Irvine Lake shad boils key to hot fishing for multiple species
A huge population of threadfin shad has several of the fish species at Irvine Lake all fired up, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "You should see the shad boils all over the lake this week" observed Getty. "Big schools of crappie, largemouth bass, and even trout are just ripping into the bait balls. When you come up on a boil, cast an Atomic Tube or Maniac Minnow right into it, you'll get a bite almost every cast and you can't tell what kind of fish will hit. Don't forget that netting the shad and using them as bait is strictly prohibited."

The key to catching catfish is to actually avoid the shad boils, as the whiskerfish are ignoring baited hooks when focused on the bait balls. Plenty of eating-size cats from 2 to 5 pounds were caught on mackerel or shrimp, but the key to catching the larger double-digit fish was to fish deep. Good numbers of catfish were caught at Santiago Flats and boat dock cove.

Bass fishing was exceptional for those who specialize in the species. Scores of 30 to 40 largemouth in the 1 to 5 pound class were routine for just a few hours' effort, although one angler released a whopper bass over 8 pounds. The bass were holding in zero to 15 feet of water, and hitting best on jerkbaits like Rapala X-Rap XR10's and XR12's in purple ghost or shad-imitating colors.

Anglers wishing to bag a mess of bluegill and redear can easily do so in the shallows using mealworms or waxworms. Action on stocker-size catfish in the Kids Lagoon was only fair due to an algae bloom.

The main lake water level is dropping slowly, with the surface temperature at 79 degrees. Main lake underwater visibility is very good, ranging from 5 to 10 feet. There is currently no daily bag limit on trout. A 10-minute zebra mussel inspection is required for all private boats being launched.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

- Donovan Swann of Fontana, 12-0 catfish on mackerel at the flats
- Juan Casarez of Santa Ana, 11-0 catfish on shrimp at boat dock cove
- Ricky Wrangell of Placentia, 8-10 largemouth bass [released] on a mini jig at Woody's Cove