Steve Carson Fish Report 7/6/15

IRVINE LAKE REPORT
By Steve Carson
7/5/15

IRVINE LAKE KICKS OUT MONSTER 38-6 BLUE CAT, 18-0 CHANNEL CAT
LAKE OPEN UNTIL 2:00 AM SATURDAY NIGHT JULY 11
The huge catfish just keep on coming at Irvine Lake this year, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “We had popular Davey’s Locker deckhand Ricardo Zepeda here on his day off, and not surprisingly he nailed a huge 38-6 blue cat suing bonito”, reported Getty. “The biggest channel cat of the season was also checked in, a really nice 18-pounder. Both of the big whiskerfish were released back into the lake.”
Getty added, “We will be open until 1:00 AM on Saturday night, July 11 for our big ‘July Catfish Shootout’ tournament event. Also, both the Trout Island and west shore boat ramps are open.”
Good stringers of catfish were recorded from the west shore, Santiago Flats, mid-lake, and near the dam. Most of the catfish were prime “eating-size” channels from 2-8 pounds, with enough bigger specimens around to keep things really interesting.
Productive baits included mackerel, shrimp, bonito, and skipjack during the evening, and nightcrawlers during the daytime. Strong scents such as Berkley Catfish dip are a big help for catfish, and in almost all cases, do not use a sinker of any kind. A 1X3 inch chunk of bait on a 2/0 hook is perfect for channels, but for big blues use a whole slab or the entire head of a mackerel on an 8/0 hook. For anglers interested in oversize blue cats, another key tool to be sure you have is a big salmon net.
Bass anglers found the fish up shallow during the evening and night-time hours, but down to 20 feet during the day. Dropshot-rigged plastics were the top choice for fishing deep, with reaction baits the best bet for shallow presentations. Good numbers of 2-4 pound largemouth were caught near Rocky Point and the Red Clay Cliffs. Plenty of plump bluegill and redear sunfish to over a pound were available for anglers fishing shallow with meal worms and wax worms.
Families with children age 12 and under found good numbers of 2-3 pound catfish and carp using nightcrawlers or marshmallow/mealworm combos. Surface temperature on the main lake is 76-80 degrees, and the lake level is dropping slowly. Underwater visibility ranges from crystal clear to slightly stained in areas affected by wind. Both launch ramps are currently in full operation, with the Trout Island ramp expected to close in late July.
The evening of July 11 will see the lake offer extended fishing hours until 2 AM for the “July Catfish Shootout”, which will be a perfect way to beat the summer heat. Irvine Lake is stocked with thousands of pounds of catfish every week all summer long.
Outstanding catches of the week at Irvine Lake included:
Ricardo Zepeda of Santa Ana, 38-6 blue catfish [released] on bonito at mid-lake
Dan Didion of San Diego, 18-0 channel catfish [released] on mackerel at the west shore
Dylan Schwappach of Alameda, 4-9 largemouth bass [released] on a zipper worm at Rocky Point
Steve Anna of Trabuco Hills, 1-8 redear sunfish on nightcrawlers at the west shore
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