Irvine Lake sees 15-10 top trout; crappie heating up

Plenty of nice-size trout, along with several other species were the story again this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The fishing is very similar to last week", observed Getty. "Things are still buzzing about last week's new record 22.6 pound trout, but lots of decent-size trout, bass and plenty of crappie are also being caught."

Noted crappie expert Marlon Meade was out chasing the crappie again this week. He reported, "We got easy limits on Saturday, the best action is when the weather is overcast; once the sun comes out they are gone. The crappie are up in 10 feet of water suspended over brush piles. Right now the fish are all males in the ?? to 1 pound range."

Meade tipped, "We caught all of our fish on pearl/white Berkley Atomic Tubes fished on 2-pound test line, and no trailer is needed. Use a slow retrieve, and if the wind comes up you can add a bobber."

Good trout catches were made at the west shore, Trout Island, near the dam, and Santiago Flats. Most trout are ranging from 1 to 5 pounds, with some larger specimens on the stringers. Power Mouse offerings in white and chartreuse combinations were best, fished with 14 to 18-inch leaders. Trollers scored trout on firetiger-color Rapala CD05's.

Excellent numbers of 2 to 5-pound largemouth bass are also being caught. A variety of techniques are scoring bass, including dropshot and jerk bait presentations, and some bass chasers report releasing 20 or more fish per day. Anglers are reminded that all bass species are catch and release only at Irvine Lake.

The lake level is rising approximately 4 inches per day, and the surface water temperature at Boat Dock Cove is 63 degrees. Extra gravel is currently being applied the flats road to keep it passable.

Anglers should also note that for the big Western Outdoor News Tournament scheduled for April 18, ALL anglers must pre-register for the tournament. This can be done either online with WON itself, or via one of the entry forms available at the lake.

ANYONE NOT PRE-REGISTERED FOR THE WESTERN OUTDOOR NEWS TOURNAMENT WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE LAKE ON APRIL 18.

Besides registering for the tournament, anglers can reserve their rental boats for that date. No camping spots remain available for that date, and all pontoon boats are also taken. Approximately 30 regular rental boats still remain as of April 1, but it is recommended that anglers interested in boat rentals for the tournament make their reservations immediately.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

- Jason Myers of Silverlake, 15-10 rainbow trout on a Power Mouse near the dock
- Dave Sylvain of Lakewood, 9-8 rainbow trout on Gulp! at the flats
- Omar Banks of Moreno Valley, 8-10 rainbow trout on a nitro worm near the dock