Excellent bass action kept pace with the more traditional catfish bite this week at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "Both the bass bite and the catfish bite were very good this week", observed Getty. "We always expect good numbers of catfish in September, but the size and sheer numbers of bass being caught is definitely surprising. The biggest catfish of the week, a 17-8 blue, was caught by Doug Browning of Angler's Marine, who was actually fishing for bass."

Catfish anglers noticed that the whiskerfish were moving into slightly deeper waters, best areas were 15 or more feet deep. Top baits were mackerel and shrimp, with the period from 6:00 PM until 11:00 PM seeing the most activity. Good catches were reported from Boat Dock Cove, the west shore, and Santiago Flats.

Bass anglers found very good numbers of 2 to 6-pound largemouth, with a smattering of larger specimens. Jigs, dropshot baits, and Carolina-rigged Brush Hogs were the top producers. Anglers are reminded that all bass species are strictly catch-and-release at Irvine Lake.

Very little effort was expended toward crappie or trout this week, and none were checked in. Bluegill were all over in the shallows for those who wanted them, hitting on Gulp! Crickets or meal worms. Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of 1 to 3-pound catfish on nightcrawlers under a bobber in the Kids Lagoon.

Water level in the main lake is dropping very slowly, with the surface temperature at 80 degrees. Clarity is rated as "crystal clear", with underwater visibility at 10 to 12 feet.