The annual "King of the Cats" tournament at Irvine Lake bestowed a new title over the weekend, as Elaine Dickerhoof of Artesia became the "Queen of the Cats" with her 17-0 blue catfish. "The catfish bite has been good, with lots of bigger fish", observed Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The fish are moving deeper, and were mostly caught at 20 to 25 feet at the flats and the west shore." Getty tipped, "Bonito was the best bait for the larger blue cats this week; Elaine caught her winning fish on it, and several other big ones were also fooled by it." Plenty of eating-size channel cats from 2 to 6 pounds were caught, in addition to the bigger-grade blues. Besides bonito, good catches were reported on mackerel and shrimp. Top locations were Santiago Flats and the west shore. Bass fishing slowed down from its previous torrid pace, but decent numbers of 2 to 3-pound class largemouth were still to be had. Slowed-down presentations of jigs and worms were the best bet, at Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs. Anglers chasing crappie, bluegill, and redear posted few results this week. A handful of hybrid striped bass were caught incidentally to catfish efforts.
Families with children age 12 and under did very well in the Kids Lagoon on 1 to 3-pound channel catfish on fluorescent red Power Bait, and the marshmallow/mealworm combo. The main lake's surface temperature is ranging from 71 to 74 degrees, and the lake level is receding slowly. The countdown continues to Irvine Lake's 2010-11 Trout Season Opener, which will be on Friday, November 5, with over 20,000 pounds of trout stocked. 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. A free Trout Fishing Seminar will take place on October 28 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at Fisherman's Hardware in Long Beach. Featured speaker will be Pro Team leader and trout fishing expert Marlon Meade. A variety of bait fishing, lure casting, and trolling topics will be covered.
Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
1) Tony Muniz of Mission Viejo, 20-0 blue catfish [released] on shrimp at the flats.
2) Elaine Dickerhoof of Artesia, 17-0 blue catfish [released] on bonito at the flats.
3) Ted Gervais of Vista, 14-6 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats.
4) Marty Saucedo of Costa Mesa, 13-12 blue catfish [released], and 13-6 channel catfish on bonito at the flats.
5) Bob Blair of Tustin, 12-12 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats.
6) Terry "Pontoon" Lairson of Huntington Beach, 12-4 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats.
7) Aaron Titleman of Orange, 3-1 wiper on mackerel at the flats.
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The traditional best month of the year for Irvine Lake's blue catfish population kept up with its reputation this week. Plenty of channel cats from 2 to 6-pounds are filling the stringers, but the bigger blues are definitely active as autumn arrives, and October is prime time for the monster-size blues to over 80 pounds that inhabit Irvine's depths. Best baits are mackerel, bonito, and skipjack, with Santiago Flats getting the lion's share of attention, although channel cats can......
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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......
