The catfish beginning their fall migration toward deep water did not deter them from biting, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The catfish are moving into 25 to 30 feet of water", observed Getty. "There are still fish up shallow, but they are mostly the smaller 2-pounders. The best bite time has been from about 5 PM to 10:30 PM."

Getty added, "We had Mark and Matt Woodward of Orange check in with a heavy double-limit stringer of 10 channel catfish that weighed a total of 48 pounds in deeper water out on the flats."

Most catfish on the stringers are prime eating-size 2 to 6-pound channel cats, along with a few larger blue cats from 10 to 17 pounds. Good catches were reported from Boat Dock Cove, Santiago Flats and the west shore. Productive baits included mackerel, bonito, skipjack, and pike mackerel.

Bass anglers found good numbers of 2 to 4-pound largemouth, although the fish are clearly making their autumnal move toward deeper waters of as much as 20-25 feet near Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs. Some topwater fish are seen, including a few boils, but the duration is diminishing. Deep structure tactics like Texas-rigged plastics and jigs are the top producer. A few hybrid striped bass were caught incidentally by catfish anglers. Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of 1 to 3-pound catfish on mackerel, shrimp, and nightcrawlers in the Kids Lagoon. Surface temperature on the main lake is ranging from 79-81 degrees, with the water receding enough to expose the road at Woody's Cove.

New lake admission prices go into effect as of October 1, 2012: Adults- $24; Seniors [Monday-Thursday]- $21; Kids [age 4-12]- $11; Second-Limit Pass- $19. Anticipation is building for the Irvine Lake 2012-13 Trout Season opener, which is slated for Friday, November 2. Some 20,000 pounds of trout will be planted just prior to the opener, and a special limited-entry "VIP Fishing Day" will take place on Thursday, November 1.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Mark Woodward of Orange, 5-12 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats
Phil Hildebrandt of Anaheim, 17-5 blue catfish [released] on mackerel at the buoy line
Trevor Segal of Westlake Village, 15-3 blue catfish [released] on Bite-On at Rocky Point
Ronson Smothers of Los Angeles, 7-8 wiper [released] on mackerel at mid-lake
Donnie Peterson of Anaheim, 4-5 largemouth bass [released] on 10-inch worm at Rocky Point
Mark and Matt Woodward of Orange, 10-catfish stringer totaling 48-3 on mackerel at the flats