IRVINE LAKE TROUTING TOPPED BY 14-10 WHOPPER; ROAD TO TROUT ISLAND UNDER WATER

Despite uncertain weather over the past several days, trout fishing remained good, reported Jimmy Getty at the Irvine Lake Pro Shop. "Good numbers of nice rainbow trout to 14 pounds were caught using a variety of techniques, and some of the 3 to 5-pound steelhead that were stocked this week have started to bite", said Getty.

He added, "As of now [Tuesday morning], the road to Trout Island is under water, and will not re-open until further notice. The west shore road is also under water. The Flats Road is currently closed due to muddy conditions, call ahead [714-649-9111] for up to the minute road information."

Murky water conditions and 1 to 2-foot visibility were the norm, dictating short bait leaders in the 6 to 12 inch range. Power Mouse combinations using chartreuse and white, along with nightcrawlers liberally spritzed with Gulp! Alive garlic spray are key to helping the fish locate your offerings.

Trollers also found willing biters by sticking with chartreuse or other bright colors in Rapala CD05's and Rapala X-Rap XR06's. Garlic sprays also work well on trolling lures.

Overall, trouters found a good grade of fish on their stringers, with lots of nice 6 to 14 pounders mixed in with the 1 to 5 pound rainbows. The freshly-stocked steelhead were co-operating to a degree, and some anglers were caught unaware by their drag-sizzling speed. A few exotic brown trout and brook trout were also seen.

A few crappie have started to show on the stringers. Some slabs to 1.5 pounds were caught incidentally by trout trollers, near the docks, and by bass anglers dropshotting at Crawdad Point. Good catfish action could be found where creeks were running into the lake.

Bass anglers found good numbers of largemouth to 3.5 pounds. Some fish were holding on deep structure, but a few fish are starting to move up near submerged trees in as little as 10 feet of water.

The Kids Lagoon is still kicking out limits of trout for families with children age 12 and under. With the rising water levels in mind, trout stocking in the Lagoon will continue for as long as possible.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

Art "Dr. Hook" Villa of El Modeno, 14-10 rainbow trout on a Power Mouse at Trout Island
Ricardo Zepeda of Santa Ana, 11-10 rainbow trout on Power Bait near the docks
Steve Bosbrock of San Bernardino, 10-8 rainbow trout on a nightcrawler at Trout Island
John Reynoza of Orange, 10-8 rainbow trout on a nightcrawler at Trout Island
Micky Hall of Big Bear, 9-12 rainbow trout on a Rapala at the west shore
Christian Noseworth of Orange, 9-0 rainbow trout on Power Bait at Trout Island
Aundra Wagner of Orange, 8-8 rainbow trout on a nightcrawler at Trout Island
Edgar Lopez of Santa Ana, 8-8 rainbow trout on a Power Mouse at Trout Island
Daniel LeBeouf of Orange, 8-4 rainbow trout on a Power Mouse at Trout Island
Tyson Lundquist of Anaheim, 8-2 rainbow trout on a Power Mouse at Trout Island
John Struckman of Fullerton, 4-4 brook trout on a nightcrawler at Trout Island
Charles Ball of Ventura, 3-14 brown trout on a Rapala at the west shore
Bob Barr of Orange, 3-6 brown trout on a nightcrawler near the ramp


Media Contacts:
Daniela Gavaldon or Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop 714-649-9111
Steve Carson at scarson [at] sunset.net