Any word on the bluegill action at Perris?

[DarkShadow]

This was during the height of the spawn a few weeks ago. Average were weighing in at about 1.25 pounds, with the largest being about 1.5.









They're there. You just have to get off the beaten path. ;-)

[Natural Lefty]

Wow, those are some big Bluegill, DS. I must admit that the few times I have gone to Perris recently have been "the beaten path," which for me is either the launch ramp area or Sail Cove. I did try Bernasconi a couple of months ago, but I found it difficult to fish with the low water level, and not much was biting. I guess the areas I have been fishing at Perris are not where they have been spawning, but there were a lot of big ones in Sail Cove a couple of years ago. I have fished around much of the lake at one time or another, just not lately (especially in this 100 degree weather).

It looks like you caught those on jigs. I was catching them on jigs too at Hemet last week, and they appeared to still be spawning even in August. I think they hit jigs the best during spawning periods, but I would have thought that the spawn at Perris would be long over (like no later than May). Hemet is in the mountains so the water is colder.

Those fish look more or less like Florida Bluegill, but they have some really nice blue and gold, etc. colors on them. They remind me of some of the Bluegill I have caught at Diamond Valley, where I think northern and Florida strain Bluegill have hybridized.

[chatmar]

Lake Perris Marina? Boat Rentals? I have been waiting for this news for almost 2 years. I have some excellent bluegill spits around the island that normally produce epic bluegill fishing. Bluegills that tell you to put that 2lb ultra light set up away and get something a little stronger. Please keep posting about any Marina and rental boat news. I am a pinkish fanatic and Perris is a lot closer than Henshaw, Wohlford, Cachuma or Isabella!

[fishmounter]

Those fish are not Florida Coppernose Bluegills. Those are regular 'Northern' Bluegill. Almost every Bluegill in LP are 'Coppernose'. I can't remember when the last time was when I've caught one there.

[Natural Lefty]

Since this thread came up again, I think I should mention that I did go to Perris last week, and Bluegills were biting in large quantities although mostly small at the launch ramp, which is normal for this time of year, I think I caught around 20 fish in about 3 hours, mostly using a bobber and fly on one pole, and a redworm on the other pole. Four of them were keepers (like around 7 or 8 inches long), which I took home. Included in the catch were several small, juvenile bass and one 6 inch Redear, which I released. I went there about a month earlier with similar results (including one little Redear also) but the average size was a little smaller then. I mention the Redear because it seems like their population is starting to increase again after crashing when the water level was lower, so that is a good sign. It has still been quite a few years since I have seen any Crappie at Perris, though, and they still are not stocking trout.

Overall, I would rate the Bluegill fishing at Perris as good, and it should be getting even better as we move into the fall.

About the Bluegills in the photos, they look like maybe hybrids between Florida strain Bluegill and Northern strain Bluegill. Bluegill with colors like that are common at Diamond Valley Lake. Real Florida strain Bluegill generally have white and orange tipped fins and a more silvery appearance, but the fish in the photos don't look the same as regular northern strain Bluegill that I catch at a lot of other places.

The marina is still pretty much non operational at this time. I checked there and did not see any store, docks, boats or public access to speak of, aside from walking down the riprap, and for some strange reason, the lake level is lower than it has been these past couple of years. I would think that the state would have enough water to fill Lake Perris if they wanted to.