IRVINE LAKE TROUT, BASS, AND CRAPPIE GOING OFF, AND HYBRID STRIPERS ARE SCHOOLING UP
BARGAIN ADMISSION PRICES THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
Midweek calm returned to the lake after the big WON trout event last Saturday. Plenty of good fishing was found in the days following of the event, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The overall trout action all week was good to very good", observed Getty. "We are selling lots of double limit tickets, and even some triple limit tickets. The crappie fishing is also very good, and if you can locate a school of wipers, that bite can be really good."

Getty cautioned, "With the hot bite on largemouth, and the rapidly increasing numbers of wipers [hybrid striped bass], anglers need to be familiar with our mandatory release policy on all bass species. If it's a bass of any kind, you have to release it!"

Trollers found fish on the reliable Rapala countdown CD05's in firetiger, along with Rapala X-Rap XR06's in hot pink and clown colors, and Rapala Jointed J05's in brook trout colors. Leadcore line trollers let out 3 to 5 colors, and fooled their fish with Luhr Jensen Needlefish in cop-car, bikini, and frog colors. Trouters had generally better results on bait over trolling. Inflated nightcrawlers on a 12 to 18 inch leader were the top producer for rainbows in the 1 to 5 pound range. Good catches were checked in from Trout Island, the west shore and Santiago Flats.

Legendary big catfish angler Ronson "Catmando" Smothers of Los Angeles took his father Ronald to a spot in 30 feet of water at Santiago Flats, and found wide-open action on hybrid stripers [AKA sunshine bass or wipers] in the 2 to 3-pound class hitting nightcrawlers and trolled Rapalas. "It was like fishing for mackerel in the ocean, we were hooking doubles and even triples", commented Smothers regarding the sizzling bite.

Crappie fishing is good with the fish preparing to spawn. Slabs to 2.5 pounds are hitting on white or chartreuse/white Atomic Tubes at the flats and Woody's Cove. A few incidental catfish were caught on nightcrawlers.

Bass anglers found excellent numbers of their quarry. Largemouth from 2 to 7 pounds have moved down to the 20 foot level all over the lake. The rising water levels have resulted in numbers of bass being in the spawn, pre-spawn, and post-spawn condition at the same time. A pair of skilled anglers can still release 20 or more bass per day.

Anglers skilled in specialty European carp techniques would have a field day on the large numbers of carp currently inhabiting the shallows. Some incidental bluegill and redear sunfish are showing up for trout anglers offering nightcrawlers, along with a few channel catfish.

The lake level continues to rise, and the road to Trout Island closed on Wednesday morning. The lake will operate water shuttles over to Trout Island on weekends only. The final Kids Lagoon event of the season will be the Kiddie Pole Challenge on Friday evening, and after that the Lagoon will be inundated and become part of the main lake.

This coming weekend April 24-25 will see Irvine Lake roll its admission and boat rental prices back substantially. Adults admission will be dropped to $11, and children age 4-12 will be $7, and motor boat rentals will be $35.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
John Gobert of Carson, 12.03 pound rainbow trout on Power Bait out front
Mark Zirges of Whittier, 11.14 and 6.12 pound rainbow trout on Power Worms at Woody's Cove
Sam Soto of Fountain Valley, 8.0 pound rainbow trout on Power Bait at Boat Dock Cove
Hector Avila of South Gate, 6.20 pound rainbow trout on Power Bait at Woody's Cove
Katherine Gobert of Carson, 3.71 pound steelhead on a Rapala at mid-lake
Shauna Arnaldo of Lakewood, 2.15 pound steelhead on a Rapala at mid-lake
Rusty Vogel of Huntington Beach, 1.65 pound brown trout on a Kastmaster at the flats
Ronald Smothers of Los Angeles, 3.0 pound hybrid striped bass [released] on nightcrawlers at the flats
Paul Palutikof of Sunland, 1.50 pound hybrid striped bass [released] on a Needlefish at mid-lake
Brice Holmes of San Diego, 2.90 pound channel catfish on a Mepps near the dam