HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

From time to time, we love to mix in Tennis with our TightLine Catfishing stories...

here's an "OFFICIAL" one 

TightLine Tennis: The Tennis Lesson

Jane Hammond served for decades as one of the very best tennis officials in Texas, and she’s still going strong, watching tennis every single day. This quick story is about Jane and Rick, and the day Rick decided to settle an old tennis argument, the only civilized way two TightLine people can: on a tennis court, with Dazy and Lake Belton behind them.

I stood at the net as a Roving Umpire, while Dazy patrolled the sidelines like a real Wimbledon Official.

Knowing what Rick was thinking, I shared this thought with them before the match, I quoted something Leni's distant Greek cousin, Aristotle, might have said: “It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

Jane nodded.
“Good. Rick, entertain the thought you can beat me,” she said, bouncing the ball like Djokovic before the serve. “Don’t accept it!”

Rick grinned like a man who’d already accepted it anyhow.

Jane served her classic slices, low, deliberate, TightLine‑style, the kind of serve that doesn’t look dangerous until it lands exactly where she planned!

AND OF COURSE - Rick called it "Out!"

I overruled, giving a quick hand signal - calling it in.
Dazy gave Rick the sideways ears-up “you deserved that” stare.

Rick sighed.
“I entertained the thought I won that point,” he said. “Turns out enlightenment is painful.”

He looked at me, then at Jane, and made a good suggestion...
“So… catfishing anyone?”

Jane bounced her ball on the court.
“ONLY after class is dismissed, young man...”

Later that day... 

Co-Captain Rick discovered that a good TightLine catfish catch is better than a tennis beating any day! 

BONUS PICTURES

Here are some special pictures of our Texas award-winning official and the favorite of thousands of tennis players across Texas and the U.S., our friend and family member, Jane Hammond.

Jane is peeking in on me at the tournament desk, making sure I don’t stick Rick on Court 9 again - if you've been to the Charlie McCleary Tennis Center, it's the one held together by hope, duct tape, and prayer.

Jane and Mrs. Vera Lee, one made the calls, the other made the Tennis Center run. 

Together, they kept that tennis center tighter than a TightLine knot.

 

Leni and Jane, incredible ladies, steady hands, wise voices, and two blessings on this Easter I don’t take lightly.

Andre Agassi met greatness that day... and so did Jane!

Special times with the people I love.

2009 USTA/Texas Official of the Year.

Seems like yesterday. No one has touched more players, parents, and officials with more grace and devotion. She’s far more than an umpire; she’s a Texas tennis ambassador through and through. And yes… she’s even got bragging rights over Rick. 

That's "Officially" TightLine certified

“Twin Bridges, One Leaky Legend, and Catch of the Day” 

This ballad was cooked up under Lake Waco’s twin bridges,
live from the leaky deck of the USS Sassy.
Credit goes to Owen, Wilder, Dazy, and Rick.
Names, lakes, timestamps, and the “super‑secret bait”
have been altered to protect the not‑so‑innocent… here goes.

Fog on the water, we cast again,

From the USS Sassy, 1984 14‑ft center‑console beauty.

She leaks like a WikiLeaks dump in the dead of night,

rides low in the stern,

But she’s too dang stubborn to ever overturn.

                                

DazyDoodle sniffin’ high, doin’ the spin,

Golden doodle FBI… still can’t find her own tail again.

Super‑secret TightLine bait, don’t tell a soul!

(It’s just cheap chicken Walmart weiners in a Tupperware bowl).

Dug “THE” catfish lurkin’ down below,

Older than Rick’s truck and twice as slow.

He smirks at our lines, rolls his whiskers and grins,

“Y’all still here? Bless your hearts... nice try my, TightLine friends.”

AI GENERATED (cause i figured it out!)

Owen and Wilder, wild as loose kites,

One casts for the moon; one tangles with night.

Future of TightLine, already legends in play,

When you fish for what’s good, life serves a “catch of the day.”

I told the captive group, my distant‑distant cousin Kurt Cobain once almost claimed,

“They laugh at me because I’m different.

I laugh at them ’cause they’re all the same.”

Owen and Wilder paused, heads tilted like baby philosophers,

trying to decide if Kurt meant the catfish… or them.

ALSO - AI GENERATED (again, cause i figured it out!)

Out of nowhere, Rick broke the silence with his latest conviction:

the Adult Drink of TightLine Catfishing

is headed toward Ensure ... strawberry and chocolate edition,

a blend he claims jump‑starts early mornings

and excuses questionable decisions.

Lake Waco whispers, “Stay one more hour.”

Lake Belton answers, “Bring strong bug spray power.”

Mosquitoes buzzing like jets on trim,

We fight ’em off with a cooler of Slim Jims.

It ain’t glitter boats, it ain’t fancy bling,

It’s the USS Sassy, leakin’ like a screen door in a hurricane.

Rick, me, two grandsons, one doodle with the zoomies,
a running prayer drifting over the water:
“Lord, don’t let us be the news at six, please.”
And Coach Lou Holtz whispers from above... 
do right, do your best, show folks you care.
So we try… in our own TightLine way,
with chicken weiners, a leaky boat,
and enough bug spray to fog the whole bay.

MY DAD and a CATFISH ROCK-GREATNESS (somewhat true) story

My dad was telling me about the time his distant cousin Jimi H. and distant cousin (from the other side of the fam) Janis J. went fishing together. According to him, it was one of those excellent mornings where Lake Waco was calm and there was no way they shouldn’t catch catfish...

For some weird reason, a few hours into NOTHING, Jimi was staring at the water just mesmerized when he finally said, “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”

Dad said he wasn’t being deep; he was actually talking about catfishing.

“Knowledge” was Jimi explaining for the tenth time why his super-secret dough bait should work.

“Wisdom” was the catfish ignoring him completely.

Janis didn’t even look up. She just flicked her tightline and said, “The more you live, the less you die.”

Dad said she meant keep your tightline in the water long enough and eventually something happens. Or it doesn’t. Either way, you’re still alive and the catfish are still laughing.

After a long stretch of nothing, Jimi asked, “Janis, you think there’s catfishing in heaven?”

Janis shrugged. “No idea. But whichever one of us goes first must come back and let the other know.”

A few weeks later, Jimi died (Sep 1970).

Dad said one quiet morning, a few weeks later, he and Janis were back on Lake Waco alone, because that’s how these stories work, and she heard a whisper drift across the water:

“Janis… it’s me. Jimi. I got some good news and not so good news”

She didn’t even flinch. “So? They got catfishing up there?”

“Oh yeah, tournaments every morning!” Jimi said. “Perfect weather. Clear water. Catfish practically volunteering to jump in your boat.”

Janis nodded. “What’s the bad news?”

Jimi sighed.

“You’re scheduled to fish in the tournament tomorrow morning…” (Oct 1970)

BONUS: Here's my grandson hitting a homerun! - (20+) Facebook

 

TightLine Catfishing Thanks - Jimmy and Janet

After 1,736 Sundays — more than 33 years — of faithful service at Church Under the Bridge in Waco, Jimmy and Janet have announced their retirement as leaders, effective the week after Easter. What began in 1993 as a breakfast meal and Bible study with six homeless men and women under the I-35 bridge became a congregation of more than 225 friends: Black, white, and brown; rich and poor; educated in the streets and in the university — all serving the same God who created us all.

Through funerals, weddings, letters to prisoners, meals, softball games, songs, baptisms, and more hugs than we can count, Jimmy and Janet have walked alongside the poor and marginalized, and those whose wealth and privilege needed reorienting toward the kingdom of God. Their leadership has been a living sermon of grace, grit, and gospel.

A Personal Note from TightLine

Jimmy is a great friend and tennis buddy from way back, I was blessed to work with his family on the tennis courts for many years, and I got my start with TightLine Catfish donations through him and CUB - Church Under the Bridge. His encouragement and example helped shape our ministry’s heart for feeding and fellowship. 

The Tightline Crew: Rick, Dazy and I honor their legacy and celebrate their next chapter: more global trips to serve the poor and unreached in Haiti, Mexico City, and South Asia; continued teaching at Baylor, Truett Seminary, and local churches; and loving on their 12 grandchildren!

Here are few pictures from this past Sunday at Church Under the Bridge

The size of the congregation varies each weekend, 

but usually there are about 100 to 150 people.

 

Baylor students helped with a Health Fair, which brought out a few extra attendees.

Our line stretched far under the bridge—TightLine Catfish served about 150 plates.

Roughly 560 pieces of TightLine catfish hit the fryers under Interstate 35, 

Kyle, Liz, and Bill were slinging plates so fast the bridge shook more than the traffic!

What a GREAT crew of servers: Leni, Alex, Wil, Harper, and Wilder, backed by 

GREAT FRIENDS…Eddie, Bill, Kyle, and Liz, 

who somehow made serving under Interstate 35 feel like home.

Rick getting some TightLine hugs from Alex

WE ARE SO BLESSED!

HERE's What You Pick Up Between Casts and Catfish Fry's - a TightLine Thing!

Two Really Cool TightLine Catfisherman... Owen and Wilder

The older I get, the more I realize my Dad is right - the lake doesn’t rush its LIFE LESSON'S.

It teaches slow and deliberate, like when Dazy takes the co-captain seat and gives me that sideways “you deserved that” stare or when Rick eases in and takes the steering with zero discussion, and suddenly I’m just a passenger in my own story...

 

Here are a few TightLine Catfishing "Life Lesson" Thoughts...

a TightLine Thing!: Tweakin’ Your Own Rod-n-Reel

Life shifts. People shift. Sometimes the drag starts screaming when it shouldn’t.

You don’t chunk the whole Shimano Bullwhip custome TightLine rod-n-reel in Lake Waco, you adjust it, clean it, 

and keep catfishing.

Growth isn’t always dramatic; it’s just turning the star drag one click at a time. 

                             

a TightLine Thing!: Lettin’ the Catfish Speak for Itself

You don’t have to argue every point or prove you’re right.

Fry it golden, set it on the table, love the folks eating it.

Good work and good love speak louder than any debate.

                                                         Co-Captain - Rick            First Mates - Owen and Wilder

a TightLine Thing!: Pickin’ Your Tightline Crew Like It Matters

You can’t fish with everybody.

Some folks steady the boat when the wind kicks up.

Some folks rock it just to watch the catfish cooler slide.

Choose the steady ones -life’s too short for drama on the water.

      

a TightLine Thing!: Stayin’ Calm When the Line Tangles

It’s gonna tangle. Guaranteed.

Plans tangle, feelings tangle, tennis players tangle, families tangle.

The TightLine move is to breathe deep, work the knot out slowly, and keep the line in the water.

Calm spreads faster than panic.

a TightLine Thing!: Lovin’ the Quiet Dock

Sometimes the best part of the day is when the boat’s tied up, the lake’s glass, 

and it’s just you, Dazy, and the crickets.

Alone isn’t lonely when you’re right where you’re supposed to be.

a TightLine Thing!: Standin’ in the Heat of the Fryer

Growth isn’t always comfortable.

It can be hot, loud, and sometimes it burns a little.

But that’s where the magic happens -plain catfish goes in, golden beauty comes out.

Granddaughter - Addelyn - AKA - Addy-cakes!

a TightLine Thing!: Steerin’ Your Own Boat

Trust your gut, trust your heart, trust the One who made the water, and steer your life in a way that honors Him.

A TightLine Thing! 

It shows up in the way you speak to people,

the way you shoulder what life brings,

and the quiet peace you feel at night

when your head and heart both rest in sync.

That’s the TightLine way.

And around here, that’s more than enough.

LAKE WACO CATFISHING! (Come for the Catfish… Stay for the Gab Session)

Out on the lake with my Lake Travis High School (42 yrs ago!) brother Tony and Co‑Captain Rick of the USS Sassy.

Here’s an 11.7‑pound yellow‑cat/flathead — caught on a perch that Rick said, "deserves Employee of the Month."

It’s a gift getting to sit with these two friends and hear all the different perspectives — everything from house‑remodeling disasters to dating, politics, and even a little religion tossed in for good measure. 

Sometimes you’re hooked on the same idea, and sometimes you’re just trying not to tangle tightlines. 

But at the end of the day, you’re still sitting with people you love being around, and that’s what makes the time worth every minute.

TightLine Catfish Catering: We’re Official!

Well TightLine friends, TightLine just took a BIG STEP. After years of frying catfish, feeding people, telling catfish stories, and showing up wherever Rick was allowed and fellowship was needed, 

TightLine Catfish Catering is now officially a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

That’s right — Like Dazy the IRS took one look at this catfish‑scented ministry and said, 

“Yep, that’s legit.”

Our little catfishing ministry started with my dad and me picking up a 14' 1984 center console (USS Sassy), a couple of fryers, a few folding tables, a secret recipe (mom), and a simple idea:

Feed people. Love people. Bring folks together.

Somewhere along the way, it turned into something bigger — a place where families gather and where a plate of catfish becomes an invitation to our Central Texas community.

Now that TightLine is officially a nonprofit, the whole operation just moved to a heavier test line and a bigger catfishing pole. We can now:

• Team up with churches and community groups
• Host even more outreach meals
• Receive tax‑deductible donations (fancy!)
• Apply for grants
• And grow this ministry to reach more folks than ever

What This Means Going Forward:

• More Catfish & Fellowship events
• Community outreach meals
• Volunteer opportunities (Yes! We promise it's more fun than untangling a catfishing line)
• Stories from Lake Waco and Lake Belton, and the people we meet

And that’s where we are today — a little bigger, a little more official, and still smelling faintly of catfish and adventure. TightLine has always been about showing up, serving people, and laughing our way through whatever catfish story happens next. Becoming a nonprofit just means we get to do more of it, with more people, in more places, and with a little more purpose behind every catfish plate we serve.

Thank you — truly — for reading the blog... and for being part of the TightLine family. Whether you’ve eaten with us, volunteered with us, prayed for us, or just tolerated my silly stories, you’re part of what makes this whole thing special.

The USS Sassy is gassed up. DazyDoodle is already wagging like she knows something big is coming.

And we’re just getting started.  

REACH OUT IF WE CAN HELP YOUR CHURCH/ORGANIZATION!   

THANKFUL!

Len - Harry - Bayley and Charli!!!

(Owen and Wilder - TWO INCREDIBLE TIGHTLINE CATFISHERMEN)

Thankful for my faith, the steady heartbeat that tells me showing up beats being perfect every single day.

Thankful for the health that still lets me outrun a grandkid and Dazy to the boat dock and reel in a 10-pounder before breakfast.

Thankful for my parents who taught me how to how to love people, fry catfish, and how to tell a story so tall it needs its own zip code. Everything good I do is just them echoing through me.

Thankful for my incredible kids—who i love more than words and who somehow make me look like a parenting genius i definitely ain’t.
And thankful for my grandkids, who let KPa’s “world-record” catfish (yes, we named him Dug) get a little bigger every summer.

Thankful for my Leni, my bride, my co-captain. Thankful for quiet mornings, shared prayers, and the grace she gives when I accidentally turn all the whites blue in the washer… again.

Thankful for my friends, on the court, off the court, in the boat, at the fryer, wherever fellowship shows up, you make life taste better.

                                                      

Thankful for mornings like this—clear skies, calm water and this 3lb channel-cat beauty after a long debate with the GPS and a short prayer.

Thankful for TightLine, our volunteers who roll in early and stay late, and every single person who sits down to a plate of hot catfish and leaves knowing somebody’s glad they’re here.

Thankful for the little things done over and over… and for still remembering exactly where the best catfish hole is (even if we take the scenic route to get there).

Thankful for family, faith, and a fryer full of Mom’s secret catfish batter. Catfish, fellowship, and tall tales always taste better when we’re all together.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. Eat too much, hug too hard, and tell the people around your table you love ’em.

THE Mother of TIGHTLINE...

She’s the Reason We Serve Like We Do!

Mom (Nanny) and Charli

My mom is—and has always been—an encouraging presence in my life. She is not one for speeches, but her one-liners stick like my grandkids to their Halloween bags. Somewhere between a lost tennis match and a flying racquet, she said, “Let your last impression be your best one.” And like most of her wisdom, it landed quietly and stayed loud.

It’s not just for goodbyes. It’s for the handshake after a match, the last five minutes of a lesson, the final slide of a meeting—or when someone hollers, “Y’all got any more catfish and hushpuppies?” That’s Central Texas for “Thanks, y’all.”

Folks might forget your opening joke—or that foot fault you blamed on the wind—but they’ll remember how you wrapped it up. That handshake, that quiet thank-you, that extra hushpuppy you snuck onto their plate.

At our last TightLine cookout, while folks swapped stories and leftovers, Addie and Harper were quietly wiping down tables. No spotlight, no fuss—just steady hands and quiet care. That was their last impression. And it stuck.

So whether I’m stacking trays or signing off a committee call, I try to remember: the last impression’s the one that walks out the door.

                                               

Front Row Love 

That’s my mom and dad—still leading the way with steady hands and quiet joy. You can see it in her gentle hold of Maisie and his quiet pride. Their impression isn’t loud—it’s lived, daily, in the way our family carries faith, food, and fellowship forward.

Thanks, Mom! Your words still guide the way.

TightLine Catfish Catering is all about: 

Faith * Food * Fellowship

Procrasticatfishing and New Beginnings

Well Catfish Friend… I’ve committed one of the deadliest sins in the blogging world: not writing. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted, and I’m not sure why—maybe it’s just good old-fashioned procrasticatfishing.

Yes, that’s a real thing (at least around here). Procrasticatfishing is the art of going catfishing when you should be doing something else! Its like my cousin Maya Angelou once (kinda) said: "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold TightLine Catfish story inside you.”

So here is an update.

 A New Chapter for Leni and Me

Since my last post, Leni and I have turned the page on a major chapter in our lives. After 40 years in the pizza business, we sold our Little Caesars operation. That’s four decades of dough, dedication, and deep community ties—and we’re grateful for every moment.

Now, we’re leaning into what matters most:

• More time with our grandkids (until they get tired of us)
• More community service through TightLine Catfish Catering

Faith • Food • Fellowship

TightLine Catfish Catering is all about bringing people together over good food and faithful fellowship.. We’ve launched this nonprofit ministry to serve churches, nonprofits, and community events with Texas-style meals and a whole lot of love.

We’ve officially applied for 501(c)(3) status, which will help us grow, serve more folks, and invite others to support the mission. Stay tuned for updates on that front!

Family at the Heart

You’ll start seeing more photos of our grandkids on this blog—because they’re part of the story. Whether they’re helping prep meals, greet guests, or simply lighting up the day with their smiles, they remind us why this work matters.

This is Addelyn—our oldest grandkid. She’s an incredible horseback rider, a loving big sister and cousin, and one of TightLine’s youngest catfish crew members. Whether she’s lending a hand or lighting up the day with her smile, Addelyn reminds me of what this TightLine stuff is all about.

Taken by Addelyn during one of our TightLine outings—proof that catfish and cloudy skies make a pretty good pair.

Here are the Grands at the Grand!

This is Harper, Addy, Owen, and Wilder - we had the pleasure of taking them to the Grand Canyon

This was one of those “stop and soak it in” moments. Leni and I took the grands through Sedona—red rocks, blue skies, and a whole lot of laughter. We hiked, we posed, and we made memories that’ll last longer than my old tennis knees will.

Scarey Perch on Lake Belton!

It won’t be long before our grandaughter Charli’s joining the rest of the grandkids on our TightLine outings. Here she is with her proud daddy - Harry!

Wilder - doing the traditional "kiss bye-bye" before releasing the perch back into Lake Belton...

Love this picture - servin up TightLine Catfish!

Thanks for sticking with us. We’re excited for what’s ahead!