Plenty of catfish are biting in the beautiful fall weather at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. "The catfish bite on prime eating-size 2 to 5-pounders has been really good", observed Getty. "We had some wind on Thursday and Friday evenings, but Saturday was excellent. Most of the fish are still in 5 to 20 feet of water, and the best 'bite time' has been from dark until about 11 PM. Some really big blue cats are being hooked, but even experienced anglers make mistakes on these big boys. Be sure that all of your knots are tied well, that you have a big net, and all of the anglers have discussed what to do when a monster comes to the boat."

Getty added, "Excitement is building for our 2013-14 Trout Season Opener, which will be on Friday, November 1. We will stock thousands of pounds of trout just prior to the opener, and there will be a special limited-entry 'VIP Fishing Day' on Thursday Oct.31."

Good stringers of catfish were checked in from the west shore, mid-lake, and Santiago Flats. Productive baits included mackerel, shrimp, bonito, and skipjack, either with or without strong scents like Gulp! or Bite-On added. Bass anglers found good numbers of 2 to 4-pound largemouth hanging deep on hard structure during the day, with dropshot-rigged plastics and jigs doing a number on the fish. Dusk and early evening hours have seen the bass move up shallow, and responding best to black spinnerbaits and 10-inch black Power Worms rigged Texas-style. Good spots included Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs.

A handful of bluegill and crappie were caught, and a few 3-pound class wipers hit mackerel intended for catfish. Families with children age 12 and under fishing in the Kids Lagoon found very good action on 1 to 3 pound catfish as they are concentrated in much less water. The Lagoon is being drawn down for pre-trout season maintenance, but fishing will continue.

Surface temperature on the main lake is 72-74 degrees, with the recent winds causing some limited underwater visibility in some areas. The lake level is holding steady. The 2013-14 public Trout Season Opener will take place on Friday, November 1.

Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Elaine Dickerhoof of Artesia, 13-0 blue catfish [released] on Bite-On at the flats
Chris Hagopian of Redondo Beach, 9.5 pound channel catfish on mackerel at the flats
Terry Lairson of Huntington Beach, 8-0 channel catfish on mackerel at the flats