Trout chasers found good action at Irvine Lake this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "A lot of nice fish were checked in this week", observed Getty. "The bite has been all day long due to the cloud cover we've been getting. Most of the trout are running 2 to 3 pounds, with some better ones up to 13 pounds mixed in. Aaron Garcia had two huge rainbows going 13-0 and 9-8 on PowerBait dipped in Bite-On corn flavor, and a surprising number of brown trout are showing up."

Daniela Gavaldon at the Pro Shop added, "The roads are now all back open after the weekend rains. No more rain is in the forecast, and it is expected to be in the 80's this weekend. The high winds that were in the forecast for today [Wednesday] never materialized, just a few 15-20 mph gusts."

Top offerings for bait dunkers included PowerBait fished on a 12 to 14-inch leader, or Gulp! Sinking Pinched Crawlers fished under a bobber. Dropshot-rigged 2-inch Gulp! Fat Trout Worms pinned on wacky-style have also been effective in chartreuse or bubblegum colors.

Trollers dragged several perennial favorites, including firetiger-color Rapala Countdown CD05's, along with newer choices like X-Rap Shad XR06's in pink, or the Rapala Ultralight Shad ULS04's in red/chartreuse. Top troll locations included mid-lake and Santiago Flats, with bait working well at the west shore, Boat Dock Cove, and Trout Island.

Very good bass action was on tap for anglers skilled in deep water techniques. Consistent numbers of 2 to 6-pound largemouth were hitting on Carolina or Dropshot-rigged plastics, jigs, and spoons at 25 to 40 feet at the Red Clay Cliffs and Rocky Point.

A few incidental catfish went after nightcrawlers intended for trout, but periods of heavy rain give the opportunity to do very well as the whiskerfish stack up near creek mouths, feasting on what the runoff brings in. Families with children age 12 and under found some outstanding action on carp, with Daniel, Joseph, and John Park of Placentia bagging a limit of carp totaling over 30 pounds on nightcrawlers. Surface temperature on the main lake was 53-54 degrees, with the water level holding steady. Underwater clarity was extremely variable.