I finaly got to spend some time on Clearwater Lake recently, the lake I grew up on and learned how to fish on. I was prefishing for a bass tournament and started by taking a neighbor kid out since a guide trip cancelled. We started by casting 5" Texas rigged Outkast Stickworms on the edges of the pads and slop. It didn’t take long for Austin to hook up with a nice bass. He missed the first 2, but once he figured out the bite, he was deadly from then on. The first one pictured was just at 4lbs and should have been more, but she was real skinny. We noticed this in 3 different areas we fished, while the rest of the areas the fish were much thicker.
Shortly there after I put away my frog as I had not even had a blow up and hooked this nice fish. Another over 4lbs and I knew we were on the right pattern, just a matter of fine tuning it and finding more spots like it. We did spend some time out on the outside weed lines and managed to boat a ton of small fish, but nothing over 2lbs on all 5 days I was on the water. The numbers were there, just not the size for us. We did find quite a few walleyes holding in the deeper weeds that were willing to hit a 7" worm rigged on an Outkast Money Jg.
Next we went reed fishing using the same stickworms. Austin hooked this 3lb+ fish as well as a few others as well. The key to the reed fish is that the bottom had to be clean. If there was any "stink" weed, there were no fish. It was a fun day on the water with Austin, and since I caught the biggest fish, I got a free lawn mowing. Not a bad deal. While I didn’t get a free lawn mowing when I took my dad out, it was good to get him on the water after not being on the water all year with ankle surgery.
Come tournament day we started on our best area, coming up to it quietly by starting about 30 yards away from the sweet spot, only to have a boat cut in front of us and drive right on top of it. We managed to catch fish, and managed these two 3lbers behind them, but it was frustrating to watch them pull 4 fish. You have to expect that in tournament bass fishing. Live and learn. It took 19lbs to win and 14lbs to cash a check. Our 13lbs put us just out. We easily caught 4 limits of fish with our best colors of stickworms being pumpkin and black/blue.
The more I hear and see of some tournament fishers not having consideration for their fellow competitors, the more I won’t be fishing in tournaments and have to deal with that type of scum. I’m sorry to hear you had to deal with that.
Though it sure is fun to not be fishing in a tournament and go to a spot after a tourney guy just got done fishing it and catch four or five 2 – 4lbs. fish. Especially when I watched beforehand and never saw them catch a fish.
Nice fish and report Mike! Great seeing the neighbor kid out with ya
I be he had a fun day! 
Nice Report Mike,
Man you gatta love them stickworms. I think that in the scattered pads they are as deadly as it gets!
Thanks for the report and pics Mike. Some very nice looking fish in deed. Its great to see a young man catching fish like that. Hes hooked for life thats for sure.
Can I ask you to share what kind/type of rod, reel and line weight that is needed to pull the fish out of where you were fishing?
Thanks, Bill