BY MIKE STEVENS
PERRIS – There bass bite at Lake Perris has been solid for weeks, even when boats were not allowed and walk (or bike) in anglers were the only ones on the water. Boats are back on the lake, and the quality bite hasn’t skipped a beat.
WON BASS pro and local guide Pete Marino was among those opting to fish Perris from shore rather than sit on the couch and twiddle his thumbs until he could launch his boat again. He got them then, and he’s getting them now, although the bite has evolved deeper into a post-spawn pattern.
“I’ve been exploiting the very small number of shad schools up starting an early spawn as well as the bluegill spawn to produce big numbers of bass with a lot of quality fish mixed in,” said Marino (PeteMarinoGuideService.com). “I’ve had fish over five pounds seven times since the reopening, and most of the time the big fish are in the 6- to 8.5-pound range. The biggest fish right now are around the bluegill beds and early stages of the shad spawn I’ve been throwing a variety I’ve reaction baits: Alabama rigs, topwater baits, Prankster spinnerbaits, tailspins, wake baits and a variety of other reaction baits have been working.”
Marino went on to tell WON he goes deeper (20 to 28 feet) with a slower approach with Neko rigs, drop-shots and chicken rigs.”
Tourney angler Tom Leedom of Escondido took that lighter, slower approach and piled up a 24-pound limit anchored by largemouth of 10 and 7 pounds. He was drop-shotting 6-inch Roboworms in and around grass “about mid day” in the lake’s East End. There was also a report sent to WON in the middle of last week highlighted by a 7-pound, 2-ounce bass that ate a drop-shot first thing in the morning. Lake regular Michael Craig of Mentone – who happens to make the Prankster baits mentioned by Marino – told WON he is also doing very well on Roboworms worked in 20 feet of water, and he’s also been able to get a couple on topwater in the early mornings.