Rainy days have been the order for the past week or so and we're darn glad to have it. The rain was accompanied by a cool-down in daytime temperatures as well. There haven't been all that many anglers on the water, but those that have braved the winter elements have found the bass are still willing despite the changing conditions. Plus, there's a hint of a crappie bite starting. The lake remains at about 47 degrees. On with the report?Ķ

The bass are cooperating with anglers using live jumbo minnows. Fish the entire water column to find fish that are in transition. We're still hearing that larger fish are coming from deeper water, but we've had a few good reports of bass being taken in as shallow as four feet of water. Before this series of storms hit, we were starting to hear a bit about artificials turning on again. I believe that this signals the very leading edge of a spring bite. Now don't get me wrong, this is still winter as our weather would demonstrate, but I believe we'll start to see swim baits, shaky heads, and other springtime patterns taking hold soon.

I had a single, isolated report out of Konocti Harbor Resort yesterday. The caller said that they fished in the rain and caught some nice 2+ pound crappie. They didn't limit, but they did catch some nice fish. Now, I'm far from calling this a "crappie bite" but it does offer a ray of hope. We know that the best crappie fishing here on Clear Lake in recent history has been when the weather is lousy. And lousy weather is what we've had. So again, I'll keep you posted if we get more word on the crappie bite. And, as usual, I'm keeping plenty of medium minnows on hand for those that want to try their luck with the slabs. Conditions sure seem right to give it a go?Ķ Also of note, we've seen some pelicans return to the south end of the lake. Typically, where they are the bait is also?Ķ and where there's bait there's game fish.

Nothing new to report on the catfish front. Jumbo minnows or mackerel in deeper water. My bass angler customers are catching them on the jumbos they're using for the bass. (Which, by the way, drives them nuts!) I will say that we've got 2009 Catfish Derby applications in the shop and this year we can take your registrations right here if you like. The Derby will be held May 15 ~ 17th and offers to be another fabulous fishing event.

In other event news, we're just a little over a week away from our Ducks Unlimited dinner banquet. The event is on Saturday February 21 at the Lions Hall in Middletown. Tickets are on sale here at Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. Call 707.994.3474 for more information or to reserve your seats in advance. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Come join us and help support wetlands conservation in our community.