Lots of little pieces make up the whole

Sometimes you get a chance to catch your breath, and you realize that your life is made up of lots and lots of little pieces.

I usually bow hunt whitetails earlier in the fall and then move on to ducks towards the holidays. This year that didn’t work out. I’m not able to hunt some of the ground I have in past years so I’ve had the time to do other things while I wait for the weather to turn nasty and bring the ducks home.  

None of what I’m doing is all that big but when you take everything together it all creates a big picture of what your life is really all about. In my case that’s working with sponsors helping them design new and better products that’ll help all of us catch more fish.

One of the things I’ve been working on is helping Lew’s design a new and better swim jig rod. That’s exciting to me because as everyone knows I’m a swim jig angler, and the right rod is important. I’m not saying I’m an expert at rod design — that’s a complicated process — but I do know what works with swim jigs and I do know what features will make a first-class rod.

Something else I’ve been working on is a new, or modified, jig and skirt for LurePartsOnline. That sort of thing looks easy from the outside but it isn’t. There’s a bunch of things that you have to consider if you want something that’s really good and that catches fish. We do take those things seriously so that’s taking longer than I thought it would.

But the thing I’m really waiting for right now is my duck hunting trip that’s coming up with the people from Xpress Boats in the next week or thereabouts. I really like the people, the boats and duck hunting. That pretty much covers it all as far as I’m concerned. 

You notice, though, that I haven’t said a word about fishing. I usually do some of that in the fall and winter when we’re not competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series. Right now, though, I’m between boats. My one from this year is sold and my new one isn’t in yet. 

That’s a mixed blessing of sorts. I love to fish — anywhere, anytime, for anything — but it’s also nice to take a break. When you get back at it you’re fresh and really looking forward to it. That’ll all start after the first of the year if I have the time considering my sport show schedule. It’s really heavy this year.

I haven’t mentioned time with the family. The reason I haven’t said anything about that is because it’s a given. I always spend time with them. There’s nothing I enjoy more than Jennifer and the kids. I can’t imagine life without them. 

That’s pretty much all that’s going on in the Lowen world right now. I suppose it isn’t very exciting, but it’s the way things are happening. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and an enjoyable New Year’s holiday. 

Next year we’ll start catching some fish. I have a couple of thoughts about early spring that I think you’ll all find interesting.