Irvine Lake trouting topped by 13-9; night-time bass tourney on Friday
Good trout fishing was highlighted by very good bass fishing at Irvine Lake this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Trout fishing has stayed good", observed Getty. "The bass fishing is also good in anywhere from 5 to 20 feet of water. Most of the largemouth are running 2 to 5 pounds, but a couple of 5-plus pounders were also caught. All kinds of soft plastics are working, and the largest fish were caught on hard jerkbaits. Some boats are releasing more than 20 bass per day. Surface water temperatures are from 65 to 68 degrees."

This coming Friday night [May 8] will see the lake host the annual 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.

Best Power Bait and Gulp! Trout Dough colors this week were chartreuse and garlic, with best leader lengths holding at 12 to 24 inches. Clearing water conditions dictate the need for 2-pound test leader material. Good numbers of trout were caught along the west shore, Sierra Cove and near the dam.

Trollers are also scoring trout, with firetiger or brown trout-color Rapala Countdown CD05's or Jointed Rapala J-05's being the preferred choice. Irvine Lake Pro Team member Brian Ray located easy limits of trout trolling along the west shore with 3 colors of leadcore line and a Dave Davis.

Crappie and bluegill numbers were only fair this week. Crappie hit best on white Berkley Atomic tubes, and the bluegill stayed with the reliable mealworms or waxworms.

Catfish are biting well in the shallows as the water warms up. Some limits of 2 to 4-pound whiskerfish are being caught on shrimp, mackerel and nightcrawlers, although none of the lake's monster cats has yet been heard from.

Red-hot trout action is still available in the Kids Lagoon for families with children age 12 and under, according to Irvine Lake Pro Team member Marlon Meade. "On Sunday I helped over 35 kids who were first-timers catch their first fish", said Meade. "The Lagoon is even clearer than the main lake, so 2-pound test is a must. Garlic Power Bait is the best bait."

Meade tipped, "Fly fishing with a spinning bubble is working very well in the mornings on both the main lake and especially in the Lagoon. These overcast mornings are the perfect time for a kid to learn how to fly fish for trout."

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

- Jose Ruiz of Mexico, 13-9 rainbow trout on a nightcrawler at Boat Dock Cove
- Daniela Jimenez of Corona, 10-6 rainbow trout on Power Bait at the flats