskil / Hubert Smith....................7.45-lbs        $306.25

3rd place: Doug Powell /Charles Conie......................6.32-lbs        $183.75

4th place: Brian Hopkins / Danny Childress...............6.18-lbs        $122.50

5th place: Randal Collins /Kel Collins..........................3.11-lbs          $85.75

 

 

Full results:

http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm    (see the Athens tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

 

Pictures:

http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Athens%202014%2008%2023  

 

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/CowboyChurchBassClub  

 

 

SCATTER SHOOTING

 

2nd place team Pat McCaskil / Hubert Smith caught their fish on stick baits....................3rd place team Doug Powell /Charles Conie caught their fish on drop shot and shaky heads in 3 to 7-ft of water,.....................4th place team Brian Hopkins / Danny Childress caught their fish on c-rigged fluke at 10:00 am................5th place team Randal Collins /Kel Collins caught their fish on top water..................Reggie said donkey rigged Jr. spooks were catching the schooling bass around the dam.........Brian Hopkins said this was the first time he had been fishing since his Uncle Gene passed away...........Tracy Derrick was towed in by the Stewart team (Bad battery)............Al and Jon thought they could relax and take it easy, but they got wind of Hubert's 24 inch bass.  Al and Jon’s bass was also 24 inches, so they worked hard to upgrade one of their small "UNDERS" and as hard as they tried, they could not do it.  Turned out Hubert’s 24-in bass was kind of skinny and only weighed 5.79 pounds..............Joe Lee broke one of his rods on a hook set...............Cook got pulled over going home.................Someone started a rumor that the Barfields caught a ten pounder..............The Davids broke in their new camper and Donna slept in...............6 teams will be battling it out for AOY at Cedar Creek next month.  This will be the last points tournament of the year. 

   

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

 

Dondi Markgraf and Kirk Markgraf beat Joe Chancey and Bud Benner

See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm

 

The next tournament is at Cedar Creek and following teams will be competing in the Head-To-Head championship: 

Ted Teegarden / Randy Mercer

Albert Love / Matt Love

Jeff Harrington / Lynn McNeely

Doug Powell / Charles Conie

Randal Collins / Kel Collins

L.C. Watson / David Mason

Dondi Markgraf / Kirk Markgraf 

 

THE 2014 AOY POINT LEADERS

 

This is the first year for the new points system.  It’s based on where a team places each tournament instead of team weight.

 

Point leaders after each tournament:

After Palestine................Steve Cooksey / Joey Mason

After Bob Sandlin............Bryan Barfield / Kyle Barfield

After Richland.................Charley David / Donna David

After Winnsboro.............Bryan Barfield / Kyle Barfield

After Ray Bob.................Jordan Hanson / Nathan Wolf

After Fork.......................Charley David / Donna David

After Athens...................Al Kohutek / Jon Griffin

After Cedar Creek........... ?

 

Current leaders:

Al Kohutek / Jon Griffin.......................1327

Charley David / Donna David..............1322   -5

Kevin Davis / Byron McFarland...........1319   -8

Mike Thurman / Joe Lee......................1311  -16

Ben Griffin / Steve Reynolds................1300  -27

Darren Coslin / Hunter Coslin..............1300  -27

Joe Crouch / Tina Crouch.....................1287  -40

Gene Collins / Shane Wheat................1276  -51

 

 

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

 

Reggie Stewart led the lake side devo.

 

Reggie started out by reminding us how great GPS is for the tournament anglers and how he used to locate offshore spots before there was GPS.  He said before GPS it was kind of difficult because anglers had to focus on 2 spots and triangulate their position.  He then reminisced about when he was a boy on his Grandparent’s farm and how he watched his grandfather plow the fields with a mule....perfectly straight lines!  When he asked his Grandfather how he kept the lines so straight and neat, he told Reggie that he focused on a rock or tree at the end of the field.

 

Jump now to present times.  Reggie said he is counseling 3 couples who are going through some difficulties.  Their lives are a mess and after spending some time with them, the one thing he found in common with all 3 couples is they are not focused on Jesus Christ (sometimes called our ROCK).  He quoted….

     

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

 

Reggie said focus on our ROCK and he will get us through any situation.  Put Jesus before everything else....before your family, before your wife and kids, before our jobs, and before your possessions, and even before fishing. 

 

If you trust in him, come to him, and pray, he will keep your life straight. 

 

***

 

Reggie is the founding father of our Bass Club and is the full time preacher at the J-Bar-C Cowboy Church in Palmer.  See their fb page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Bar-C-Cowboy-Church-of-Palmer-JBarC/140034502718443

 

THE CLASSIC

 

There is only one more points tournament left before the Classic. 

 

Club participation has been great this year!  We have averaged 36 teams per tournament.  If we get the usual turnout at the next tournament, a rough estimate for the total payout for the classic could be as high as $4000.00!

 

You must have fished in at least 5 tournaments to be eligible for the Classic. See the rules for the details. 

 

More info to come later about the classic.

 

 

 

 

Lake Fork - July 26, 2014 6:00 am - 2:30 pm

Congratulations to Jacob Stanford! His one bass he caught was worth almost $600.00!  Below is his story....

This is the most memorable tournament I have ever fished for a number of reasons:
- I broke my personal record
- I learned to stay persistent
- It was the last tournament I will get to fish with my dad in the CCBC because I am leaving for... college here in a few weeks.

For a quick recap, this bass was the only bite we had all day long. It was bluebird skies, 100 degrees, and hardly any breeze. We fished deep up until about noon. While standing on the deck of that boat, in the heat, not catching anything; I started to think to myself why I fished. The first three tournaments I fished in this year, I zeroed. The fourth tournament I only weighed in one dink. I hadn't even placed in the top 10 in anything I had fished all year long and I've fished in around 15-20 tournaments so far. So I thought what was the point? I'm wasting money, time, and energy on fishing when I can't even catch crap. As I was thinking of how much I could sell all my stuff for on Craigslist, my dad suggested that we go fish a cove where he's caught a few unders before. I was told that the bass were going to be deep and thought fishing shallow was going to be a waste of time. But we still went to the cove and ended up fishing around a small island in less than 5 feet of water with only a few stumps here and there for cover. For some reason I threw a Carolina rigged fluke, even though I've never caught a fish on one, just because it looked right. About my fifth cast at some random stumps I said "there's no fish in this lake" and then this mama inhaled my fluke. I got my first look at her when she jumped about three feet in the air at the boat. I just about had a heart attack. My dad netted her and pulled her in the boat. It was awesome. She was 24 3/4 inches long which is over the slot on Fork so we had a keeper! We caught her at 1:10 pm and then ran straight from there to the weigh in. Long story short, she weighed in right at 9 pounds (8.95 to be exact) and we ended up winning the entire tournament and big bass with just one fish. The Lord blessed me in so many ways yesterday. One lesson that I learned is to never give up. Persistence will pay off. No matter how hot it is or how hard the conditions are, never ever give up. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the season with my dad. We are getting a replica made of the bass to hang over the fireplace.


LAKE CONDITIONS

The air temperature was 77-93.  Water temperature 82-83. Winds were south and SSW 3-10 mph. There was no moon the night before.  The barometric pressure started out at around 30.00 climbing to 30.04 by 11:30 then fell back to 30.00.  The skies were sunny.  The water clarity was clear. We launched out of Lake Fork Marina.  Good ramp and good weigh-in site.

THE RESULTS

30 teams fished
6 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass outside the 16-24” slot)
14 teams zeroed
33 fish were weighed in with a weight of 43.55 pounds
1.31 pounds was the average fish weight

1st Big Bass Jacob Stanford............................... 8.95-lbs   $145.00
2nd Big Bass Gene Collins / Shane Wheat..........2.22-lbs     $37.50

1st place Brent Stanford / Jacob Stanford...............8.95-lbs   $451.00
2nd place Charley David / Donna David................4.43-lbs    $262.00
3rd place L.C. Watson/ David Mason.....................3.44-lbs    $157.00
4th place Gene Collins / Shane Wheat....................3.38-lbs    $105.00
5th place Jeff Harrington / Lynn McNeely..............3.32-lbs      $73.00

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm    (see the Fork tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures:
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Fork%202014%2007%2026


Also see the pictures on our facebook page.


SCATTER SHOOTING

Thought you had a bad day? I bet the Barfields had it worse.  The morning started with a flat trailer tire.  Then while they were fishing, Bryan got a call from his wife that a hot water pipe had busted upstairs causing the ceiling to collapse in their home during the tournament (who can fish with that on their mind?).  They did manage to catch 1 keeper, but it died right after they caught it.  The 1/2 pound penalty rule cut their total weight almost in half.   At the launch site, Kyle put the spare on and headed home, but on the way home, Kyle blew the spare. Luckily his trailer has 4 wheels, so he limped into his office on 3 wheels (which was closer than his house).  Upon arriving at the office, he accidently set the alarm off and the police showed up. After he straightened it all out with the cops he left for home only to remember he had a dead bass still in his livewell.  Not wanting to stink up the place, he went back to the office and again accidently set the alarm off, of course the police showed up again and he had to explain the 2nd false alarm. 
  
What winners reported: 
1st Team & BIG BASS:  Stanfords....C-rig fluke, only bite of day
2nd Team:  Davids......Dropshots deep
3rd Team:  LC Watson.....Flukes shallow
4th Team:  Gene Collins......Tequila sunrise worms in lilly pads
5th Team:  Harrington.....Dropshot, rattletrap bridge


HEAD-TO-HEAD

L.C. Watson & David Mason beat Mike Aman & Mike Smith
See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm


LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL
Recap by Jon Griffin.

Tina Crouch shared about the past few months of her life, beginning with her retirement.  The excitement of the next life chapter coincided soon after with the cancer diagnosis of her fishing partner-best friend-husband of 47 years, Joe.  Driving back from Houston alone, she was so overcome with worry & anxiety that she pulled over @ a rest stop to pray & focus on God.   She was drawn to a memory scripture book that her daughter Lisa had given her.  Verses she was drawn to included:

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Psalm 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: you have enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

She shared that she felt much better with God’s presence clearly with her.  She’s learned much since the 3 months following Joe’s cancer diagnosis.  On biopsy day she read this verse:
Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' 

*Writer’s note:  “Do Not Fear” can be find in the bible EXACTLY 365 times.  Oddly & divinely the number of days in the year.

Prayers of many have definitely been felt, even more so she & Joe have rested completely in God’s sovereignty, they’ve learned to focus not on the negativity but their incredible blessings.  They’ve both recognized that their life’s biggest crisis in 47 years of marriage has drawn them closer to God than ever before.  She & Joe are confident that this cancer is treatable, & have complete faith that God will sustain them for a long, long time.

Charley David shared what we have ALL felt….the Crouch’s have been an incredible inspiration & blessing to ALL OF US, & EVERYONE THAT COMES INTO THEIR PATHS.  AMEN!!

 

 

Ray Roberts - June 28, 2014    6:05 am - 2:30 pm

 

Congratulations to Tom Kressley and Tim Casbeer! 

 

Tim had the boat and Tom had the spot.  It was a magic pond dam and weed line close to the launch site that gave up the winning bass.  Tim caught the 1st big bass within the first 15 minutes of the tournament.  By 10:00 am they had a limit.  They stayed on that spot for most of the day battling the wind.  At 12:30 pm, Tim nailed the 2nd big bass of the tournament.  Picture: http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh311/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/Ray%20Roberts%202014%2006%2028/IMG_6767_zps8d01b05c.jpg

Carolina rigged Senkos, Ring Frys, and Rattlesnakes were the key baits.  Their 3 fish sack weighed 14.66 pounds and was good for $481.60.  Tim's big bass weighed 7.13 pounds and was good for $120.00....total take home was $601.60 

 

 

LAKE CONDITIONS

 

It was WINDY!!! 20-25 MPH with gusts over 30 out of the South.  The lake was 8.93-ft low.  The water clarity was normal.  The air temp was 77-84. The water temp was 82.  The skies were cloudy and some parts of the lake saw a little rain.  We all got rained on at the weigh-in.   The barometric pressure rose from 29.84 to 29.91.  At 11:30 am it started to fall to 29.85.   There was no moon the night before. The ramp area was in good condition.  The wind and clouds kept us cool.  There was some grass on the lake, mostly next to the bank.  There were Zebra mussels everywhere and many of the guys complained about the mussels cutting their lines.           

 

 

THE RESULTS

 

32 teams fished

14 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches or greater)

8 teams zeroed

55 fish were weighed in with a weight of 130.09 pounds

2.36 pounds was the average fish weight

 

1st place: Tim Casbeer / Tom Kressley....................14.66-lb  $481.60

2nd place: Charley David / Donna David..................10.20-lb  $280.00

3rd place: Doug Powell / Charles Conie.....................9.97-lb  $168.00

4th place: Joe Chancey / Bud Benner.........................9.85-lb  $152.00

5th place: Jordan Hanson / Nathan Wolf....................8.14-lb    $78.00

 

Big Bass 1: Tim Casbeer...................................7.13-lb  $120.00

Big Bass 2: Joe Chancey...................................4.55-lb    $40.00

 

Full results:

http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm   (see the Ray Bob tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

 

Pictures

http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Ray%20Roberts%202014%2006%2028  

 

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

 

SCATTER SHOOTING

 

2nd place team (Charley David / Donna David) caught their bass on buzz baits, Senkos, and Power Worms..........3rd place team (Doug Powell / Charles Conie) caught their keepers on lipless cranks around the tires..........4th place team (Joe Chancey / Bud Benner) Senkos around the boat slips...................5th place team (Jordan Hanson / Nathan Wolf) caught their bass on white spinner baits and spooks, shallow in the grass...........3 of the 5 teams in the money caught their bass close to the launch ramp..........Al and Jon caught their bass in the grass on Senkos and frogs.......Most of the teams trailered.................Tim Casbeer and Tom Kressley broke the string of Crouch team wins on Ray Roberts. They broke the 1st place consecutive wins that Doug Powell and Charles Conie had going and they broke their trolling motor off it’s base in the high winds.........Due to the summer conditions, we stopped fishing an hour early............Kyle loves this lake!..........During the weigh-in a lightning bolt hit very close and everyone got a little wet as a shower passed over........We have a new leader in the AOY points race.  Jordan Hanson and Nathan Wolf bumped the Barfields out of first place.........The next tournament will be on Lake Fork.  

 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

 

Congratulations to Randal Collins and Kel Collins! They boated 4.89 pounds and beat Dennis Lambrecht / Merle Halcom.  The Collins get free entry in the next tournament. 

 

See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm         

 

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

 

Charley David led the Devo.  He said God had been nudging him to talk about this subject for some time. 

 

The subject was...Do you believe in the God? 

 

Charley mentioned...

 

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.

 

Then he asked us:

 

Do you believe in the God that's in the Bible?

Do you say you believe but really don't?

Do you believe in your own god?....not the God that's in the Bible.

 

Charley said even the devil believes in God and he encouraged us to know the intent of the Bible and the true God in it.  Then he read...

 

John 3-11

Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

 

Charley said he knows it's not easy to believe and it takes some effort to know God.  He used the analogy of competitive tournament bass fishing. 

 

To be successful in a bass tournament, competitors tune their skills by: 

   * Paying attention to all the details involved (line wear, retying knots, sharp hooks, lake cond...).

   * Spending time on the lake scouting, practicing, locating fish.

   * Staying focused and feeling the bite.

   * Spending time researching trends, equipment, and techniques. 

The same can be said about getting to know God.  To better know God we need to:

   * Pay attention to the details in the Bible (Know the intent, new testament vs. old testament, history, stories...) 

   * Spending time in the word, reading the Bible. 

   * Staying focused on the teachings of Jesus.

   * Spend time in Church, go to Sunday school or home groups.

 

He used another analogy....he said Ben and Steve know each other.  Al and Jon know each other.  These two teams know everything about their partners.  The good and the bad.  It's because they have spent years fishing together and to know God we must also spend time with him.  Praying and reading our Bibles.  Otherwise we will not know him.

 

The rewards are great.  Charley read...

 

John 3-15

that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

 

Charley said when he is in the Word and listens to God, he tends to stay on the good path, but when he slacks off and stops reading the Bible, he finds himself going down a bad path. 

 

He encouraged those that are not committed to the God that's in the Bible, to work toward believing in the true God.  On the flip side, he encouraged those that are committed,  to helping those that are not.

 

Charley then gave us an update on Joe Chancey's son-in-law and daughter.  He sat a box on his boat and most of the guys at the weigh-in contributed to help with the medical expenses.  Over $900.00 was collected!   What a great way to end a tournament.

 

 

 

Winnsboro - May 17, 2014    6:15 am - 3:30 pm

Two in a Row! Congratulations again to Doug Powell and Charles Conie.  They sacked up 10.85 pounds and take home $541.00. Frogs and 3.5 & 4.5 crank baits put them on the winning fish. 

Hunter Coslin catches the big bass of the tournament.  The 4.91 pound bass fell for a Texas rigged plum power worm. That bass was good for $120.00   

LAKE CONDITIONS

The lake was FULL!  The water clarity looked stained.  The air temp was 53-80. The water temp was 73. The wind was 5-16 mph out of the South and SSW.  The skies were sunny. The barometric pressure was almost flat 30.00 - 29.97.   There was almost a full moon the night before. The ramp area was great!  It was a 1 lane ramp. Parking was good. The boat beaching area was perfect. We had shade and picnic tables right next to ramp.  Some guys camped out next to the ramp. The lake looked like a bass haven. It was a great day to be on the lake.           


THE RESULTS

32 teams fished
18 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches or greater)
5 teams zeroed
69 fish were weighed in with a weight of 161.34 pounds
2.33 pounds was the average fish weight

1st:  Doug Powell / Charles Conie............................10.85-lb  $481.60
2nd: Bryan Barfield / Kyle Barfield.............................9.89-lb  $280.00  
3rd: Darren Coslin /  Hunter Coslin............................9.52-lb   $168.00
4th: Al Kohutek / Jon Griffin......................................9.41-lb   $112.00
5th: Reggie Stewart / Tommy Stewart........................8.21-lb     $78.40  

Big Bass 1: Hunter Coslin..................4.91-lb  $120.00
Big Bass 2: Al Kohutek.....................4.44-lb    $40.00

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm  (see the Winnsboro tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Winnsboro%202014%2005%2017

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

SCATTER SHOOTING

2nd place team (Bryan Barfield / Kyle Barfield) caught three keepers early on frogs then upgraded all of them using a zoom speed craw in clumps of grass..............3rd place team (Darren Coslin /  Hunter Coslin) caught their keepers on Texas rigged plum power worms..........4th place team (Al Kohutek / Jon Griffin) lost track of the number of bass they boated after # 45.  Their 3 best were caught on a crank bait, jig, and Texas rig plastic bait. One magic dock with a Texas flag on one side and an American flag on the other side produced about 15 bass (one was a 3 pounder). They caught them mostly on the Texas side of the dock and it didn't matter what you threw, they would bite it.  Almost all their bass came off docks on the west side of the lake....................5th place team (Reggie Stewart / Tommy Stewart) caught their bass on zoom lil critter craw with the pinchers dipped in red dye and green pumpkin c-rigged brush hogs............George Walker and Doyle Ray fished solo.................L.C. Watson and Tommy Huley blew a tire on the way to the lake. They had to tie up the axel with a rope to make it to the ramp.....Al and Jon took a bath at takeoff. Dang prop spray!.........Even though the lake is small we never felt crowded......Tim Casbeer said he caught so many bass that they destroyed 3 buzz baits.......The Barfields are leading the pack again........The next tournament will be on Lake Ray Roberts.   

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Congratulations to Doug Powell & Charles Conie! They boated 10.85 pounds and beat Doyle Ray.  Doug Powell & Charles Conie get free entry in the May  tournament. 

See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm        

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Jon Griffin led the Devo.  He introduced himself and remarked about all the great friendships he has made in the last 8 years fishing with the Cowboy Church Bass Club.  He said the past week got me thinking about....
 
  -Darren Coslin's Transmission breakdown creating a $3,500 bill. 
  -Joe Crouch discovered he has cancer (fortunately it's early and treatable).
  -Darrel Walden's father passed away, Lisa and Darrel are burying him in Tennessee as I speak.
  -Yesterday my 79 year old mother fell in the bathroom, now she's in the hospital with back and hip issues.

Bad things happen to good people, but we all have one absolute thing in common.  We’re all breaking down & we’re all going to die.

At a recent funeral, Jon said he found himself taking notes as the pastor, of all things, was eulogizing with the story of Christ’s crucifixion.

Jon said there are 3 things true of all Christians:
1-we all have an INTRIGUE OF HEAVEN
2-we will all have an INTIMACY WITH CHRIST
3-we will all have an IMMEDIACY OF HEAVEN

Jon then read a scripture from Luke and then explained the 3 things.

Luke 23:39
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

1-INTRIGUE OF HEAVEN
We all think about what it will be like in heaven......everyone; believers & non believers.  It was definitely on one of the thief’s mind in Luke 23.

2 Corinthians 12:2-5
I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught upto the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.  And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

* Jon related the above passage to being dropped into an African tribe that has never been exposed to technology, and attempting to explain how electricity works. It's very hard to do when someone has never seen or heard of it.

2-INTIMACY WITH CHRIST
Today YOU will be with ME in paradise. 

Matthew 11:29-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

* In this life & the next, he’s with you by your side, dragging that heavy wagon up the hill. It isn't easy, but you’re glad to have the help.
 
* In Matthew, Jesus says “acknowledge me before men, & I will acknowledge you before God” (He’s going to be right there, acting on your behalf…your personal attorney). Go tell someone about Christ and Jesus will be there for you.

3-IMMEDIACY OF HEAVEN
TODAY you will be with me in paradise

2 Corinthians 5:8
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

* In other words when we pass from this life in an instant we will be present with God in heaven.

That is if you have made a decision for Christ.
   For the unbeliever death means:  HOPELESS END
   For the believer death means:  ENDLESS HOPE

Jon gave the floor to Joe Crouch and he gave us an update on his cancer and thanked everyone for their prayers.
 
Reggie then closed us with a prayer and we were dismissed.      

 


Richland Chambers - April 26, 2014
6:35 am - 3:30 pm

Congratulations to Doug Powell and Charles Conie!  15.03 pounds with a 8.40 pound kicker paid $733.00.   Shaky head worms around the dam were the ticket to winning this tournament.  They caught their hawg around 10:30 am and all their keepers were in 10-15 ft.of water.    

LAKE CONDITIONS

The lake was 7.69 ft low.  99% of the boat docks were high and dry.  There was no grass to be found anywhere on the lake.  The lake shoreline was either sand, mud, or clay.  The water clarity looked normal.  The air temp was 63-82. The water temp was 66-71. The wind was 8-20 mph with gusts to 27 mph out of the south.  The skies were mostly overcast. The barometric pressure started out at 29.86 and stayed flat until 10:00 am, then started a slow fall to 29.78.   There was almost no moon the night before.  The ramp at Oak Cove Marina was in bad shape. Only 1 lane was open and the boat beaching area was poor to none.  The area around the ramp smelled of rotting fish.  The local guides must be throwing all their customer's fish carcasses on the bank by the ramp because there were 1000s of old catfish heads everywhere.  I was there a week earlier and many buzzards were feasting on them.  The launch fee was $8 at Oak Cove.  Many of the members chose to launch at Fisherman's Point Marina.  Nearly everyone caught a boat load of sandbass.  Most of the largemouth were caught in shallow water, some in less than 6 inches of water.      


THE RESULTS

39 teams fished
21 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches or greater)
8 teams zeroed
80 fish were weighed in with a weight of 248.75 pounds
3.10 pounds was the average fish weight

1st:   Doug Powell / Charles Conie.................................15.03-lb  $586.75  
2nd:  L.C. Watson / Tommy Huley.................................11.85-lb  $341.25
3rd:  Charley David / Donna David................................11.73-lb  $204.75
4th:   Jordan Hanson / Nathan Wolf...............................11.63-lb  $136.56
5th:   Ben Griffin / Steve Reynolds................................10.82-lb     $95.10 

Big Bass 1: Doug Powell..................8.40-lb  $146.25
Big Bass 2: Ben Griffin....................5.78-lb    $48.75

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm  (see the Richland at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Pictures
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Richland%20Chambers%202014%2004%2026

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

SCATTER SHOOTING

2nd place team (L.C. Watson / Tommy Huley) caught their limit throwing lizards shallow.................3rd place team (Charley David / Donna David) caught their limit on black and blue homemade jigs in 1-5 ft of water........4th place team (Jordan Hanson / Nathan Wolf) caught their bass on brush hogs and lizards in the stumps..........5th place team (Ben Griffin / Steve Reynolds) caught their limit on brush hogs and rattle snakes in very shallow water............Al Kohutek and Jon Griffin caught their bass on an Academy brand square bill crankbait. Their honey hole from last year was high and dry...........Jim Love and Tracy Derrick did good around the light house...........The Barfields lost their big bass after it was sacked up.  Apparently there was just a little too much "Keep Alive" powder in the livewell because the superman bass flew out of the weigh-in bag and back into the lake while they were getting out of the boat.........For some reason, Al's camera kept getting out of focus. Half of his pictures were blurry...........Charley and Donna David are now leading the pack!.......The next tournament will be on Lake Winnsboro.   

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Congratulations to Jeff Harrington and  Lynn McNeely! They boated 10.47 pounds and beat Andy and Anne Wright.  Jeff and Lyne get free entry in the May  tournament. 

See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm        

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Jon Griffin knew that Darren Coslin had heart surgery a couple of weeks ago so he asked Darren to speak about it and give us a testimony of his faith. 

Darren started out by giving us some good advice about taking care of our bodies and some of the warning signs that indicate we could be having a heart attack.  He encouraged us with the quote........."No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying".

Darren spoke about his faith and how much it means to him to be able to fellowship with the guys while participating in the sport that he enjoys the most. 

He ended his testimony with the following scriptures:

Psalm 23:1-4  A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
    he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake. 
Even though I walk
    through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

   
Isaiah 40:5-8

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
    and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
A voice says, “Cry out.”
    And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
    and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
    Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of our God endures forever.”

 
Charley closed us with a prayer and we were dismissed.  

 

 

Bob Sandlin - March 22, 2014 
7:15 am - 3:30 pm

Congratulations to Evelio (Billy) Moreno and Virgil Thomas Milam of the Circle C Cowboy Church ( http://www.circleccowboychurch.com ). They won the tournament on Texas rigged senkos.  Billy caught the big bass of the day, a 5.72 pound pig.  Their sack weighed 14.60 pounds! Total take home was $714.00.   

LAKE CONDITIONS

Bigmouth buffalo were putting on a show.  Millions of them could be seen swimming in herds along the sides of the banks and splashing in the weeds. It was a  spawn orgy!  The air temp at kickoff was 60 and climbed to 71 by 3:30 pm.  The water temperature was 55-58.  The skies were cloudy and some anglers saw a little rain.  It was dead calm most of the day.  When the winds did blow, they were from the South East and ENE 4-12 mph.  It got a little windy just before the weigh-in when a rain cloud passed over.   There was a 3/4 a moon the night before.  The barometric pressure started out at 30.00, rose to 30.06 at noon, then started falling to 29.99 by the end of the tournament.  The water clarity was normal but there was a lot of pollen floating on the surface of the water.   The lake level was 2.95 ft. low.  The ramp was in good condition but there was barely enough room to launch 2 boats side by side.  The beaching area for the boats was not ideal but doable.  The high weeds at the shoreline made it difficulty to get in and out of the boats.  Just before takeoff, a beaver got trapped on the bank and because all the boats were beached so close together.....we thought the beaver was going to climb in and over one of the boats to get to open water. There was plenty of truck parking spots and the ramp and the camping spots at the State Park were great.  Only a few anglers saw bass on beds.             

THE RESULTS

38 teams fished
23 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches or greater)
4 teams zeroed
89 fish were weighed in with a weight of 228.07 pounds
2.56 pounds was the average fish weight

1st place:  Thomas Milam /  Billy Moreno..............14.60-lb   $571.90
2nd place: Chris Forner / Lynn Forner...................12.89-lb   $332.00
3rd place: Koltyn Fowler / Skeeter Fowler............12.83-lb   $199.50
4th place:  Leon Dudley / Sherilena Dudley..............9.92-lb   $133.00
5th place: Randal Collins / Kel  Collins.....................9.86-lb     $93.10

Big Bass 1: Billy Moreno..................5.72-lb  $142.50
Big Bass 2: Chris Forner .................5.22-lb    $47.50

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm  (see the Bob Sandlin tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Slide show:
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/slideshow/Bob%20Sandlin%202014%2003%2022

Pictures
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/library/Bob%20Sandlin%202014%2003%2022

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

SCATTER SHOOTING

2nd place team (Chris Forner / Lynn Forner) caught their limit throwing Slug-Gos.................3rd place team (Koltyn Fowler / Skeeter Fowler) caught their limit on frogs........4th place team (Leon Dudley / Sherilena Dudley) caught their bass on Chompers..........5th place team (Randal Collins / Kel  Collins ) caught their limit on Slug-Gos and jerk baits............3 time AOY, Joe Lee and Mike Thurman caught their bass on Texas rigged senkos, speed craws and speed worms..........Last year's AOY, Al Kohutek & Jon Griffin caught their bass on C-rigged speed craws, C-rigged Strike King, gray glimmer, pearl belly Elaztech ZTOO (flukes).........The current points leader, Bryan & Kyle Barfield caught their limit early on a Alabama rigs and flipping a havoc pit boss, then upgraded all their bass by throwing weightless watermelon red with a spiked tail just outside the grass line........Charley and Donna David caught their limit early on Spro frogs (yellow/black top with a white belly)........Tim Casbeer caught his bass on Texas rigged green pumpkin senkos and jerk baits on secondary points.........Doyle Ray caught his on beaver type baits flipping the stumps.......2 time AOY, George Walker and Brandon Wooddell zeroed.......The Red Oak High School Bass Club was raffling off a Yeti cooler at the weigh-in........The next tournament will be on Lake Richland Chambers.  

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Congratulations to Albert Love and Matt Love! They boated 5.36 pounds and beat Rob Pustejovstey.  The Love's get free entry in the April tournament. 

See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm       

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Joe Lee
led the lake side devotional.   He started by telling us about the Bassmaster Opens he fished in 2005-2007 as a co-angler. During those years he was able to fish with 5 of the Bassmaster Classic winners (Tommy Martin, Boyd Duckett, Chris Lane, Cliff Pace, and Randy Howell).  The closest he got to a win was 4th place with some 5ths, 6ths, and 7ths places......but last month, Joe won 1st place on Lake Amistad and had a $20,000.00 pay day.  He gave us a recap of the 3 day tournament but most importantly, he gave all the credit to God.  He said God is in control and he has a plan for us.  He read 2 scriptures: 

1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
    you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 
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.

Joe said he prayed and God choose to bless him.  God is in control and God sent his son to die for us.......Jesus is our guide on and off the water! 

Joe then encouraged all of us at the tournament to pray and have a relationship with Jesus.  If we needed any guidance on our walk with Christ we could call on any of the club leaders to help them.

After Joe spoke, Charley David said if anyone feels the need to be baptized, we could do it right here at the lake today.  We can do it at any of the tournaments, or anytime the calling comes.     

 
 

 

Lake Palestine - February 22, 2014   
6:45 am - 3:30 pm


Congratulations Steve Cooksey and Roy Patterson!  They boated 20.72 pounds and with Steve's 10.28 pound kicker, they also won big bass of the tournament.   Their winning sack came from Flat Creek on spinner baits and flukes.  Their 3 fish limit is the 2nd best in the club's history and will be posted on the "Hall of Fame" webpage.  Total take home was $940.00.

Second big bass went to Brian Hopkins.  He weighed in a 7.45 pound hawg that was caught with his grandfathers jerk bait. Congratulations Brian!

LAKE CONDITIONS

We had a very cold February with a warm up the week before the tournament.  The air temp at kickoff was 46 and 73 at the weigh-in.  The water temperature was 58-60.  The skies were mostly cloudy with the sun coming out toward the end of the tournament.   The winds blew out of the South 6-12 mph for most of the day, then picked up toward the end.   There was a 1/2 a moon the night before.  The barometric pressure started out at 30.03, stayed flat until 11:00 am, then started falling to 29.87.  The water clarity was normal.  The lake level was normal. The launch site at the Villages could not have been better! We had a great spot to do the weigh-in.          

THE RESULTS

50 teams fished
18 limits were caught (a limit is 3 bass 14 inches or greater)
16 teams zeroed
76 fish were weighed in with a weight of 234.71 pounds
3.08 pounds was the average fish weight

1st place: Steve Cooksey / Roy Patterson...............20.72-lb    $752.50   
2nd place: Rob Pustejovstey.....................................14.94-lb    $437.00
3rd place: George Walker / Brandon Wooddell......14.14-lb     $262.50 
4th place: Danny Shaw / Benny Cowart...................12.83-lb     $175.50 
5th place:  Bryan Barfield / Kyle Barfield...............12.13-lb     $122.50 

Big Bass 1: Steve Cooksey................10.28-lb  $187.00
Big Bass 2: Brian Hopkins...................7.45-lb   $62.50

Full results:
http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm  (see the Palestine tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet)

Slide show:
http://s259.photobucket.com/user/Cowboy_Church_Bass_Club/slideshow/Palestine%202014%2002%2022

Also see the pictures on our facebook page.

SCATTER SHOOTING

We had 50 team entered!  97 club members fished. That's a new record for the club..........2nd place team (Rob Pustejovstey) caught his limit throwing spinner baits and C-rigged lizards in the river and Kickapoo........3rd place team (George Walker / Brandon Wooddell) caught their limit in Flat Creek on swim baits, jigs, and lizards........4th place team (Danny Shaw / Benny Cowart) caught their bass toward the dam area of the lake on lizards and stick baits......5th place team (Bryan Barfield / Kyle Barfield) caught their limit on red crank baits and worms in Kickapoo. Their bigger fish were caught toward the end of the tournament........Joe Lee and Mike Thurman towed a boat that was stranded.  Then they had a trolling motor malfunction that cost them about 2 hours of fishing toward the end of the tournament.......Al and Jon caught their bass on senkos, Texas rigged worms, and giant senkos in Kickapoo......Reggie spun a prop and left early.......There was little bit of a delay in announcing the winners.  At first we thought we had 51 teams and divided the winning based on that.  After we had everything calculated, we discovered that one team had signed up twice, so we had to redo the payouts all over again.......Joe and Tina Crouch cooked lunch for everyone. Venison chili and beans were on the menu.......George is back from retirement!  

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Congratulations to Ted Teegarden and Randy Mercer! They boated 8.76 pounds and beat Bryan West. Ted and Randy get free entry in the March tournament. 

See the Head-to-Head tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet: http://www.cowboychurchbassclub.org/ccpoints14.htm      

LAKE SIDE DEVOTIONAL

Charley gave his personal testimony.  He told us that his parents were not Christian and when he was four he lost his brother. The pressure of losing a child tore his parents apart and he ended up living with his Grandparents who were Christian.  He told us what an important part his grandparents played in his life and when he became a Christian how the Holy Spirit came to reside in him and guided him.

Charley said he started to pray and seek God but it did not change who he was immediately. He told us that "God does not require we change to be Christians it is just the opposite. God want us to come to him as we are. Making the decision could happen anywhere.....in the truck, out fishing, anywhere.  Jesus is at the door and all we have to do is let him in". 

Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Charley said..."When I listened to the Holy Spirit I made good decisions and when I did not listen, I did not make such good decisions".

That advice reminded me of Psalm 32:10 (The Message)
God-defiers are always in trouble;
    God-affirmers find themselves loved
    every time they turn around.

Charley talked about how the Holy Spirit was a small voice in him and it guided him through life and how one of the happiest days was when his two boys were baptized.  He knew that the Holy Spirit was in them and what a relief it was.

He told us what a blessing his adopted son Joshua was to him and how his life came full circle when he listened to the Holy Sprit and  adopted a small child just as his Grandparents did.  

Charley said none of us is perfect and God made us that way so we would yearn for a relationship with him.  We all have a thorn in our side.  The thorn in Paul's side kept him humble so God could work through him. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

After Charley gave his testimony, Joe Crouch ended the tournament with a prayer and we were dismissed.

 



 

 

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

 

 

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