IRVINE LAKE TROUT COOPERATING; 17-6 RAINBOW TOPS. CRAPPIE AND BASS BITES STILL STRONG.
The big crowd that turned out for last Saturday's Western Outdoor News Tournament was not disappointed, as plenty of trout were caught. The bite continued to be good, although the fish moved deeper as the sun hit the water around 8:00 AM, and continued to move down it eh water column as the day progressed.

"The fishing was good on Saturday for the big WON tournament, and held up when the public returned Sunday, Monday and Tuesday", remarked Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The folks at WON really know how to put on a tournament."

"Trouters did well on all the usual offerings, including nightcrawlers, Gulp! Trout Dough, Power Bait and Power Mouse combinations. Trollers nailed some nicer fish on firetiger-color CD05 Rapalas. Productive spots for trout included Woody's Cove, the west shore, Sierra Cove, and Boat dock Cove.

Crappie anglers found plenty of slabsides to 2 pounds on white Berkley Atomic tubes fished near flooded vegetation. Numbers of bluegill are increasing for those using meal worms or waxworms in the shallows near the docks.

Bassers mostly stayed away during the trout derby action, but returned to find their quarry still in a biting mood. Weekday bassers found excellent numbers of 2 to 5 pound largemouth hitting on various plastics in shallow water and on deep structure at 25 feet. As many as 20 fish per day are being released by skilled bass specialists plying the red clay cliffs, Rocky Point and Sierra Cove.

This coming May 8 will see the lake host a night-time bass tournament from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Entry fee of $150 per two-person team includes dinner. The field will be limited to 50 teams.

The Kids Lagoon is still in operation, due to the road being built up recently. The flats road is still open, but Trout Island is indeed an island at this time.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

- Chris Merritt of Riverside, 17.6 pound rainbow trout on a nightcrawler near the ramp.
- Al Tagami of La Mirada, 14.99 pound rainbow trout on a mini jig at Trout Island
- Alfonso Diaz of Tustin, 14.76 pound rainbow trout on a nightcrawler at Woody's Cove
- Derek Haywood of Garden Grove, 11.5 pound rainbow trout on a Power Mouse at Boat Dock Cove
- Paul Mintzer of Riverside, 10.6 pound rainbow trout on a nightcrawler at the red clay cliffs