Irvine Lake catfish to 13-5 chewing well; heavy stringers common
An extra-heavy stocking of catfish meant good holiday weekend action at Irvine Lake, reported Daniela Gavaldon at the Pro Shop. "We are seeing lots and lots of very heavy limit and double-limit stringers", observed Gavaldon. "So many catfish were stocked this week, and the darker moon phase have really set the fish off. Examples of the great stringers were Jody Aballo with a 5-fish limit totaling 39-3, Ron Carpenter of Simi Valley with a hefty double limit totaling 58-0. "

Gavaldon added, "We had one of our specially tagged catfish 'The General' brought in that was worth $100, and there are still 4 more 'Generals' loose in the lake. We also have a lot of other catfish with tags in them that can be redeemed for cash."

Irvine Lake Pro Team leader Marlon Meade instructed, "Go out at about 5 or 6 PM and get anchored up in about 8 to 10 feet of water. The bite should get going about 7 PM. Flyline chunks of mackerel enhanced with the cheese-flavor Berkley Power Dip. If you don't get a bite after 15 minutes, move your bait to make sure it is out of the weeds, because the fish are leaving the weed cover at about dusk."

Meade tipped, "Bank anglers should bring long rods and 1 ounce sliding sinkers so they can get their cast out as far as possible."

Mornings have been productive too, and local guide Hubert Zimara of KFGS Guide Service added, "Our group of anglers had easy limits of catfish to over 10 pounds by 9 AM yesterday morning. We were using mackerel dipped in cheese Power Dip for Catfish at 15 feet in Boat Dock Cove."

Bass anglers are doing well on medium-grade largemouth from 1 to 4 pounds. Dropshot-rigged plastics have been best, and last week's topwater bite has petered out. Deep-water trout are still available to anglers skilled in that technique, but few anglers have tried to pursue crappie. Good numbers of bluegill and redear sunfish to over a pound are biting on mealworms and waxworms.

Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of 1 to 3-pound catfish in the freshly-stocked Kids Lagoon. The lake level is receding slowly, and the West Shore road is now open for vehicle traffic all the way to the second ramp, and open to foot traffic after that. Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

-Steve Anna of Trabuco, 13-5 blue catfish [released] on chicken liver at the flats
-Debbi Abahazy of San Gabriel, 8-12 blue catfish on mackerel at the flats
-Matt Northrup of Orange, 13-1 channel catfish on mackerel at Boat Dock Cove
-Richard Thompson of Garden Grove, 12-5 tagged channel catfish worth $100, on mackerel at the flats
-Rick Kizzece of Orange, 12-3 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats


Follow Irvine Lake on Facebook, on the web at IrvineLake.net or call 714-649-9111