Caption:

Al Rotta of Lomita fooled this 9-2 rainbow trout at Irvine Lake while using Power Bait at Woody's Cove.

Irvine Lake largest trout at 11-12; "Grand Slam" event slated for Kids Lagoon
Trout action this week at Irvine Lake was divided into two parts this past weekend, reported Nick Sepulveda at the Pro Shop. "The trout bite was wide open on Friday and up until noon on Saturday", observed Sepulveda. "Then the big weather front moved in, and it got very tough on Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. After we re-stocked on Wednesday afternoon, the bite perked back up immediately."

Things were similar over in the Kids Lagoon, but the excellent early bite on Saturday allowed for a large group of over 125 kids to catch their limits, including a bunch brought over by members of the Compton Rod and Gun Club. "Pretty much every kid got their limit in the Lagoon today", remarked Irvine Lake Pro Staffer Marlon Meade. "Most of the kids got their fish on Power Bait in salmon peach or garlic flavors. No doubt the weather is changing, and brighter colors are going to be best going forward."

Meade continued, "On the main lake, by far the hottest spot is the 14-foot 'shelf' over in Santiago Flats. It's over on the left side about 100 yards out, and the fish are just laying on it. Best lure is the orange/white Berkley Atomic Teaser. When it gets windy, suspend the Atomic Teaser under a bobber at 7 to 8 feet. Trollers are also doing better than bait anglers when it gets windy, and hot pink is still the best color for trolling lures.'

The few bass anglers who ventured out found excellent numbers of largemouth in the 1 to 4-pound class, suing jigs at 25 feet near the red clay cliffs and Rocky Point. Local bass expert Don Spencer of Orange reported releasing over 25 bass for just a few hours' effort. Some limits of 2 to 5-pound channel catfish are still being caught by anglers soaking mackerel at 25 feet.

The Kids Lagoon received a stocking of brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout this week. Kids who achieve a "Grand Slam" by catching all 3 species between December 12 and January 2 will win a raffle ticket for great prizes, and numerous tagged fish can also be redeemed for cash and prizes.

Launching conditions remain good at the main ramp, with the water level holding steady. Early morning water temperatures are in the mid-50's, creeping up to 61 degrees by mid-day.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

Bill Carlson of Orange, 11-12 rainbow trout on a Rapala at the west shore
Ricardo Zepeda of Garden Grove, 10-6 rainbow trout on Power Bait at boat dock cove
Mike Guich of Santa Clarita, 7-12 rainbow trout on Power Bait at the red clay cliffs
Roy Gody of Chino Hills, 7-6 rainbow trout on Power Bait at Sierra Cove
10-year old Sierra and 7-year old Summer Tanouye of Buena Park, their first-ever trout limits on Power Bait in the Kids Lagoon.