The 8-year-old boy casts out his reel into the big, blue body of water.

   He looks back at his grandfather and dad smiling down at him.

   He looks back at his rod and reel as his line jerks. 

   He pulls up his rod and furiously starts reeling his fish in. The fish starts getting restless. Finally, he gets to catch his breath. The fish starts tugging again, and he reels the fish in. His grandfather and dad grab the net and help him as he puts his very first fish in the net. It was a five pound bass.

    And so begins: his growing love for fishing. 

   “It was a really special day for me,” Clayton said.  “My grandfather and dad were so proud of me.”

    Senior Clayton Easter has been in the Bass Club since his freshman year of high school. Following in his older brother’s footsteps, he even got to compete with his brother his freshman year. 

    “One of my fondest memories of Bass Cub is in my second year when my brother and I won at Possum Kingdom Lake,” Clayton said. 

      Clayton said they caught an eight pound fish and that was the biggest he had caught since he started fishing. He enjoyed making that memory with his brother before he went off to college.

      Clayton is excited about his team’s accomplishments this past year. 

       “My partner and I won the first tournament, got 7th in the second tournament, and 10th in the third tournament,” Clayton said.

       Clayton says that this is the best he has placed in the Bass Club all four years he has participated. 

       “My partner and I are in 2nd place for Angular of the Year which is pretty exciting,” Clayton said. 

       To think this all started when he was a little boy fishing with his dad and grandfather. 

       “I love having the time with my dad,” Clayton said. “It feels good to have something to do with him that’s just for me and him. Fishing has become a big part of my life, and something that I will always be a part of.”