In "I Catch 'Em," Randy Travis recounts a roadside stop in Louisiana where a Cajun preacher turns a fish fry into a revival. The preacher’s simple message, drawn from Saint Matthew, frames evangelism as fishing: he only catches, while God does the cleaning. That division of labor eases the pressure of perfection, and the moment shifts from casual curiosity to personal surrender when the prayer lands. The shared boat becomes a quiet image of belonging, no longer one man preaching at another but both caught in the same net of forgiveness.
I Catch ‘Em Lyrics by Randy Travis
I was driving around down South Louisiana
Stopped in a place called Galliano
Saw a sign on the church that said, “Fish fry tonight”
A little old Cajun preacher was preaching
Reminded me of an ol’ camp meetin’
And he brought Saint Matthew 4:19 to life
He said
“I catch ’em, God cleans ’em
I bait the hook with the love of the kingdom
I’ve been called to be a fisher of men
I catch ’em, God cleans ’em
Heaven knows He saves every soul that believes Him
I reel ’em in and He washes away their sins”
It didn’t take long for him to catch my attention
He was long on grace and short on religion
He said a prayer and that was all she wrote
He said, “Amen” and as God as my witness
I fell into that net of forgiveness
And before I knew it, we were both in the same boat
He said
“I catch ’em, God cleans ’em
I bait the hook with the love of the kingdom
I’ve been called to be a fisher of men
I catch ’em, God cleans ’em
Heaven knows He saves every soul that believes Him
I reel ’em in and He washes away their sins”
“I catch ’em, God cleans ’em
I bait the hook with the love of the kingdom
I’ve been called to be a fisher of men
I catch ’em, God cleans ’em
Heaven knows He saves every soul that believes Him
I reel ’em in and He washes away their sins
I reel ’em in and He washes away their sins
I reel ’em in and He washes away their sins”
