A Biblical lesson will unfold before our eyes today. This afternoon brotherly love will be put into perspective. For a few hours today, Ronde’s and Tiki’s allegiance needs to be to their respective teams first, and their bloodlines second. If called upon to do so, Ronde needs to lay a hit on his brother. You may remember a number of years ago when then Buccaneer John Lynch laid a knockout blow on his brother-in-law, Chicago Bear TE John Allred. Allred doesn’t. The point is that your loved one becomes your adversary when the game clock starts. Your primary responsibility is to team. Your primary affection is towards the guys wearing the same colors.
There is a very hard passage of Scripture in Luke chapter 14. It reads: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.’
You might be thinking, ‘Wait a minute. The Bible commands me to love my wife. The Bible commands me to love my neighbor. The Bible even commands me to love my enemy. Isn’t this a contradiction?’
Nope. Loving our family and friends are among the chief blessings that we have in this life. Extending love to our neighbors and even to our enemies is one of the surest demonstrations that we are followers of Christ to a watching world. The point that Jesus was making here is that where our affection for Him is concerned, there can be no rivals. Our love for our Lord ought to so outdistance our love in all other relationships that they are tantamount to hatred by comparison.
Today’s texts: Luke 14:26, Matt. 22:37-40
Good Afternoon,
I wanted your opinion on a safe size boat and perhaps recommendation for fishing for grouper inside Tampa Bay on good days? I currently have a 16’ Carolina Skiff with a 25HP on it. While this is good for flats and general shallows fishing, I haven’t really had it out very far. About the furthest has been to the reef of debris off of the Picnic Island landing.
I’d like something in the 17-18’ range (so I can still garage it), to fish for grouper and snapper in the Tampa Bay channels. I fish alone quite often and want to be able to still handle the boat alone. There are several nice looking boats, but I haven’t really gotten up close to many at this point. I was hoping perhaps you could point me in a good starting position. I’ve looked at a few on the Internet - Blue Wave 16 and 18V; MAKO 171, 181, 1801; Key West 176 CC or Bay Reef. Thanks, John
John:
Basically, you need something with a little V in the bottom, and good freeboard and flair up front, to give you a softer ride than the flat-bottom C-Skiff and also to keep you drier. (On a dead-calm day you could troll the channel inside Tampa Bay in your current boat, but watch out for those ship wakes!) My personal favorite for value and quality is the Sea Pro; I shopped all brands when I bought my boat a few years back, and they offer a great boat at a very good price. However, they were purchased by Mercury recently, so if you don’t want a Merc on your boat, they are not an option. Mako makes an excellent boat, but they are somewhat pricey. Blue Wave is a good value, but I’m not sure about their quality. I’ve never been aboard one, so I’m not saying they don’t build a good boat, just that I’m not personally familiar. Key West is also pretty good on price and would fill the bill for what you want. Consider a good quality used boat and shop Boattrader.com, among others. Some companies make folding trailer tongues, which would help on your garaging problem. Good luck. FS
By FRED EVERSON
The first cold front of the season passed across the Bay earlier this week and dropped the water temperature to 73 degrees. Tides were low in the extreme Tuesday, with the oyster bar at the mouth of the Little Manatee River totally exposed, making navigation even tougher than normal.
Captain Billy Jordan reported fishing was slow on the low tide, and it was too windy to get into deeper water. He did catch some ladyfish around the mouth of the river, and cut them up for redfish bait, but that bite didn’t happen either.
There is still some bait on the flats and it’s good sized. I saw a few pods of 3- and 4-inch baits on the flats between Cockroach Bay and Big Pass earlier this week.
Spanish mackerel continue to roam the deeper waters of the Bay, along with huge schools of ladyfish and jack crevalle. To distinguish one fish from the other, the jacks beat the surface to a froth, making lots of noise. Ladyfish roll and make less noise, but don’t leave the water unless they are hooked. Spanish mackerel jump clear of the surface to great heights, and can re-enter the water without making a splash. All three will attract diving birds.
Snook season is in the homestretch with another six weeks remaining, and by most accounts, the fishing this fall was not as good as last year. Captain Mark Thomas said he found snook in the Little Manatee River, and the action Friday was steady. He said he found bait on the flats, but it’s getting thin. It took him nearly two hours to catch enough to fish with Friday.
Visit captain Fred Everson’s Web site at Tampabayfishingguide.com for charter info or call (813) 830-8890.
K.J. Choi sank a birdie putt from 13 feet on No. 18 to take a one-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round at Westin Innisbrook.
Standing one-stroke back in a tie for second are Ernie Els, Brian Gay and Paul Goydos, who also made birdie at 18.
Twelve players are within five strokes of the lead, a group that includes previous major championship winners Vijay Singh and Mike Weir, who each are at 4-under.
Both Ernie Els and K.J. Choi missed birdie putts at 17 and head to today’s final hole tied for the lead at 8-under with Paul Goydos and Brian Gay.
In the previous two days, Els has made par and birdie at 18, while Choi has made par both days.
The 18th hole is directly into the wind.
Brian Gay and Paul Goydos are both in at 8-under par after making par at No. 18, but Ernie Els and K.J. Choi still have a shot to surpass them.
Both Els and Choi have birdie putts looming at the par-3 17th.
Gay, the tournament’s first-round leader, shot 1-under today after an even-par 71 yesterday. Goydos shot 2-under in the third round.
Ernie Els made birdie at the par-4 16th and K.J. Choi saved par at 16 after an errant tee shot to make it a three-way tie at the top with Brian Gay at 8-under.
However, Gay missed the green on his approach to 18 short and to the right of the hole.
First-round leader Brian Gay just birdied the par-3 17th to move into a share of the lead with K.J. Choi at 8-under, though Choi is in some trouble after his tee shot at No. 16 went into the trees and he was forced to punch out into the fairway.
K.J. Choi now stands alone atop the Chrysler Championship leader board after making par a the par-4 15th.
Ernie Els made bogey to fall to 7-under, one shot back of Choi, and into a tie for second with Paul Goydos (through 16), Brian Gay (through 16) and Troy Matteson (finished).
Ernie Els has joined the leaders at 8-under after birdieing the par-5 14th.
Els is 1-under on the day and he’s currently tied with third-round leader K.J. Choi, who also birdied 14. Both players are thorugh 14 holes.
Paul Goydos birdied the par-3 15th to move to 8-under and take sole possession of the Chrysler Championship lead.
Goydos is 2-under on the day through 15 holes, one shot ahead of Troy Matteson (finished), K.J. Choi (through 13 holes) and Ernie Els (through 13 holes).
Jonathan Byrd made double-bogey at the par-3 13th, struggling to get out of the rough after missing the green off the tee, and now there is a cluster at the top, with four golfers tied at 7-under and Byrd not one of them.
One of those is former World No. 1 Ernie Els, who has made two consecutive pars after a birdie on the par-5 11th. Also at 7-under is K.J Choi, who bogeyed the 13th to drop another stroke. Paul Goydos is also at 7-under after birdieing the par-5 14th.
Troy Matteson, who is in the locker room after carding a 7-under 64, the tournament’s lowest third-round score ever, is the fourth player tied for the lead.
Byrd dropped into a tie for fifth with first-round leader Brian Gay, who just bogeyed No. 14 to fall to 6-under.
Jonathan Byrd has increased his lead at the Chrysler Championship to two shots, though he’s getting a little help.
Brian Gay just bogeyed the par-4 12th to drop to 7-under and third-round leader K.J. Choi has bogeyed two of his last four holes to also fall to 7-under, two shots back of Byrd. Meanwhile, Byrd has reeled off three straight pars after a birdie at the par-3 eighth.
Joining Gay (through 13 holes) and Choi (through 12 holes )in a tie for second are Ernie Els (through 11 holes) and Troy Matteson, who recently completed a 7-under 64, the best third-round score ever at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Joe Durant avoided trouble on the closing holes this time around, finishing with a 4-under 67, which moved him into a tie for seventh at 5-under overall.
Troy Matteson completed the best third round ever at the Chrysler Championship when he made birdie at the par-4 18th, giving him a 7-under 64 on the day, one stroke better than the previous top third-round score.
Matteson used an eagle, six birdies and a bogey in his round to clip the previous best posted by Vijay Singh (2003) and Tom Carter (2004).
Matteson, who entered the third round at even par, now finds himself in a tie for fourth, two shots back of leader Jonathan Byrd, who is through nine holes.
Meanwhile, Ernie Els bogeyed the par-4 ninth to fall to 7-under overall. K.J. Choi (through nine holes) and Brian Gay (through 10) are both tied for second at 8-under.
The final group is heading to the ninth tee, and Jonathan Byrd stands at the top after making a birdie at the par-3 eighth, moving him to 9-under.
K.J Choi is one stroke back after making bogey at the eighth, while Ernie Els (through eight) and Brian Gay (through nine) join Choi in a tie for second.
Troy Matteson continues his run towards the best third-round in tournament history, standing at 6-under for the day through 17 holes. Meanwhile, Jason Bohn has moved into a tie for fifth with Matteson after a front-nine 33 and a birdie at the par-5 11th, which moved him to 6-under overall.
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