Catfish results were mixed this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop, "It was hit or miss on catfish this week; if you were on them it was easy limits, but if you missed them it was slow", observed Getty. "The cats are moving deeper this week, and are at around 15 to 20 feet, and still holding near rocky or brushy structure. The daytime bite goes until about noon, and the nighttime bite goes from 7:00 PM until closing."
Top baits for catfish this week included mackerel, shrimp, skipjack, and Gulp! Favored locations were Santiago Flats, Boat Dock Cove, and the west shore. Most catfish on the stringers were in the 2 to 6-pound class, with some larger channels and blues keeping things interesting.
Success with largemouth bass was generally a matter of timing. Daytime anglers needed to ply deep water from 25 to 40 feet down with dropshot-rigged plastics for tightly stacked up bucketmouths in the 2 to 6-pound class. Right at dusk and into full dark is the time to throw wakebaits and topwaters. Good numbers of bass were caught at Rocky Point, Red Clay Cliffs, and Trout Island.
Crappie fishing perked back up, with anglers metering large schools of slabs to 2 pounds suspended over humps in 20 to 50-foot depths, and scoring using white Atomic Tubes. Plenty of hand-size bluegill and redear were caught on red worms or Gulp crickets. Increasing numbers of hybrid striped bass [AKA whiterock or sunshine bass] were caught on meter marks in deep water or under crappie lights at night, along with incidental catches on baits intended for catfish.
Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of 1 to 3-pound channel catfish in the Kids Lagoon on the marshmallow/mealworm combo or fluorescent red Power Bait. The main lake water level is receding 8 to 12 inches per week, with the surface water temperature ranging from 72-75 degrees.
For anglers planning ahead, Irvine Lake's 2010-11 Trout Season Opener will be on Friday, November 5. A special limited-entry "VIP Fishing Day" will take place on Thursday, November 4; contact the Pro Shop [714-649-9111] for information on a great opportunity to beat the opening day crowds.
Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
1) John Struckman of Fullerton, 15-12 blue catfish [released] on mackerel at the flats.
2) Elaine Dickerhoof of Artesia, 14-8 blue catfish [released] on mackerel/shrimp at the west shore.
3) Elaine Dickerhoof of Artesia, 7-6 channel catfish on mackerel/shrimp at the west shore.
4) Seth Mostero of Villa Park, 5-0 largemouth bass [released] on a Varmint Lures OD Rat at Trout Island.
5) Jacob Coffman of Visalia, 4-12 largemouth bass [released] on a tube-bait at Sierra Cove.
6) Don Spencer of Diamond Bar, 4-5 hybrid striped bass on an MC Spin at the Red Clay Cliffs.
7) Don Spencer of Diamond Bar, 5 largemouth bass totaling 23-9 [released] on plastics at the Red Clay Cliffs.
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Anglers heading for Irvine Lake this week focused mainly on catfish or bass, and mostly caught plenty of both, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. Most of the catfish on the stringers are prime eating-size channels in the 2 to 6-pound class, with a few larger-grade channels and blues to 13 pounds keeping things exciting. Favored baits are mackerel, shrimp, bonito, barracuda, DuMong's and Gulp! Good whiskerfish catches were reported from Boat Dock Cove, Santiago Flats, and Trout......
Report Date:
Excellent catfish action at Irvine Lake this week was highlighted by a continuing great bass bite, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. Good catfish baits have included mackerel, bonito, barracuda, DuMong's, and Gulp!, with the favored depth being 5 to 15 feet. The catfish are active in the mornings from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and then again from 6:00 PM until Midnight. Limit catches were reported from Santiago Flats and Boat Dock Cove, with the majority of the......
