Irvine Lake catfish and crappie bite best during the evening, 17.9 pound blue cat tops catches

The night-time catfishing sessions on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays were definitely the prime time for catfish anglers at Irvine Lake, reported general manager Dave Noyes. "The bite gets going about 7:00 PM", observed Noyes. "Then about 9:00 PM it really gets cranking. We are now staying open until 11:00 PM on Thursdays, in addition to our regular Friday and Saturday nights until 2:00 AM. The very light crowds on Thursday night is really a good time to find the catfish in a co-operative mood."

Productive baits for catfish included mackerel, shrimp, Gulp! and DuMong's. Catfish anglers took numbers of fish at Santiago Flats, near the docks, at mid-lake and near the dam. Stringers of 2 to 6 pound catfish were the norm, with a few of the larger whiskerfish keeping things exciting.

Crappie fishing legend Marlon Meade conducted a fishing seminar to a large crowd over the weekend, then headed out. "Lake Pro-Staffer Dave Young and I started at 7:30 PM back in the flats and drifted with white Atomic Teasers and 2-inch Gulp! Minnows. We had limits of nice crappie in nothing flat and were back to the docks by 8:30 PM. The fish are a little deeper, and you have to use a one-sixteenth-ounce jighead with the Gulp!"

Meade continued, "When you set up with a lantern for night-time crappie fishing, it is important to look at the bait that gathers under the light. There are three sizes of bait present in the lake; The tiny half-inch kind, the three-quarter inchers, and then the bigger size. When those larger minnows gather under your boat, that's when the larger crappie start to show up."

Bass anglers found very good numbers of largemouth up to 4 pounds. The fish are hitting reaction baits early and late in the shallows, and dropshot-rigged plastics at 20 feet during mid-day. Anglers are reminded that all bass fishing is catch-and-release only.

Good numbers of bluegill and redear are being caught near the docks on mealworms and waxworms. Families with children under age 12 are catching catfish in the Kids Lagoon using the marshmallow/mealworm combo or mackerel.

The lake's water level is receding due to normal summer demand, creating some muddy areas at the water's edge. Drivers are advised to use caution.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Donovan Swann of Huntington Beach, 17.9 pound blue catfish on mackerel at the flats Adrian Pintor, Bob Barr, Clinton Whisler and Ashley Beck, 20-catfish limit totaling 60 pounds on shrimp near the docks Art Villa, and Joey Arballo of Orange and Mitz Onizuka of Irvine, 15-catfish limit totaling 40 pounds on mackerel at the flats

Media contacts:
Daniela Gavaldon or Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop [714-649-9111]
Steve Carson at scarson@sunset.net