IRVINE LAKE TAILWALKERS TO 11-5 ADDING EXCITEMENT; 15-0 WIPER AND 22-9 CARP TOP CATCHES

Anglers heading to Irvine Lake over President's Weekend found the newly-planted Nebraska Tailwalkers aggressively biting almost as soon as they had been stocked, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The Tailwalkers were very active in the lake right away, and we got big ones of 11-5 and 9-15 within the first couple of days", observed Getty. "Since they are not fed for over a week before being transported, they are very hungry and willing to bite on a large variety of techniques and baits. Trollers, bait dunkers, and lure casters all caught fish, and these fish are of course exceptionally hard fighters. We will be getting additional truckloads of Tailwalkers about every other week until our Sierra in the City event in April, in addition to our regular weekly stocking from Calaveras."

Getty added, "The browns and Calaveras rainbows are also continuing to hit in good numbers, and the beautiful weather has gotten the largemouth bass up and looking around, thinking about spawning. We also had a couple of heavyweight fish of alternate species this week, including a 15-pound hybrid striped bass, and a 22-pound carp."

Irvine Lake Pro Team member Dave Young advised, "Walking along the west shoreline during the early morning hours, casting a 1/8 ounce gold Johnson Splinter was an excellent way to get both brown trout and Nebraska Tailwalkers this week. If PowerBait is your thing, go with the white color on an 18-inch leader, and be sure to use 2-pound test leader material. The bait and lure casting is mostly in the mornings, but trolling is working all day long. Also don't be afraid to drop back a lure on 'the slide' after you hook a fish trolling. I like to drop back a grasshopper-color Atomic Teaser, either with or without a float."

Bass anglers found good numbers of 2 to 4-pound largemouth fishing jigs and dropshot-rigged plastics at 20-25 feet on hard structure at the Red Clay Cliffs and Rocky Point. Some 3 to 6 pound channel catfish were caught in the same area soaking mackerel near points at 15-20 feet.

Families with children age 12 and under found fir numbers of 1-3 pound trout in the Kids lagoon, although no Tailwalkers were planted in the Lagoon. Surface temperature on the main lake is in the high 50's, with underwater visibility rated at 8-10 feet. The lake level is rising slowly, and the inlet pipe in Sierra Cove is running. The launch ramps at Trout Island and the west shore are both offering good launch conditions.


Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Steve Souza of Garden Grove, 11-5 Nebraska Tailwalker on a Kastmaster at the west shore
Angel Hernandez of Gardena, 9-15 Nebraska Tailwalker on a nightcrawler at the west shore
Mark Capuleto of San Pedro, 3-9 brown trout on a nightcrawler at the west shore
Rick Kizzee of Los Angeles, 5-7 rainbow trout on PowerBait at Trout Island
Don Spencer of Orange, 6-1 largemouth bass [released] on a jig at Rocky Point
Brian Anderson of Corona, 15-0 wiper [released] on a Flickershad at mid-lake
Nick Martinescu of Norwalk, 22-9 carp on a nightcrawler at the west shore


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