Two Anglers Catch Big Catfish at Irvine Lake

The big catfish are still biting at Irvine Lake. While cats have generally been in the 9- to 10-pound range, there have been a few large ones caught.

In the last week, Tim Kilker of Fullerton reeled in a 24 1/2-pounder, and Bill Armstrong of Costa Mesa got a 23-pounder.

After dark is the best time to catch the big catfish.

WILLOW BEACH--Pan-size rainbow trout caught downriver. Upriver rainbow trout averaging two to three pounds.

LAKE MEAD--Stripers caught about 30 to 50 feet deep on anchovies. Early morning and evening best.

BULLHEAD CITY--Lake good for trout. Good trolling. Spotty at night for trout. Catfish active in sandy coves.

LAKE CACHUMA--Catfish biting in the narrows and in Cachuma Bay, trout by the dam. Trolling with nightcrawlers, marshmallows and cheese productive. Bass picking up but still undersized.

LAKE CASITAS--Catfish biting on nightcrawlers in shallows. Trout good deep. Bass best in early morning with an occasional two-pounder.

LAKE PIRU--Trout good by the dam. Trolling best with nine colors plus on needlefish. Bass fishing improved. Catfish taking mackerel in Santa Felicia Cove.

LAKE SKINNER--Bass good in the shallows, 10 feet or less on plastic worms and nightcrawlers. Catfish taking nightcrawlers and mackerel. There has been some bluegill action. Carol Hadean, Santa Ana, 4 1/2-pound bass on purple plastic worm.

CASTAIC LAKE--Catfish good on the lower lake, best on nightcrawlers and mackerel. John Saniger, Granada Hills, 17 3/4-pound catfish. Johnny Flores, Canoga Park, 2 pound 3 ounce trout on upper lake.

LAKE ISABELLA--Some catfish, bluegill and trout being taken upriver. Bass slow.

SAN DIEGO LAKES--Otay: Slow for bass, bluegill. Fair overall. Miramar: Small channel catfish. Sutherland: Excellent for bluegill, slow to fair for bass, good for channel catfish. Hodges: Good for bluegill, channel catfish, fair for bass. El Capitain: Best bet in area for bass. Most small but one 11-4 bass.

BIG BEAR LAKE--Limits of trout caught, especially early morning. Bluegill good in Boulder Bay, Papoose Bay and Mallard Lagoon on grub worms.

VAIL LAKE--Bass, bluegill and catfish are best bets. Diego Ash, 9, Fallbrook, 8-13 catfish.

BISHOP AREA--Lake Sabrina: Limits of a pound or more. Trolling improved. Crowley Lake: Two trout over 18-inch limit.

CONVICT LAKE--Trolling deep on Dave Davis with worms is producing.

JUNE LAKE LOOP--June best after 3 p.m. Red eggs, garlic marshmallows, triple teasers or needlefish. Gull: Red eggs and zekes. Trolling with hornbug flies, frog and bikini needlefish. Silver: Eggs or marshmallows or worms and marshmallows. Brown trout and rainbows. Rush Creek: Worms and Red eggs. Grant: Reeling with Rapalas, nightcrawlers. Fly and bubble late evenings.

BRIDGEPORT--East Walker: Spinning with big floating Rapalas lures. Bridgeport Lake: Bait fishing in Buckeye Bay. Trolling fair. Twin Lakes: Good on bait and trolling. Green Lakes Basin: Good with bait and dry flies. Virginia Lake: Good with dry flies..

Saltwater

SAN SIMEON--32 anglers (1 boat): 1 ling cod, 180 red rock cod, 300 red snapper.

MORRO BAY (Virg’s Landing)--141 anglers (5 boats): 303 albacore.

SANTA BARBARA (Sea Landing)--52 anglers (2 boats): 152 calico bass, 195 red snapper, 211 rockfish, 131 whitefish, 4 ling.

VENTURA (Ventura Landing)--59 anglers (2 boats): 55 calico bass, 110 sand bass, 290 rock sole, 40 bonito.

OXNARD--154 anglers (4 boats): 28 red snapper, 1 bonito, 21 barracuda, 299 calico bass, 1,054 rockfish, 177 whitefish.

PORT HUENEME--58 anglers (3 boats): 270 rock cod, 1 cow cod, 14 red snapper, 235 calico bass, 69 whitefish, 6 bonito, 156 rockfish, 1 barracuda.

MALIBU--63 anglers (2 boats): 119 calico bass, 26 sand bass, 1 barracuda, 50 bonito.

MARINA DEL REY--121 anglers (4 boats): 4 halibut, 5 barracuda, 17 calico bass, 242 sand bass, 160 bonito, 75 mackerel.

REDONDO--191 anglers (7 boats): 384 bonito, 339 calico bass, 130 sand bass, 42 barracuda, 4 halibut, 4 bluefin tuna, 1 white sea bass, 100 whitefish, 210 mackerel, 180 rockfish. Barge--147 anglers: 350 bonito, 25 calico bass, 6 barracuda, 1,470 mackerel, 16 rockfish.

SAN PEDRO (22nd St. Landing)--84 anglers (4 boats): 34 calico bass, 5 sand bass, 230 bonito, 229 barracuda, 5 white sea bass, 7 yellowtail, 3 bluefin tuna. (Ports ‘O Call)--140 angles (5 boats): 18 yellowtail, 138 barracuda, 42 calico bass, 16 sand bass, 91 bonito, 20 whitefish, 323 rockfish, 1 ling cod, 110 mackerel.

LONG BEACH (Belmont Pier)--65 anglers (3 boats): 48 calico bass, 17 sand bass, 505 barracuda, 97 bonito, 1 yellowtail, 220 mackerel, 25 rockfish, 15 whitefish. Barge--65 anglers: 500 mackerel, 2 perch, 3 sand bass, 300 bonito. (Queen’s Wharf)--135 anglers (4 boats): 15 bluefin tuna, 1 yellowtail, 637 barracuda, 268 bonito, 138 calico bass, 110 rockfish, 17 whitefish, 850 mackerel.

SEAL BEACH--106 anglers (3 boats): 89 bonito, 325 barracuda, 23 calico bass, 15 whitefish, 42 sand bass. Barge--52 anglers: 94 mackerel, 142 bonito, 3 perch, 2 sand bass.

NEWPORT (Newport Landing)--100 anglers (4 boats): 21 yellowtail, 80 bonito, 82 sand bass, 33 calico bass, 82 rockfish, 116 mackerel. (Davey’s Locker)--244 anglers (6 boats): 331 barracuda, 303 bonito, 29 yellowtail, 12 rock cod, 2 halibut, 189 calico bass, 138 sand bass, 235 mackerel, 1 blue shark, 1 cabazon.

DANA WHARF--219 anglers (8 boats): 474 bass, 1 barracuda, 360 bonito, 2 halibut, 3 rockfish, 304 mackerel.

SAN DIEGO (H&M; landing, Fisherman’s, Point Loma)--370 anglers (14 boats): 1 bigeye tuna, 279 bonito, 2,171 bass, 11 rockfish, 1 white sea bass, 200 mackerel, 7 halibut. (Seaforth)--299 anglers (7 boats): 145 albacore, 26 yellowtail, 2 barracuda, 344 bonito, 396 calico bass, 3 sand bass, 38 rockfish, 7 mackerel. (Islandia)--152 anglers (4 boats): 2 barracuda, 29 bonito, 24 yellowtail, 7 sand bass, 78 calico bass, 20 rockfish, 22 mackerel.

Trout Plants

LOS ANGELES--Bouquet Canyon Creek, Castaic Lake, Jackson Lake.

SAN BERNARDINO--Green Valley Lake, Santa Ana River, Santa Ana River (South Fork).

RIVERSIDE--Fulmor Lake, Hemet Lake.

INYO--Baker Creek, Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek (Lower, Middle, South Forks and Intake II), Georges Creek, Independence Creek, Lake Sabrina, Lone Pine Creek, North Lake, Owens River (below Tinnemaha), Rock Creek (Rock Creek to the end of the road), Rock Creek Lake, Shepherds Creek, South Lake, Taboose Creek, Tinnemaha Creek, Tuttle Creek.

MONO--Bridgeport Reservoir, Buckeye Creek, Convict Creek, Convict Lake, Deadman Creek, Ellery Lake, George Lake, Glass Creek, Grant Lake, Green Creek, Gull Lake, Hilton Creek, June Lake, Lee Vining Creek (South Fork), Little Walker Lake, Little Walker River, Lundy Lake, Mamie Lake, Mammoth Creek, Mary Lake, McGee Creek, Mill Creek, Ownes River (Benton Crossing and Big Springs), Reverse Creek, Robinson Creek, Rock Creek (Paradise Camp to Tom’s Place, Tom’s Place upstream to Rock Creek Lake), Rush Creek, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake, Sherwin Creek, Silver Lake, Swauger Creek, Tioga Lake, Trumbull Lake, Twin Lakes Bridgeport, Twin Lakes Mammoth, Virginia Creek, Virginia Lakes, Walker River (Chris Flat Campground to town of Walker, Leavitt Meadows Campground to Sonora Bridge).