Thus far, day one of the Rayovac FLW Series presented by Evinrude on Clear Lake is probably going just about as anticipated. While some pros have certainly been catching them – AOY leading Joe Uribe Jr. in particular – there are many more partial limits that contain a few truly big fish.

Anglers have spread out throughout the lake, so while some popular ledges have a few boats ganged up on them, there are also good-sized stretches or tules, docks or shallow grass with only an angler or two. Many anglers ran shade in the morning with a variety of baits, but an about equal number camped on the deeper drops with big crankbaits. Fish have also been caught deep and shallow with drop-shots and finesse baits, and right along the bank with swimbaits, crankbaits and the like.

The weather has been nearly perfect. The wind has been calm in areas, but never strong enough to make fishing difficult. After a slightly cool morning, the day has turned out to be very sunny and very comfortable.

Besides Uribe, we know fellow AOY contender Kyle Grover was off to a hot start, with two fish over five pounds and a third in the three pound range. Cody Meyer, Pete Rodriguez, Matt Newman and Kevin Stewart also reported a few big fish, but none had completed a limit of giants. So far, it seems like we’re headed for a tight one, so checking back for FLW Live at 3 p.m. PT would be a good decision if you like hawgs and drama.