Originally posted in the "western region" section.
Have searched but can't find answers about my bank/shore fishing and hoping for any type of help, thanks.
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Hey BR community!
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. It's a 30-40yd descent through rocks of all sizes to the shore, so once you're at the shore, it's inconvenient to move around to other parts of the point.
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 on the water, hauling it. Since I don't have a boat, my only option of avoiding constant big waves is to fish the cove where 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, 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 to. 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!
