Irvine Lake bass going off big time; Trout Season Opener slated for November 4
by Steve Carson
8-17-2011
714-649-9111
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Bass Action
Even though plenty of catfish were still being caught, the largemouth bass bite moved into the spotlight this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Good bass catches were pretty commonplace this past week", observed Getty. "The more experienced anglers did exceptionally well on largemouth that were mostly 2 to 4 pounds, but plenty of larger ones were also caught on Carolina-rigged Brush Hogs and big Texas-rigged Power Worms.
Are Blue Cats Spawning?
"Catfish anglers did best in the early AM hours, and then again from dusk to 11 PM. We had a fairly small 5-pound class blue catfish checked in, which may indicate the blues have successfully spawned here. Ordinarily, blue cats are river spawners, so the prospect of their reproducing here in Irvine Lake is pretty exciting."
Trout Opener
Getty added, "We are very happy to announce that our 2012-13 Trout Season Opener will be on Friday, November 4. As always, we will stock thousands of pounds of trout prior to the opener, and there will also be a special limited-entry 'VIP Day' the day before the public opener."
Catfish anglers found very good numbers, but noted that the whiskerfish had moved to a slightly deeper 10 to 20-foot level. Good catches of eating-size 3 to 5-pound channel cats were made at Sierra Cove and Santiago Flats, with the top baits being the mackerel/shrimp combo, although anglers with access to bonito or skipjack also did very well.
The Bass Bite
Excellent bass fishing was reported at depths of 1 to 25 feet, with most of the largemouth apparently back holding on structure instead of out in open water chasing bait. No hybrid striped bass were reported this week. Anglers are reminded that all bass species are catch-and-release only at Irvine Lake.
Slow Crappie Bite
Few crappie anglers ventured out this week, as the lights necessary to attract the crappie are believed to spook the catfish. Only a handful of trout anglers made an effort, and no trout were checked in. Plenty of plump bluegill were available for anglers offering mealworms or Gulp! Waxies.
Even though plenty of catfish were still being caught, the largemouth bass bite moved into the spotlight this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Good bass catches were pretty commonplace this past week", observed Getty. "The more experienced anglers did exceptionally well on largemouth that were mostly 2 to 4 pounds, but plenty of larger ones were also caught on Carolina-rigged Brush Hogs and big Texas-rigged Power Worms.
Are Blue Cats Spawning?
"Catfish anglers did best in the early AM hours, and then again from dusk to 11 PM. We had a fairly small 5-pound class blue catfish checked in, which may indicate the blues have successfully spawned here. Ordinarily, blue cats are river spawners, so the prospect of their reproducing here in Irvine Lake is pretty exciting."
Trout Opener
Getty added, "We are very happy to announce that our 2012-13 Trout Season Opener will be on Friday, November 4. As always, we will stock thousands of pounds of trout prior to the opener, and there will also be a special limited-entry 'VIP Day' the day before the public opener."
Catfish anglers found very good numbers, but noted that the whiskerfish had moved to a slightly deeper 10 to 20-foot level. Good catches of eating-size 3 to 5-pound channel cats were made at Sierra Cove and Santiago Flats, with the top baits being the mackerel/shrimp combo, although anglers with access to bonito or skipjack also did very well.
The Bass Bite
Excellent bass fishing was reported at depths of 1 to 25 feet, with most of the largemouth apparently back holding on structure instead of out in open water chasing bait. No hybrid striped bass were reported this week. Anglers are reminded that all bass species are catch-and-release only at Irvine Lake.
Slow Crappie Bite
Few crappie anglers ventured out this week, as the lights necessary to attract the crappie are believed to spook the catfish. Only a handful of trout anglers made an effort, and no trout were checked in. Plenty of plump bluegill were available for anglers offering mealworms or Gulp! Waxies.
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