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Without question, the COVID restrictions have lead to an increase in fishing across the great state of Texas.

I have been a fisherman for most of my life and have never seen the boat ramps as crowded as they are today. This time last year, if I fished Rayburn during the week, there would only be a few if any trucks and trailers at the ramp. Now, the parking lots at the ramps are full, and people are even parking in the grass.

Please don’t hear me complaining, because I am glad to see people getting outdoors to spend time with their families. Fishing is a great outdoor activity and we are blessed with amazing fisheries in Texas.
Maybe I have too much pride, but with all of the boaters on the lake, I want my boat to look good and sparkle and shine with the best of them. However, my boat is quickly approaching its 30th birthday and it has lost some of its luster over the years.

Fortunately, I discovered that with a few simple steps and some elbow grease, I can make it look almost as good as new.

I had been reading reviews and hearing about a company called Pro-Tec Leisure Products that had developed a system for bringing new life to old boats.

While I was skeptical at first, I decided to give it a try and ended up becoming a fan. The kit came with simple, easy to follow instructions and all of the necessary products to not only clean and shine my boat, but to help keep it maintained for years.
Five simple steps are necessary and time consuming, but are well worth the effort. Below is a readers digest version of the steps you will follow:

1. Wash the boat
   2. Wet sand the boat
   3. Buff the boat
   4. Wash the boat again
   5. Polish the boat

   As I said earlier, the kit comes with detailed instructions and everything needed to do the job. with the exception of an electric buffer. The results were amazing and worth the effort.
   By keeping my boat clean and in great working condition, I am able to feel pride of ownership and help keep myself from wanting to buy a brand new one that I can’t afford. At the end of the day, I decided that catching fish had more to do with the fisherman than the boat anyway.
   As a side note — my favorite Bible verse about fishing is Matthew 4:19: “He said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.’”

Brian Johnson, originally of Port Neches, is pastor of First Baptist Church of Winnie, owner of DuckDogTrainer.com and outdoors writer for The News.