Just As I Am Cowboy Church
Just As I Am Cowboy Church
Fishers Of Men
Matthew 4:19
Go forth and I will make you fishers of men.
Upcoming
Fishers of Men Meeting
April 8, 2025
6 PM
Join us for a night of good food, good fellowship and learn to be a better fishermen and fisher of men.
Catfish Tournament 2024
It’s April 20th, 2024 and we just completed our first catfish tournament. Our day began at 4:30 am with breakfast, prayer and it was out the door into the cool dark morning air and a short ride to the church. The tournament began at 6:00 am and was to end at 4:00 pm with weigh-in at 5:30 pm. A meal was served at 6:00 pm consisting of bake beans, potatoes, BBQ ribs, pulled pork and all the lemon aid you could drink to wash it down. That’s when the true fun began. There were 12 fishermen, 3 boats and countless bank fishermen battling for the right to have their name engraved on a gold tag and hung on the Best Fisherman plaque. But no name was to be added as all 12 fishermen caught zero fish, you might say it was a 12 way tie. Every fisherman blamed it on the wind or the cold or even the wrong bait no one dare admit that it could be a lack of talent. One group of 6 people in a boat ran out of gas on the Missouri River allowing them to take a floating joy ride down river. If it had not been for the fact that another member was fishing the same river in his boat the day might have ended quite differently for the group of 6. Another fisherman found their pet frog on the back porch perched on the arm of their easy chair. Another member made their way to their favorite fishing hole and while he was fishing the wind blew his lawn chair into the water. That same member had in his possession a dip net which had never been used to catch a fish, so in a desperate effort to rescue his chair he got the dip net wet. Another member had taken his dog to keep him company but while he was setting his line out the dog decided to explore its new found territory. Needless to say, the hunt for the dog took more than 2 hours out of their fishing time. The fisherman claims to have been using hot dogs for bait and received one bite, but we’re not sure who bit the hot dog. Another member caught a 2 pound channel cat but felt it was useless to check it in, little did they know that one two pound channel cat would have afforded her first place and her name on the gold tag. The day ended with good food, lots of laughs, a few jokes and no fish. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed, or does it? I must admit that for a fishing tournament, it couldn’t have been more fun. Thanks to all our fishermen for a wonderful day
Crappie Tournament 2024
The day began at 4:00 am with the sun peaking over the horizon ushering in the beginning of a new day. This day, however, was going to be different. This day was the Just As I Am Cowboy Church Crappie Tournament. What a lineup of fishermen there was to compete in the tournament. We have Gene and Carl, Leon and Sally, Clint and Nicole, Zach and Braden and Carl, TJ, Pete and Anna, Bobby and Penny, wow, what a star studded lineup. Gene and Carl grabbed some minnows, fishing poles and a hot cup of coffee and headed to Sugar Creek Lake a few miles away. Carl, TJ, Pete and Anna were already at Sugar Creek Lake when Carl and Gene arrived. Then it was bait on the hooks and lines in the water. Shortly afterwards Gene caught a small crappie and Carl followed with another one. Moments later Carl snags about a 13 inch crappie while TJ catches one, breaks his line and loses his pole in the lake. TJ’s day didn’t start out well as you may have guessed by now. Anna catches one but refuses to bait the hook or remove the fish from it. Pete catches a couple and adds them to the fish basket. TJ changes strategy trying a different setup. TJ catches what appears to be a very nice size crappie but his line breaks allowing the cork, hook and fish to prematurely return to the water taking with it TJ’s line, cork and the hope of winning the tournament. Carl, however, lays belly down and in true hillbilly style, hand fishes TJ’s line, cork, and hook with crappie still attached. Carl, TJ, Anna and Pete decide that their luck may be better on the lake. TJ maneuvers the small pontoon down the boat ramp and off into the crystal clear lake. Carl, Pete and Anna stand anxiously waiting on their chariot to come close enough to the dock for them to get on board. They grab poles, bait and a lawn chair to relax in and it’s off to the nearest crappie hole. Gene carefully aims his boat down the ramp while Carl holds tightly onto the ropes. They grab poles, bait and a change of clothes and Gene says “I’m ready to go fishing”. Zach and Braden, head for a pond, kayak on their shoulders, poles in their hands and a grin of anticipation of winning the tournament on their minds. Bobby Lee and Penny get a late start but their minds are focused on the goal of winning the tournament. Clint and Nicole head for Thomas Hill lake North of Huntsville Missouri. Clint is using one of the new live scope electronics which he hopes will give him the edge to stand in the winner’s circle. As the day precedes forward the temperature heats up and so does the competition. Gene and Carl’s luck, now on the lake, seems to have cooled off. As they search the edges of the lake for fallen timber or drop offs where crappie may be hiding, their winning numbers seem to be fading into the darkness. Carl, TJ, Pete and Anna have found some crappie about 9 feet down beneath a fallen dead tree. Zach and Braden hang into some nice crappie making their dreams of winning appear to be a little closer. Bobby Lee and Penny, or should I say Bobby Lee, had found a honey hole in the corner of the pond that was producing some very nice crappie pushing them closer to the winner circle. Penny said, “I’m not going in that tick infested area, not even for crappie”. Clint and Nicole tie into a nice size crappie boosting their hopes of having a good day fishing. The heat of the day peaks at about 83 degrees while the competition seems to slow down. Gene and Carl are heading back to the church where the weigh in will take place. Carl, TJ, Pete and Anna remain at Sugar Creek Lake a little longer before heading back to the church. It’s now almost 4:00 pm time to start weigh in. Bobby Lee and Penny weigh in first with a total of 7lbs of crappie. Carl, TJ, Pete and Anna go next and their crappies tip the scale at 7lbs total. Gene and Carl cross the line with a total of 2lbs. Leon and Sally boast a total of 1 ½ lbs and Zach and Braden turn in total of 4 lbs. The prize for the biggest crappie goes to Sally with her crappie weighing a little over ½ lb. First place was a tie between Bobby Lee and Penny and Carl, TJ, Pete and Anna. Prizes were handed out during the evening meal. A few needed comforting from the sunburn or dare I say 'funburn' while most just needed a cup of coffee, prop their feet up and of course some sleep. All together it was a wonderful day of laughter, fellowship and of course fishing. As I sit here in my easy chair and ponder the events of the day, I give thanks to the Lord who supplies all our needs, including good times with family and friends. When I take note of the joy, laughter and fellowship I can only feel sorry for those who missed it.
