Surprisingly good bass fishing on jumbo minnows has kept us hopping here in the bait shop now for weeks. The fishing remains good despite a slight cool down and some soggy weather.

The crappie anglers aren’t finding huge success. Our catfish anglers are doing well fishing a variety of traditional techniques including live bait. There’s light rain in the forecast for the next few days, so bring your duck suits and enjoy a solid bite on bass.

The bass report is very much the same as last week – with jumbo minnows ruling the roost for attracting bass. Transitions to deep water and deep water rock piles and reefs are the name of the game. Just as a reference, we plowed through nearly 2,000 jumbo minnows last week. That’s a strong indicator that folks are catching bass.

The reports this week continue to boast of 20-, 30- or 40-fish days. That’s pretty unusual for this time of year. I’d look for the bite to continue unless we have a dramatic weather change. The artificials bite is still considered to be tough.

For the tournament folks and those working artificials, small swim baits and lipless cranks have been top producers. Jigs and finesse worms on drop shot rigs are also a go-to for this time of year.

Crappie anglers are still looking for the bite to improve. I had “researchers” out Friday morning with some of our best trained minnows checking some key areas. We’ll see how they do and I’ll report in with any substantial information.

Catfish are fond of our jumbo minnows this time of year. They’ve livened up a bit with the warmer water, too. Look for cats in water 8 to 18 feet, perhaps deeper too. If you get into some nice fish, we’d love to get our 2009 picture board started, so come on by for a photo op.

If you’re a regular reader of our report, you have probably read about the Ducks Unlimited banquet coming up. In a nut shell, the dinner is on Feb. 21 at the Lion’s Hall in Middletown. That’s just a little over three weeks away now. Don’t delay! I’ve got dinner tickets on sale NOW here at Lakeshore Bait & Tackle in Clearlake. You can call 707.994.FISH (3474) for more information. There are some great sponsorship opportunities available also.

This is a catered event therefore no tickets will be sold at the door. Don’t let this great event pass you by. DU is the greatest wetlands conservation group in the world and we can do our part right here at home. Come, have a good time, eat a great meal, and perhaps win a gun or other great merchandise.

Bob Rider is the owner of Lakeshore Bait & Tackle, 14913-D Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake, telephone 707.994.FISH (3474) or visit them on the Web at www.994Fish.com.

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