Catch of the Day
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About this ebook
Fishermen don’t rely on luck in order to catch fish—they put their skills, knowledge, and experience into play every time they cast their line. Likewise, righteous and godly living doesn’t come naturally but requires study, commitment, and a lot of practice. In Catch of the Day, Jimmy Houston combines his love of fishing and his love of God in this unique fisherman’s 365-day devotional.
Each day features:
- a meaningful Scripture
- a daily devotional that incorporates a thought for meditation which applies insights from the art of fishing to daily spiritual growth
- a fishing tip from bassmaster, Jimmy Houston
With colorful interiors and a ribbon marker, Catch of the Day is a great gift for
- birthdays, Father’s Day, and Christmas
- Grandparents Day or as an encouragement boost for an outdoors enthusiast needing a lift
Put into action the characteristics needed to be a great fisherman, and see how they can also make you into a great fisher of men. Anyone who loves God’s creation, combined with the excitement of the catch, will truly enjoy this yearlong guide of spiritual lessons for life.
Jimmy Houston
Jimmy Houston, “America’s Favorite Fisherman,” has been fishing on national television since 1977. His fishing show, Jimmy Houston Outdoors, is one of the most widely viewed outdoors shows on the air and is consistently ranked as the #1 outdoors show on ESPN. A huge crowd favorite at bass tournaments and over 100 personal appearances a year, Jimmy represents most of American’s top outdoors related companies, such as Bass Pro Shops, Garmin, and Tracker Boats. In 2017, Jimmy was presented a Bass Pro Shop Angler of the Century award. Jimmy has written five books, including Hooked for Life, The Reel Line, Catch of the Day, and Caught Me a Big ’Un, which was a #1 selling fishing book. Jimmy has a growing presence on YouTube and Facebook with both his Jimmy Houston Outdoors channel and his Catch of the Day daily devotions channel. He is a deacon at Midway Hill Baptist Church near Sulphur, Oklahoma. Jimmy and his wife of over 57 years live in southern Oklahoma.
Read more from Jimmy Houston
Catch a Better Life: Daily Devotions and Fishing Tips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaught Me A Big 'Un: Jimmy Houston's Bass Fishing Tips 'n' Tales Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Catch of the Day - Jimmy Houston
© 2005, 2012 by Jimmy Houston
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New Century Version®. © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
J. Countryman is an imprint of Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1-4003-1964-0
ISBN 978-1-4003-2041-7 (eBook)
20 21 22 23 WAI 13 12 11 10
Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook
Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.
Contents
JANUARY
JANUARY 1
JANUARY 2
JANUARY 3
JANUARY 4
JANUARY 5
JANUARY 6
JANUARY 7
JANUARY 8
JANUARY 9
JANUARY 10
JANUARY 11
JANUARY 12
JANUARY 13
JANUARY 14
JANUARY 15
JANUARY 16
JANUARY 17
JANUARY 18
JANUARY 19
JANUARY 20
JANUARY 21
JANUARY 22
JANUARY 23
JANUARY 24
JANUARY 25
JANUARY 26
JANUARY 27
JANUARY 28
JANUARY 29
JANUARY 30
JANUARY 31
FEBRUARY
FEBRUARY 1
FEBRUARY 2
FEBRUARY 3
FEBRUARY 4
FEBRUARY 5
FEBRUARY 6
FEBRUARY 7
FEBRUARY 8
FEBRUARY 9
FEBRUARY 10
FEBRUARY 11
FEBRUARY 12
FEBRUARY 13
FEBRUARY 14
FEBRUARY 15
FEBRUARY 16
FEBRUARY 17
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 19
FEBRUARY 20
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 22
FEBRUARY 23
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 26
FEBRUARY 27
FEBRUARY 28
MARCH
MARCH 1
MARCH 2
MARCH 3
MARCH 4
MARCH 5
MARCH 6
MARCH 7
MARCH 8
MARCH 9
MARCH 10
MARCH 11
MARCH 12
MARCH 13
MARCH 14
MARCH 15
MARCH 16
MARCH 17
MARCH 18
MARCH 19
MARCH 20
MARCH 21
MARCH 22
MARCH 23
MARCH 24
MARCH 25
MARCH 26
MARCH 27
MARCH 28
MARCH 29
MARCH 30
MARCH 31
APRIL
APRIL 1
APRIL 2
APRIL 3
APRIL 4
APRIL 5
APRIL 6
APRIL 7
APRIL 8
APRIL 9
APRIL 10
APRIL 11
APRIL 12
APRIL 13
APRIL 14
APRIL 15
APRIL 16
APRIL 17
APRIL 18
APRIL 19
APRIL 20
APRIL 21
APRIL 22
APRIL 23
APRIL 24
APRIL 25
APRIL 26
APRIL 27
APRIL 28
APRIL 29
APRIL 30
MAY
MAY 1
MAY 2
MAY 3
MAY 4
MAY 5
MAY 6
MAY 7
MAY 8
MAY 9
MAY 10
MAY 11
MAY 12
MAY 13
MAY 14
MAY 15
MAY 16
MAY 17
MAY 18
MAY 19
MAY 20
MAY 21
MAY 22
MAY 23
MAY 24
MAY 25
MAY 26
MAY 27
MAY 28
MAY 29
MAY 30
MAY 31
JUNE
JUNE 1
JUNE 2
JUNE 3
JUNE 4
JUNE 5
JUNE 6
JUNE 7
JUNE 8
JUNE 9
JUNE 10
JUNE 11
JUNE 12
JUNE 13
JUNE 14
JUNE 15
JUNE 16
JUNE 17
JUNE 18
JUNE 19
JUNE 20
JUNE 21
JUNE 22
JUNE 23
JUNE 24
JUNE 25
JUNE 26
JUNE 27
JUNE 28
JUNE 29
JUNE 30
JULY
JULY 1
JULY 2
JULY 3
JULY 4
JULY 5
JULY 6
JULY 7
JULY 8
JULY 9
JULY 10
JULY 11
JULY 12
JULY 13
JULY 14
JULY 15
JULY 16
JULY 17
JULY 18
JULY 19
JULY 20
JULY 21
JULY 22
JULY 23
JULY 24
JULY 25
JULY 26
JULY 27
JULY 28
JULY 29
JULY 30
JULY 31
AUGUST
AUGUST 1
AUGUST 2
AUGUST 3
AUGUST 4
AUGUST 5
AUGUST 6
AUGUST 7
AUGUST 8
AUGUST 9
AUGUST 10
AUGUST 11
AUGUST 12
AUGUST 13
AUGUST 14
AUGUST 15
AUGUST 16
AUGUST 17
AUGUST 18
AUGUST 19
AUGUST 20
AUGUST 21
AUGUST 22
AUGUST 23
AUGUST 24
AUGUST 25
AUGUST 26
AUGUST 27
AUGUST 28
AUGUST 29
AUGUST 30
AUGUST 31
SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER 1
SEPTEMBER 2
SEPTEMBER 3
SEPTEMBER 4
SEPTEMBER 5
SEPTEMBER 6
SEPTEMBER 7
SEPTEMBER 8
SEPTEMBER 9
SEPTEMBER 10
SEPTEMBER 11
SEPTEMBER 12
SEPTEMBER 13
SEPTEMBER 14
SEPTEMBER 15
SEPTEMBER 16
SEPTEMBER 17
SEPTEMBER 18
SEPTEMBER 19
SEPTEMBER 20
SEPTEMBER 21
SEPTEMBER 22
SEPTEMBER 23
SEPTEMBER 24
SEPTEMBER 25
SEPTEMBER 26
SEPTEMBER 27
SEPTEMBER 28
SEPTEMBER 29
SEPTEMBER 30
OCTOBER
OCTOBER 1
OCTOBER 2
OCTOBER 3
OCTOBER 4
OCTOBER 5
OCTOBER 6
OCTOBER 7
OCTOBER 8
OCTOBER 9
OCTOBER 10
OCTOBER 11
OCTOBER 12
OCTOBER 13
OCTOBER 14
OCTOBER 15
OCTOBER 16
OCTOBER 17
OCTOBER 18
OCTOBER 19
OCTOBER 20
OCTOBER 21
OCTOBER 22
OCTOBER 23
OCTOBER 24
OCTOBER 25
OCTOBER 26
OCTOBER 27
OCTOBER 28
OCTOBER 29
OCTOBER 30
OCTOBER 31
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 1
NOVEMBER 2
NOVEMBER 3
NOVEMBER 4
NOVEMBER 5
NOVEMBER 6
NOVEMBER 7
NOVEMBER 8
NOVEMBER 9
NOVEMBER 10
NOVEMBER 11
NOVEMBER 12
NOVEMBER 13
NOVEMBER 14
NOVEMBER 15
NOVEMBER 16
NOVEMBER 17
NOVEMBER 18
NOVEMBER 19
NOVEMBER 20
NOVEMBER 21
NOVEMBER 22
NOVEMBER 23
NOVEMBER 24
NOVEMBER 25
NOVEMBER 26
NOVEMBER 27
NOVEMBER 28
NOVEMBER 29
NOVEMBER 30
DECEMBER
DECEMBER 1
DECEMBER 2
DECEMBER 3
DECEMBER 4
DECEMBER 5
DECEMBER 6
DECEMBER 7
DECEMBER 8
DECEMBER 9
DECEMBER 10
DECEMBER 11
DECEMBER 12
DECEMBER 13
DECEMBER 14
DECEMBER 15
DECEMBER 16
DECEMBER 17
DECEMBER 18
DECEMBER 19
DECEMBER 20
DECEMBER 21
DECEMBER 22
DECEMBER 23
DECEMBER 24
DECEMBER 25
DECEMBER 26
DECEMBER 27
DECEMBER 28
DECEMBER 29
DECEMBER 30
DECEMBER 31
January
J
ANUARY
1
GENESIS 1:1
In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.
I
T’S ALWAYS EXCITING
to begin something new like a new job, new house, new marriage, or a new family. New projects excite and energize me. I’m always excited about beginning a new tournament season where all the fishermen start out again at zero. I can’t wait for the start of Major League Baseball or the first game of Oklahoma University football or basketball.
TIP
Use the cold winter months to clean and organize all your tackle to get ready for that great spring fishin’.
One tradition I started more than thirty-five years ago was to begin each January 1 and read the Bible through in a year. Now, I’ve completely read the Bible through more than thirty times, in addition to my other Bible reading and study. Start your very own tradition today. Five, ten, twenty years from now, you’ll be amazed at what God wants to tell you on a daily basis.
J
ANUARY
2
GENESIS 1:27
So God created human beings in his image.
G
OD COULD
have made us look like anything He wanted. We could have looked like the space aliens we see on Star Trek or Men in Black. We could have looked like frogs, or fish, or anything else God chose. But He chose to pattern us after Himself. We are patterned after God—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We are not God, we are not perfect, but we are patterned to be that way.
TIP
Spool on new line at the start of every year and every four to six weeks during fishin’ season.
The next time you have a pity party about how you look or feel, think about what God could have made you look like and how He could have made you feel. Then look in that mirror and smile. Look inside yourself and laugh; God patterned you and me after Himself!
J
ANUARY
3
PROVERBS 10:2
Riches gotten by doing wrong have no value, but right living will save you from death.
F
ISHING TOURNAMENTS
have brought out the very best and very worst in fishermen. While tournaments are incredibly fair and honest, cheating does creep in sometimes. Blatant cheating is usually discovered quickly, and cheaters are disqualified, generally banned for life. Unintentional rule breaking is punished by penalties, such as a weight penalty or loss of your catch for that day.
TIP
Bass are not very aggressive in cold water. Use slow-moving baits and be patient.
The most damaging cheaters are the ones who bend the rules for their own benefit and ill-gotten gain. These anglers are bending or breaking the rules with almost no chance of ever being caught. But those gains will never last. Opportunities for ill-gotten gain come into our lives all the time. While we may never be caught, our very life may depend on how we handle these temptations to cheat.
J
ANUARY
4
LUKE 12:34
Your heart will be where your treasure is.
E
VERY FISHERMAN
has a favorite bait. For me, it’s a Booyah spinnerbait for bass and a Road Runner for crappie. Single baits, but within each bait category is a wide variety of colors, sizes, and even different types of materials. I treasure these baits because I can have success in just about every situation.
TIP
Slow rolling a white spinnerbait with a large Oklahoma blade works great for lethargic wintertime bass.
If our treasure is Jesus, we have a God we can rely on in all of life’s situations. If our thoughts are on Jesus, we become a better friend, coworker, husband, or wife. We also become more a likable, friendlier person even to strangers!
J
ANUARY
5
PSALM 31:24
All you who put your hope in the L
ORD
be strong and brave.
B
ETTER FISHERMEN
do not hope for success or rely on luck in order to catch fish. They pin their hopes on facts, skills, knowledge, and experience. The more of these we have, the more fish we catch and the more consistent we become.
TIP
Pork trailers on jigs and spinnerbaits work better than soft plastics in cold water.
Similarly, the more we know and experience about Jesus, the better we will be at becoming the kind of person we want to be and God wants us to be. This doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to become a great fisherman. So be strong; it also takes time for God to mold us into the person we will become. The great part is that God allows us the opportunity to become better every day we stay close to Him.
J
ANUARY
6
MATTHEW 28:20
I will be with you always, even until the end of this age.
F
ISHING IS A SPORT
most enjoyed with someone else. Sure, we can fish alone and have fun, but it is always more enjoyable with a friend or another member of your family. My closest fishin’ partner is my wife, Chris. My most memorable days fishin’ are not great tournament victories, but days spent with her or fishin’ with my kids or grandkids.
TIP
Vertical jig your Road Runners during the winter months to catch more crappie.
God never intended for us to be alone. That’s why He sent Jesus. That is why when we are saved, God places His Holy Spirit in us. No matter how isolated or alone we may feel at times, Jesus is always there. All we need to do is call on Him.
J
ANUARY
7
PROVERBS 10:22
The L
ORD
’s blessing brings wealth, and no sorrow comes with it.
T
HE OTHER DAY
, I asked a guy in another boat, I wonder what the poor people are doing today?
He answered, They’re fishing.
Fishing is one of those blessings from God that makes us rich, no matter what our bank account says. Too often, though, we dwell on the sorrows the devil throws at us rather than the blessings we have. This is exactly what the devil wants; he’s working to ruin our day and our life.
TIP
Lighter line is more manageable in cold conditions and will get you more bites.
As Christians and children of God, we cannot accept that. Today, write down ten or fifteen of the blessings God has placed in your life. Before you get halfway done, the devil will be hard-pressed to have a chance to ruin your day. By the way, this little trick will work again tomorrow.
J
ANUARY
8
PSALM 86:5
L
ORD
, you are kind and forgiving and have great love for those who call to you.
F
ISHERMEN
since the beginning of time have been asking for help and advice on how to catch more fish. Jesus told Peter where to cast his net, and some of us today make our living telling others how to become better fishermen. I know people who have driven hundreds of miles to listen to a top tournament pro give a seminar. They do this just to be more successful on the water.
TIP
Standing treetops often hold bass in clear water lakes throughout the winter months.
God is the ultimate expert, and He is ready and willing to answer our questions and to come to our aid. All we need to do is ask. But somehow—out of macho-ness,
lack of faith, or whatever—we’ll not come to God and ask until it’s the last resort. But if we’ll get God involved in today’s problems and concerns right now, we’ll likely not need to use God as the last resort tomorrow.
J
ANUARY
9
2 TIMOTHY 3:16
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching how to live right.
W
E’RE ALLOWED
three days to practice for a BASS (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) tournament. Most competitors will tell you this is the time to locate the fish and to figure out what lures and tactics will work best in order to have success during the actual competition. Just as important, however, is learning the places where you cannot catch fish and what baits won’t work!
TIP
Fish where muddy water and clear water are mixing together.
When God’s Word (the Bible) is read and spoken (preached), it lays out what God will do for us. It also directly focuses on problem areas in our lives. Open the Bible anywhere and start reading, God will soon tell you about changes you need to make to improve your life, and then He’ll help you make those changes. God loves us so much, He wants to make us better every day.
J
ANUARY
10
PSALM 14:2
The L
ORD
looked down from heaven on all people.
W
E WEAR POLARIZED
sunglasses when fishing in order to be able to see down into the water. Polarization removes the glare from the surface and allows us to see a foot or two or even more into clear water. This is helpful. We can see stumps, rocks, logs, and other hiding places for the fish. We sometimes can even see the fish!
TIP
Remember to visit a heated fishing dock for a very comfortable wintertime crappie outing.
It’s pretty awesome that God can see us all and yet focus on each of us individually. How would we treat our family, friends, or even perfect strangers if we knew God was there looking over our shoulders? Well, He is! Keep this in mind today when someone messes up your order at the drive-through, disappoints you, or cuts you off in traffic. Live today trying to please God . . . you just might do it!
J
ANUARY
11
2 THESSALONIANS 1:11
That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life he called you to live.
C
OMPETITION BREEDS PRAYER
. I believe almost all tournament fishermen pray, even the non-Christians. Most of the time, when we pray, we’re praying for our own glory. We’re asking God to do something special, something supernatural for us.
TIP
Steeper banks will yield more fish during the cold winter months.
Today, direct your energy into praying for someone else. Lift up your family, friends, pastor, and coworkers. Pray for that person at the drive-through window and even for your enemies or someone who has done you wrong. It’s pretty difficult for me to pray for someone who has wronged me, but when I do, God creates some peace in my heart where before there was pain. Dedicate your prayers today to others, and your God will receive the glory.
J
ANUARY
12
EXODUS 20:3
You must not have any other gods except me.
F
OR MANY PEOPLE
, their passion about something becomes their religion. Fishing is one of those passions that can become almost a religious experience.
TIP
A shad die-off in extremely cold weather will trigger good bass fishing.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone talk about getting closer to God on the lake. Others tell me they can worship God better on the lake on Sunday than in church with a bunch of Christians who might be hypocrites. But when we do this, we’re not worshiping God at all. We’re making fishing our god. At the very least, we’re guilty of worshiping God’s creation. This is really the same as worshiping the moon or the stars. God commands us to assemble to worship Him and Him only!
J
ANUARY
13
JAMES 1:12
When people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy. After they have proved their faith, God will reward them with life forever.
"W
HY ME
, L
ORD
? How often have we all uttered these words in times of struggle or testing? I wonder sometimes on the lake how many things can go wrong.
If this is a test, Lord, I’d rather take a written one!" We can either react to these trials with frustration, anger, and even foul language, or we can react with patience. God promises to bless us when we patiently endure.
TIP
Check the diameter of your fishing line. Different lines have different diameters, even in the same pound tests.
A day of fishing is seldom perfect, just like a day doing anything else is seldom perfect. How we handle those breakdowns, or tests, is what is important. We can be patient and be blessed, or we can blow it—and what does that really accomplish anyway?
J
ANUARY
14
PSALM 33:7
He gathered the water of the sea into a heap. He made the great ocean stay in its place.
L
AKESIDE VIEWS
. Desktop fountains. Backyard ponds. Water captivates us all, and it is, of course, even more important to fishermen. We really can’ help but have a love affair with