The last couple of weeks of monster blue catfish catches had set the anticipation levels to "high" for Irvine Lake anglers, but the big fish failed to materialize, according to Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop.

"The big blue catfish just did not happen for us this weekend", noted Getty. "We have been seeing lots of stocker channel cats, and we checked in plenty of limits of channels in the 2 to 8-pound range."

Getty added, "There will be a 260-pound sturgeon stocked within the next few weeks, but it is intended as a kind of ???mascot', and is definitely not intended to be caught. The water level has also started rising, and we expect the lake level to go up about 15 feet by the end of November."

Productive baits for catfish anglers included Catmando, Gulp! Catfish Dough, Bowker's, shrimp and the marshmallow/mealworm combo. Favorite spots included the west shore, Santiago Flats, near the docks and near the dam.

Bass anglers are still finding good numbers of 2 to 3-pound largemouth along the red clay cliffs, at rockpiles near Santiago Flats and at Rocky Point. Throw topwaters early and late, and then switch to dropshot baits for most of the day. Anglers are reminded that all bass species are strictly catch-and-release, but upwards of 10 fish per day are being released by knowledgeable anglers.

Crappie action took a total nosedive due to dropping water temperatures, but bluegill and redear remained co-operative for anglers offering mealworms and waxworms.

The trout season opener is schedule for Friday October 19, with the final late-night catfish session on Saturday October 13. Some 20,000 pounds of trout in the 1 to 6-pound range being stocked prior to that date. The lake will be closed Monday through Thursday, October 15, 16, 17 and 18 to stock the trout and prepare for the new season.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Joe Filippini of Moorpark, matching catfish weighing 12.4 pounds each on mackerel at the flats
Eduardo Becerra of Santa Ana, 10.4 pound catfish on mackerel at the flats
Tyrone Green of Compton, 5-catfish limit totaling 25.1 pounds on mackerel at the flats