Monthly Tournament Newsletter - Clearwater Bass Club

understand this; it’s got water in it (a little too green [vis < 1 ft] for my taste but not bad in spots – a little green never hurt anyone – just ask an Irishman, eh !), a decent ramp (that’s the concrete thing on the left also) that ya use for launching and retrieving boats and parking spots for our small group. And if ya don’t like the size of that ramp, they got a great facility up on the west side that ya can make arrangements to get in the gate early.

What else does that “lake on the left” have goin’ for it, ya ask ? Well pilgrim, as I mentioned it’s got water in it, with some decent depths (10’ – 11’) in spots and plenty of shoreline with decent depths (3’ – 6’) there also ! Add another thing this body of water has is size, and we all know “size matters” ! Yeah, how ‘bout 2,200 acres; is that size enough for ya ? Laid out a little different but about the same size as Tarpon and we all know we’re fools about our “home lake,” eh !

Now I know the “buzz” about this lake is, “if ya don’t flip’ ya don’t catch” ! No doubt about it, there are a bunch of spots to do that presentation but I’m willin’ to bet ya that’s not the only way to get bit on this pond ! I see numerous possibilities if flippin’ would bore ya to tears !

Well, by now this club finally corrected the error of its ways after all these years (with encouragement from Bill “Red Hat Bill” Coker – more on him later - and Nick “Get the Net” Critelli) ! These two went over and checked out that “lake on the left,” got bit and reported such and next thing ya know Chief Red Hat got his band of Indians together and made the pitch to get the lake selected ! What is the name of that “lake on the left” ya ask ? Yeah, that’s Lake Parker and don’t ya forget it.

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Oh, did I mention it’s only 51 miles from central Pinellas County, the closest lake we’ve had a tournament on except for Tarpon ! Bottom line, let me hear your logic on why we shouldn’t put the “lake on the left” on our list for future tournaments.

And yeah, I heard that, “I ain’t comin’ back here ever again” also ! I believe this lake deserves the same effort and patience to learn how to fish that we put in on another lake we passed for years before a club member got enlightened enough to schedule a tournament.

May I remind some folks that we didn’t do all that well the first time we fished that other “lake on the left” in case ya forgot. BTW, the name of that other lake; Crooked Lake. I just wonder how some folks would feel if we quit that lake after one effort, eh ! Think about it, shut up and keep fishin’ !

And after all that BS above, how did we do on this new addition to the “trail” ? I won’t bore you with all the numbers from previous efforts on “new” lakes, but any time 63 % (12 / 19) bring a keeper / or keepers to the scales, all I can say is, “we’ve done worse” ! Yeah I know those “unlucky seven” didn’t fare too well but I bet most would be willing to take another shot at this pond with what they learned in this event.

Now, I’m not sayin’ that when ya allow “Red Hat Bill” to select a lake for the club, he wins, but damn if he didn’t do it again. Watchin’ Bill Coker work “his area” for a fair portion of the day, I can tell you this; he worked for the three he weighed. He didn’t lick this tournament off the grass to boat 8.48 pounds of fish. Ask his partner how hard he worked ! Congratulations Old Soldier on First Place !

And check out who took Second Place. None other than Bill “I’m the Student” Christy. Fishing out of the back of Scott Ellis’s boat, Bill nailed his two early, including his biggin’ that took “Big Fish” at 4.89 pounds ! Total weight, 8.14 pounds. Bill’s “teacher” (Coker) was proud and I’ll enjoy seeing Mr. Christy collect a couple of checks at the meeting. Well done partner !

Finally, I’m not sayin' Nick “It’s a Dead Sea” Critelli had inside info on this lake but we may need to check out just what lakes he and the old man check out and conduct a “blanket party” on both of them before the tournament in the hopes of getting’ some details.

Nick, Bill Coker’s partner in crime lit right up when the lake was voted at the meeting and proceeded to boat 4 keepers out of the back of Bill Covert’s boat. The weight you ask; 8.07 pounds, plenty enough for 3rd Place.

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Nick, it was nice of ya to let Covert have a fish on your way to the “pay line” ! I’m not sayin’ it’s like the Yankees and we should break ‘em up but… Congratulations, my good man !

As for the club, 23 fish at 50.85 pounds with a 2.21 pound average. I’d say that’s not a bad place to build from, eh !

Final comments on this lake’s ability to produce; the previous weekend it took a 20 pound plus stringer to win (actually there were two that size – I could only hope) and the week before that a youngster boated a 7 plus on his way to a win in a youth tournament. And, on Friday I saw a 10.6 and an 8.4 weighted by a fella who was just fun fishin’ ! He let a 4 and a 3 go before he got back to the ramp ! Take you time to make a case for not comin’ back !