Chums on the Water

09/07/2026

Had a fun Labor Day trip today! 🇺🇸🎣

I took out a guy and his two girlfriends who were staying at an Airbnb and wanted to catch enough fish for a fish fry tonight. Mission accomplished—we caught enough at the VERY FIRST spot! 🎣🙌

After that, the Texas heat 🥵 took over, so they decided to spend the rest of the trip cooling off with some drinks, swimming, and listening to music on the Chums boat Bluetooth. 🍻☀️🎶

Sometimes a trip is about filling the cooler, and sometimes it’s about enjoying the lake—and today we got to do both!

Another great day on the water, reeling in fish and making memories on Labor Day!

08/28/2026

Today was my first trip back after a two-week vacation, and the fish gave us a pretty nice welcome back!

I had Terri and his grandson Tamrac out with me today. Terri is originally from Washington State and just moved down to Texas about a month ago, settling in over on Lake Fork. Tamrac just got out of the Marine Corps last month and is down here helping his granddad get moved in.

Terri’s son-in-law, Pedro, from Quinlan, wanted to get them out for a Texas fishing trip and put some fish in the cooler for a fish fry they’re having Sunday. Pedro brought his dad along too, so we had a good crew on the boat!

The bite was better than I expected with the light north wind. From about 7:30–9:30, the fish were biting really well, and every fish we caught came on slabs.

And the best part?

NO TROLLING NECESSARY! Thank goodness!! 😂

Although, I have to admit, we’ve actually been having some luck trolling lately thanks to a few pretty good tips from a certain grumpy captain, Mickey Casey. Apparently the old grouch knows a thing or two. 🤣

Still hate trolling, though. Some things never change!

Great morning, great group of guys, plenty of fish for Sunday’s fish fry, and a pretty darn good first trip back after vacation.

Glad to be back on the water! 🎣

08/14/2026

08/02/2026

This morning, Chums on the Water had the privilege of taking out a fishing trip we donated last year to the Boles FFA auction. We absolutely love giving back to our community, and one of the best rewards is getting to put smiles on people’s faces.

The mom who won the trip chose to spend some quality time with her daughter before she heads off to Tarleton State University next week. What a great way to make one more memory together before college!

The north wind and cooler morning temperatures had the fish much more active than they have been lately, and we were able to catch them without trolling again. 🎣 They kept a little over a limit but easily could have caught close to 50 fish if they had wanted to keep fishing.

We were back at the dock by 9:45 a.m., cleaning fish and wrapping up another great morning on Lake Tawakoni.

Thank you to everyone who supports Chums on the Water and allows us to keep giving back to our community!

08/01/2026

Today was one of those trips that reminds me why I love what I do.

This morning I had the pleasure of taking out a 6-year-old autistic little boy on his very first boat ride and fishing trip, along with his 4-year-old little sister. Their parents wanted to introduce them to fishing and make it a memory they’d never forget.

They picked one of the hottest, toughest months of the year to fish. Add in a north wind that stacked just about every boat on the lake into the same few areas, and the odds weren’t exactly in our favor. We also skipped trolling because they wanted the kids to experience catching fish the old-fashioned way.

Their biggest concern was making sure the kids caught fish so they wouldn’t lose interest. That’s why they chose Chums on the Water—and we were determined to deliver. 💪🏿

Mission accomplished! We put over a limit of sand bass in the boat, landed a keeper hybrid, and had two smiling young anglers making memories that will last a lifetime.

By 9:30 this morning, we were back at the dock cleaning fish and wrapping up another incredible day on Lake Tawakoni.

There’s nothing better than watching the next generation fall in love with fishing. 🎣❤️

07/25/2026

For the 4th trip in a row, Chums had another unforgettable morning on the water! 🎣

Today I took out a couple from Fort Worth who were celebrating the wife’s birthday. As luck would have it, she hooked into the biggest fish ever boated on the Chums boat that wasn’t on a trophy catfish trip! 😳

After an epic battle, she landed a buffalo fish that weighed close to 40 pounds! These fish are highly elusive and rarely caught, and she said it was the hardest fight she’s ever had on a rod and reel. 💪

When it was all over, she smiled and said it was the best birthday gift ever! 🎉

As if that wasn’t enough excitement, we topped it off by putting a little over a limit of sand bass in the boat before heading back to the dock around 10:00 a.m. to clean fish—beating the Texas heat once again.

Happy Birthday, and thanks for spending your special day with Chums on the Water!

07/24/2026

Today was a special one.

Back in March of 2024, I took this young man on my first sand bass trip. I still remember him climbing into the boat with his buddies and telling me he had spent his entire paycheck to go fishing. I’ll never forget how nervous that made me. I kept thinking, “What if we don’t catch any?” I didn’t want him to feel like he’d wasted all that hard-earned money.

Well… we caught them that day. 🎣

And we’ve been catching them ever since!

Today was his third trip with Chums on the Water, and this time he brought his dad and his dad’s friend along for the adventure.

To make the day even better, we boated the biggest sand bass I’ve seen in the Chums boat in three seasons of guiding! 😳🔥

The fish stayed fired up, we loaded the boat, and were back at the dock by 10:15 a.m. cleaning fish.

Days like today remind me why I love what I do. Seeing customers come back year after year—and getting to watch memories like these be made—is every bit as rewarding as catching the fish.

Who’s ready to be the next success story? 🎣

07/23/2026

Today I had a deer breeder from Fort Worth and his wife out on the boat. He raises and sells Fallow bucks to high-fence ranches, and it was really interesting learning about that side of the business!

The best part? I didn’t have to troll today! 🎣 The fish stayed on a steady bite all morning, which made for a fun trip. The north wind kept the temperatures much cooler than yesterday, and the fish cooperated.

For late July, I’d call that a pretty darn good day on the water! Thanks again for spending the morning with Chums on the Water!

07/22/2026

Today I had two sisters from Kansas out on the lake while they were visiting their cousins in Rockwall. Their grandpa treated everyone to a summer fishing trip, and it was a HOT one! 🥵 There wasn’t a breath of wind anywhere on the lake.

I finally had to give in and do a little trolling, and it produced six fish. While trolling, I noticed a big school of fish suspended on my graph, so we stopped, set up on them, and it was game on!

Those fish turned out to be some absolute magnum sand bass—some of the biggest we’ve seen in a while. The kids started loading the boat, catching them four at a time! 🎣

They had never eaten sand bass before, so they decided to keep a limit and cook them up this weekend before heading back to Kansas. Nothing beats fresh fish after a day on the water!

Another hot Texas day, a boat full of smiles, and some great memories made. That’s what it’s all about! ☀️🐟

07/18/2026

This afternoon I had a dad, his daughter, and his brother out celebrating a birthday on Lake Tawakoni! 🎉🎣

It was hot AF out there. Between the jet skiers, wake boats, pleasure boaters, and pontoon boats anchored up catfishing everywhere, the lake was about as crowded as I’ve seen it. To top it off, the fishing was definitely tougher than it’s been lately.

My crew had limited fishing experience, so it made for a challenging afternoon. But we stayed patient, kept moving, and just kept pecking away at them. About 2½ hours later, we had a full limit of fish in the box!

They were worn out, sunburned, and ready for some air conditioning—but they left with smiles on their faces and fish to take home. Sometimes those hard-earned limits are the most satisfying ones. Happy Birthday, and thanks for spending your special day on the water with Chums on the Water! 🎣🔥