Plenty of channel catfish and largemouth bass were on the menu at Irvine Lake this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The catfish bite is still good from about 5 PM to 11 PM at 15 to 25 feet at the flats and near the dam, and there is even a decent daytime bite in Boat Dock Cove. Best baits have been mackerel, bonito, shrimp, and skipjack." Getty added, "We are starting to get a lot of calls about our upcoming Trout Opener. We will be stocking over 20,000 pounds of rainbows, browns, and brookies from 2 to over 10 pounds; really beautiful fish from our supplier at Calaveras, right on the Merced River. The public opener will be on Friday, Nov. 2, and we will have a special 'VIP Fishing Day' on Thursday Nov. 1.

"We will not be taking boat or campsite reservations until one week prior to the opener. We still think there is a chance that the legendary 'West Shore Road' may possibly be open for the first time in 4 years, maybe even in time for the opener."

Bass anglers found good numbers of 2 to 4-pound largemouth, mostly on hard structure near Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs at 10 to 20 feet, with jigs, deep crankbaits, and dropshot rigged plastics favored. Some topwater fish are available in the early morning and late afternoons.

Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of carp and 1 to 3-pound catfish on marshmallow/mealworm combos. Surface temperature on the main lake is 76 to 78 degrees, and the lake level is dropping slowly.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

Ronson Smothers of Los Angeles, 12-2 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats
Chris Hagopian of Redondo Beach, and Terry Lairson of Huntington Beach, 5 catfish stringer totaling 43-8, topped by a 12-0 channel cat, on mackerel at the flats