I think i might be attempting ti catch my first cat this friday. I havent been to irvine lake since november. Have the water levels droppes more. Any tips or pointers. Were probabl going to he fishing from the shore.
trying to catch my first cat
I think i might be attempting ti catch my first cat this friday. I havent been to irvine lake since november. Have the water levels droppes more. Any tips or pointers. Were probabl going to he fishing from the shore.
I rarely go to Irvine but from what I have heard from friends the water is low and the fish are not biting. They went last week for 3 days and caught nothing. I would suggest going somewhere else lie Diamond Bar, Big Bear, Chuchuma, and etc. There might be catfish in your city ponds but from what I have seen no one is catching them unless its after a derby. All I have been catching at city ponds are bass and tilapia. To catch catfish what you really need to do is to find where they are biting and what time they are biting. Look for structures , sandy areas, or deeper water Each lake is different but general rule of thumb is after sunset to early morning is the best bet. As far as tackle go have at least 10-15lb line test but you can catch them in lighter line if you wish. I have caught a 15lber on 4lb line. For rigs anything works the most common is the slip sinker rig , but it doesn't matter as long as the bait hits the bottom. You might want to try fishing without weights it works best for heavily weeded areas the only downside to that is you have to use light line 4-8lb test. That's how I caught the 15lber on 4lb line. Or you could leave the spool open when using weighting.
For bait anything that is meat based nightcrawlers, mackerel, crayfish, shrimp, and etc. Hope that helps
I was given free passes so i might as well use them. At this point il settle for what i can catch. Crappie blue gill, anything besides a skunk.
Water is low, but PERFECT for serious catfishing...if it is in your budget I would suggest renting a boat and fish deeper for quality fish. If a boat isn't in the cards I would try 1 of 2 areas. As far down as you can go along the West Shore(for larger holdovers) or the shallows close to the rental docks (for stocker fish)...leave the sinkers at home, especially if you fish shallow. Use fresh mackerel and a 3/0-5/0 hook....if you fish deep I would suggest large chunks for bait (this will add weight and allow you to cast your offering further), if you fish shallow in among the weeds use a fillet type cut (the greater surface area of your bait will settle on the top of the vegetation where the fish cruise looking for dinner) 15lb test is ideal imo as these fish are not line shy and the heavier gear will allow you a chance of ripping those fish out of the weeds if they bury their nose in it.
I wish you good luck and if you need more info shoot me a PM! When you get to the lake ask the staff for any suggestions....Jimmy or Kewly usually know the 411, tell them you are from FNN and want to catch some fish!
Please post up and let us know how you do.....
TD
Last edited by troutdog; 09-10-2014 at 09:48 AM.
Thanks for all the info. Any tips on where to find and how to land carp?
I saw some guys along the West Shore catch a few and I know the kids lagoon always kicks out some big ol goldfish....doughballs/masa used to be the go to baits, google up "carp bait" or "carp techniques" and I'll bet you'll find a ton of stuff!
TD
Or ask Carptain_Bao lol! I am planning to hit up the lake this Saturday. For carp, I think right now the kids lagoon is more ideal than the main lake because there is just too much weed in the main lake, I dont like fishing in the weeds for carp. As for techniques, use method feeder would be good. Google method feeder, use corn as your hookbait and you should be set. Good luck!Originally Posted by troutdog
Now is the time for the big boys to bite at irvine. Catch yourself a nice sized carp, and use it's head for bait and the sides. You get 3 baits from one carp. Hold on tight, no time for small fish !
is this legal to do??
I also plan to head out to irvine soon. Anybody know a general spot that would be good? I don't wanna anyones honeyhole, just like a general area of the lake to try. i will be fishing from a boat, using 12-15lb test, i plan to use mackerel( is fresh or frozen better?), i also wont have a fish finder, so i don't know if deep or shallow is best(i'll probably just do both).
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