Prima Lake has always been my playground to fish for Peacock Bass in the city. Whether I’m on a personal trip to have fun or guiding clients during my semester breaks, this lake always produces results. However, some days are tougher than others. On a hot June day last year, I had the opportunity to guide two friends, Sein and Nas on their maiden trip on Prima Lake. Conditions were tough but we were ready. The game plan was to fish finesse soft plastics on carolina rigs to fool pressured fish.
We fished along the western bank of Prima lake at 8:30 AM until 10 AM with only a few bites and no fish caught. I made the call to fish other spots and changed our strategy as fish were roaming around the lake following baitfish. After a short ride to the eastern side of the lake, we began casting along grass lines near deep slopes. From sonar readings obtained from previous trips, there were some really deep slopes near grass lines and I have had success fishing these areas when fish were roaming.
Within a few casts, both Sein and Nas obtained bites. Both of them fished their carolina rigged soft plastics at a steady pace. Once they switched to a faster, erratic retrieve the bites were stronger. Finally, Sein was hooked into his first fish as noon approached. It was a thrilling fight as the fish dashed hard into the grass before being steered back out. Sein’s 3lb mainline kept us in suspense until the 38cm specimen was landed. The orange 5cm soft plastic was hooked to the belly of the fish – no wonder it was a long fight! After a quick photoshoot, the fish was released strong.
With renewed spirits, the casting continued to make the best of our last hour of fishing. I caught a few small Peacock Bass on a finesse swimbait with a realistic pattern. Nas had a few bites and eventually caught his first Prima lake Peacock Bass. It was a decent fish although smaller than Sein’s, but still a good size for grass lines. Nas caught his fish on a similar 5cm soft plastic to Sein’s. His catch was a good ending for the half-day trip. It was a slow morning, but perseverance paid off.