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Monday, January 26th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished the south end o the lake ishing my avorite deep docks and ish were there and some on my avorite o shore ree but we watched a guy catch 1 lb ish ater 1 lb ish on real worms and a bobber in a shollow spot I never have done well at so ater he let we hit it and caught 1 to 2 lb ish ater ish on minnows, real worms and I caught 14 ish on split shotting 4 inch green weenie and 3 inch purple leech, I saw a ew guy catching ish on some type o shad rip bait. The ish we were catching had the shad chased up into the shallows and that is why we were hammering them. Between my brother Benny, riend Kenny and mysel we landed 50 ish in 2 days. 14 ish on lures and the rest on minnows and worms. All ish very much alive and still in the lake.
    City: San Jose

    Tips: On 1/24 the backseater had 7 ish beore I had one ish in 4 1/2 hrs and I could not igure it out, we had same hook, same color line and same lb line and same size weight but I noticed that his weight was old and dark and mine was new and shiny so I swiched to old weight and started catching ish immediately and wound up beating him by 2 ish by days end. (TECHNIQUE) 1/16 TO 1/4 split shot with 2 1/2 oot leader and drop shot hooks, you can ish minnows, real worms or small plastics all with the same rig.

Sunday, January 25th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 46-47

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: I looked around the north end or about three hours Friday aternoon - actually played a lot with my new Lowrance color X-19. What a unit!!! The past two mornings were very cold and seemed to slow the bite a lot, at least or me. I ished a little and had three purple jig bites and landed one 2 pounder. Saturday I guided a ellow that wanted to learn about south end structure. We started near Rattlesnake and ater a boat let one o the rocky areas we ished it about 10 minutes later. I suggested he throw his Staycee ripbait and he got a 3 1/4 right away. Ater looking at a ew more areas we ran into some bait and started to catch bass ater bass. We were drop-shotting a Yamamoto Kut-tail and that seemed to do the trick. We also used some Basstrix minnow baits. We even caught 3 crappie!! Ater 11 am the ront cleared and the north breeze came up and shut the bite o or us. And it turned cold! We wound up with about 20 bass and a 12 1/2 or so pound limit. I threw a rodstrainer jig and did get a quality 2 3/4 lb ish. Most o our bites were about 10 to 20 eet. We could have caught a lot more, but the purpose o the trip was to learn the lake better. I could have stayed in that good area all day - it was un!!
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: We saw a big shad dieo in Honeymoon Cove. Hundreds already dead and lots dying as we watched. The past ew days must have done them in. Water is a nice color in the south end and has cleared some in the north. I just wish I could have been there a ew days earlier when they had the 64 degree aternoon at Lakeport.

Sunday, January 18th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 49-52

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Focused on the northern end. Were only out or three hours. Threw jerk baits at Rocky point with no success. Went to Rodman and slow rolled white spinner baits - bumping on the bottom almost like a jig. Hooked into something that I couldn't move o the bottom. It spit out my spinner a moment later. Almost had a heart attack. Got several mush hits on white Senko's. Water got up to 52 up in the slough. Had several short hits on the slow rolling spinner. Only action was on white baits. Talked with a guy who had nothing on live minnows. Real slow day.
    City: Middletown

Saturday, January 17th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 44 - 46

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished the Redwood Empire club (team) tournament Saturday 1/17. Blast-o was a little ater 7:00AM, we had our irst keeper in the boat by 7:30. Stayed in the south end, had our limit by 10:30, then culled to a 11.3 lb sack until the bite shut down (or us) around 11:30. Only managed one more ish until time to go in at 3:30, it wasn't big enough to cull. Big sack or the tournament was 19.14 lbs, big ish was 8.26 lbs caught on a crankbait.
    City: Novato

    Tips: Caught most o our ish dropshotting Roboworms (Aaron's Magic) in 10 - 12 eet o water around docks. Others were catching them on jigs and sot plastics (brush-hogs, power worms, etc)

Friday, January 16th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 44-45.5

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: It's been colder than a whitch's T up here so the lake is also real cold. Fished a club tourney on 1/10/04.We(team)could only cull up to 9.5lbs using mostly drop-shot and a couple o rip ish. The winner had 18lbs+ with a 6.5lb+ kicker. He is a hell o a jig isherman so I guess that's how he got his big ish. North end is muddy and cold and South end is a little clearer and cold.We talked to minnow ishermen around State Park who weren't having a lot o success up to that point.There is tons o bait(and birds) in the upper Rattlesnake arm so getting a bass to bite is tough(duh). South end will produce bites drop-shotting. Good luck.
    City: Middletown

    Tips: It can be clear weather all the way to lake only to ind reezing og hanging over water so goggle up!That drop-shot bite could just as easily be a hog on 8lb test, yahoo!

Tuesday, January 13th, 2004

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    Water Temp: n/a

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: I can't believe nobody is ishin this lake right now. Last post 12-26-03. Does anybody have any tips or clues? Minnow bite? Anything?
    City: Roseville

    Tips: I am guessing the minnow bite has started but who knows. Catch and release

Monday, January 5th, 2004

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    Water Temp: 47-48

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Sorry, no sturgeon, just an old fashioned bass report! I fished with a client yesterday late-afternoon until 2 am. We actually saw the sun for awhile and snow on all the surrounding mountains - wow! We fished worms and jigs until dark, only catching 4 up to 2 pounds. After dinner, we fished in cloudy weather with sprinkles, but it wasn't too cold. The smaller bass were very active during a previous trip 2 weeks ago with him, but not as much last night. The fishing was really dead at Shag Rock, Henderson, Kono Tayee, Anderson, and other spots. We went back to a rocky area I like off Hwy 20 and started circling the dropoffs. I know some of you will laugh, but a few carp starting rolling about midnight. About 12:15 am I nailed a 2 1/2 pounder and the brief winter night bite was on! In 45 minutes we had 5 in the boat for 19 lbs 3 oz - topped by my biggest for awhile - an 8-10 hawg. It was good to feel one of those again. Since he has caught the biggest in our previous few trips, I guess it was my turn. The carp quit rolling about 1 am and that was it for the bass bite. We never caught anything for the last hour. I was pretty discouraged most of the trip with the slow bite but followed my own advice when bass fishing - never give up!! 10 bass on artificials in the winter at Clear Lake at least will keep you awake!
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: The jig bite has been really slow recently for us, especially at night. Normally it is quite good on fall and winter nights. However, the Power Hog and brush hog has, as always, been a good bait at night. We caught all five of those on hogs with Smelly Jelly. The 8-10 was right where you would expect a big fish - a drop (ledge) from 6 to 15 feet, with a gradual drop to 17 feet with scattered boulders. After my hog dropped to the 15 foot level, I swam it trying to bump the rocks. The second rock I bumped was answered with a rather good 47 degree THUNK! Do I love that or what!! In hindsight, I think my client might have been fishing his baits too slow since he didn't catch as many as he usually does. The bass need to know where you bait is in cold water, especially at night. Movement does that. We also caught a few on Dead Ringer worms - red shad.

Sunday, January 4th, 2004

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: I got the cmera developed i will post the pictures tommorow around 5 o clock when i get back from work. they will be under photos. you imposters are going to be suprised that their really is sturgeon in clear lake

Friday, December 26th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 47.8

    Water Clarity: Stained (2-4 foot visibility)

    Report: Hit the lake again looking or a ew big dogs. Grabbed up the largest minnows i could ind and headed to the lake. Well this day was very dierent than our last trip out. The wind was blowing hard big rolllers on the south end. We tried to hide in Jago...didnt work....Konocti...didnt work so we headed to Buckingham we were protected but no ish...Wind laid down a tad so we went over to Henderson and Shagg (snag) rock...nothing at all...headed towards water treatment plant where we caught some nice ish the Sunday beore and our course the wind started up again...waves so big i started taking water over the bow...(i have a 18.5t Nitro) so they were some big waves...headed to a protected spot and sure enough we started catching ish...we caught over 30 ish but with only 2 or 3 keepers...i mean 13" keepers we ound the nursery...i noticed some ish in about 24t o water and thought hell ill try spooning..well they were ish alright a huge school o crappie..or the next 3 hours we caught a mix o baby bass and huge crappie...partner landed one about 2lbs we caught plenty o 1-1 1/5lbs alla in all a good day we roze a bit caught some ish and ound out how lucky we are inding all those crappie...
    City: Sacramento

    Tips: Bring crappie jigs just in case...i had 1 in the boat we dropshotted and caught ish bass and crappied on roboworms very ew ish on minnows or some reason get a weather report we did and it was asle the wind did blow rekin weather.com liars....

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 46-47

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: In a whim I decided to hitch up the 520 and go to Clear Lake so I would orget how to get there!! My wie said I was crazy - like she hasn't said that beore! I knew the og wouldn't be too bad with a ront coming in, and I thought the night bite would be ok since it wasn't too cold. I started at 10 pm, throwing a black/red brush hog. I was ishing one o my avorites ledges near Rattlesnake Island. The 4th cast produced a heavy eeling and lo and behold I had a ish on! It turned out to be 6-13, and at!! I called my wie right away on the cell to see i she still thought I was crazy. She did!! She probably had the last laugh since or the next 4 1/2 hours I got 2 bites and one o them was 1 pound!!! Boy, there went my average in a hurry!! I ished several good areas, but to no avail. I don't understand why it was so dead, but it was. Anyway, the lake was beautiul with the cloud and og ormationss and dead quite! I didn't see or hear a soul, except the coyotes!! Interesting - just beore it started to rain - about 2:45 am, carp started to roll just like someone had turned on a switch. But not one turned on the bass. I sure was happy with the one I got - a beautiul, clean bass!
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: I just ish brush hogs and Weapon jigs - didn't try much o anything else. I saw ish on the bottom, catish or bass, but they wouldn't bite. There is a possibility that the eed soon ater dark and I missed it. I really had some quality time however! Sorry, the only tip I can give is - enjoy your Christmas season!!

Saturday, December 20th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 48-50

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Got a report or Clearlake even i it's lousy.Took a kid ishing with minnows and almost blanked on bait!Launched at ramp in Rattlesnake arm and ished rocky stu rom 3'to 28'without a bite.Fished the deep water docks at Windlower,nada.Frasier Point,nada. Finally got 1 keeper o Wheeler Point.Called Bob @ Limit Out or a tip,and he sent us back to the steel wall in Rattlesnake, where at least the kid could get some dinks drop-shotting(he caught 7or8).Finally got 3 decent sized ish(with bait)o the rock blu near Keys opening.Cold rain sent us outta there by 2:00 pm. Would like to read a better Clearlake report than this one. Merry Christmas!!!
    City: Middletown

Sunday, November 2nd, 2003

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    Water Temp: 58-61

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: My brain was on overload driving over to Clear Lake yesterday - Saturday - thinking what in the world would I suggest to my clients with the summer to winter pattern we experienced in 48 hours. As one o my riends said: Autumn was last Wednesday! What would the bass be up to? I suggested we start at 9:30 am and ish 'til dark - taking advantage o any warming there was in the aternoon. Again, that worked or us! Ater launching in the still cold morning, I started showing them some areas in the Clear Lake Oaks arm and we started catching ish about 10 am. We drop-shotted several, including my biggest at 3-9. The other client nailed a 3 pounder. They both wanted to learn to ish jigs better and we did get a ew, with lots o tail-biters. Man, they love that Yamamoto #180 grub tail!! As I expected, the crank bite was slow but I did catch one on a Terminator spinnerbait about 2 1/2 pounds. We ished the south end with very slow results - even up to 4 pm. I was getting worried about my promise o better things to come. Suddenly someone turned on the switch and the jig bite was on! We caught 8 in the last hour with one o the guys boating his biggest jig ish ever - at 3-13. We probably had 20+ hits, but some were small ish I'm sure. We really had un on a bright chilly day, landing 17 bass with a biggest ive limit at 15 1/4 pounds - a real nice surprise or a trip that we were pretty unsure about. Since I was helping them prepare or a tournament - we looked around a lot in addition to ishing and still had a great day. We didn't get a big bite but I really wasn't expecting one. We talked to two other guys coming in and they only had 2 or 3 ish, but they said they did nail a 6 pounder.
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: Since they are ishing an upcoming tournament, I won't be speciic about what we were using or where we ished. I looked careully to see i the sudden cold weather had cleared the water any - not so ar! Some o the bait had dropped down to deeper water, though there were still Silversides on the surace. It was un watching 5 to 7 inch bass chase the bait - no wonder they are at!!! There are a lot o big ish - some have to be bass - in the 30 to 45 oot depth. Dragging a big worm in deep water could really yield a monster. I noticed that a lot o bass that had been drop-shotted under docks have moved out - somewhere - probably to the nearest ledge. That bite had really slowed or me in the last two trips.

Sunday, October 26th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 64-68

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Clear Lake or the irst time saturday the 25th......I cannot even begin to tell you what and absolutly incredible lake this truly is. I you have never ished it beore-sell your house,hock the kids-do whatever you have to do to go there and ish! I used 1/8 oz darter heads with Roboworm Aaron's Magic 4 1/2" straight tail worms.I ished strictly docks and ound the loating docks held ish but very ew came o pilings/raised docks. In 3 hrs I caught 11 ish with the best 5 going better than twelve pounds. Now I'll tell you I caught some beautiul,at,picture perect bass,but I did catch several dinks 11-13" long but I'm not a meat isherman-I love 'em all. We also attended the Bassmasters weigh-ins and were lucky to see exactly what the lake is capable o-I believe the big ish o the tournament was 9.8 (???) but the amount o 5's,6's and 7's was staggering-this truly is a one o a kind ishery-dont pass up any oppurtunity you get to ish it. Also just a quick pat on the back to Bob Higgins o Limit Out Tackle in Clearlake Oaks-he won the amatuer division by a landslide and is truly a gentleman-bo by and tell him congrats and see the huge selection o tackle he has (along with his trophy!) Also a big pat or Skeet and Jimmy Reese-go boys go!
    City: Chowchilla

    Tips: Fish this lake or die trying!

Saturday, October 25th, 2003

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    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: Fished Clear Lake this past weekend, didn't know I was going to be sharing the water with BASS. Hit the normal places that hold ish and o course they got hammered. Talked to Jim at Tackle It in Lakeport he sent me out with some LV 500's, Crank Baits, and some Robo Worms and got me on them in the north end. My biggest ish was a 6 on the LV 500 in American Shad. Total ish or the last 5 hours o the day was 17.
    City: San Francisco

    Tips: LV 500 in American Shad and Chartruse Shad, CB350 in American Shad. Robo Worms in MM III and Aaron Magic. Thanks Tackle it

Sunday, October 19th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 67

    Water Clarity: Clear (4+ foot visibility)

    Report: i live in marin so i let my house at 6am, and got to the lake at 8, so started ishing with a bill dance at ree shad i picked up somewhere, and i caught 6 all together til about 11am,all around boat docks in about 10 eet o water. i think it was a un day, mostly cuz i was doing better than the tournament isherman in there $40,000 bass boats, and im in my tricked out aluminum boat. Eat that.

    Tips: I hear it was slow, but i had a cool day on that shad crankbait. well, good luck, catch and release only.

Thursday, October 16th, 2003

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    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Got on the water around 4:30 A.M. with my dad. His irst time to Clear Lake. Headed to the south end and ished docks using brush hogs and tubes. In the previous months I was on to good ish with both baits. First cast, pulled an 18" ish nice and at. 1/2 hour later, only one other hit but no ish. Swithed to the tube and picked up two more around 2.5 and 3.0 lbs. Dad also picked one up on a tube around 13". Started making long casts with a senko to about a oot o water. First cast...wham!! 6lb 5oz. Just ate the thing...Had to cut the line and leave my 5 ot Gamakatsu in her. Two casts later on the same dock...wham!! 4lb 3oz. And same story, lost another hook. The ish were eating it as soon as it hit the water. Swallowed boore I could set the hook. Continued to ish the south end with the senko and continued to catch smaller ish. Those little guys are sure nice to see all beeed up. As the sun came up we started to move a little deeper and had my dad try a drop shot rig. He did well and managed to get ew nicer ish in the 3lb range. I kept pitching the senko, Tube and Brush Hog, and managed to get ew more smaller ish and one with a little better size at 3lb 10oz, on a brush hog. Headed up north around 10:30 A.M. and tried to look or a crank bait bite.......non exsistant. Took a little 1/2 boat ride to show my dad around the lake and let him enjoy the atmosphere. We were o the water by 12:30....Had a good day but have to cull through smaller ish to get a nice one. 16 ish total and best ive went about 17lbs 9oz or so.......Just keep ishing and they will come.Good luck
    City: Marysville

    Tips: I stick with what I have conidence in. My best advice is to keep conident and don't be araid to mix things up. I hear so much about the crank bait bite going on but I continue to do well with iness baits. I would suggest hitting docks in the south end beore sunrise with a senko. All my better ish came shallow right at sunrise.

Wednesday, October 15th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 64-69

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Thought I would give a quick update on my two 6 hours trips - Sat and Tues, preparing tournament olks or upcoming events. The water IS ugly, but doesn't seem to hurt the ishing. Most o these trips I just run around with the guys looking at the lay o the land - er, water! Even though we didn't ish all that much, we landed 23 bass in the two trips (12 and 11). Saturday we caught good quality with each client getting a 3+ and I ending with a 3-14 on a Weapon jig. Today we saw or the irst some o the 7 and 8 inchers. The trip started with a thud as I lost a 5+, again, on a jig. I showed them how to drop-shot and one o the guys had a 2 1/2 in about 5 minutes. He caught several nice ones up to 3 1/4 pounds. He also caught three on a "weird" crankbait (one on the irst cast!) I wish I could tell you what it was, but o course I can't. Client privilege! In spite o the unending pressure - I saw at least 50 boats today - a TUESDAY, I think the ishing is pretty good. The "new breed" o upcoming uture monster bass (I hope) sure makes ishing un again at Clear Lake. And these 1 to 2 1/2 pounder ight, as you all know!!
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: Drop-shotting, cranking, and now jig ishing are the best things going in my boat now. We threw spinnerbaits a lot today but the bass wern't impressed. I you upgrade the size o the bait you are drop-shotting, most o the time you will upgrade the size o your catch. I was explaining that to my clients today at a 7 inch bass nailed my upgraded worm!! Well, at least the theory is good!!!

Sunday, October 12th, 2003

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    Water Temp: ?

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Fished o shore rees and caught one 2 lber on irst cast as soon as it hit the water I was thinking oh yea we are gonna have a great day but that was not the case, it took me 2 more hrs beore I landed a ish not including the 4-6 inchers that would hit and run and not take the hook. I did inally get on to a patern on deep docks wacky rigging a 3 inch leech on a drop shot rig and got 3 more landed and lost a 4 lber that rapped me around a dock post.The wind picked up and I was ishing out o a 12 t boat with no trolling motor so I had to go in.
    City: San Jose

    Tips: The drop shot rig with a 3-6 inch purple worm or leech will work. I spoke to a man and lady that were doing well tossing white spinner baits,they had 17 lbs or 5 ish. I don't think water clearity had anything to do with the bite being slower than 3 wks ago I think its the moon phase and weather.

Sunday, October 5th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 68-74

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Got to play ri,sat,& sun.Had a great time.Caught ish every where we went.Caught em rom 2 t.-10 t. 2's & 3's consistently with a ew 4's & a 5. Used tubes,brush hogs, senko's,grubs, robo's, rattle traps. Light traic, great lake.
    City: Hilmar

    Tips: They seemed to want your bait to move alot or they wouldn't hit it.

Sunday, September 28th, 2003

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    Water Temp: 75

    Water Clarity: Muddy (0-2 foot visibility)

    Report: Friday evening was ull o surprises and the irst came quickly. I was wondering what I would do or my clients a ew hours ater 116+ boats let the water. I decided on cranking and the second spot we ished, one o the clients hooks a real good bass and I net an 8 pounder! I guess I was mentally shocked since I didn't expect anything like this 'til ater dark (he hooked her at sunset). Wow - the tournament guys orgot one!!! And I guess I am just getting used to a client landing a big bass. Hot streaks are nice! That was the good news. He was using a Norman DD-14 shad pattern by the way. The next surprise was not so good - in act - shocking. As a previous post mentioned - the night ishing was worse than horrible! I think the bass wanted to please the tournament olks. There was NO bite and I mean NO bite! The other client and I each landed one each - his a 2 1/2 on a worm and mine a 3 pounder on a crankbait. That brings the total ish or the trip to 3!! The clients did lose a ew. An eight pounder never looked so good! Thank goodness she came early in the trip so I didn't try to sink the boat. I believe that is the slowest summer-all night trip I have had or years. The next day a client and I joined "orces" on the lake or a beautiul day and lots o whizzing bassboats. My client started with a nice 2 3/4 pounder on a crankbait. We drop-shotted most o the day and did get into a good bite o 2 1/4 pounders or about an hour. It was tough but we managed 10 bass or a 12 1/2 pound best ive. Blue and purple were our best colors. I did not intrude on the tournament guys and had a nice time visiting with some o them.
    City: Yuba City

    Tips: This is the time o year (about a month) when the bass eed heavily during the day with all the bait around. The night bite at Amador this week was lousy too. Friday night was probably tough or several reasons and it did aect the carp too. We probably heard about 5 roll the whole night. They should have been active on a warm night. I have been raising the bait a bit higher on a drop-shot rig lately and that seems to help. There are not too many bass right on the bottom this time o year. Another month and things will change!