IRVINE LAKE CATFISH BREAK WIDE OPEN; "NO LIMIT' TROUT DERBY SLATED FOR JUNE 6-7
A preview of summer's upcoming action was on tap at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The last couple of days has been one of the best catfish bites that I can remember", observed Getty. "Catfish from 3 to 12 pounds are biting at a limit pace when you locate them. Several catfish anglers have limited out in less than an hour."

Getty added, "The bass fishing was also just insane. We had one of the heaviest 5-fish limits ever brought in here; over 26 pounds for 5 bass. Don Spencer and Joe Schlater are a couple of our most experienced bass anglers, and they said they have never seen it so good. The catfish bite is also heating up."

The weekend of June 6-7 will see the first annual Irvine Lake "No-Limit" Trout Derby. The usual 5-trout limit will be suspended, and prizes will be given out for the heaviest stringer of trout, no matter how many fish are on it.

Trout planting is now done for the season, and the lake's first catfish plant will be 10,000 pounds of channel catfish going in just before the big June 12 catfish season opener. The current hot bite on catfish is being fueled by Irvine Lake's abundant natural catfish population.

Trout anglers who are skilled at deepwater techniques are still doing very well at Irvine, with easy limits of 1 to 3-pound rainbows in less than an hour reported by both deep trollers and bait dunkers. Trolling with 5 or 6 colors of leadcore line or with a downrigger was the number one technique. Hot trolling lures included cop car-color Luhr Jensen Needlefish, firetiger-color J-05 Jointed Rapalas and clown-color XR6 Rapala X-Raps. Try along the west shore, near the dam and Rocky Point.

Bass anglers were catching fish on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Ripbaits and plastics, with 3 to 7-pound fish relatively common. Largemouth were caught at the red clay cliffs, along deep rocky structure and around vegetation in the shallows. Anglers are reminded that all bass species are catch-and-release only at Irvine Lake.

Best bet for catfish are mackerel, shrimp, chicken liver, and Gulp! Catfish Dough baits soaked at mid-day near the docks. Limits of 3 to 12-pound whiskerfish have been coming in with ease for those who fish for them.

Crappie are a hit or miss proposition, with most crappie chasers getting ready for the first night-fishing session on June 12. Bluegill are also there to be caught for anglers soaking mealworms or waxworms.

Catfish plants have already started in the Kids Lagoon, with good catches reported for families with children age 12 and under. The water level of the main lake is slowly receding, with surface water temperatures up to about 75 degrees.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

- Earnestine Walter of Carson, 8-2 and 7-12 channel catfish on chicken liver in boat dock cove
- Don Spencer of Chino Hills, 6-8 largemouth bass [released] on a crankbait near the red clay cliffs
- Joe Schlater of Orange, 6-5 largemouth bass [released] on a crankbait at Rocky Point