IRVINE LAKE MULTI-SPECIES BITE ON FIRE; 15-7 RAINBOW AND 10-6 BROWN TOP CATCHES

Anglers could just about call their shots at Irvine Lake this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "We had absolutely great all-around fishing this week", observed Getty. "Last week we had the biggest bass in over two years with a 13-2, and this week we had the biggest rainbow of the season with a 15-7 Nebraska Tailwalker, and also the biggest brown trout in over two years with a really beautiful 10-7 caught from shore. Bass anglers are finding stellar action on just about any legitimate bass technique, including Senkos, jigs, and crankbaits. The lunker hunters are out there throwing big swimbaits, but will not divulge any specific information."

Getty added, "This week we will receive a stocking of the uniquely colored 'Sierra Snow' trout, which are a mostly white color-phase of rainbow trout, but are not albinos. The following week we will get another stocking of Nebraska Tailwalkers, just in time for our Berkley Cup tournament event on March 28."

Bank anglers checked in good stringers of trout from Trout Island and along the west shoreline. Trollers mostly plied the waters near mid-lake and along the dam restriction lines. Stained water conditions dictated shorter 8-12 inch bait leader lengths, with strong garlic scents like Gulp! Alive added to PowerBait or nightcrawlers. Popluar trolling lures included firetiger-color Rapala Countdown CD05's and red/chartreuse ShadRap SRR04's.

Bass anglers reported releasing 20 or more fish per day, mostly in the 2 to 4-pound class. Favored areas were Rocky Point, the Red Clay Cliffs, and areas of flooded vegetation in the back of Santiago Flats. Only a handful of catfish anglers ventured out, but most found decent numbers of 4-6 pound whiskerfish using mackerel near Rocky Point, with a few hybrid striped bass mixed in. Bluegill and redear sunfish up to a pound are hitting mealworms near the boat dock.

Families with children age 12 did well on 1-4 pound trout in the Kids Lagoon, using PowerBait on very short 4-6 inch leaders. Surface temperature on the main lake was 62-64 degrees, with underwater visibility rated at 0-5 feet. The lake level is rising slowly, and the inlet pipe at Sierra Cove is on. The boat dock has been moved to Trout Island. The lake is stocked every week with Calaveras rainbows and browns, with a special stocking of "Sierra Snow" white-phase rainbow trout scheduled for this week, and the following week another stocking of Nebraska Tailwalkers will take place just before the Berkley Cup tournament event.


Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Larry Zimmerman of Chino, 15-7 Nebraska Tailwalker on a Flickershad at mid-lake
Brenden Smith of Anaheim, 10-10 Nebraska Tailwalker on a Rapala at the west shore
Tsuki Tsukiyama of Garden Grove, 10-6 brown trout on PowerBait at the west shore
5-year old Logan Donahue of Norco, 9-4 rainbow trout on a Flickershad at mid-lake
Gabriel Torres of Norwalk, 8-10 steelhead on nightcrawler at the west shore
Don Spencer of Anaheim, 4-8 largemouth bass [released] on plastics at Rocky Point
Terry Lairson of Fountain Valley, 6-6 channel catfish on mackerel at Rocky Point
Chris Hagopian of Redondo Beach, 6-1 wiper [released] on mackerel at Rocky Point


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