How about this...

 

Its hard to see it - but - there are a million Cats in this water just waiting to be TightLined...

ITS loads of fun - COME JOIN US!!!!

23 Cats in about two early morning hours!

Mostly Channel Cats and a few Blues

50 Pounds total and about 15 pounds of filets.

All caught on Shad in about 10-14 feet of water.

Following in my Dads footsteps I am about to kiss this BlueCat...

These are my favorite pants by the way!!!

 

Happy Birthday Buddy!

Rick - (better known as Bethany's Dad) Celebrated his 50something Bday on the USS Sassy! 

Below are some Bethany pictures...with her dad

Here is Rick at the helm of the USS Sassy! 

It was VERY cold this morning on Lake Waco! 

But, that did not stop our TightLine BDay Fishing Expedition...

The Eagles showed up today for Ricks BDay 

They are AWESOME! 

 

We got a little to close to this fishing spot and this

one took off... I bet the wing span is at least five feet!

Here is Rick with two of our 20 Keepers. 

 

20 fish total weighing in at 44 pounds today. 

All caught on shad and in 12 foot of water.

 

 

I have always been taught that

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING...

Here is Beautiful Bethany and her Dad Rick

  

I can tell you - Dad's have a special love for their little girls!



This is one of my favorite pictures! 

Just holding hands...

 

Its been a while... but, the TIGHTLINE Blog is back

PLEASE NOTICE - we have an assignment for you...

And, of course, I have UN-BASHFULLY posted some family photos

One of the many good parts of fishing is the scene! 

This is on Lake Belton...

Here is my Veteran Hero - my dad! 

Pretty cool to be on the lake with him.

 I just cannot get enough of these Lake Waco sunsets...

 

This is a 9 pounder (the fish) - Rick is getting his tan on while wrestling Catfish.

All of our fish were caught on Shad in about 12 foot of water - one foot off the bottom.

I am not sure if Dad is checking its temperature, giving it a kiss, taking in that Catfish smell or saying a prayer with this one?

Here is part of the 25 keepers we caught -

52 pounds total and about 20 pounds of filets.

This awesome weather is keeping these Cats active. 

This one weighed in at five pounds...

Not too sure how much this Blue Cat weighed - but, we are all sure it was over 15 pounds.

Here is where I need your creative thoughts....

These Catfish need a special name... mainly because they make Rick sad.  The TightLine rule is...If the Cats are over 15 pounds - we release them.  I have never seen a grown man shut down like Rick when we gingerly release them back into their water world.  Rick goes into an emotional rollercoaster.  Everyone on board has to be quiet for a couple of moments while he collects himself.

I am not sure what to call these Catfish - if you have a suggestion I will run with it... EXAMPLES: Heartbreaker, Lucky, POR (piss off rick), Moody Blue (this of course is a reference to the Moody Blues, Blue Cats and a very Gloomy Rick).  

 

 

NOTHING GETS BETTER THAN THIS...

 

Fun Times at the Waco Zoo...

Here is Harper telling Addie - if they play their cards right, KPa (me), will make sure cotton candy and ice cream are on the menu before they go home to Mom and Dad!!! 

Addie and Happy Harper

 

Addie and PaPa hanging out before dinner

PROUD GRANDPARENTS with Addie and Harpie

(As you can tell - there are multiple cameras)

Here is Harper, Ali, Ash and Addie - BEAUTIFUL!

 



The Chandlers: Will, Harper and Ali

 

Harp - getting some much needed ZZZZZZ time

The Sagers: Ash, Addie and Nick

Harper and Addie

 

 

Nothing Beats a Day at the Lake!

 

Here is my Dad sporting the TightLine gear!

These Kats grow BIGGER... not too sure how he bit all the way around a #4 circle hook?!?!

 

THATS BETTER!

It doesn't matter what time of the day - Sas is ALWAYS ready to sniff out some Kats!

Here is my nephew Payton with a BIG flat head Kat fish... this one (the Katfish) was dropped back in Lake Waco

And here are two random Kissing Photos - of the two, this one is my favorite... Alex and Harper!

This one placed second!

 

 

 

TIGHTLINE is back in the Water!

 

After a LONG Tennis Officials Season...

Sassy and I finally got a chance to head out to our familiar KatFish hunting areas with my Dad and nephew Peyton...

Here is my Dad with a Yellow Kat - 15.1 pounder - just big enough for us to release it and make my Grandpa and Rick mad...

Here is a boat load of "keepers" - over the last few fishing days - we have kept 150 Kats weighing in for a total of 165 pounds...

Here is Sassy - making sure we did not leave any Super-Secret Bait on the Deck.

 

 

Wouldn't be right if we didn't have a Fish Fry while my sister Kim and her son Peyton were where in town!  We had a great crowd (17) on Memorial Day!

Special Day!

 

 If you are EVER lucky enough to work a Special Olympics’ - it is even BETTER when you do it with Family and Friends!  This past weekend Leni and Harry and I helped worked the Texas Section Special Olympic in Arlington.  I have said this before it is worth mentioning again... THIS IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE EVENT I WORK (get to work) ALL YEAR and I look forward to it all year.

 

Here is Megan Longbotham (Friend & Tx Section Staff), Doc Trevino (Friend & Past President of Tx Section), Carrie Hale (Friend & Tx Section Staff), Eddie Massey (Family Friend & my wife's incredible Team USTA Captain), Leni (VERY Patient beautiful Wife), Harry (Awesome Son) and Cindy Benzon (A person who has a made difference in the life of millions of people - including mine and is Director of Special Olympics’ and Tx Section Staff).

This is only a small fraction of the staff that works the event.  There are literally hundreds of Volunteers and Staff.  On the right side of this blog - I listed our Texas Officials (some are not certified ... YET) that helped out this year... if you ever want to help - let me know - you will never forget the experience...

 

I want to start off this Blog by saying - I am going to miss my Fishing buddy Rick - he has moved to Arkansas to start a new Chapter in his life... I am happy for him and wish him the best!

  

 

 

As usual - I will start of the Blog with a few Fishing/TightLine Stories and finish up with Family... Thanks for your indulgence...

 

 

TALK ABOUT A RARE SIGHT!

This stubborn Arkansas MooFish is a Whopper!  My fishing buddy Rick - moved to the great state of Arkansas to hunt these rare flippers down... as you can tell from the picture Rick is giving his secret away by showing the famous Cat-tleSlickWhillyPrimRibShooshBack lure used by many in those parts of the country.

Rick told me - when these types of MooFish fillet out - THEY ARE WORTH THE FIGHT!

 

 

 

On another TightLine Fishing note - this past Sunday...

 

CrossRoads Church in McGregor allowed me and my Dad to set up our fishing kitchen and cook Catfish for about 150 member's of the Church!  We had a GREAT time and helped their Youth Group raise money for Summer Mission trips.

This is my Brother (by another Mother) Mark. 

Mark did a good job of sampling the eating's and keeping my Dad and me entertained.

 

You really never know how blessed you are until you have your Dad working next you -
I am a very lucky guy!

 

My Dad and I had an easy time and LOADS OF FUN with this Church Fish Fry - here is my Dad, Mark, and stand-up comedian Shannon... I have never laughed so much...  by the way - Shannon is a spitting image of my friend Kevin Krumm - and the same personality - FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY!

 

Here is my buddy Kevin Krumm with two ThrowBacks!!!

 

 The weekend ended in a GREAT way - getting time to swing my Grand-daughter Harper! And of course eating plenty of cookies... 

 

Won't be long and we will be traveling over the Big Pond to visit Addy!!!

 

Here is Harper- last night - and her GREAT Grandpa reading a book!
Not really sure who is having more fun....