Top 5 Patterns from Clear Lake Day 1
Good spots and good mornings dominate
Outside of leader Mark Crutcher, day one of the Rayovac FLW Series event presented by Evinrude on Clear Lake didn’t offer the same abundance of giant bags as seen in years past. Nonetheless, 10th-place pro Ricky Shabazz had 21 pounds, and there were plenty of lunkers weighed in.
Read about Crutcher’s leading pattern here.
2. Matt Newman – Agoura Hills, Calif. – 24 pounds, 5 ounces
Matt Newman of Agoura Hills, Calif., put together a “dream day” and caught nearly two limits’ worth of big ones to start out in second place.
“I got a tip from a friend, an older guy, the day before the tournament and I almost didn’t take it,” shares Newman. “I always fish fast here, but this time I’m fishing real slow with a soft plastic.
“Basically it was deep points. You’d get like one or two bites per spot and then hop to the next one.”
Newman knows he isn’t likely to repeat his charmed day, but he’s feeling optimistic going forward.
“It was too good today to say it’s going to happen again,” he says. “I’ve got two spots I have a lot of faith in, and I didn’t dial them in until mid-morning. Now I’ll start on those spots and hopefully they have a few more fish.”
3. Joe Uribe Jr. – Surprise, Ariz. – 23 pounds, 11 ounces
Currently leading the AOY standings, Joe Uribe Jr. of Surprise, Ariz., shows no signs of letting up. He also enjoyed a strong morning bite and, like Newman, caught big numbers.
“We found one area that had a school,” explains Uribe. “I basically caught 20 pounds off of one spot. I caught an upgrade later in the day just before we came in, but the majority of them were on one spot. I just hope they reload for tomorrow.”
Uribe says he’s throwing a shallow reaction bait, but the ways he’s fishing is a little more meticulous than most.
“I’ve fished that spot the last several years, its kinda protected from the sun, and it has plenty of shade. It’s a really good area. The key is making multiple casts to a spot to trigger them.”
4. Kyle Grover – Trabuco Canyon, Calif. – 22 pounds, 12 ounces
2014 Western Division AOY Kyle Grover got off to a strong start doing the same thing that brought him success last year on Clear Lake.
Grover began his day one at an overlooked section of bank near a major community hole and caught four good ones before leaving the area. With little success elsewhere, he returned later in the day and caught one more big fish to cap off his limit.
“Tomorrow I’m probably not going to leave there all day. If I can catch five there it seems like they’re all four-pounders.”
Grover is relying on a big crankbait as well as a drop-shot rig with a green pumpkin finesse worm, and the drop-shot actually produced the majority of his weight.
5. Jim Hawkes – Apache Junction, Ariz. – 22 pounds, 8 ounces
Stalking his second career top 10 finish, Jim Hawkes of Apache Junction, Ariz., figured his fish out during the day.
“It started out real slow for us; what I was doing in practice wasn’t working at all,” says Hawkes. “So I changed up and found some rock reefs and started popping a jig.”
Hawkes is fishing his jig on rocky breaks anywhere from 10- to 30-feet deep. For him, the depth isn’t the main factor – the rocks and how he’s fishing his jig are the keys.
“I probably caught 30 fish, but I only culled out one good one,” says Hawkes. “I think I could do it again tomorrow if I get the right bites.”