IRVINE LAKE CATFSIH STIRRING; 12-4 TROUT TOPS CATCHES. NIGHT-TIME BASS TOURNEY SLATED FOR MAY 8
Excellent multi-species action was again the story this week at Irvine Lake, with virtually all of the lakes fish species going off. "The trout fishing is still very good in the morning" observed Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop "As the day heats up, the trout drop deeper in the water column, holding at around 20 feet during the middle of the day. We are also starting to see a lot more of the 3 to 8 pound catfish coming to the cleaning tables."

Best Power Bait and Power Mouse colors for trout this week were white, chartreuse and grassy green, fished on an 18 to 24 inch leader. Trout trollers scored well using brown trout-color J07 Jointed Rapalas, along with cop-car and frog color Luhr Jensen Needlefish utilizing a "poor man's downrigger" setup with a half-ounce egg sinker.

The majority of the trout catches this week saw lots of 1 to 4-pound fish on the stringers. Productive locations included the west shore, boat dock cove and Trout Island.

Numerous limits of catfish were seen for anglers fishing shrimp, mackerel and chicken liver baits at 5 to 20 feet in Boat Dock Cove and Santiago Flats. A few much larger whiskerfish were reportedly hooked but not landed.

Bass chasers continued to find very good numbers of fish, with some reports of releasing 20 or more fish per boat. Most of the largemouth are running 2 to 6 pounds, with a few lunkers mixed in. Best bet is purple ghost-color Rapala XR12 X-Raps or various plastics at 5 to 15 feet in weedy areas.

Some crappie are still being caught by anglers fishing above flooded tree tops. Favorite lure is a white Atomic Tube with or without a mealworm trailer. A few larger slabs to 2 pounds are mixed in with more numerous smaller specimens.

The Kids Lagoon is still offering good trout action for families with children age 12 and under. The construction of a dirt berm has saved the lagoon from being flooded over by the main lake, which is currently holding steady.

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. Call the Pro Shop at 714-649-9111 for entry forms and more information.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

- Barry Bennett of Corona, 12-4 rainbow trout on Power Bait/nightcrawler combo at the west shore
- Don Marrow of Orange, 3-4 brown trout on Power Bait in front
- Eric and Ryan Hagen of Orange, 10-trout limit totaling 20-9 on trolled Needlefish off the west shore