Passion and Christ
Each time, just before I turn the lights off, I stop and stare. Her uniform is clean and ready for inspection. Belly full of fuel, weapons stowed, and hatches battened down for the haul. She’s ready for battle.
The time I spend in my shop prepping the boat for the next round of kids is something I take very seriously, but I enjoy even more. Each lake is different. Each kid is different. Novice or experienced. Left or right-handed. 6th or 12th grade. Big or small. Boy or girl, shy or outgoing, and on and on. I take all of this into consideration when building our game plan and preparing each rod individually. Most of the time, I have four rods ready for each angler on the deck of the boat. They will have a setup ready for first light, mid-morning, afternoon, and a “utility” rod. Inside the boat, we will have an ice chest with cold water, electrolyte drinks, and some snacks. No need for phones. These kids will be too busy and focused to even think about digging in their pockets to check their “snap”. When this ship pulls out of the shop, it’s fully prepared to compete with anyone on the water. The rest is up to the kids.
This year, we have the luxury of a very special team boat, but it’s NOT an ordinary boat. It’s a brand new Caymas CX21-Pro designed specifically for the Boerne Bass Club. Everything from the tires and wheels to the paint job and electronics was all personally designed for this team. I am happy to share that this was all made possible because of the good folks at Ron Hoover RV & Marine. Thomas, Rick, Corey, Johnny, and the entire staff have helped make a huge impact. There has never been a day that Denise and I have felt anything less than blessed by their generosity. But behind the purple glitter paint job and flashy fishing gear is the truth about this vessel. A mission it embarks on each time. A story that gets a new chapter month after month. It’s not a simple mission statement or fun phrase you can slap on your boat with a sticker. It’s something I have yet to fully grasp, let alone articulate into my own words. What I can say is that kids go through so much in their young lives. Sometimes life has great rewards, and I get to be a witness to that. Other times, I get to feel some of the pains, struggles, and challenges these young CHILDREN are dealing with. My mission and the trusty purple steed I ride on is to bring the presence of God into the picture. It’s not simple. In fact, it’s something that I continue to learn as time goes. Each situation is different. What I do know is that God placed our paths to cross each other’s for a reason, and Denise and I are going to lean on our faith and provide whatever we think the Lord is asking of us. Over the years, we have been blessed to see what this can mean to kids and how this club has changed lives.
It was around late 2017 when this club was born. Thinking back on all those years can take me to some emotional moments. I remember the first meeting we ever held and the faces of each child whose passion created this club. The sleepless nights and anxiety of pulling up to the line of boats trying to launch at 5:30 in the morning. Equally as nerve-racking was the simple fact that we didn’t know a damn thing about what we were getting into! But man oh man, was it fun! Being on a boat in the early hours of the morning is a special feeling that you have to experience to know. The sun barely peeking up from the eastern horizon, and the reflection of the shoreline like a mirror on the water. Breathing in the coolest and freshest air the day will have to offer. Blazing your own trail across the water like cowboys chasing Indians in the vastness of the Llano Estacado. Freedom, simply put. I may have told Denise I wouldn’t drive too fast with kids on board, but that certainly isn’t the truth. There is no way to stop a man from squeezing every single bit of horsepower he can out of his boat in moments like this. Then, just like that, you are looking for your first bite like it’s a bad habit you can’t put down. The tug is the drug, I like to say. The anticipation of the first fish is comparable to NOTHING! There is nothing like it! Every single time I have ever been fishing in my life, I get the same feeling over and over, and that passion is the same thing your kids have when they are out on the water. It is a love that they will have for the rest of their life and it’s a healthy one. Nurture it. Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to see kids go through our program from 6th grade all the way to high school graduation. Some have even moved on to fish for their college teams, winning scholarships along the way. Yep, you heard me right. Scholarships for bass fishing. It is not for everyone; some kids only fish one season, and that’s okay. But if it helps ONE child in a season, we are doing our job.
There is someone special I want to tell you about. Just typing that, I can’t stop the tears from running down my face. I have been trying to talk about him, but I can’t keep my composure to do so. Maybe I will be more successful writing my feelings out. Koby Hunter and Hunter Mazour were in the 4th grade when they met. They didn’t know at the time they would become as close as brothers and share the most important parts of their lives with each other. The highest of highs and the bottom of the lows. Their bond could only be separated by death, and even that is temporary. Although Koby was not our son, we chose to treat him as if he were because that is how much we love him. God, this is so hard. Over the next ten years, Denise and I would include Koby in almost every single part of our lives. Koby was special, and we knew it. The boys explored their intense passion for anything outdoors together, and eventually, they would both be founding members of the Boerne Bass Club. We lost Koby Hunter a little over a year ago in a snowboarding accident. One of those things you never see coming and can never prepare for. May God bless the Hunter family.
Denise and I want to help keep his memory alive and, at the same time, help other kids his age. With that goal, we started the Koby Layne Hunter Scholarship program. This year, we were able to award two of our graduating seniors with a $1,500.00 scholarship. All of our funds are donations from the community, and it warms our hearts to see the graciousness. This will be a tradition we will carry on for as long as the program remains.
On May 16th, we headed to Lake Waco for our Faith Angler Network Championship. Saturday was designated for pre-fishing and to allow teams to get acquainted with the lake. As I pulled up to the boat ramp, waves were rolling over with white caps, and the wind was around a sustained 30 mph. Something I was not expecting, and it caused me to pause momentarily. Just as I was about to call things off for the day due to the weather conditions, I noticed the disappointment on a young man’s face. He was wearing a look I couldn’t help but recognize. Then I realized, as long as I am safe, why do I care about wind and rain? These kids are not scared; they are fearless and ready to fish. So, fishing is what we are going to do! “Let’s do this,” I said. Right away, the morale changed like sinking a three-point shot at the buzzer. The next morning, after the National Anthem and morning prayer, we were off! With a fast boat and the luck of drawing number three in the release, we had the advantage of selecting any place we wanted to start. From 6:45 until 2 p.m., there were around seventy boats swarming the lake like a hive of bees. When all the dust settles, there is only one first place. Boerne Bass Club’s own Beau Glauser and Lane Meyer delivered a crushing victory, leaving second place fading in the rearview mirror. Glauser and Meyer turned in five bass with a total weight just over twenty pounds! Second place was a distant thirteen pounds.
Our official season might be over, but we are going to continue keeping the team engaged as we move forward. Saturday, June 6th, we will be volunteering at the “Boerne Family Fishing Tournament” helping kids bait hooks, measure fish, teach basic fishing techniques, cook some food, and maybe even take a few kids out on the team boat. This is a wonderful time for us to give back to the community that supports us, and at the same time, gain exposure for the opportunity our club provides area youth. Saturday, August 1st we will be hosting our annual “Boerne Bass Club Summer Shootout” tournament at Inks Lake State Park. This is a unique event that is only open to Boerne Bass Club members. The winner takes home the custom-made championship team belt buckles as well as bragging rights. There is a surprise for whoever wins big bass, and I am keeping my lips shut!! I suggest you all get ready to battle this one out.
From there, we keep trucking. Onward to the next season, the next mission, the next child’s life we can help change. This is bigger than Denise or me. This is bigger than a fishing tournament. This is what the good Lord wants us to do for him. It’s such a distinct feeling you get when you know things are for all the right reasons. Pieces coming together like a puzzle. But it’s when you stray from that that consequences will follow.
I want to close with this. If your child or someone you know is looking for somewhere to belong, has a passion for fishing, or wants to dip their toes in and learn more about our organization, please reach out to me. Help me share this message and opportunity. We will host a membership meeting in early August for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more details.
Cheers!
The Boerne Bass Club’s mission to bring faith into the outdoors connects to themes that run throughout The Kendall Gentleman. Read My Church for another Kendall County man’s perspective on where faith takes root, or Being Present Is the Present for Your Family for a meditation on showing up for the people who matter most. For more on what community stewardship looks like in practice, see The Erosion Nobody Notices Until It’s Too Late.
