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....

 

 

 

THE REMEDY

 

It’s weird how we FLY though life - sometimes feeling like we really have no time for anything!  When I look at my allotted time this way - I hardly ever wonder how I fit "stuff" in!  It just works out! 

I take one look at Sassy's face and I know - she needs me to take her fishing!

 

 This is Sassy - being Sassy...

 

I make sure that I get out either really early in the morning or late in the evening for a quick therapy fishing trip with Rick and Sassy!  This is a 15 pounder we caught on a trotline - USING HOTDOGS!

Morning or evening - when you get to be on the lake and see this - it makes your day!  And the fact that we have a great time - doesn't hurt!

 

Would not be the same without adding a picture of my Ash and grandbaby Addie!

 

The REMEDY - MAKE TIME!

TIGHTLINE FISH FRY

1st Presbyterian Church - Waco

The best part of the Fish Fry is serving friends and working with the Family!

 

It looks empty right now but in a matter of minutes the room was full of about

100 Church members sitting down to a TightLine Fish Fry.

This is TightLine advertising

My Dad, daughter Alex and nine month old grand baby - Harper, my niece Caitlin and Leni 

all helped out setting up and serving.

Yep! Getting to hang out with Dad and Rick is just a Bonus of the Fish Fry...

It would not be the same if I did not include a picture of Addy (13 months) and Harper (9 months)...

 

For this CHRISTMAS BLOG -

I am sharing a TightLine SECRET and sending Pictures of the Grandkids... what a combo! 

You will NOT have to work to find the family pictures! 

BUT, you will have to work to find out what the secret catfish bait is... 

the common question we always get is, "how do guys catch so many Catfish?"

 

FIRST - THE FAMILY...

Harry and KPa! - I have to say - my kids and NOW - Grandkids are gifts beyond compare.

Even though I have to stand on my tippy-toes... he is a GREAT son and buddy!

 

Will, Harper and Ali!  The Chandlers had a wonderful first Christmas with Harper!

Here is my ONE YEAR-OLD Grand-baby Addy getting ready for Christmas in England!!!!

Addy - helping her mom with cookies before Christmas

This picture of Addy is an EXACT replica of My Ashy when she was Addys age!!

Harper enjoying her first Christmas and Nanny and PAPA's house!!!

My dad - PAPA and his great granddaughter Harper!

Here is a picture of two incredible Moms!  Alex and my Mom with Harper

Addy Girl - shopping with her Mum (BTW- that is very English for Mom)

 

AND NOW TIGHTLINE STUFF....

the secret is about to be revealed

This seven pounder was caught Sunday, in 14 feet of water, the day before the cold weather rolled into Central Texas.  We have been waiting for less windy days to hit the lake... hopefully- we'll be out there this week - early in the mornings.

Here is a total of 16 fish Sassy sniffed out. We caught these between the twin bridge pillars on Lake Waco.

The Second PART of the secret was revealed in the previous picture... look close.

The First and most important is making sure Sassy's nose is working...

 

Here is a quick Grandma saying about bait...and I quote, "Even if we fished all day and haven't gotten anything except sunburned - we are much better off than the worm!" 

Simple but true!

TIGHTLINE FISHING IS BACK - but before I show pictures of BIG FISH, SASSY, RICK and the GREAT OUTDOORS - you'll have to indulge me for a minute while I preview the up and coming crew of the USS SASSY....  

 

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS A SERIES OF PICTURES SHOWING FUTURE TIGHTLINE FISHING STARS....

This is Harper (AKA- I see the fish over there KPa) - daughter of Will and Alex Chandler.

This is Harper and Alex...  SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY - Alex was this size!!! 

AND here is ADDY - she is ONE YEAR OLD!!!  She already knows her "SIC'm" sign.

She is a very Happy girl!  This reminds me of Ash when she was a baby.

I am pretty sure this Alex's way of having fun mom and daughter time!!!!

There is something special about those Harper eyes!

Here is Nick, Addy and Ash - Nick is an Officer in the Air Force (Captain) - Nick, Ash and Addy are serving our Country in England. 

I really miss them!
 

OK - and now a few TightLine Pictures...

I had a few friends of TightLine Fishing ask me to send some Sassy pictures and update the status of Tightline Fishing... SO, in an effort to PLEASE

SHES BACK!!!! Sassy is back and her snorter is better than EVER! We started out this morning a little unsure of the spot we were going to fish/attack and then out of nowhere - Sassy let us know we were over a bunch of these 1 and 2 pound cats....

We waited out the evening and FINALLY we hooked into this...

 



A twenty-two pound cat that I am sure was full of eggs - to my surprise it only took 45 minutes and very few tears from Rick to convince him that we had (Tightline rules) to release her.  (Be sure to read the "Positive Quotes" section on the right...)

 

It was GREAT to get back out on the lake with Rick and Sassy. Since the last BLOG we have catered about a dozen Catfish Fry's - our supply was needing to be restocked. 

 

Whether we go out early...

Or Late.... IT NEVER GETS OLD just PRETTIER!!!!

 

For my Tennis Official friends - I have added a "Play On!" section to the Blog... enjoy and let me know your thoughts....