How is catching tarpon like sharing Jesus?
I’m sure you know the famous quote from the movie “Forrest Gump” where Forrest said, “My momma always said that life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what your gonna get.” Well, we can use that statement and say, “Fishing for tarpon is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Or better yet, for this journal entry, “Fishing for tarpon is like sharing Jesus with others…you never know WHEN they’re gonna bite.”
Our family loves to be on the water, and between the months of late April to mid July, tarpon fishing is usually one of the top hobbies we participate in while on the boat. Tarpon are catch-and-release fish which usually weigh between fifty to over two-hundred pounds, and are often anywhere from three to eight feet long. Once you hook one up, “the fight” can last anywhere from ten minutes to over a couple of hours. People often wonder why in the world would you get so exhausted and spend so much time trying to reel one of these suckers in, to only let it go? Well, when you realize the thrill of it for yourself, you discover that all the exhaustion turns into exhilaration!
I’ll never forget the first tarpon I ever caught. We were in Boca Grande Pass. The waters were cramped with boats all trying to land this strong, massive fish. My father-in-law was our expert boat captain. He and Tim would instruct me which way to pull the rod, when to reel and when to rest. After about a forty-five minute fight, the tarpon was finally to the edge of the boat. We were ready to pull it in for a celebratory look, when a hungry bull shark decided to bite my tarpon in half…right there beside the boat! Man how I wish we had cell phones back then for that photo!
Another memorable tarpon catch for me was just weeks after we buried my dear mother-in-love, we went on our annual Little Gasparilla Island vacation. We would usually fish for tarpon either in Boca Grande Pass or along the beach. This time, it was in the pass at the point of where we stayed on LGI. The sun was about to set…my happy time of day at my happy place. The stars were out by the time I landed the tarpon to the boat. We were able to take a picture of that tarpon, but not with me in it. I have the photo displayed on the wall at home. The night sky had fallen, yet the tarpon experience is brightly vivid for me to remember landing that huge fish.
This Memorial Day weekend of fishing is another priceless memory for me in the books. Tim, friends, and family have been trying to catch tarpon for the past four to five weeks. Nothing! All Memorial weekend we were throwing our bait either in the direction of where the tarpon were heading, or practically on top of their shiny heads, and putting out chum. Tarpon would even surround our boat. No takers. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Our boat was loaded with snacks and beverages, bait to last all day, and there were usually four lines in the water at all times. My boys were r-e-a-d-y. No one can say we didn’t try. Our trip back to our dock was full of loud music, but no stories of tarpon being caught. Then…early in the morning, after the weekend crowd left, the boats were not in abundance, and before Tim had to go to work, our dear friend, Bob, took us out on his boat.
The beautiful sunrise greeting us as we left the canal.
Tim didn’t have to “captain” his boat, so he could relax. We brought only two rods (verses multiple rods), a water each (instead of a cooler full of drinks), and only four crabs (rather than crabs, whitebait, and dead bait). This was a minimalist fishing trip. Get out early, and hopefully git ‘er done.
We three would peer out across the beautiful aquamarine water and hunt for schools of tarpon. The breeze was gentle enough to keep the heat from stifling us. We would throw on a school, but no luck. I quietly said a prayer of thanksgiving and desire, and Bob later told me the prayer he said too. As we were heading back home, while running the boat along the beach, Bob noticed a shadow under the water. He said, “Let’s turn around and see if that’s fish.” Sure enough…a quite large school of tarpon swimming stealthily under the water. One surfaced three feet beside the boat. I could have netted it. Our rods were ready for action. Observing where the line of shadows were, I cast my rod just behind a tarpon that came up for air. I guess the tarpon directly behind him like how my crab was so petite and appetizing, and decided to taste and see. The line became tight, and the fight began.
If you’ve ever fought a tarpon, you know that you can get that sucker right up to the boat, and he will decide to take off and make a run for it. This 110 pound tarpon did just that. I’d do all that my husband and father-in-love taught me to do. The tarpon would come up for an acrobatic display, and I would “bow” to the fish so it wouldn’t throw my hook. The tarpon would swim in one direction, and I would pull it back in the opposite direction to tire him out. This stinkin’ fish got flipped a few times, waved its tail in the air as if he was done a couple of times, was brought close to the boat, then would get spooked or a boost of energy would serge through him and he’d take off again. Ugh! Tim would give me water to drink, encourage me, and have the gloves on ready to grab ahold of the fish. The last 5-10 minutes of the one hour and ten minute fight, I had to rely on Tim to pump the rod for me while I reeled. Finally, after a hand blister and some heavy breathing, success! Like Bob said, “It was about a minute of fight for each pound.”For about the first 45 minutes of the fight, our boat was encompassed with an abundance of tarpon. Tim and Bob both could have easily hooked up to another tarpon, but we’d leave the many to chase the one.
This tarpon catch is a memorable one for many reasons, but for us both because it was our first tarpon of the season. I had never been the first one to land a tarpon for a season…now I have!
Okay, so how is catching tarpon like sharing Jesus? A few thoughts come to my mind:
- Sometimes you are so prepared, but no takers.
- Prayer helps.
- When you least expect it, a person comes from the shadows and is hungry for what you have to share.
- When you simplify what you may bring to the witnessing table, the sharing may be more appealing. Keep it simple.
- God’s timing is perfect. Be patient.
- Patience IS a virtue.
- Sharing can be a struggle for some, but the end result is worth it.
- When someone comes to know Christ, it is exhilarating!
- Surround yourself with wise and encouraging folks to keep you motivated.
- Just like we left the many to chase the one, our Great Shepherd will leave the 99 to go get the one.
- Never give up!
Do you have someone who you want to share Christ with? Keep it simple. Live your life for God and be a godly example. Pray often and never give up.
Thanks for allowing me to share this memorable tarpon trip with you.
Now get out there, go hook’em, and be great fishers of men for Christ.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
Bob’s lucky rod, my man beside me, and the tarpon’s scale between my teeth.
