Trout anglers got a serving of good news to go along with continuing good action from staffer Nick Sepulveda in the Pro Shop. Trollers had greater success than bait dunkers this week, with almost anything in hot pink or firetiger colors triggering strikes. Favored lures included Rapala Countdown CD05's, Rapala X-Rap XR04's, SC Shiners, and Thomas Buoyants. Toplining was fine, but a few anglers dropped down with 3 colors of leadcore line. Good trolling locations included the west shoreline, mid-lake, Santiago Flats, and near the dam. Shore casters found slower action early in the week due to the high temperatures. The top producer was garlic chartreuse Power Bait. The sizzling bite in Woody's Cove dried up, but some shorecasters still caught fish near the docks, at Trout Island, and along the east shore. Almost all of the trout are high-quality rainbows in the 2 to 6-pound range. A few larger fish are keeping things interesting, and about 20-percent of the stockings are a mixture of brown trout, brook trout, and steelhead. Supplemental stockings of 5,000 pounds of trout are going into the lake every week.
Bass anglers have found their quarry to be elusive next week, as the changing water conditions have given the largemouth a case of temporary lockjaw. Families with children age 12 and under are finding that the water in the Kids Lagoon is somewhat murky, but switching to an ultra-short 6-inch leader and plenty of garlic scent will turn the trick on 1 to 3-pound rainbows. The surface temperature in the main lake is in the low 60's and dropping, with the lake level holding steady. The high road over the west shore is blocked to vehicles at Woody's Cove, and a 10-minute hike is required for shore anglers to access the west shoreline. The lower road along the west shore is under water. Local legend and trout fishing expert Marlon Meade will conduct a free seminar at Jimmy's Outdoors in Anaheim on Dec. 1, covering all facets of trouting on Irvine Lake.
For more information, call the Pro Shop at 714-649-9111 or check out www.IrvineLake.net
Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
1) Stan Kong of Garden Grove, 9-5 rainbow trout on Power Bait at Sierra Cove.
2) Jonathen Cruz of Orange, 8-6 rainbow trout on Power Bait at Trout Island. [won Trout Derby Winner]
3) Jason Hatami of Brea, 8-2 rainbow trout on a mini jig at Woody's Cove.
4) Ivan Bates of Whittier, 7-4 rainbow trout on Power Bait near the docks.
5) Dennis Dunn of El Segundo, 7-2 rainbow trout on a Rapala at the west shore.
6) Kyle Satone of Los Alamitos, 7-2 rainbow trout on a Rapala at mid-lake.
7) Grant Williams of Orange, 6-4 brown trout on a Rapala at mid-lake.
8) Jason Biggs of Claremont, 3-0 brown trout on a mini jig at Woody's Cove.
9) Stan Kong of Garden Grove, 8-0 steelhead that topped a 5-fish limit totaling 27-1 on Power Bait at Woody's Cove.
10) Rick Munoz of Orange, 6-1 largemouth bass [released] on a fluke at the flats.
12) Jack Arnold of Huntington Beach, 5-trout limit totaling 21-1, on Rapalas at the west shore.
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Late fall is a great time be at Lake Almanor, according to Doug Neal at Almanor Fishing Adventures. The big brown trout are getting active and ready to spawn, with very little fishing pressure. Larger rainbows are lurking nearby to feed off the spawn. Salmon eggs with a small split-shot worked slowly back to your boat or shoreline is a good method. Also white jigs bouncing around a nest will probably get an aggression hit from a male or......
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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......
