WCBA Perris Lake Tournament Recap 7/11/2026
Eleven teams from the West Coast Bass Anglers made the trip to Riverside County for the club’s July stop at Lake Perris. Anglers were greeted with comfortable temperatures in the low 60s at launch, but Southern California quickly reminded everyone it was midsummer as temperatures climbed into the upper 80s and low 90s under humid conditions. Despite the heat, the wind never became a factor, leaving Perris slick for much of the day and allowing everyone to fish their preferred techniques without battling boat control.
Once the scales closed, one thing became abundantly clear: Dean Leslie is soon to be known as The Consistent Stick.
Fresh off his victory at Pyramid Lake just three weeks earlier, Dean teamed with Jonathan Gauthier to bring another impressive limit to the scales, totaling 17.05 pounds. As if back-to-back tournament wins weren’t enough, Dean also claimed Big Fish honors with an outstanding 8.19-pound Lake Perris giant.
“Same bait Miguelito… the 5-inch Yamamoto Hula Grub on a Free Rig.”
Sometimes tournament fishing is complicated. Sometimes it isn’t. Dean has once again proven that confidence in a proven bait can be difficult to beat. After winning Pyramid with the same presentation, he duplicated the feat at Perris, separating himself from another talented field and extending what has become one of the first hot streaks in the club this season.
Finishing in second place was Ed Cazarez and Thomas Riley, whose decision to spend time pre-fishing the lake the week before clearly paid dividends. Their 13.41-pound limit demonstrated just how valuable preparation can be when conditions become difficult. Apparently Black Worm caught his PB the Saturday before, so that team was on ’em during their pre fishing.
Rounding out the money positions were David Mendez and Miguel Lizarraga, whose 13.27-pound limit was anchored by an early morning mid-strolling bite. Most of their weight came during that brief feeding window before the sun climbed overhead, followed by a few small culls later in the morning. A big Sakamata Shad strolled deep apparently stood out from the millions of tiny silver side fry that they encountered throughout the dam face.
As conversations around the weigh-in continued, a common theme emerged. Many teams reported that the bite became considerably tougher once the morning window closed. Catching bass wasn’t necessarily the challenge—it was catching the right bass before the lake settled into its summertime lull.
📊 TOURNAMENT METRICS
- Teams: 11
- Total Fish Weighed: 43
- Total Weight: 102.53 lbs
- Average Weight per Team: 9.32 lbs
- Average Fish Weight: 2.38 lbs
- Limits: 7/11 Teams
🏆 FINAL STANDINGS
| Team | Fish | Weight | Big Fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Leslie / Jonathan Gauthier | 5 (1 Dead) | 17.05 | 🐟 8.19 |
| Ed Cazarez / Thomas Riley | 5 | 13.41 | – |
| David Mendez / Miguel Lizarraga | 5 | 13.27 | – |
| Frank Schwamborn / Samson Sly-hoar | 5 | 10.93 | – |
| Eddie Roblero / Joe Nava | 5 | 10.16 | – |
| Gil Bowman / Sherman Wray | 5 (1 Dead) | 8.81 | – |
| Albert Medina / Chris Bonilla | 2 | 7.17 | – |
| Dr. Randy Estrada / John Diaz | 5 | 6.95 | – |
| Rory Parker / Al Muro | 3 | 6.78 | – |
| Alfred Houston / Anthony Muro | 2 | 6.40 | – |
| Gerald Sowers / Dan “Pops” Colgan | 1 | 1.60 | – |
Seven of eleven teams brought full five-fish limits to the scales.
🌦️ WEATHER CONDITIONS & BAROMETER
- Mostly sunny and humid throughout the day
- Light winds with calm conditions all day
- Launch temperature: ~62°F
- Afternoon highs reached the upper 80s to low 90s
- Barometer at launch: 29.88 inHg
🌊 WATER CONDITIONS
- Stable summertime water conditions
- Light boat traffic early, increasing significantly by early afternoon
- Calm surface conditions throughout the tournament
🎣 PATTERN & BITE
The story of the tournament wasn’t necessarily what anglers were throwing—it was when they were catching them. Several teams reported their best opportunities came during the first few hours of daylight before the sun climbed high overhead.
For Ironman and Miguelito, an early morning mid-strolling pattern accounted for nearly all of their tournament weight. Once that bite faded, upgrades became difficult to find, with only minor culls improving the bag.
Meanwhile, The Stick continued proving that confidence and execution often outweigh constantly changing techniques. His Free Rig paired with a 5-inch Yamamoto Hula Grub produced not only the tournament-winning limit, but also the day’s biggest bass—a gorgeous 8.19-pound largemouth, that came shallow. Many teams spent the day donating their tungsten to the dam face’s boulders, but Dean apparently was targeting the more shallow grass on the east end.
As the afternoon wore on, Perris settled into its typical summertime personality. Recreational boat traffic increased dramatically, turning much of the lake into what could only be described as an on-the-water demolition derby. By the scheduled 2:00 PM weigh-in, most anglers were more than ready to load up and escape the noise.
🐟 BIG FISH
8.19 lbs – Dean Leslie
📝 CLOSING NOTES
Back-to-back victories are never easy in tournament fishing, making Dean Leslie’s recent run all the more impressive. Congratulations to The Stick and O.H. on another outstanding performance, and congratulations to every team that battled through the summer conditions at Lake Perris.
The season now turns toward Lake Piru, a fishery that has earned a reputation for humbling even experienced anglers. History has shown that a ten-pound limit is often enough to contend for the win, and a single 2½-pound bass can very easily walk away with Big Fish honors. It should make for another exciting stop on the 2026 schedule.
We’ll see everyone at next month’s meeting. Until then, keep fishing them Coikes. You’re bound to catch something on them one day. 😀 At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
📸 PHOTO GALLERY
