IRVINE LAKE TROUT TO 8-7 CHEWING WELL; NEBRASKA TAILWALKER PLANT SLATED FOR PRESIDENT'S WEEKEND

Trout fishing continued on a brisk clip this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "We had a very good bite on both browns and rainbows again this week", observed Getty. "The best bet to catch browns it to work on tier predatory instinct with casting and trolling lures. Irvine Lake has a good population of silversides and threadfin shad, plus logperch and several other baitfish species, and those browns just love to chase them. If you want to get them with bait, a whole inflated nightcrawler is probably the best ticket.

Our anglers are really getting used to figuring out what the browns prefer, and so are catching a lot of them" Getty continued, "We are very excited that we will be stocking a total of about 12,000 pounds of the famous Nebraska Tailwalker Trout this season, spread out from just before President's Day to the third week of April. Most of these beautiful fish will be in the 2 to 7-pound class, but with some trophy-grade fish up to 15 pounds mixed in." Good trout catches were checked in from the west shore, mid-lake, and Trout Island. Mid-length bait leaders from 12-14 inches were best. Trollers did well with firetiger-color Rapala CD05's, and pink tiger Shad Rap SR04's.

Bass anglers are finding good numbers of 2 to 4-pound largemouth using a variety of techniques. Dropshot-rigged plastics and jigs are productive at 20 to 25 feet on hard structure near Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs. Crankbaits are also working in the back of the flats, and lunker hunters continue to throw big swimbaits, but are keeping mum.

Some 2 to 7 pound channel catfish are biting mackerel chunks at 20 feet near Rocky Point, and are also inhaling nightcrawlers intended for trout. Plump bluegill to as much as 2 pounds are starting to show up near the docks on mealworms and waxworms.

Families with children age 12 and under found good number s of 1-3 pound trout in the Kids Lagoon on PowerBait, and the Lagoon was re-stocked with trout this week. Surface temperature on the main lake was 54 degrees with the underwater visibility rated as clearing up from last week. Lake level is holding steady, and the inlet pipe in Sierra Cove is running.


Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine lake included:
Ron Allard of Lakewood, 8-7 rainbow trout on a Rapala at mid-lake
Elton Cousins of Hawthorne, 7-1 rainbow trout on a Thomas Buoyant at the west shore
Todd Pierce of Orange, 4-9 brown trout on a Rapala at mid-lake
Richard Miller of Orange, 4-3 brown trout on a Flickershad at mid-lake
James Smelt of Orange, 4-1 brown trout on a Flickershad at mid-lake
10-year old Royal Hunter, Jr., of Corona, 1-12 rainbow trout on nightcrawlers at the west shore
7-year old Samantha Hunter of Orange, 1-11 rainbow trout on PowerBait at the west shore
Shigero Sebata of Los Angeles, 8-7 channel catfish on nightcrawlers at Trout Island
James Getty of Silverado, 5-1 largemouth bass [released] on a swimbait at Boat Dock Cove


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