Plenty of very good trout action was on tap at Irvine Lake, despite mixed weather conditions, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. Holiday week trouters will also find ample opportunity to get out on the water at Irvine Lake, said Getty, "We will be CLOSED on Christmas Day [Dec. 25], but will be open regular hours on Christmas Eve [Dec. 24], and also on the day after [Dec. 26]. We will be open regular hours on New Year's Eve and also open regular hours on New Year's Day. Come on out and avoid the crowds at the mall, or join us to catch the first fish of the new year!

"Fishing is really good right now for trout, bass, and even catfish", observed Getty. "The inlet pipe at Sierra Cove is running, and fish have started to build up there. Remember that around the pipe, moving lures work much better than bait just sitting still."

Getty added, "When heavy rains occur, the lakeside roads may require 24 hours or more of drying time. Everything is open right now, but after a storm it is best to call the Pro Shop [714-649-9111] for up to the minute road conditions."

Good trout catches were checked in from the west shore, Santiago Flats and Sierra Cove. The trout were active all day long, with best leader lengths ranging from 14 to 16 inches. Bait dunkers scored using several colors of PowerBait, and trollers did best with clown color [red/chartreuse] Rapala Ultralight shad ULS04's and brown trout-color CD05's and CD07's.

The few bass anglers who ventured out caught very good numbers of 2 to 5-pound largemouth on hard structure at 20 to 30 feet, using jigs and dropshot-rigged plastics. Skilled anglers reported releasing as many as 15 bass in a four-hour session targeting the species. A handful of catfish anglers found good quantities of 3 to 8 pound whiskerfish on mackerel near the east shore.

Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of 1 to 3-pound trout in the Kids Lagoon. Another stocking load of trout will go into the Lagoon just before Christmas. Surface temperature on the main lake is 59-61 degrees, with underwater visibility ranging from 2 to 10 feet.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:

Theresa Boyle of Orange, 7-9 rainbow trout on a Rapala at mid-lake
Steve Duncan of Elsinore, 5-12 rainbow trout on a Power Worm at the flats
Rob Primm of La Mirada, 5-5 rainbow trout on a Flicker Shad at the west shore
Chris Monroy of Los Alamitos, 3-12 brown trout on a Trout King jig at the flats
Earnest Ukkestad of Castaic, 4-15 steelhead on a lure at mid-lake
Nick Sepulveda of Silverado, 3-5 largemouth bass [released] on dropshot at Red Clay Cliffs
Chris Hagopian of Redondo Beach, 8-0 channel catfish on mackerel at the west shore