Irvine Lake sees 12-2 channel cat top catches; “No Limit” trout fishing day slated for June 2

Irvine Lake - Silverado, CA


by Steve Carson
5-9-2012
714-649-9111
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What passes for winter in Southern California is now past, and the fish population at Irvine Lake is making it's seasonal transitions, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The trout bite is still very good at 20 feet or deeper at Santiago Flats or the west shore", observed Getty. "We haven't seen any of the bigger trout this week, but they are still getting limits of nice fish on almost any kind of PowerBait. The crappie have also really started taking off." Getty added, "We are really looking forward to our big 2012 catfish season opener, which will be Friday June 8, and we will also have a 'No limit trout fishing' event for ONE DAY ONLY on June 2."

Bass anglers are doing very well on 2 to 4-pound class largemouth using plastics, jigs, and topwaters at zero to 20 feet. Productive areas for bass included almost any brushy spot.

Crappie anglers are centering their efforts at 15 to 20 foot depths near the trees in Santiago Flats. Best offering for crappie has been white Atomic Tubes with a mealworm trailer. Plenty of bluegill are biting in shallow brushy areas on mealworms and redworms.

Trout in the 2 to 3 pound range made up almost everything on the stringers this week. Trout trollers dropped down with 4 to 6 colors of leadcore line, and dragged cop-car color Luhr Jensen Needlefish or Jointed Rapala J05's and J07's in brown trout or brook trout colors. Deep-soaked PowerBait in almost any color has been working exceptionally well, although 2-pound test leader material is required due to the ultra-clear water.

Families with children age 12 and under did well in the Kids Lagoon on both trout and some very large carp. Surface temperature on the main lake is 68 degrees, with the water level holding steady. Underwater visibility is rated as very clear.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Tom Argienfield of Huntington Beach, 12-2 channel catfish on a nightcrawler at the flats
Don Spencer of Anaheim, 4-9 largemouth bass [released] on topwater at the west shore
Nixon Brown of Corona, 15-0 carp at the Kids Lagoon on Power Bait


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5-2-2012
All of Irvine Lake's major fish species are on the menu right now, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Almost anything you want to go after can be caught in good numbers right now", observed Getty. "The bass fishing is just off the hook, limits of channel catfish are common, the crappie fishing is just getting revved up, and there are still lots of trout biting. We will keep on planting trout for several more weeks." Bass anglers can...... Read More

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