Report: Whopper Wednesday!- The Three Amigos, Two Lakes
Report: Whopper Wednesday!- The Three Amigos, Two Lakes
June 2018, Carl Garrard
While Brian fished the shore at Perris, Rick and I went to Lake Skinner on the U.S.S. Patriot, which was my first outing there in well over 20 years. Rick and I decided to hit the east end of the lake and start on topwater right away. It didn't take long to get some action either. Rick started with a whopper plopper and got a really big hit/miss on his first or second cast. I started with a #13 silver Rapala, and also got several missed strikes. It seemed like the fish were striking a bit lethargic, similar to what Rick experienced the week before. The water level was down just a little from Rick's previous outing, but the bass were still back in the tules in very shallow water, so we decided that was a good place to give it a go.
After a bit, we decided to make a small move to an area on the east side of the cove that we had started on, and almost immediately Rick got into a nice 3lb + bass on a Yo-Zuri that came off right at the boat (hooked on the back hook, my bad I should have netted it for him). Then I finally got my first bass after several frustrating missed strikes. A 2lb 7oz chunk.
I think I caught another smaller one in the same spot, and we got a few more strikes overall. But it didn't take long for another boat to roll (big motor) right up on our spot (what the heck is wrong with people?), and probably scared the bass a bit. Bass were subtlety hitting small shad at, and below the surface next to the tules around a bend in backwater. So we moved to another spot similar to where we were with wind protection, and that's when it went nuts!
This has never happened to me before. On one single cast I had three separate fish hit my topwater. The first was pretty small, maybe a pounder. I saw him swipe at it, and felt him dink my lure through the rod. I patiently paused though, and kept twitching my topwater. Second fish I had him on, probably a good two pounds or more, fought him, and pulled the Rapala right out of his mouth about fifteen feet from the boat. How does that even happen with three treble super sharp treble hooks? Instead of recasting again I patiently paused, I twitched the Rapala again and a third bass blew up on it.... and this time I got him! A nice, 3lb 4oz bass below.
All three fish were definitely different bass, it was amazing and frustrating all in one, but I'm glad it ended on a high note. My very next cast, near the same spot, I got my biggest fish of the day, and right about now Rick has to be getting a little impatient or ancy because it was almost non stop action cast after cast. This was my 3lb 7oz bass, and I thought it wasn't going to stop!
Rick got a backlash while I was getting this one in. But his very next cast, Rick hooks into a really crabby hard fighting 4lb 2oz bass, the biggest of the day. This one I netted for him, and got the hooks out for him too. I offered to shine Rick's shoes too but something happened before I could get to that I'll never believe.
I had casted before I went to get the net for Rick, I just set my rod down on the deck and left my topwater where it was. I wasn't going to let this fish get away, not like Ricks first nice bass. After netting and landing the fish for Rick, we both heard a commotion on the water near where I casted... and suddenly a bass jumps out of the water shaking his head like he was caught. He had dead stick ate my Rapala (while it was motionless he hit it), and it got caught up in his mouth, so he jumped to shake it out. All the while I had no idea it was my Rapala till we saw it fly towards us. He and I had never seen anything like it!
What an action packed and crazy first couple hours for us, but especially the last ten minutes or so! After that the bite started to chill out a bit, and we kept working and managed a few more dink's on varied baits. This one Rick hooked sideways on a Yo-Zuri.
About a couple hours later, Rick got this very pretty, 1lb 7oz largemouth bass after noontime on a wacky rig that looked almost like an Alabama spotted bass. Typically the bite completely falls off at Skinner after the morning bite. Way to hang in there and land another Rick. At this point Rick and I estimate we caught about 15-16lbs of bass. Not too shabby!
Lake Skinner is a gorgeous lake, especially in comparison to Perris lake. The scenery and no wake rule means quiet fishing with gorgeous views, especially when there is some nice cloudy weather. Talk about stress relief (when you aren't getting missed strikes). Overall we had a great day at Skinner Lake, especially considering I hadn't fished that lake in so long. Quite frankly I expected to get skunked, but I racked up a nice weight of bass for the boat and held my own with Rick.
Later on I checked a few texts to see if Brian went out to Perris lake. Turns out he did, and on top of that he caught his personal best of the year at 3# 10oz, and a few more bass under 2lbs fishing the shore in the east end. I was quite happy to hear that Brian did so well on shore at Perris, the last two or three outings there have been quite good on the shore or a boat!
So all three of us did really well last Wednesday. Fishing during the week is a big bonus, and even more so on a day when the weather cooperated just right (small low pressure system came in, no rain though). Summer is upon us now and I'm anticipating a change in the pattern as the water temps rise even more. Most of the water temps I saw were in the mid to high 70's and the bass haven't retreated into deeper water yet. So far this spring, all of The Three Amigos have done pretty darn good, but none of us have a five pounder yet. Who will be the first?
Stay hooked!
-Carl
Please comment and subscribe to the site! Our YouTube channel is in the works soon as well. Hopefully we'll get our butts in gear and get some good video content soon.
June 2018, Carl Garrard
After a bit, we decided to make a small move to an area on the east side of the cove that we had started on, and almost immediately Rick got into a nice 3lb + bass on a Yo-Zuri that came off right at the boat (hooked on the back hook, my bad I should have netted it for him). Then I finally got my first bass after several frustrating missed strikes. A 2lb 7oz chunk.
 |
| 2lbs 7, not a bad way to start. |
I think I caught another smaller one in the same spot, and we got a few more strikes overall. But it didn't take long for another boat to roll (big motor) right up on our spot (what the heck is wrong with people?), and probably scared the bass a bit. Bass were subtlety hitting small shad at, and below the surface next to the tules around a bend in backwater. So we moved to another spot similar to where we were with wind protection, and that's when it went nuts!
This has never happened to me before. On one single cast I had three separate fish hit my topwater. The first was pretty small, maybe a pounder. I saw him swipe at it, and felt him dink my lure through the rod. I patiently paused though, and kept twitching my topwater. Second fish I had him on, probably a good two pounds or more, fought him, and pulled the Rapala right out of his mouth about fifteen feet from the boat. How does that even happen with three treble super sharp treble hooks? Instead of recasting again I patiently paused, I twitched the Rapala again and a third bass blew up on it.... and this time I got him! A nice, 3lb 4oz bass below.
All three fish were definitely different bass, it was amazing and frustrating all in one, but I'm glad it ended on a high note. My very next cast, near the same spot, I got my biggest fish of the day, and right about now Rick has to be getting a little impatient or ancy because it was almost non stop action cast after cast. This was my 3lb 7oz bass, and I thought it wasn't going to stop!
 |
| 3lbs 7oz, yep I'm stoked! |
Rick got a backlash while I was getting this one in. But his very next cast, Rick hooks into a really crabby hard fighting 4lb 2oz bass, the biggest of the day. This one I netted for him, and got the hooks out for him too. I offered to shine Rick's shoes too but something happened before I could get to that I'll never believe.
 |
| Rick redeems himself with a super nice bass, the biggest of the day and one of his biggest so far this year! |
What an action packed and crazy first couple hours for us, but especially the last ten minutes or so! After that the bite started to chill out a bit, and we kept working and managed a few more dink's on varied baits. This one Rick hooked sideways on a Yo-Zuri.
About a couple hours later, Rick got this very pretty, 1lb 7oz largemouth bass after noontime on a wacky rig that looked almost like an Alabama spotted bass. Typically the bite completely falls off at Skinner after the morning bite. Way to hang in there and land another Rick. At this point Rick and I estimate we caught about 15-16lbs of bass. Not too shabby!
Lake Skinner is a gorgeous lake, especially in comparison to Perris lake. The scenery and no wake rule means quiet fishing with gorgeous views, especially when there is some nice cloudy weather. Talk about stress relief (when you aren't getting missed strikes). Overall we had a great day at Skinner Lake, especially considering I hadn't fished that lake in so long. Quite frankly I expected to get skunked, but I racked up a nice weight of bass for the boat and held my own with Rick.
 |
| This lake is so gorgeous! |
Later on I checked a few texts to see if Brian went out to Perris lake. Turns out he did, and on top of that he caught his personal best of the year at 3# 10oz, and a few more bass under 2lbs fishing the shore in the east end. I was quite happy to hear that Brian did so well on shore at Perris, the last two or three outings there have been quite good on the shore or a boat!
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| Your wife is gonna get jealous with all that making out Brian! |
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| Nice fish dude, way to go! I hope you can even top that one later on this year. |
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| Apparently he put up a heck of a good fight after almost snagging a lure on a bush. Way to be patient and work the fish Brian. That's how you fricken do it. |
So all three of us did really well last Wednesday. Fishing during the week is a big bonus, and even more so on a day when the weather cooperated just right (small low pressure system came in, no rain though). Summer is upon us now and I'm anticipating a change in the pattern as the water temps rise even more. Most of the water temps I saw were in the mid to high 70's and the bass haven't retreated into deeper water yet. So far this spring, all of The Three Amigos have done pretty darn good, but none of us have a five pounder yet. Who will be the first?
Stay hooked!
-Carl
Please comment and subscribe to the site! Our YouTube channel is in the works soon as well. Hopefully we'll get our butts in gear and get some good video content soon.
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