We just moved from Panama City in Florida to a place out in the country with 62 acres in Blakely, Ga. I’m really excited about it. Things will be a lot different here, but they’ll be things that are different for the good.
Our new place is within easy driving distance of Lake Eufaula and Lake Seminole as well as a couple of rivers. There’s absolutely no substitute for time on the water, and this will do it for me. I can practice fishing just about anything now and still be home for dinner.
My wife, Amanda, is as excited as I am about the move. She had a good life in Florida, but it’ll get even better up here.
In addition to raising our son, Cade, and spoiling me, she was a member of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Search and Rescue Team when we lived in Florida. Basically they were a group of local residents who searched for things in the wilds on horseback. Their successes included finding an autistic boy who was lost and a crime weapon that was discarded in the woods.
Her horse, Doc, seems to be doing OK with the move, too. I think his biggest concern is being fed and being looked after. That’s continuing on just like it did before so he has no complaints.
We’ve only been here four days so they — Amanda and Doc — don’t know if there’s a rescue team here. If there isn’t one, they might see about starting one. Those local teams are invaluable help to law enforcement and to first responders. It’s a real community service. I’m proud of her for being a part of it and for the things they accomplished in Florida.
We also went out today and bought some chickens. In fact, if I look out the window at my pickup truck, I can see the lumber in the bed that I’ll be using to build them a coop. They’ll be a lot of work to take care of, I think, but I’m not too worried about that. Cade is 4-years-old. He says not to worry because he’ll feed and water them every day. That should cover it — right?
So anyway, back to the fishing thing.
I’ve watched over the years and it seems to me that the one thing that sets the winners apart from everyone else is that they spend more time on the water than everyone else. It gives them the opportunity to test out different techniques and to get good a things without sacrificing time in practice or during competition. And, maybe even more important, it gives them confidence when they have to make unplanned changes.
If I’m going to take my game to the next level — and that’s my goal — I need more time fishing and messing around when I don’t have any pressure on me. In Florida I had to drive an hour and a half to do that. This will be a lot better, more time fishing and more time with the family.
I gotta go. It’s time to get ready for the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. I love big bass tournaments.