Trout season finally arrived at Irvine Lake this weekend, reported Whitney Curry at the Pro Shop. “Anglers fishing in the lagoon experienced wide open action, with the trout hitting voraciously on almost everything”, observed Curry. “In the main lake, a finesse approach and some patience were required, but anglers who rigged up properly caught fish. Leaders of 2-pound test were very important, and the best baits were chartreuse PowerBait or pink/white and orange/white Berkley Mice Tails. Strong garlic scent was a big help, and leader length should be 18-24 inches where the water is ultra-clear, and 8-12 inches where the water is stained. All of the fish stocked so far this year have been absolutely beautiful-grade Nebraska Tailwalkers in the 2-7 pound range. Their colors are amazing, and they fight more than any other trout we have seen in a long time.”

Curry added, “Bass anglers did very well on slightly smaller fish, mostly in the 2-3 pound category. A very good catfish bite developed on Saturday afternoon at about 2 PM at the far end of the west shore road. Lots of nice-size catfish were caught by anglers flylining mackerel. The catfish were both channels and blues, running from 5 to 23 pounds.

Some of the most successful anglers included siblings Zoe and Travis Apelian of Lakewood. The pair caught easy limits of trout in the Lagoon, using PowerBait, even casting out their own rigs. When asked the best thing about fishing, 6-year old Zoe immediately said “I get to reel the fish in”, to which 4-year old Travis chimed in, “And I get to net it!”

Over on the main lake, Nick Cervantes of Placentia scored several nice Nebraska Tailwalkers using a 24-inch leader with chartreuse PowerBait at the west shore. “Irvine Lake is a hidden gem of Orange County”, noted Cervantes. Likewise Matt Ikeda of Gardena plied the west shore, but did best with 12-14 inch leaders and pink/white Berkley Mice Tails. “I have fished here for over 20 years, and especially like the friendly staff”, related Ikeda.

A secret bait known as the “Luigi Special’ produced very well for Luigi Moreno of South El Monte, who has fished the lake since 1975. His concoction consists of a Berkley Power Egg and a half-nightcrawler. The nightcrawler is injected with air to make it very buoyant, and garlic vitamin capsules are cut open and squeezed onto the rig. Moreno goes with a 12-18 inch leader, always 2-pound test.

The Lagoon is now open to anglers of all ages, not just kids, and the trout bite was excellent on a variety of standard trout lures and baits. Surface temperature on the main lake is 68 degrees, and 66 degrees at a depth of 12 feet. Anglers are reminded that boats and other watercraft are not permitted. Winter hours will be 6 AM-4 PM Wednesdays through Sunday, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

Christian Gonzales of Santa Ana, 6-12 rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore
Julio Hernandez of Los Angeles, 5-0 rainbow trout on PowerBait at the west shore
Armando Renteria of Pasadena, 23-1 blue catfish [released] on mackerel at the west shore
Chris Hagopian of Redondo Beach, 12-8 channel catfish on mackerel at the west shore
Fernando Trujillo of Anaheim, 6-1 largemouth bass [released] on a crankbait at the west shore