Lake Perris Skunk
 

Went over last Friday so the wife could try out her new Old Town Predator PDL. We hit the spawning beds that did so good for us last year but it's too late in the season to find the fish there. Today we hit the lake again and went further into the east end of the lake to try around some trees and an underwater mound I know about. Still no love from the fish. the water is 74 degrees, pretty clear and calm. Last week the bass guys were hitting the fish right off the jet ski ramp at the drop off but I couldn't find them there today either. I'm seeing suspended fish in 35 feet of water holding at about 20 feet but they all had lock jaw. Next trip we'll try the dam. As long as you go early on a weekday you don't have to worry too much about the drunk boaters but you still see some crazy stuff even without the crowds. Saw a guy with eight kids on his boat that were all out swimming when he drifted into the trees, so he backed up with kids in the water and his ski rope still out. Oh well, fishing and not catching is still better than sitting the couch.

Dang. My dad would have benched me in a heartbeat when when I was learning to drive the ski boat if I tried that. I guess not everybody had someone to teach safe boating.

Those type of people is why Ca implemented a boat license. It's cascading upwards every year in the age requirement and I think next year I need to get one. It's a bit irritating considering I've been safely running my own boats for 20 years, but if it makes people safer on the water, I'm kind of ok with it as long as it really teaches people what not to do. I should take the test and report back on my thoughts on whether it's effective in ensuring boaters know safe practices or if it's just another tax.

I don't know how they will check whether or not people have a boat license. All the patrol boats are down at Lake Perris, with no plans to get them repaired because of budget cuts. Lake Perris has more drunk boaters than the river I think. It's a kill zone on the weekends. Even on weekdays I keep my head on a swivel. I carry a super loud whistle to warm boaters when they are getting too close but I'm not sure they will hear it with their stereos blasting.