Shore Fishing advice needed

[dcpeter28]

Posting this for a friend of mine that usually shore fishes. It is a long read, but he tried to be as detailed as possible. Any help is greatly appreciated.


It's been almost a year since I started bass fishing again. I primarily fish Lake Perris and I don't have a boat, so I'm bankfishing from rocky points on the "north" side of the lake, and these points have more areas with bushes "blocking" you than open areas where you can cast, so they're not ideal points (unless you're on a boat). And, you're pretty much casting into rocky areas.

I'm more into dropshotting, and I use Robo worms and BPS worms, and just started trying Zoom worms with chartreuse tips, which I don't think work too well. I've got junebug, watermelon, green pumpkin, margarita mutilator, other purple ones, pink ones, red ones, etc.

The problem I'm having is I'll catch 0-2 fish every time. My best day was landing four fish on five bites. Second best was three fish in 10hrs ( with a rental boat at Diamond Valley). Both were last summer.

Last weekend, caught two in two hours, then 15 minutes later, BAM; felt a BIG bite! After fighting for a while, it finally came up from below and was visible at about seven feet away. Then, it dove below towards some rocks to the right of me and ended up snapping my line. Not sure if the rocks had anything to do with it, or if it was just the sheer power/torque of the fish. It was easily 6+lbs, when my best is 3lbs, which was caught my first day this year, five weeks ago. It's my fault for thinking I can land fatties with an UL rod and 6# line, and, my drag wasn't set properly, though I thought it was (and was immediately loosened!). I was EXTREMELY heartbroken!! I blame the youtube vid of the guy (at Lake Perris) catching a 10.6lber on 2# line. Of course, he was fishing for bluegill.

I'm not saying it was a 6lb fish because it snapped my 6# line, but when I saw it, my jaw dropped, remembering a 6lber someone else caught last summer, which was the biggest largemouth I've ever seen, until I saw the fish I lost. After losing it, it was another two-fish day; the two I caught before. Nothing after. Not sure if my being delated after losing that fatty had anything to do with no more catches for the day. The next day, skunked; not even a bite. I went again yesterday, and caught two. I've had days where I catch on my second or third cast, but then nothing for hours or the rest of the day. Sometimes I'll go hours before I get my first. Of course, there's sometimes the "day of zero"!

Other fisherman have told me stories of them catching 7-10+ fish in just a few hours or for the entire day, and they too were bankfishing. I would LOVE a day like that!

What am I doing wrong? Or are these numbers typical of fishing from a (rocky) point (into rocky terrain)? I'll catch fish at one part of the point, then after hours of nothing, move to another part of the same point, and hopefully get a second. Are the fish spooked after I catch the first? Though on my best (four-fish) day, I caught three in a span of 45 minutes from another point at the same lake, in 102 degree weather, with boats/seadoos galore, creating lots of waves.

Is that another problem; too many waves from so many high speed boats/seadoos? As the weather gets warmer and warmer, it means more people hauling it on the water. Since I don't have a boat, my only option of avoiding all the waves is to fish the cove the marina's at, since the docks eliminate the waves, but that area gets too much pressure. Have avoided the marina/cove this year; last five weeks.



I'm not sure what the water temp has been/is, but the weather's usually been in the high 70s-high 80s in the day and high 40s-low/mid 50s at night. Last Sunday's zero catch day was on an unusually cloudy/really windy day. Not sure that had an affect on the fish.



Regarding other factors, I wear grey/tan clothing to blend in with the rocks and bushes. I'm not making loud noises or stepping hard, or trying not too. Is my problem that I'm pretty much only dropshotting? I've used other lures but have had little success, so I end up dropshotting and end up catching one or two. Last Sunday, I did try a crankbait, but nothing. Maybe it was just a slow day for everyone on that cloudy/windy day, regardless of the lure.



I know this post is super long, but thought I'd be detailed, to give a better understanding of what I'm doing. Any suggestions would be sincerely appreciated. If it helps, I can post a topo map of the lake.



Thanks in advance!

[Socal Bassman]

Bass fishing from shore at Perris is usually tough due to the amount of vegetation around most of the points, as you already know. I've fished Perris for many years (and sometimes still do) before I bought a float tube. The main thing I learned in those years is that you have to stay mobile and don't get stuck at just one spot or area. For instance, I might start the day fishing lots 11/12 and the point there for a couple hours. Then, hop in my car and head to another point and fish the entire point for an hour or so, and then hop in the car again and head towards another point or the dam. The dam may seem intimidating as there is no cover from the sun and it is roughly 2.5 miles long. Truth is, there are really only a handful of spots (actually stretches of shoreline) that can really produce well. If you know where these stretches are and know what the fish are biting on, I don't think that you should have a problem catching 7-10 fish in a day (depending on the conditions, of course). The main thing is to keep moving regardless of how well a spot seems to be producing. Yes, there are those times where you can fish just one spot or area and catch 5 or more fish in a day. But chances are: you either catch 'em in rapid succession and nothing the rest of the day or you catch one or two in the morning then a long dry spell until you catch another, so on and so forth. It may be fine for some, but it isn't for me. I prefer to catch fish throughout the entire day. Though, I must admit that I have been spoiled by the Perris of old (early to late '90's) where catching 20, 30, 40+ fish a day from shore was the norm.

Anyway, there is nothing wrong with the dropshot, but don't be afraid to experiment with other baits, techniques, and colors. Jerkbaits, topwaters, T-rigged plastics, and creature baits can be deadly at this lake. Just have to know when to put the dropshot rod down and use them. The same goes with colors. In the morning, on overcast days, or late in the day, try sticking to the darker colors like margarita mutilator, black grape, or watermelon. Then as the sun comes up, switch to more natural colors. If the fish are keying in on shad, hologram shad and baby bluegill are good choices. The key here is to experiment and listen to what the fish are telling you.

In a nutshell, here is my take on fishing from shore at Perris:

Points and the Marina: They are good for catching a few fish, as well as, the potential to hook into a big fish. These fish usually head for deeper water when hooked or try to wrap you up in the rocks or branches (if any) in shallower water. Due to lack of structure and areas to fish due to the thick vegetation on shore, it's not worth fishing them for more than a couple hours. If you're on a limited time schedule (couple hours of fishing), then fishing the points are fine. I just can't see dedicating a whole day on these spots. The marina provides cover from the wind and boating activity, but again, not a lot of areas to fish on shore.

Lots 11/12: Can produce both quantity and quality of fish. There's not a lot of structure here, but there is cover where bass can hide. Some are visible (tules and/or weeds) and worth a shot to fish. Some weedbeds are out a ways from shore, but still within casting range and almost all hold fish. It's just a matter of getting them to bite. lol

Dam: One of my favorite places to fish if I'm looking for quantity. Plenty of areas to fish, but as mentioned before, there are only a few stretches worth putting any time into. Be prepared to burn some boot rubber as well as donate some tackle to the lake, though if you decide to fish the dam. Bring lots of water to drink during the warmer days as there is no shade to escape the sun.

Launch Ramps: Good for fishing early and late in the day. Forget about it when boating traffic gets heavy. When the fish have shad penned up in this area and when the submerged weeds gets pretty thick, the launch ramps can be a killer.

Hope this helps.

[Pete Marino]

Right now the shore fishing at Perris doesnt get any better. Guys are catching them on topwater baits (Spooks), jerkbaits, alabama rigs and plastics of coarse..The shore bite is much better at Perris then at DVL right now...BY FAR!!
But if he insists on going to DVL...Heres a couple tips to help him catch more bass..
.First ..tell him to cast DOWN the bank, not out. The amount of fish that are in 10-25 ft is staggering. Sometimes guys fishing from shore cast straight out into the deepest water so make sure he casts down along the bank into 20ft so his bait is in the strike zone more.
Next tell him to either throw a texas rig , an Alabama rig or drop shot. Also putting a nail weight in a Trick worm works well also and just flylining it.
Long casts are a must..I cant stress that enough.. And another key is if hes working the plastics tell him to go ultra slowww.

So in summery... casts down the bank, as far as he can cast and slow down.. those tips alone will produce fish.

Pete

[dcpeter28]

Thank you guys so much for the great information. I have sent it to my friend. I also fish from the shore at perris as well and this will benefit me greatly.

Socal Bassman: I also have a float tube and was wondering what help you could provide me. I usually just fish the far end of lots 11-12 and have been successful, but have been skunked on several occasions. I mostly throw senkos or ikas

[Socal Bassman]

That long stretch of shoreline to the left of the launch ramp, as well as, the stretch of shoreline on the opposite side is probably the most productive IMO. If you have a fishfinder, it is an invaluable tool in finding the submerged weedbeds in the hotter months. For Ikas and senkos, I like fishing that big flat towards the back of the cove.