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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.

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Catch of the Day

Thomas Nelson

Chapter One

GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning God created the sky and the earth.

It'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.

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.

TIP

Use the cold winter months to clean and organize all your tackle to get ready for that great spring fishin'.

January 2

GENESIS 1:27 So God created human beings in his image.

God 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.

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!

TIP

Spool on new line at the start of every year and every four to six weeks during fishin' season.

January 3

PROVERBS 10:2 Riches gotten by doing wrong have no value, but right living will save you from death.

Fishing 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.

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.

TIP

Bass are not very aggressive in cold water. Use slow-moving baits and be patient.

January 4

LUKE 12:34 Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Every 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.

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!

TIP

Slow rolling a white spinnerbait with a large Oklahoma blade works great for lethargic wintertime bass.

January 5

PSALM 31:24 All you who put your hope in the LORD be strong and brave.

Better 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.

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.

TIP

Pork trailers on jigs and spinnerbaits work better than soft plastics in cold water.

January 6

MATTHEW 2 8 : 2 0 "I will be with you always, even until the end of this age."

Fishing 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.

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.

TIP

Vertical jig your Road Runners during the winter months to catch more crappie.

January 7

PROVERBS 10:22 The Lord's blessing brings wealth, and no sorrow comes with it.

The 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.

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.

TIP

Lighter line is more manageable in cold conditions and will get you more bites.

January 8

PSALM 86:5 Lord, you are kind and forgiving and have great love for those who call to you.

Fishermen 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.

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.

TIP

Standing treetops often hold bass in clear water lakes throughout the winter months.

January 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.

We're allowed three days to...